Offspring of the horse-god Poseidon and the Gorgon Medusa, the winged horse Pegasus is one of the most recognizable and iconic creatures in Greek mythology, yet the stallion’s actual role in the traditional stories is often misapprehended. Contrary to what the creative license of films such as Clash of the Titans and Disney’s Hercules would have us believe, neither Perseus or Heracles ever rode Pegasus. Perseus had borrowed winged sandals from Hermes, and Heracles simply had no need of him. Indeed, it was only the hero Bellerophon who rode Pegasus in his quest and fight against the monster Chimera. He was only able to tame the horse with the aid of a golden bridle from the goddess Athena.
Even Pegasus’ brief alliance with Bellerophon was short-lived, and the horse spent most of its life untamed. He was enlisted by Zeus to bring the god his thunderbolts from the Cyclopean forge. In recognition of this service to the king of the gods, Pegasus became immortalized in the night sky as his eponymous constellation.
The Australian heavy metal band Pegazus take the name of their band, their 1995 debut album, and this song from this noble stallion. In the song itself, the band envisions themselves as another one of the heroes, like Bellerophon, blessed with the opportunity to fly among the clouds on Pegasus’ back. No need to slay a Chimera, all they want is to break free from the bonds of gravity and escape. The song also relates the horse’s conversion into a constellation by Zeus, a form of immortality in which all subsequent humanity, every clear evening, can see Pegasus forever among the stars and remember him. In their cover artwork it is even imagined that Zeus himself rode Pegasus, an electric guitar standing in for his electric thunderbolts. So long as that collection of stars burns bright, Pegasus’ memory will not die.
An ancient myth of long ago
About a white winged horse
A horse that had the powers
To fly like a birdPEGASUS
He’d reach the clouds by the day
And at night he’d reach the stars
And gracefully flying about
He was called PegasusPEGASUS
Pegasus, Pegasus
Fly to me
I need you now, I want to fly
Won’t you come for me
Pegasus, Pegasus
Spread your wings and fly
You have the grace and the power
Forever to the skiesNow Zeus was a ruler
The ruler of all gods
He decided to make Pegasus
A constellation of starsAnd now he is forever
The legend white winged horse
The one you see in the night
A group of stars in the universePEGASUS
The spirit of Pegasus
Shall never die.
Heavy Metal Classicist 