Aeëtes Gathers the Limbs of Absyrtes (Tandis qu'il fait les membres ramasser, Grecs font devoir de leurs voiles haulser...), from "Jason and the Golden Fleece" 1563

This engraving by René Boyvin from the 16th century depicts a scene from the myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece. At its center, we see the limbs of Absyrtes being gathered, a gruesome act of betrayal. Consider the image of dismemberment itself. It echoes ancient rituals of sacrifice, where the body is fragmented to appease the gods or to ensure rebirth. This motif is not unique to Greek myth. We find similar themes in the stories of Osiris in Egypt, torn apart and reassembled, or in the Christian narrative of the Eucharist, where the body of Christ is symbolically consumed. Such imagery taps into our deepest fears and desires, the primal anxieties surrounding mortality and the yearning for transcendence. The act of dismemberment, then, becomes a potent symbol of both destruction and potential renewal, a cycle that resonates across cultures and centuries. These violent images, imbued with emotion, engage us at a subconscious level, reminding us of the enduring power of myth.