Mythology

-Blueberry in Greek language is called ¨μύρτιλο¨ (myrtilo) and its name derives from Herme’s son Myrtilos.

Myrtilos was the son of the god Hermes and Phaeton (daughter of Danaos), or Clymene. He was responsible for the chariot of Oenomaus, who was preparing for the chariot races, in which the King was finding aspiring suitors of his daughter Hippodamia.

One day, he accepted a visit from one of the suitors, Pelops. Pelops promised Myrtilos that would give him half of his kingdom or Hippodameia for a night if he helped him to win the chariot race. Then Myrtilos, who was secretly in love with Hippodamia, replaced the nails of King’s chariot wheel with wax. When the race between Oenomaus and Pelops started, the king’s chariot overturned and Oenomaus was killed. After his victory, Pelops fled his homeland with Hippodamia and Myrtilos. On the way, Pelops refused to fulfill his promise to Myrtilos, so he tried by force to dislodge Hippodameia. Then Pelops killed him by pushing him from a cliff above the sea on the eastern side of the Peloponnese, which was named Myrtoo Sea.