Editing Poseidon (section)

===Arcadian myths===
[[File:Poseidon pursuing Met 41.162.139.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Poseidon pursuing a woman, probably by [[Achilles Painter|Achilleus painter]], 480-450BC. [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]], Manhattan NY]]
In the [[Arcadia (region)|Arcadian]] myths, Poseidon is related to [[Demeter]] and [[Despoina]] (another name of ''Kore- Persephone'') and he was worshipped with the surname ''Hippios'' in many Arcadian cities.<ref name=Hard/> At [[Thelpusa]] and [[Phigalia]] there were sister worships which are very important for the study of primitive religions. In these cults Demeter and Poseidon were chthonic divinities of the underworld.<ref name=Farnell>[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.56574/page/49/mode/2up Farnell Cults III, 50-55]</ref>

Near [[Thelpusa]] the river [[Ladon (river)|Ladon]] descended to the sunctuary of Demeter ''[[Erinys]]'' (Demeter-Fury). During her wandering in search of her daughter Demeter changed into a mare to avoid Poseidon. Poseidon took the form of a stallion and after their mating she gave birth to a daughter whose name was not allowed to be told to the unitiated and a horse called [[Arion (horse)|Arion]] (very swift). Her daughter obviously had the shape of a mare too. At first Demeter became angry and she was given the surname [[Erinys]] (fury) by the Thelpusians.<ref name=Farnell/><ref name=Hard/> The [[Erinyes]] were deities of vangeance, and ''Erinys'' had a similar function with the goddess [[Dike (mythology)|Dike]] (Justice).<ref name=Bowra>Bowra,"The Greek experience", p.67-121</ref> In the very old myth of Thelpusa Demeter-Erinys and Poseidon are divinities of the underworld in a pre-mythic period. Poseidon appears as a horse. In [[Greeks|Greek]] folklore the horses had chthonic associations and it was believed that they could create springs.<ref name=Hard/> In [[Europe]]an folklore the water-creatures or water-spirits appear with the shape of a horse or a bull. In Greece the river god [[Achelous|Acheloos]] is represented like a bull or a man-bull.<ref name=Grimm>Nilsson, "Geschichte" Vol I, 450 and 450A4: J.Grimm, "Deutsche Mythology": Horse and springs, horse as a water-spirit</ref> Many people when sacrificed to Demeter should make a premilinary sacrifice to Acheloos <ref name=Farnell/>

At [[Phigalia]] Demeter had a sanctuary in a cavern and she was given the surname ''Melaina'' (black). The goddess was related to the black undeworld. In a similar myth Poseidon appears as horse and Demeter gives birth to a daughter whose name was not allowed to be told to the unitiated (At [[Lycosura]] her daughter was called [[Despoina]]). Demeter angry with Poseidon put on a black dressing and shut herself in the cavern. When the fruits of the earth were perished, [[Zeus]] sent the [[Moirai]] to Demeter who listened to them and led aside her wrath. In this cult we have traces of a very old cult of Demeter and Poseidon as deities of the underworld.<ref name=Farnell/>

[[File:Bayreuth Hofgarten Neues Schloss, Neptun-Poseidon (Original, Orangerie), 11.07.08.jpg|thumb|right|Statue of Poseidon in Germany by Johann David Räntz and Lorenz Wilhelm Räntz (1760).]]

In another Arcadian myth when [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]] had given birth to Poseidon, she told [[Cronus]] that she had given birth to a horse, and gave him a foal to swallow instead of the child.<ref name=Hard/><ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+8.8.2&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 Pausanias 8.8.2]</ref> In the [[Homer]]ic Hymn Demeter puts a dark mourning robe around her shoulders as a sign of her sorrow.<ref name=Farnell/> Demeter's mare-form was worshipped into historical times. The [[xoanon]] of ''Melaina ''at Phigalia shows how the local cult interpreted her, as goddess of nature. A [[Medusa]] type with a horse's head with snaky hair, holding a dove and a dolphin, probably representing her power over air and water.<ref>L. H. Jeffery (1976). ''Archaic Greece: The Greek city states c.800-500 B.C'' (Ernest Benn Limited) p 23 {{ISBN|0-510-03271-0}}</ref>