Tears of the Sirens: The Mystical Lore of Pearls
The Cosmic Connection of Pearls
Tears of angels, weeping of sirens and nymphs, pearls have an extraterrestrial origin. Throughout the East, pearls are often associated with tears.
An Oriental Folklore-Inspired Poetry
"In the lonely nights, the passionate dreams of men soar above the sea to the boundary of waters and sky, and weep their nostalgic longing. Oysters capture these tears in their shells and preserve them as pearls, a cherished treasure, until a man comes to claim them."
A Tale of Tears, Pearls, and Love
Once, a girl of immense beauty was the daughter of the Grand Moghul of Delhi. Kings and princes sought her hand. However, the two main suitors were: the prince of Benares, young and handsome with the best waters and vast lands, and the rajah of Hyderabad, older but richer with a land full of diamonds. Impressed by the rajah's power, the Grand Moghul chose him for his daughter. But her heart belonged to the prince of Benares. Outraged, the Moghul locked her in a seaside castle. She learned of her beloved's death at the hands of her rival. She wept ceaselessly on a balcony overlooking the sea, and it became known as the "balcony of sorrow" or "cradle of tears". She was found dead one morning, her tears having turned to pearls by the god of Love.
Greek Mythology and Pearls
For the Greeks, pearls are linked to the birth of Venus (Astarté or Aphrodite). From limitless chaos, Gaia, the Earth goddess, was born. She married Ouranos, the Sky, and they had various offspring. Ouranos, horrified by his children's appearance, imprisoned them. Gaia instigated a revolt against him, and her youngest son Kronos took power. From a subsequent act of violence, Aphrodite was born from the sea foam, arriving on the isle of Cythera in a pearl oyster's shell.
Adam and Eve's Connection to Pearls
A tale from Ceylon says Adam and Eve spent 500 years there. The tears they shed after Abel's death filled a lake, which later revealed pearls "born of love and sorrow."
Symbolism of Pearls
In the play of its iridescence, the pearl carries a celestial reflection. Pearls symbolize repentance and hope. Eve's tears over her sin were white, Adam's tears for his fall were grey or black. Pearls are the tears of all who've suffered on earth. Pearls were praised in ecclesiastical circles as symbols of purity, humility, and god-fearing nature. There's also a belief that draws an analogy between pearls and the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
Shakespeare and Pearls
"The liquid drops of tears that you have shed shall come again, transformed to orient pearl." - *Richard III, Act IV, Scene IV.*
Vedic Lore and Pearls
From a Vedic hymn: "Born in the sky, born in the sea, behold the golden-born shell, the life-saving jewel, jewel born of the sea, sun born of the cloud... The gods' gold has become a pearl..." An ancient gold coin from Shah Akbar, a great Muslim ruler of India, bears this inscription about the Black Stone of Mecca: "The pearls of the seven seas are daughters of the sun. The jewel is born of the caress of the Kaaba. Gold springs from its benevolent source and is ennobled by the seal of Shah Akbar."
Pearls and Venus' Birth
The birth of a pearl is associated with the birth of Venus, "The daughter of the foam," who landed on the isle of Cythera, brought by a pearl oyster's shell.
