Why the Bird?
KoronisFest pays homage to Koronis, who began life as a princess in ancient Greece. Legend says she and Apollo, the sun god, were lovers. Like most relationships, theirs had its ups and downs. But in time Koronis gave birth to Asklepios, god of medicine.
Asklepios fathered Hygeia, the goddess of good health. She gave us the word “hygiene.” We take Koronis, then, to be the grandmother of public health. And so we adopt her as our patron.
A star of classical mythology, Koronis came to take her place among the stars in a literal way. To this day, if you look to the southern sky on a summer's night, you'll see her constellation. It spreads out above the horizon like a pair of giant wings. It’s called "Corvus" in Latin. In Greek, it's "Koroni." In Alabama we're apt to say, “Yo, bubba, she looks like a great big ol' crow up yonder way."
By whatever name, the crow makes a fitting symbol for KoronisFest. The crow, after all, is the scavenger king. It's the queen of the unconventional solution. For what others merely throw away, the crow finds all kinds of uses. The crow is like MacGyver with feathers. But that's not all.
Scientists believe the crow has a language all its own. It uses it not just to talk to its own kind but also, and uniquely, to respond to the calls of other species. We all know that a crow will caw at anybody. It turns out that it listens to everybody. And there lies the heart of KoronisFest.
Asklepios fathered Hygeia, the goddess of good health. She gave us the word “hygiene.” We take Koronis, then, to be the grandmother of public health. And so we adopt her as our patron.
A star of classical mythology, Koronis came to take her place among the stars in a literal way. To this day, if you look to the southern sky on a summer's night, you'll see her constellation. It spreads out above the horizon like a pair of giant wings. It’s called "Corvus" in Latin. In Greek, it's "Koroni." In Alabama we're apt to say, “Yo, bubba, she looks like a great big ol' crow up yonder way."
By whatever name, the crow makes a fitting symbol for KoronisFest. The crow, after all, is the scavenger king. It's the queen of the unconventional solution. For what others merely throw away, the crow finds all kinds of uses. The crow is like MacGyver with feathers. But that's not all.
Scientists believe the crow has a language all its own. It uses it not just to talk to its own kind but also, and uniquely, to respond to the calls of other species. We all know that a crow will caw at anybody. It turns out that it listens to everybody. And there lies the heart of KoronisFest.
If you have something useful to say and a way of your own to say it, then you're welcome at KoronisFest. You always will be. But if you're like our friend the crow and would prefer to listen to what everyone else has to say first, then you're very welcome at KoronisFest. Here's why.
Once you've attended to all those diverse voices and you've taken in all those divergent points of view, and after you've used your skill with the still and the moving image and called on your own voice as a storyteller to fashion a message for the good of us all, well, then step right up and join us onstage, because KoronisFest is exactly the place for you.
Once you've attended to all those diverse voices and you've taken in all those divergent points of view, and after you've used your skill with the still and the moving image and called on your own voice as a storyteller to fashion a message for the good of us all, well, then step right up and join us onstage, because KoronisFest is exactly the place for you.
