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Gender Feminine
Scripts Ἀηδών(Ancient Greek)
Other Forms FormsAēdon, Aedona

Meaning & History

Derived from Greek ἀηδών (aēdōn) "songstress" or from Greek ἀηδονίς (aēdonis) "nightingale". Also compare Greek ἀοιδή (aoidē) meaning "song". This was the name of a legendary queen of Thebes who plotted to kill her rival Niobe's son, but killed her own son accidentally. In grief, she was transformed by the gods into the first nightingale, a bird that still haunts the night with its mournful cry. Similarly, in the Homeric legend Aëdon was the wife of Zethus and mother of Itylus, whom she slew by mistake; Zeus transformed her into a nightingale, which nightly laments its murdered child.
Added 10/14/2007 by LMS
Edited 8/17/2017 by Lucille, SeaHorse15 and LMS


See Also

User submission Aedon