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The Greek Gods (and there were many of them) were magical in nature and human in actions. They were like a magical soap opera program that enlivened the dull lives of the Greeks who worshiped them. The king and queen of the gods were Zeus and Hera. Hera is often portrayed as majestic and solemn, the goddess who walked in golden sandals. She was not only Zeus' wife, she was also his sister. She was reputed to be a stunning beauty and a gracious "Lady" (the meaning of her name.) Zeus courted her after killing his first wife. Hera, however, spurned his advances. Wouldn't you?

One evening as she relaxed in her bedroom, a cuckoo bird tapped at her window. He shivered from the cold and looked pathetic. Hera rescued him and held him close to her all day to warm him. That night, she put him by her pillow. Before she could go to sleep, however, the bird changed into Zeus. He had thoroughly enjoyed the day's cuddle and wanted more! After some "discussion", Hera agreed to marry Zeus. Their wedding, of course, was a magical event. Their wedding night lasted 300 years! Later, as queen, she had a cuckoo on her scepter and her mountain home was known as Cuckoo Mountain.

After such an interesting beginning, and even though they were gods, their marriage was not made in heaven. Although Hera made Zeus promise to be faithful, it didn't happen. He was a sucker for a pretty face and sired children all over the place. Hera was insanely jealous. She often hunted down Zeus' mistresses and either killed them or cursed them. She was also known to do the same to their children. The list of those she persecuted out of jealousy is long. She hunted Alcmene and tried to kill her son Hercules by sending snakes to his crib. (He strangled the snakes and lived, but she continued to harrass Hercules for most of his life. Once she put a curse of madness on him causing him to kill his own wife and three children.) Io was another of Zeus' lovers. First she changed her into a cow and sent flies to torture her. Then she had Io guarded by a giant with 100 eyes. She hunted Leto trying to prevent the birth of Artemis and Apollo by Zeus. Later she threatened to kill them. She drove the foster parents of Dionysus mad. She turned Callisto, another of Zeus' loves into a bear.

In additon to her jealousy, she threw tantrums and curses for other reasons. She blinded Tiresias for comparing another woman to her beauty. She cast Orion's wife into Hades and turned Antigone's hair into snakes after the latter boasted

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