Momus
Momus, also known as Momos, is the Second Generation Primordial God and the personification of satire, mocker, poets, writers, blame, and critics who two stories about whom figure among Aesop's Fables.
Overview[]
Momus was a son of Night (Nyx), "though she lay with none", and father by Erebus along with his twin, the misery goddess Oizys. His constant mockery of the Olympians eventually resulted in his exile from Mount Olympus by order of Zeus. Momus' opposite counterpart was Eupheme (Praise)
It was Momus’ goal to find fault in anything and everything so that he could ridicule it.
History[]
Criticizing the Gods[]
Two of Aesop's fables feature the god. There Momus is asked to judge the handiwork of three gods (who vary depending on the version): a man, a house and a bull. He found all at fault: When Prometheus made mankind, Momus criticized him for not creating a door in man’s chest so that his thoughts could be seen and dishonesty could be prevented. Athena was mocked by Momus for having built a home without wheels because it could not be relocated away from unwanted neighbors. Momus criticized Poseidon’s handiwork when he built a bull because Momus believed it should have eyes in its horn to make it gore more effectively.
As another result, Momus became a by-word for fault-finding, and the saying that if not even he could criticize something then that was the sign of its perfection. Looking the lovely Aphrodite over, he could not find anything about her to fault. Some believe that Aphrodite annoyed Momus because he could find nothing to criticize in her perfect form. Other literary sources though say that Momus criticized her for having creaky sandals and for talking too much.
Banishment from Olympus[]
Momus took a leading role in a discussion on how to purge Olympus of foreign gods and barbarian demi-gods who are lowering its heavenly tone. Momus even had the audacity to mock the king of the gods, Zeus, for being violent and for lusting after so many women. As a sharp-tongued spirit of unfair criticism, Momus was eventually expelled from the company of the gods on Mount Olympus.
His continued criticism of the gods was destabilizing the divine establishment, Zeus bound him to a rock and had him castrated. Later, however, missing his candor, he sought out a manuscript that Momus had left behind in which was described how a land could be ruled with strictly regulated justice which continued with the god's story after his exile to earth.
Description[]
Momus is typically depicted as a man lifting a mask from his face. In more modern art, he is depicted as a fool or king’s jester. Momus also is to blame for Zeus’s decision to start the Trojan war as a way of reducing the population. Being from the realm of the Greek Underworld, Momus also has a dark side. He would often instill in men feelings of failure in regards to new ideas or new ventures. Oizys, Momus’ twin, was a misery goddess. She was known for being the goddess of anxiety, worry, and distress. She played a part in inciting many wars, feuds, and disputes.
Greek tragedian Sophocles wrote a satyr play called Momus. Satyr plays were tragicomedies with choruses of satyrs. The plays were often full of drunkenness, sexuality, sight gags, and other forms of merriment. The play itself is now almost entirely lost. Momus is associated with writers and poets because he is also known as the god of censure and the god of satire. Censure means harsh criticism, strong disapproval, or strong condemnation, explaining its connection to Momus.