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The word Halcyon comes from a mythical Greek bird. We use “halcyon” today to
mean quiet or carefree, especially in the phrase “halcyon days,” meaning an earlier,
carefree time. Originally, however, “halcyon days” were a specific time of year: the
two weeks on either side of the Winter Solstice in mid-December, when the seas of
the world were said to be calm and the winds supposedly ceased to blow. It was
during this calm time of year that the kingfisher (a type of bird) was believed by the
Ancient Greeks to make its nest and raise its young upon the water. The Greek
name for the kingfisher was “alkyon,” which routed through Latin, became our
modern word “halcyon.”
The ancient Greeks, however, knew an opening for a good story when they saw
one, and came up with the myth to explain what they thought was the kingfisher’s
odd nesting habit (we know they nest on land). According to the myth, Alcyone was
the daughter of Aeolus, god of the winds, and was married to Ceyx. One day Ceyx
went sailing and drowned, and Alcyone was heartbroken. She flung herself into the
sea, but before she could perish, the gods took pity on her and changed both
Alcyone and Ceyx (apparently no longer dead) into kingfishers, and they have raised
their young upon the waves ever since. In consideration for his daughter, goes the
myth, Aeolus stills the winds every year in December when the kingfishers build
their nests and hatch their young.
The Word "Halcyon"
