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Myrrha (Greek: ), also known as Smyrna (Greek: ), is the mother of Adonis in Greek mythology. She was transformed into a myrrh tree after having had intercourse with her father and gave birth to Adonis as a tree. Although the tale of Adonis has Semitic roots, it is uncertain from where the myth of Myrrha emerged, though it was likely from Cyprus. The myth details the incestuous relationship between Myrrha and her father, Cinyras. Myrrha falls in love with her father and tricks him into sexual intercourse. After discovering her identity, Cinyras draws his sword and pursues Myrrha. She flees across Arabia and, after nine months, turns to the gods for help. They take pity on her and transform her into a myrrh-tree. While in plant form, Myrrha gives birth to Adonis. According to legend, the aromatic exudings of the myrrh-tree are Myrrha's tears. The most familiar form of the myth was recounted in the ''Metamorphoses'' of Ovid, and the story was the subject of the most famous work (now lost) of the poet Helvius Cinna. Several alternate versions appeared in the ''Bibliotheca'', the ''Fabulae'' of Hyginus, and the ''Metamorphoses'' of Antoninus Liberalis, with major variations depicting Myrrha's father as the Assyrian king Theias or depicting Aphrodite as having engineered the tragic liaison. Critical interpretation of the myth has considered Myrrha's refusal of conventional sexual relations to have provoked her incest, with the ensuing transformation to tree as a silencing punishment. It has been suggested that the taboo of incest marks the difference between culture and nature and that Ovid's version of Myrrha showed this. A translation of Ovid's Myrrha, done by English poet John Dryden in 1700, has been interpreted as a critique of the society of that day linking Myrrha to Mary II and Cinyras to James II. In post-classical times, Myrrha has had widespread influence in Western culture. She was mentioned in the ''Divine Comedy'' by Dante, was an inspiration for ''Mirra'' by Vittorio Alfieri, and was alluded to in ''Mathilda'' by Mary Shelley. In the play ''Sardanapalus'' by Byron, a character named Myrrha appeared, whom critics interpreted as a symbol of Byron's dream of romantic love. The myth of Myrrha was one of 24 tales retold in ''Tales from Ovid'' by English poet Ted Hughes. In art, Myrrha's seduction of her father has been illustrated by German engraver Virgil Solis, her tree-metamorphosis by French engraver Bernard Picart and Italian painter Marcantonio Franceschini, while French engraver Gustave Doré chose to depict Myrrha in Hell as a part of his series of engravings for Dante's ''Divine Comedy''. In music, she has appeared in pieces by Sousa and Ravel. She was also the inspiration for several species' scientific names and an asteroid's. ==Origin and etymology== The myth of Myrrha is closely linked to that of her son, Adonis, which has been easier to trace. ''Adonis'' is the Hellenized form of the Phoenician word "''adoni''", meaning "''my lord''".〔 It is believed that the cult of Adonis was known to the Greeks from around the sixth century B.C., but it is unquestionable that they came to know it through contact with Cyprus. Around this time, the cult of Adonis is noted in the Book of Ezekiel in Jerusalem, though under the Babylonian name Tammuz.〔〔(Ezekiel 8:14 )〕 Adonis originally was a Phoenician god of fertility representing the spirit of vegetation. It is further speculated that he was an avatar of the version of Ba'al, worshipped in Ugarit. It is likely that lack of clarity concerning whether Myrrha was called Smyrna, and who her father was, originated in Cyprus before the Greeks first encountered the myth. However, it is clear that the Greeks added much to the Adonis-Myrrha story, before it was first recorded by classical scholars.〔 Over the centuries Myrrha, the girl, and myrrh, the fragrance, have been linked etymologically. Myrrh was precious in the ancient world, and was used for embalming, medicine, perfume, and incense. The Modern English word ''myrrh'' (Old English: ''myrra'') derives from the Latin ''Myrrha'' (or ''murrha'' or ''murra'', all are synonymous Latin words for the tree substance). The Latin ''Myrrha'' originated from the Ancient Greek ''múrrā'', but, ultimately, the word is of Semitic origin, with roots in the Arabic ''murr'', the Hebrew ''mōr'', and the Aramaic ''mūrā'', all meaning "bitter" as well as referring to the plant. Regarding ''smyrna'', the word is a Greek dialectic form of ''myrrha''. Myrrh in the Bible is referenced as one of the most desirable fragrances, and though mentioned alongside frankincense it is usually more expensive.〔 Several Old Testament passages refer to myrrh. In the Song of Solomon, which according to scholars dates to either the tenth century B.C. as a Hebrew oral tradition or to the Babylonian captivity in the 6th century B.C., myrrh is referenced seven times making the Song of Solomon the passage in the Old Testament referring to myrrh the most, often with erotic overtones.〔(Song of Solomon 5:5 )〕〔(Song of Solomon 5:13 )〕 In the New Testament the substance is famously associated with the birth of Christ when the magi presented their gifts of "gold, frankincense, and myrrh".〔(Matthew 2:10-11 )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Myrrha」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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