The+Mythological+Hippocamp

__**The Hi****ppocampus** __**- Alejandra Ospina begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting ** = =

= = One of the mythological creatures that thrives in water is a hippocamp or hippocampus. This ancient "sea-horse" usually lives in the ocean, even though it is capable of surviving in fresh water. Hippocampi are closely associated with Poseidon (the god of sea, earthquakes, and horses) and are usually depicted pulling his chariot through the water. These animals of Greek origin are different from real [|sea-horses], but they managed to remain an iconic animal.

**__ The Origin __ **
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Around the 16th century or earlier, the Greeks initially put hippocampi into their mythology. Hippocampus directly comes from the Greek words, hippos meaning "horse" and kampos meaning "sea monster". The Phonoecians also helped establish the mythology, around the same time as the Greek, for they also had recounts of some interaction with a strange hybrid creature. How hippocampus came to existence is still uncertain, but it is likely that Poseidon or Neptune (his Latin name) helped in their creation. Poseidon introduced hippocampi to the ancient <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">civilizations when suddenly appeared on the surface of the ocean while being <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">pulled by a couple of <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">hippocampi. They were his steeds, and he was their gardian. Some people believed that the <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">traditional sea-horse was the baby version of the hippocampus. They would start out small and then <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">develop legs and a fin. From then on, the giantic sea-horses would roam

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">__**Physical Appearance**__
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Both mysterious and grotesque, the hippocamp is composed of the body parts from two animals: a horse and a fish. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">It has never seen before, but the Greeks mentioned that the upper half of the body, above the torso, looks like a horse. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Attached to the top part, the forelegs are two front legs with hooves. Some artist depict hippocamps with webbed feet <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">instead of hooves. A majority of their back was covered with a fishy mane similar to a horses mane (but not made of hair). A different interpretation of a hippocampus. In comparison, this version has hooves instead of webbed-feet. The artist Lizzy, still drew its unique, fish-like tail. || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">The creature's lower half mimics that of a fish with scales and a fin to maneuver. The tale is said to <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">be from a large fish, a dolphin, or any serpent- like fish. Despite from what aquatic animal hippocampi came from, <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">the tale has a bluish or green hue and it is very long and curvy. Hippocampi are big enough to pull a chariot, <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">but their actually size is unknown. In stories, people ancient Roman shipmates were lured by the animal but were not <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">able to get close, because hippocampi maneuver quickly in the water. This is one with fins at the end of its legs. Since the creature is from mythology, questions about its looks still remain. ||
 * [[image:http://th00.deviantart.net/fs9/PRE/i/2006/040/4/d/Hippocampus_by_Lizzy23.jpg width="247" height="282"]]
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__**<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Mythological Stories **__
<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">1. In Apolonius Rhodius, Argonautica, a Greek epic, Jason (a man riding a ship) retells about his encounter with Poseidon. The horses were release from his chariot to "recompense" their ship. Peleus, another shipmate, was overjoyed <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">to see the hippocampi jumping out of the sea and helping the ship to port. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">2. Homer was also going on a journey, but left from Aigai, when Poseidon came to meet him with his horses. He <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">expected features of a horse from land such as swiftness and "bronze-hoofed" feet, but was astounded to spot "web-footed" <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">hooves. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">3. In another story, a widow finds a wounded hippocampus that washed onto the shore. After seeing it abused by women <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">walking by, she felt pity for the creature and tries to heal its injuries. After saving the hippocampus, she is granted three wishes, <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">her last wish was to die. To fulfill that wish she was required to travel to the hippocampus' home to find the prince. Once in the <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">water, the lady was able to breath, but it was not long until they arrived at Atlantis. In Atlantis, no one ages, not even the old widow. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Upon realizing that she was allowed to stay because of her passionate act, the prince of Altantis asks her to become his wife, and <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">she accepts.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">The hippocampus was not the only kind of mixed specie found in the ocean. Similar half-and-half animals <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">that were just as famous, one of which is Capricorn (the constellation) a combination between a goat and a fish. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Others include:
 * __<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">I. Other hybrid fish creatures __**
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">"Leokampos" (fish-tailed lion)
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">"Taurokampos" (fish-tailed bull)
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">"Pardalokampos" (fish-tailed leopard)
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">"Aigikampos" (fish-tailed goat)

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">This creature is wisely appreciated for its nobility and honor. Neptune rode hippocampi, governed them, <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">and lived with them. Nowadays the symbolic meaning of the hippocampus is divinity, strenghth, and honor. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Romans believed hippocampi were blessed by Poseidon, so they even dedicated statues to the hippocampi. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">In moder times, they still retain symbolic importance. The hippocamp is, according to HubPages, "the symbol <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">of[| the Royal Tournament] and the city of Dublin."

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">The Hippocampus has appeared many times throughout history and still exists today through stories and art. Hippocampi <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">are typically seen in Roman, Greek, and Phoenecian art and sculptures. For instance, the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy has a famous <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">scuplture of a hippocampus next to Poseidon. Citizens and tourists can look at the figures up close and <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'palatino linotype','book antiqua',palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">throw coins into the fountain for good luck. Other places that display this sea creature include:


 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Some mosaics found on the ground of Italian houses incorporate hippocampi to add to the aesthetics.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Clay pottery from ancient Greeks have paintings of these sea-horses along side with Poseidon.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Paintings such as "The Chariot of Poseidon"
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">There is a body part that is also called the hippocampus.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The book series called, __Harry Potter__ has a scene where the main character sees a couple of horse/fish creatures.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">__The Titan's Curse,__ from the Percy Jackson series, has a hippocampus talk to the main character to call him to adventure.
 * <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">A toy bran called Hasbro's has a toy called the "sea pony".

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">The most predominately known reference to hippocampi is a small structure in the limbic system that <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">plays an important role in memory. New explicit (facts) are processed there to be sent into storage later. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">This part of the brain was named after a mythological sea-horse, because as J.M.S Pearce stated, <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">"Neurologists recognise it as each of two elongated eminences... so called from their supposed resemblance <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">to the fish" (Pearce 1). Now the word hippocampus alludes mythogical and scientific meanings.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">__Citation__
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