26 Mayıs 2023 Cuma

Cetus from Troia

This title will focus on Cetus, a kind of aquatic and reptilian Trojan hybrid monster or beast. In the name of this monster in different publications; It can be found in different spellings as Cetus, Cetos, Ketos. There are depictions of Cetus in ancient ceramic paintings. I think that Cetus, whose mythological story is quite interesting, is an indispensable creature for the ancient Troad geography. Therefore, Cetus was chosen as the inspiration for this study.

Different imaginary beings associated with different cities are known in the ancient Troas geography. While this information is sometimes depicted on city coins, they sometimes appear on a marble relief or sculpture. We often encounter these beings in ceramic vase paintings. Creatures, monsters or whatever we call them, they are all considered fictional. However, the statement that "all legends have an element of truth." is not an exception for Cetus, whom I am talking about. Because a prehistoric fossil found near ancient Troia in the recent past is interesting with features that can be associated with Cetus.

Although paleontology is a modern science, it should not be difficult to guess that ancient people also encountered fossils and were interested in fossils and even formed myths about these fossils. It is as uncertain as not being able to say that an ancient Trojan might have encountered a fossil that could also be associated with Cetus, and that the legends about this fossil constitute the Cetus mythology. This uncertainty has reached the present day by being transmitted through generations as the riches that people put forth by forcing their imaginations. At least that's my opinion. In the continuation of the article, I will try to explain how I worked in creating my own Cetus design, in parallel with the use of local data as a source of inspiration, by focusing on a few examples of Cetus that have survived to the present day.

Cetus, Fatih Karagül, 2023, CGD, AI, NFT