Jason is born the son of King Aeson. His destiny is to rule Iolcus, the land that his father's brother, King Pelias, has taken from him. When Jason comes of age, he returns to Iolcus. But the king is not yet willing to give up his throne. So he cunningly persuades Jason to accept a dare to bring back the famous Golden Fleece of Colchis. Jason accepts the challenge—unaware that he is being conned into a dangerous and perhaps fatal journey far, far from the land he loves.
Along with Heracles and Theseus, Perseus and Atalanta and, of course, the sorceress Medea, Jason travels on a wondrous journey in the ship Argo to strange lands populated by even stranger inhabitants. While they travel, Orpheus, the famous Greek storyteller, sings songs about the gods and goddesses and the creation of heaven and earth.
This is the story of Jason, the Argonauts, and their quest for the Golden Fleece.
Padriac Colum, a major leader of the Irish Renaissance and friend of both Joyce and Yeats, was a poet, playwright, and author in his own right. Well versed in the old Gaelic myths as well as those of other cultures, he wrote a number of books for children that retell these old tales. Using the story of Jason and the Argonauts as a vehicle, Colum employs the character of Orpheus, who is accompanying the Argonauts, to tell us the stories of Prometheus, Theseus, and Heracles, among others, as the adventurers journey past particular locales associated with their respective exploits. Williams's voice is a fine match with the text, which is written in a style that is eloquent but that may seem archaic to the contemporary listener. His deep, resonant voice has something of the quality of an oracle. His delivery is subtly nuanced, and this work will be a real treat for the listener who sticks with it. M.T.F. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
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The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles
by Padriac Colum
