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MYTHOLOGY

I have been a lover of mythology for as long as I can remember. From my earliest cinematic
experiences of Saturday Afternoons at the Rialto Theatre in Westfield, NJ being fascinated by
Hercules, Ulysses, and Jason and the Argonauts, to reading Homer's Iliad and odyssey, the stories
captivated my imagination. Atlantis was real. The great Classic books on mythology by Bullfinch and
Edith Hamilton were standards in Junior High reading in those days, and I hope they still are. Later
on, the works of Carl Jung and especially the great Mythologist, Joseph Campbell, opened my eyes to
exotic tales of the human condition throughout the history of Civilization on earth.

Beyond the Classical Greco-Roman tales, The Egyptian Hierarchy of Isis and Osiris, the stories of
the Thousand and One Nights of Persian Lore, Brave and Bold Viking Tales of Thor, Odin, Loki, and
Vainamoinen, and on through Celtic, Byzantine, and Etruscan cultures, Mythology can and does speak
to everyone, whether or not they are aware of it. Lately, stories of Oceania and especially these
beautiful Islands of Hawaii that I call home now, have carved themselves a place for me in my
mythological treasure chest.

I am not going to try to position myself here as an expert on mythology, although I have spent the
past 50 years studying the great myths.

What I will do here is to offer tales of Goddesses and Gods as they relate to my work as a Jewelry
Designer and Goldsmith. The following stories that I have put forth are encapsulated versions of the
mythological characters that I have seen fit to use in my work. Please forgive me if I leave
information out, but because mythology is such a vast realm of information, I will leave that to you
to continue your own study at your own pace and inclination. I merely look to inform you and
romanticize the jewelry.

For those of you who are interested in obtaining more information on your favorite myths, or just
want to learn more about mythology in general, I can refer you to some wonderful books:
- - The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology Arthur Cotterell & Rachael Storm-Hermes House Publishing-2002