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Greek Mythology/
Labors of the Titanborn
The Hind was no ordinary animal. It belonged to Artemis, goddess of the hunt, and was swift-footed, with golden antlers and bronze hooves. It was said to be so fast that it could outrun an arrow in flight. Because of its divine connection, harming it would bring down Artemis’s wrath.
Eurystheus, the king who set Heracles’s labors, chose this task because he thought it would be impossible—Heracles had to take the Hind alive and unharmed.
Heracles pursued the animal for a full year, chasing it across mountains, rivers, and forests. Finally, depending on the version:He caught it in a net,
Or shot an arrow that only wounded it slightly,
Or waited until it was exhausted.
On his way back, he encountered Artemis and Apollo. Artemis was furious that her sacred creature had been taken, but Heracles explained that he had no choice—it was part of his penance. To appease her, he promised to return the Hind unharmed once he showed it to Eurystheus. Artemis agreed, and so the labor was completed without bloodshed.
This task highlights Heracles’s endurance, respect for the gods, and cleverness, rather than sheer strength.
Golden Hunt
Across the hills, through forest deep,
A golden shadow dances fleet.
No blade nor strength can bring her down,
Only time and fate allow.
"Mortal hunter, hear my cry,
This sacred beast shall never die."
"Swift as wind, a gift divine,
Her freedom stands—will you defy?"
Run through the night, chase through the dawn,
A year of trials, a fate foregone!
The golden hind, forever free,
Bound by the will of destiny!
Through storm and fire, across the seas,
Through winter’s frost and autumn’s breeze.
Her hooves like thunder, her path unknown,
A shadow fleet, a fleeting ghost.
"This beast is mine, she shall not stay...
Return her now, and walk away."
(Hercules, resolute, accepting his fate):
"The task is done, the king shall see,
But she will roam forever free."
Run through the night, chase through the dawn,
A year of trials, a fate foregone!
The golden hind, forever free,
Bound by the will of destiny!
"Through time untold, her legend stays,
A golden ghost in twilight’s haze..."