Myrrh

Myrrh

Author: Emmanuela Lia December 14, 2025 Duration: 2:12

(piano music) 

Hello, and welcome to Your Greek Word On A Sunday, a weekly, bite-size podcast for anyone curious on language, etymology and connections. I am your host, Emmanuela Lia and wherever you are in the world, if you want to entertain your brain for a few minutes, this is the podcast for you. Let's Go! 

Today’s word is mostly known through Biblical stories but in the ancient world it was a high valued resin used as medicine and fragrance. And the name in Arabic means ‘bitter’. Trade, brought it to Greece from South Arabia and, they created a whole myth for it. What I find fascinating about this myth is that it’s not about a Greek princess but a Lebanese one and the myth comes probably from Cyprus but it is unclear what came first , an existing myth that was made to fit the origin of the resin or a myth that came with it but was altered to the point that it was made a Greek one? We’ll never know but it lasted through the years as both a story and a cautionary tale. Μύρρα (Myrrah) was a beautiful princess that had the misfortune of falling in love with her own father. For 12 nights her nurse, would lie to the King and say a princess has fallen in love with him but wishes to remain anonymous . So Μύρρα would hide her face and sleep with the King. On the 12th night, he wanted to find out who she was so he held up a torch and to his horror saw his daughter . He chased her with a sword but  she managed to flee to Arabia and turned to the gods for protection for herself, and her unborn child. Aphrodite was not happy this , not happy at all. She didn’t tolerate bonds that didn't honour her so, she turned Μύρρα into a tree and in that form, she gave birth to the most beautiful boy of all times, Adonis. The bitter resin is said to be her tears and her story has been used in one form or another by Ovid, Dante, Mary Shelley, Ted Hughes, Ravel and, the Bible as one of the gifts the Magi brought to new-born Jesus. ΜΥΡΡΑ/MYRRH

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Each week, Emmanuela Lia offers a quiet, thoughtful moment with Your Greek Word On A Sunday. This award-nominated podcast explores the fascinating journey of language, focusing on a single Greek word that has found a home in everyday English. It’s a bite-sized piece of history and connection, released every Sunday. You’ll hear more than just a definition; each episode traces the word’s path from ancient roots to modern usage, revealing how ideas and culture travel and transform across centuries and continents. Emmanuela unpacks the stories embedded within these travelling words, showing how they silently shape our thinking and link us to a distant past. Listening to this podcast feels like uncovering a hidden layer of meaning in the language we use without a second thought. It’s for anyone curious about where words come from, how history echoes in our speech, and the subtle threads that connect different worlds. The gentle, weekly rhythm and focused format make it a perfect companion for a reflective morning or a calm evening, turning a simple etymological exploration into a consistent ritual of discovery.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 335

Your Greek Word On A Sunday
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