Greek Mythology Jewelry: inspiration behind the THEA Collection
The THEA line by Macabre Gadgets draws inspiration from ancient Greek mythology, transforming legendary characters into wearable art. Year after year we are visiting sites, exploring museum and studying artefacts to get better understanding of ancient world, each piece in our Greek mythology jewelry line tells a story thousands of years old. Discover the myths, symbolism, and ancient rituals that inspire our handcrafted pieces.
Left to right: 1) Temple of Apollo. Pompeii, Italy. 2) and 4) Olive Branch ring by Macabre Gadgets. 3) Athena of Velletri. Louvre Museum, Paris.
The Birth of the THEA Line: Our Journey into Ancient Greece
Our creative team shares a huge fascination with the ancient Hellenistic world, and Thea was one of the first collections we released back in 2013. At first, we were going to leave it as it was - a collection inspired by well-known stories and characters. But soon we realized that this was an impossible task, that these stories and characters can’t be contained in one collection - their stories do not ends, they change over time yet always remain relevant, so should our perception of the Hellenistic. And like that, the Thea line was created - a line of jewelry inspired and shaped by ancient Greek mythology and art, history and craft, but more importantly, by the complexity and beauty of this era.
Left to right: 1) Archeological site. Delos, Greece. 2) Ionic pendant by Macabre Gadgets.
Since we are a jewelry brand - a craft that heavily relies on vision and sensuality - this subject seems very fruitful to reimagine. The Thea line is our journey to the ancient world with all its weirdness and wonders, a world where centaurs and sea dragons still roar across the earth, our journey to rediscover familiar tales and study them from different points of view.
We will not touch on the subjects of why and how such elaborate storytelling, so tightly woven into religion, came to be. Instead, we’re going to be inspired by the beauty of it - the raw sensuality of those stories and the elegance of the philosophy behind them.
And we are going to revisit this Hellenistic dream in our future blog posts, where we will focus on different subjects within it, but today we’re going to talk a bit about Gods and Heroes - the core of those myths, characters whose names are familiar to almost everybody.
Male Torso pendant by Macabre Gadgets.
From Chaos to Olympus
So a quick word about the structure of the Greek gods’ mythology. Since the beginning of Hellenistic civilization, the Greeks explained nearly everything in their mythology and by their mythology - the creation of the world, the forces of nature, the movements of celestial bodies, the mysteries of love and death. This created a complicated system of mythology and religious belief that evolved and changed through time.
Olympians were not forever rulers of the world; they were, in fact, the third generation of deities. In the beginning, there were only primal elements rather than human-like gods. Greek mythology begins with Chaos, Gaia, Tartarus, and Eros - they represented the raw building blocks of existence. From them, the world began to take shape. Next were the Titans - twelve powerful but more human-like beings - Cronus, Rhea, Oceanus, Hyperion and others. For ages, the Titans ruled the cosmos.
Silver Zeus ring by Macabre Gadgets
Every new generation of deities came to power by force, and the Olympians were not an exception - through battles, deception, and alliances Zeus became the ruler of the world and the king of the gods. Beside him was Hera - his wife - equally vicious and powerful, and their siblings, cousins, and children. The whole family occupied Olympus, each one of them busy with their own craft.
The Complexity of Divine Roles in Ancient Greece
And here is the tricky part - modern summaries lead us to believe that each and every one of them was a patron of a particular field, which is only partly true. Our perception is far more strict than it should be; the ancient Greeks did not divide divine duties so neatly. Athena was not only the goddess of wisdom - she also oversaw warfare strategy, crafts, justice, urban governance, etc.
Each god’s meaning also evolved across centuries - Hera started as a regional fertility goddess long before she became the queen of Olympus - and across territory - Apollo at Delphi was the lord of prophecy, at Delos a guardian of sailors, etc. Moreover, multiple gods sometimes overlapped - the oversight of war was not only the personal duty of Ares but also Athena, Zeus, and even Artemis. The Olympian gods were not just archetypes - they were dynamic, evolving figures who reflected the ever-changing diversity of the ancient world.
Greek Heroes: Beyond the Simplified Narratives
Heroes in ancient Greece are another celebrated figures, often - if not always - related to gods, and therefore possessing particular superhuman abilities. Orpheus -the divine musician, Heracles -the legendary strong demigod, Achilles - the invincible warrior, and many more. But the thing is that only fragments of their stories survived, and even less widely known. And in those tales heroes are often overlooked in their importance, while modernity simplifies them even more into the standard "prince saving a princess" narrative. For ancient Greeks, these were stories of great significance - they explained the world, they provided moral and cultural guidance. Heroes often had their own cults, received offerings, and were worshipped through different rituals.
Gods and Heroes - Inspiration Behind our Jewelry
Our jewelry is inspired by these figures’ vivid presence, the tales of their characters and appearances, and by symbolism that often aligns with our brand’s darker perception of the world. Let’s not forget that these divinities emerged in raw prehistoric times, when concepts of society and morality seem very different from ours.
Zeus - king of gods
The name “Zeus” likely comes from the Proto-Indo-European word for “daylight sky” or “sky father” - Dyeus or Diwe/Diwo - born in Crete, in a secret cave, to avoid being swallowed by his father, the youngest child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Father to half of the Olympians and countless heroes. Many myths and legends tell us about Zeus’s character, sensuality, and power - not everything about him would be considered admirable today. Worship rituals varied by location and context; nevertheless, sacrifices were a mandatory form of worship not only for Zeus but for any god, both publicly and privately. The size of a sacrifice was often proportional to the importance of the request. The most controversial and rough example is the hecatomb, where every four years one hundred bulls were sacrificed to Zeus outside his temple, specifically on the third day of the ancient Olympic Games.
Left to right: 1) sculpture of Zeus or Poseidon, Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco, Rome. 2) and 3) Zeus ring by Macabre Gadgets. 4) Fragment of the head of the god Jupiter, Museum of Imperial Forum, Rome
Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare
Goddess-protector of Athens, daughter of Zeus - born directly from his head, fully grown and armed with helmet and spear. Worshipped across the Mediterranean - as a patron of armour-making and weaponry in Sparta, of shipbuilding and woodwork at Lindos (Rhodes), and many more. Most significantly, her cult was in Athens - the specific myth of the contest with Poseidon for the city’s patronage, where Athena offered the olive tree to the people, was central to Athenian identity and physically represented on the Acropolis. The key ritual was the Panathenaic Festival, held every four years, featuring a grand procession to the Parthenon to offer a newly woven sacred peplos (robe) to the goddess’s ancient wooden statue. The celebration also included sacrifices, athletic events, and musical contests.
Left to right: 1) Male model in drapes for Macabre Gadgets "Thea" campaign. 2) Athena Promachos, a Roman copy of a 5th-century BCE Greek sculpture. National Archaeological Museum, Naples 3) Female model for Macabre Gadgets "Thea" campaign. 4) Athena pendant by Macabre Gadgets
Heracles: The Legendary Demigod
Son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, the most famous demigod in modernity. And not without reason - he is mentioned in many works of ancient Greek literature, and we can find depictions of his labours in all forms of art. But what we can’t see are many other details about him that don’t fit today’s world narrative - details that can help us have a clearer picture of the time when stories like his were important and relevant. His sexual might was no less legendary than his strength; he had countless lovers - women, men, and non-human figures. He was worshipped in his own cult both as a hero and a god, celebrated as the founder of Gades (modern Cádiz, Spain), the only Greek hero to physically defeat a personification of death - Thanatos.
Left to right: 1) Heracles ring by Macabre Gadgets. 2) Hercules and Lichas by Antonio Canova, National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rome.
Achilles: The Invincible Warrior
Son of the goddess Thetis and the mortal king Peleus, an invincible warrior and a significant figure in the story of the Trojan War. In earlier tales (in Homer’s Iliad) there is no mention of him being dipped into the river Styx to become invincible; he is simply very fast, strong, and favoured by the gods. He is described as tall, striking, with long golden hair. He was worshipped as a hero, not a god, with night sacrifices of black animals (usually a black ram). With no regret he revenges Patroclus death and kills Hector, knowing that he will be fulfilling the prophecy that his own death is to follow. The ghost of Patroclus comes to see Achilles with the request to mix their ashes in single urn, and his wish is fulfilled, Achilles and Patroclus buried in single gold funerary urn.
Left to right: 1) Veiled female model for Macabre Gadgets "Thea" campaign. 2) The Wounded Achilles by Filippo Albacini, National Academy of San Luca Museum, Rome. 3) Achilles earring and Heracles earring by Macabre Gadgets. 4) Achilles ring by Macabre Gadgets.
Medusa: The Fearsome Creature
One of the three Gorgon sisters and the only mortal among them, daughter of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto. In earlier greek myths (we can trace her back to around 8 century BCE) she and her immortal sisters are described as a natural born winged monstrous creature with snakes instead of hair and the ability to turn onlookers to stone. In later versions of the Medusa myth, such as the one by the Roman poet Ovid (1st century BCE), she became a beautiful maiden cursed to transform in such creature by Athena. There is no evidence that Medusa herself had a cult, but her image was widely used as a protective symbol - especially in Archaic-period architecture and art - as a symbol of protection against evil.
Left to right, top row: 1) Medusa pendant by Macabre Gadgets. 2) Roman mosaic with the head of Medusa, National Roman Museum, Rome. 3) Medusa Shield pendant by Macabre Gadgets. bottom row: 1) Marble mantlepiece featuring Medusa's' head, Corfu Museum of Asian Art, Corfu. 2) Medusa Shield pendant by Macabre Gadgets. 3) Medusa ring by Macabre Gadgets.
The gods and heroes of Ancient Greece - with all their complexity, contradictions, and raw power - continue to inspire our THEA line. Each piece in our collection captures not just their appearance, but the sensuality, philosophy, and symbolism of the ancient Hellenistic world. Explore our Greek mythology jewelry and choose which one of these eternal symbols to carry with you.
