Tartarus, the delicate

Tartarus: a sunless abyss, below Hades in which Zeus imprisoned the Titans.

That doesn’t necessarily sound like a natural abode for a delicate soul like me, but for Ann-Christine of the esteemed Lens-Artist quartet, I will climb the highest mountain, sail the seven seas, dive the deepest ocean and while at the bottom enter a sunless abyss below Hades to find Delicate Colours for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge#98

“In Greek mythology, Tartarus … is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans. Tartarus is the place where, according to Plato’s Gorgias (c. 400 BC), souls are judged after death and where the wicked received divine punishment. Tartarus is also considered to be a primordial force or deity alongside entities such as the Earth, Night and Time”. From Wikipedia

Anne-Christine mentioned that in spring delicate colours: are everywhere in nature, but also to be found anywhere you look, in for example fashion, art and architecture. I am certainly disappointed that she didn’t mention other obvious places like dungeons used for torment and suffering! It would have made my life much easier. 

Like one of the other quartet members Tina Schell  I also did not know how to approach this challenge, but she spoke to a friend which reminded her of the sweetgrass of Kiawah and her post was born. I decided to follow a similar methodology , except that in my case the friend was virtual.

I share photos with friends on Google Photos due to having shared hiking trail adventures with them and as these photos are searchable I started here.  I typed in Delicate Colours but my friend unashamedly informed me that there is no results and I should try a synonym or more general keyword. Let’s make it simpler: C-O-L-O-U-R-S. Same result – thus no result. But then I had a moment of deep insight, linguistic brilliance I dare say old chap. I realized that I was metaphorically, speaking Greek to my virtual American friend and decided to type:  C-O-L-O-R-S! My friend was happy to present me with results and viola my post was born!! While there were results for colors they were random. In the end I searched for flowers and the logarithm brain of my friend interpreted one of these photos incorrectly to be a flower and that is actually when the post was born.

Cave flower

These colours are caused by an organism which name I can’t remember but it is delicate in appearance and colour. And certainly a surprise. I have been in many caves but Tartarus despite the mythological meaning was the first cave I entered which shimmered like this. It proved to be an enjoyable visit as the smiles on my hiking companions’ faces bare witness to. 

Banished to Tartarus

Delicate colours not ruled by darkness

Gold fever

Eikosigon

One day in 2019 and thus before Covid19 we visited Muizenberg, Tartarus and Boomslang (Tree snake) caves. We started hiking very early and on the way to Muizenberg cave, I saw this intricately delicate eikosigon.  As it was early hundreds if not thousands water pearls were clinging to the threads. An eikosigon, is familiy of a pentagon and a hexagon, those pyramid shapes named by the amount of sides they have. I counted 20 “sides”  some of them much wider than others on this absolutely amazing spiderweb, an engineering miracle. 

Eikosi means 20 in Greek. It is pronounced similar to 2 Xhosa words Enkosi (thank you) and Nkosi (Lord as in God). Thank you Lord 20 times over for the privilege to experience the beauty of nature and for friends to experience it with.

COVID19 will pass  – stay safe 

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1