The Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (German ''Institut für Arbeitsschutz'', ''IFA'') is a German institute located in Sankt Augustin near Bonn.

The IFA supports the German institutions for statutory accident insurance and prevention and their organisations in solving scientific and technical problems relating to safety and health protection at work. The missions of IFA contain the following objectives:

research, development and investigations

testing of products and material samples

workplace measurements and advice

participation in standardisation and regulation setting bodies

technical information and expertise

External links [link]

IFA website

Category:Occupational safety and health organizations

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In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy (in Greek, , ''Helénē''), also known as Helen of Sparta, was the daughter of Zeus and Leda (or Nemesis), step-daughter of King Tyndareus, wife of Menelaus and sister of Castor, Polydeuces and Clytemnestra. Her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War.

Etymology[link]

The etymology of Helen's name has been a problem to scholars until the present. Georg Curtius related ''Helen'' () to the moon (Selene ). Émile Boisacq considered Ἑλένη from the noun meaning "torch". It has also been suggested that the λ of arose from an original ν, and thus the etymology of the name is connected with the root of ''Venus''. Linda Lee Clader, however, says that none of the above suggestions offers much satisfaction.

If the name has an Indo-European etymology, it is possibly a suffixed form of a root *''wel-'' "to turn, roll", or of ''*sel-'' "to flow, run". The latter possibility would allow comparison to the Vedic Sanskrit ''Saraṇyū'', a character who is abducted in Rigveda 10.17.2. This parallel is suggestive of a Proto-Indo-European abduction myth. ''Saraṇyū'' means "swift" and is derived from the adjective ''saraṇa'' ("running", "swift"), the feminine of which is saraṇā; this is in every sound cognate with , the form of her name that has no initial digamma. The possible connection of Helen's name to ''ἐλένη'' ("torch"), as noted above, may also support the relationship of her name to Vedic ''svaranā'' ("the shining one").

Prehistoric and mythological context[link]

The origins of Helen's myth date back to the Mycenaean age. The first record of her name appears in the poems of Homer, but scholars assume that such myths invented or received by the Mycenaean Greeks made their way to Homer. Her mythological birthplace was the Sparta of the Age of Heroes, which features prominently in the canon of Greek myth: in later ancient Greek memory, the Mycenaean Bronze Age became the age of the Greek heroes. The kings, queens, and heroes of the Trojan Cycle are often related to the gods, since mythic origins gave stature to the Greeks' heroic ancestors. The fall of Troy came to represent a fall from an illustrious heroic age, remembered for centuries in oral tradition before being written down. Recent archaeological excavations in Greece suggest that modern-day Laconia was a distinct territory in the Late Bronze Age, while the poets narrate that it was a rich kingdom. Archaeologists have unsuccessfully looked for a Mycenaean palatial complex buried beneath present-day Sparta. An important Mycenaean site at the Menelaion was destroyed by c. 1200 BC, and most other Mycenaean sites in Lakonia also disappear. There is a shrinkage from fifty sites to fifteen in the early twelfth century, and then to fewer in the eleventh century.

Life[link]

Birth[link]

In most sources, including the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', Helen is the daughter of Zeus and Leda, the wife of the Spartan king Tyndareus. Euripides' play ''Helen'', written in the late 5th century BC, is the earliest source to report the most familiar account of Helen's birth: that, although her putative father was Tyndareus, she was actually Zeus' daughter. In the form of a swan, the king of gods was chased by an eagle, and sought refuge with Leda. The swan gained her affection, and the two mated. Leda then produced an egg, from which Helen emerged. The First Vatican Mythographer introduces the notion that two eggs came from the union: one containing Castor and Pollux; one with Helen and Clytemnestra. Nevertheless, the same author earlier states that Helen, Castor and Pollux were produced from a single egg. Pseudo-Apollodorus states that Leda had intercourse with both Zeus and Tyndareus the night she conceived Helen.

On the other hand, in the ''Cypria'', one of the Cyclic Epics, Helen was the daughter of Zeus and the goddess Nemesis. The date of the ''Cypria'' is uncertain, but it is generally thought to preserve traditions that date back to at least the 7th century BC. In the ''Cypria'', Nemesis did not wish to mate with Zeus. She therefore changed shape into various animals as she attempted to flee Zeus, finally becoming a goose. Zeus also transformed himself into a goose and mated with Nemesis, who produced an egg from which Helen was born. Presumably, in the ''Cypria'', this egg was somehow transferred to Leda. Later sources state either that it was brought to Leda by a shepherd who discovered it in a grove in Attica, or that it was dropped into her lap by Hermes.

Asclepiades and Pseudo-Eratosthenes related a similar story, except that Zeus and Nemesis became swans instead of geese. Timothy Gantz has suggested that the tradition that Zeus came to Leda in the form of a swan derives from the version in which Zeus and Nemesis transformed into birds.

Pausanias states that in the middle of the 2nd century AD, the remains of an egg-shell, tied up in ribbons, were still suspended from the roof of a temple on the Spartan acropolis. People believed that this was "the famous egg that legend says Leda brought forth". Pausanias traveled to Sparta to visit the sanctuary, dedicated to Hilaeira and Phoebe, in order to see the relic for himself.

Abduction by Theseus and youth[link]

Two Athenians, Theseus and Pirithous, thought that since they were both sons of Gods, both should have divine wives; they thus pledged to help each other abduct two daughters of Zeus. Theseus chose Helen, and Pirithous vowed to marry Persephone, the wife of Hades. Theseus took Helen and left her with his mother Aethra or his associate Aphidnus at Aphidnae or Athens. Theseus and Pirithous then traveled to the underworld, the domain of Hades, to kidnap Persephone. Hades pretended to offer them hospitality and set a feast, but, as soon as the pair sat down, snakes coiled around their feet and held them there. Helen's abduction caused an invasion of Athens by Castor and Pollux, who captured Aethra in revenge, and returned their sister to Sparta.

In most accounts of this event, Helen was quite young; Hellanicus of Lesbos said she was seven years old and Diodorus makes her ten years old. On the other hand, Stesichorus said that Iphigeneia was the daughter of Theseus and Helen, which obviously implies that Helen was of childbearing age. In most sources, Iphigeneia is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, but Duris of Samos and other writers followed Stesichorus' account.

Ovid's ''Heroides'' give us an idea of how ancient and, in particular, Roman authors imagined Helen in her youth: she is presented as a young princess wrestling naked in the palaestra; an image alluding to a part of girls' physical education in classical (and not in Mycenaean) Sparta. Sextus Propertius imagines Helen as a girl who practices arms and hunts with her brothers:

Suitors of Helen[link]

When it was time for Helen to marry, many kings and princes from around the world came to seek her hand, bringing rich gifts with them, or sent emissaries to do so on their behalf. During the contest, Castor and Pollux had a prominent role in dealing with the suitors, although the final decision was in the hands of Tyndareus. Menelaus, her future husband, did not attend but sent his brother, Agamemnon, to represent him.

There are three available and not entirely consistent lists of suitors, compiled by Pseudo-Apollodorus (31 suitors), Hesiod (11 suitors), and Hyginus (36 suitors), for a total of 45 distinct names. There are only fragments from Hesiod's poem, so his list would have contained more. Achilles' absence from the lists is conspicuous, but Hesiod explains that he was too young to take part in the contest. Taken together, the list of suitors matches well with the captains in the Catalog of Ships from the Iliad; however, some of the names may have been placed in the list of Helen's suitors simply because they went to Troy. It is not unlikely that relatives of a suitor may have joined the war.

Six Suitors listed in all three sources

Ajax - Son of Telamon. Led 12 ships from Salamis to Troy. Commits suicide there.

Elephenor - Son of Chalcodon. Led 50 ships to Troy and died there

Menelaus - Son of Atreus. Led 60 ships from Sparta to Troy. He returned home to Sparta with Helen.

Menestheus - Son of Peteos. Led 50 ships from Athens to Troy. He returned to Athens after the war.

Odysseus - Son of Laertes. Led 12 ships from Ithaca to Troy. He returned home after 10 years of wandering the seas.

Protesilaus - Son of Iphicles. Led 40 ships from Phylace to Troy. He was the first Greek to die in battle at the hands of Hector.

Nineteen Suitors listed by both Apollodorus and Hyginus

Agapenor - Son of Ancaeus, King of Arcadia. Takes 60 ships of men to Troy. Returns home.

Ajax (AKA Ajax the Lesser or Locrian Ajax) - Son of Oileus. Led 40 ships to Troy, drowned on the way home when Poseidon split the rock he was on.

Amphimachus - Son of Cteatus. With Polyxenus and Thalpius, he led 40 ships from Elis to Troy. Killed by Hector.

Antilochus - Son of Nestor. Went with his father and 90 ships to Troy. Killed in battle while protecting his father from Memnon.

Ascalaphus - Son of Ares and King of Orchemenus. Led 30 ships to Troy. Killed in battle by Deiphobus.

Diomedes - Son of Tydeus. Diomedes was one of the Epigoni and King of Argos. He led 80 ships to Troy. His wife took a lover and Diomedes lost his kingdom, so after the war he settled in Italy.

Eumelus - Son of Admetus and King of Pherae. Led 11 ships to Troy.

Eurypylus - Son of Euaemon. Led 40 ships from Thessaly to Troy.

Leonteus - Son of Coronos. With Polypoetes he led 40 ships of the Lapiths to Troy.

Machaon - Son of Asclepius, brother of Podalirius. An Argonaut and physician. Led 30 ships. Killed in battle by Eurypylus (the son of Telephus).

Meges - Son of Phyleus. Led 40 ships to Troy.

Patroclus - Son of Menoetius. His younger cousin Achilles went with him to Troy. Killed by Hector.

Peneleus - Son of Hippalcimus. An Argonaut. He went with the Boetian force of 50 ships to Troy. Killed in battle by Eurypylus (the son of Telephus).

Philoctetes - Son of Poeas. Led 7 ships from Thessaly to Troy, he was an archer and killed Paris.

Podalirius - Son of Asclepius, brother of Machaon. A physician. After the war he founded a city in Caria.

Polypoetes - Son of Pirithous. With Leonteus, he led 40 ships of the Lapiths to Troy.

Polyxenus - Son of Agasthenes. With Amphimachus, and Thalpius, he led 40 ships from Elis to Troy.

Sthenelus - Son of Capaneus. One of the Epigoni, he went with Diomedes to Troy.

Thalpius - Son of Eurytus. With Amphimachus and Polyxenus, he led 40 ships from Elis to Troy.

One Suitor listed by Apollodorus and Hesiod

Amphilochus - Son of Amphiaraus and younger brother of Alcmaeon.

One Suitor listed by Hesiod and Hyginus

Idomeneus - Son of Deucalion and King of Crete. Led 80 ships to Troy. Survived the war, but was exiled from Crete.

Three Suitors listed only by Hesiod

Alcmaeon - Son of Amphiaraus and one of the Epigoni.

Lycomedes - a Cretan.

Podarces - The younger brother of Protesilaus. He led the troops after his brother's death.

Ten Suitors listed only by Hyginus

Ancaeus -

Blanirus -

Clytius -

Meriones - A companion of Idomeneus of Crete.

Nireus - He led 3 ships from Syme to Troy.

Phemius -

Phidippus - He led 30 ships to Troy.

Prothous - He led 40 ships from Magnetes to Troy.

Thoas - He led 40 ships from Aetolia to Troy.

Tlepolemus - He led 9 ships from Rhodes to Troy.

Five Suitors listed only by Apollodorus

Epistrophus - Son of Iphitus, brother of Schedius.

Ialmenus - Companion of Ascalaphus, who led 30 ships to Troy

Leitus - Son of Alector and father of Peneleus.

Schedius - Son of Iphitus, brother of Epistrophus. He was killed by Hector who was trying to throw a spear towards Ajax.

Teucer - The half-brother of Ajax. Survived the war.

The Oath of Tyndareus[link]

Tyndareus was afraid to select a husband for his daughter, or send any of the suitors away, for fear of offending them and giving grounds for a quarrel. Odysseus was one of the suitors, but had brought no gifts, because he believed he had little chance to win the contest. He thus promised to solve the problem, if Tyndareus in turn would support him in his courting of Penelope, the daughter of Icarius. Tyndareus readily agreed, and Odysseus proposed that, before the decision was made, all the suitors should swear a most solemn oath to defend the chosen husband against whoever should quarrel with him. After the suitors had sworn not to retaliate, Menelaus was chosen to be Helen's husband. As a sign of the importance of the pact, Tyndareus sacrificed a horse. Helen and Menelaus became rulers of Sparta, after Tyndareus abdicated.

The marriage of Helen and Menelaus marks the beginning of the end of the age of heroes. Concluding the catalog of Helen's suitors, Hesiod reports Zeus' plan to obliterate the race of men and the heroes in particular. The Trojan War, caused by Helen's elopement with Paris, is going to be his means to this end.

Seduction by Paris[link]

Some years later, Paris, a Trojan prince, came to Sparta to claim Helen, in the guise of a supposed diplomatic mission. Before this journey, Paris had been appointed by Zeus to proclaim the most beautiful goddess. In order to earn his favour, Aphrodite promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world. Swayed by Aphrodite's offer, Paris chose her as the most beautiful of the goddesses, earning the wrath of Athena and Hera.

Although Helen is sometimes depicted as being raped by Paris, Ancient Greek sources are often elliptical and contradictory. Herodotus states that Helen was abducted, but the ''Cypria'' simply mentions that, after giving Helen gifts, "Aphrodite brings the Spartan queen together with the Prince of Troy." Sappho argues that Helen willingly left behind Menelaus and Hermione, her nine-year-old daughter, to be with Paris: {{blockquote| :Some say a host of horsemen, others of infantry and others ::of ships, is the most beautiful thing on the dark earth ::but I say, it is what you love :Full easy it is to make this understood of one and all: for ::she that far surpassed all mortals in beauty, Helen her ::most noble husband :Deserted, and went sailing to Troy, with never a thought for ::her daughter and dear parents. }}

Dio Chrysostom gives a completely different account of the story, questioning Homer's credibility: after Agamemnon had married Helen's sister, Klytaemnestra, Tyndareus sought Helen's hand for Menelaus on account of political reasons. However, Helen was sought by many suitors, who came from far and near, among them Paris who surpassed all the others and won the favor of Tyndareus and his sons. Thus he won her fairly and took her away to Troia, with the full consent of her natural protectors. ''Cypria'' narrate that in just three days Paris and Helen reached Troy. Homer narrates that during a brief stop-over in the small island of Kranai, where, according to ''Iliad'', the two lovers consummated their passion. On the other hand, ''Cypria'' note that this happened the night before they left Sparta.

Helen in Egypt[link]

At least three Ancient Greek authors denied that Helen ever went to Troy; instead, they suggested, Helen stayed in Egypt during the duration of the Trojan War. Those three authors are Euripides, Stesichorus, and Herodotus. In the version put forth by Euripides in his play ''Helen'', Hera fashioned a likeness of Helen (''eidolon'', εἴδωλον) out of clouds at Zeus' request, Hermes took her to Egypt, and Helen never went to Troy, spending the entire war in Egypt. ''Eidolon'' is also present in Stesichorus' account, but not in Herodotus' rationalizing version of the myth.

Herodotus adds weight to the "Egyptian" version of events by putting forward his own evidence—he traveled to Egypt and interviewed the priests of the temple of (''Foreign Aphrodite'', ξείνης Ἀφροδίτης) at Memphis. According to these priests, Helen had arrived in Egypt shortly after leaving Sparta, because strong winds had blown Paris's ship off course. King Proteus of Egypt, appalled that Paris had seduced his host's wife and plundered his host's home in Sparta, disallowed Paris from taking Helen to Troy. Paris returned to Troy without a new bride, but the Greeks refused to believe that Helen was in Egypt and not within Troy's walls. Thus, Helen waited in Memphis for ten years, while the Greek and the Trojans fought. Following the conclusion of the Trojan War, Menelaus sailed to Memphis, where Proteus reunited him with Helen.

Helen in Troy[link]

When he discovered that his wife was missing, Menelaus called upon all the other suitors to fulfill their oaths, thus beginning the Trojan War. The Greek fleet gathered in Aulis, but the ships could not sail, because there was no wind. Artemis was enraged with a sacrilegious act of the Greeks, and only the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter, Iphigenia, could appease her. In Euripides ''Iphigenia in Aulis'', Clytemnestra, Iphigenia's mother and Helen's sister, begs her husband to reconsider his decision, calling Helen a "wicked woman". Clytemnestra (unsuccessfully) warns Agamemnon that sacrificing Iphigenia for Helen's sake is, "buying what we most detest with what we hold most dear".

Before the opening of hostilities, the Greeks dispatched a delegation to the Trojans under Odysseus and Menelaus; they endeavored to persuade Priam to hand Helen back without success. A popular theme, ''The Request of Helen'' (Helenes Apaitesis, Ἑλένης Απαἵτησις) was the subject of a drama by Sophocles, now lost.

Homer paints a poignant, lonely picture of Helen in Troy. She is filled with self-distaste and regret for what she has caused; by the end of the war, the Trojans have come to hate her. When Hector dies, she is the third mourner at his funeral, and she says that, of all the Trojans, Hector and Priam alone were always kind to her: {{blockquote| :Wherefore I wail alike for thee and for my hapless self with grief at heart; :for no longer have I anyone beside in broad Troy that is gentle to me or kind; :but all men shudder at me.}} These bitter words reveal that Helen gradually realized Paris' weaknesses, and she decided to ally herself with Hector. There is an affectionate relationship between the two of them, and Helen has harsh words to say for Paris, when she compares the two brothers:

{{blockquote| :Howbeit, seeing the gods thus ordained these ills, would that I had been wife to a better man, :that could feel the indignation of his fellows and their many revilings. [...] :But come now, enter in, and sit thee upon this chair, my brother, :since above all others has trouble encompassed thy heart because of shameless me, and the folly of Alexander.}}

During the fall of Troy, Helen's role is ambiguous. In Virgil's ''Aeneid'', Deiphobus gives an account of Helen's treacherous stance: when the Trojan Horse was admitted into the city, she feigned Bacchic rites, leading a chorus of Trojan women, and, holding a torch among them, she signaled to the Greeks from the city's central tower. In ''Odyssey'', however, Homer narrates a different story: Helen circled the Horse three times, and she imitated the voices of the Greek women left behind at home—she thus tortured the men inside (including Odysseus and Menelaus) with the memory of their loved ones, and brought them to the brink of destruction.

After the death of Hector and Paris, Helen became the paramour of their younger brother, Deiphobus; but when the sack of Troy began, she hid her new husband's sword, and left him to the mercy of Menelaus and Odysseus. In ''Aeneid'', Aeneas meets the mutilated Deiphobus in Hades; his wounds serve as a testimony to his ignominious end, abetted by Helen's final act of treachery.

However, Helen's portraits in Troy seem to contradict each other. From one side, we read about the treacherous Helen who simulated Bacchic rites and rejoiced over the carnage of Trojans. On the other hand, there is another Helen, lonely and helpless; desperate to find sanctuary, while Troy is on fire. Stesichorus narrates that both Greeks and Trojans gathered to stone her to death. When Menelaus finally found her, he raised his sword to kill her. He had demanded that only he should slay his unfaithful wife; but, when he was ready to do so, she dropped her robe from her shoulders, and the sight of her beauty caused him to let the sword drop from his hand. Electra wails:

Fate[link]

Helen returned to Sparta and lived for a time with Menelaus, where she was encountered by Telemachus in ''The Odyssey''. According to another version, used by Euripides in his play ''Orestes'', Helen had long ago left the mortal world by then, having been taken up to Olympus almost immediately after Menelaus' return.

According to Pausanias the geographer (3.19.9–10): "The account of the Rhodians is different. They say that when Menelaus was dead, and Orestes still a wanderer, Helen was driven out by Nicostratus and Megapenthes and came to Rhodes, where she had a friend in Polyxo, the wife of Tlepolemus. For Polyxo, they say, was an Argive by descent, and when she was already married to Tlepolemus, shared his flight to Rhodes. At the time she was queen of the island, having been left with an orphan boy. They say that this Polyxo desired to avenge the death of Tlepolemus on Helen, now that she had her in her power. So she sent against her when she was bathing handmaidens dressed up as Furies, who seized Helen and hanged her on a tree, and for this reason the Rhodians have a sanctuary of Helen of the Tree."

Tlepolemus was a son of Heracles and Astyoche. Astyoche was a daughter of Phylas, King of Ephyra who was killed by Heracles. Tlepolemus was killed by Sarpedon on the first day of fighting in the ''Iliad''. Nicostratus was a son of Menelaus by his concubine Pieris, an Aetolian slave. Megapenthes was a son of Menelaus by his concubine Tereis, no further origin.

In Simonianism, it was taught that Helen of Troy was one of the incarnations of the ''Ennoia'' in human form.

Artistic representations[link]

From Antiquity, depicting Helen would be a remarkable challenge. The story of Zeuxis deals with exactly this question: How would an artist immortalize ideal beauty? The ancient world starts to paint Helen's picture or inscribe her form on stone, clay and bronze by the 7th century BC. Helen is frequently depicted on Athenian vases as being threatened by Menelaus and fleeing from him. This is not the case, however, in Laconic art: on an Archaic stele depicting Helen's recovery after the fall of Troy, Menelaus is armed with a sword but Helen faces him boldly, looking directly into his eyes; and in other works of Peloponnesian art, Helen is shown carrying a wreath, while Menelaus holds his sword aloft vertically. In contrast, on Athenian vases of c. 550–470, Menelaus threateningly points his sword at her.

The abduction by Paris was another popular motive in ancient Greek vase-painting; definitely more popular than the kidnapping by Theseus. In a famous representation by the Athenian vase painter Makron, Helen follows Paris like a bride following a bridegroom, her wrist grasped by Paris' hand. The Etruscans, who had a sophisticated knowledge of Greek mythology, demonstrated a particular interest in the theme of the delivery of Helen's egg, which is depicted in relief mirrors.

In Renaissance painting, Helen's departure from Sparta is usually depicted as a scene of forcible removal (rape) by Paris. This is not, however, the case with certain secular medieval illustrations. Artists of the 1460s and 1470s were influenced by Guido delle Colonne's ''Historia destructionis Troiae'', where Helen's abduction was portrayed as a scene of seduction. In the ''Florentine Picture Chronicle'' Paris and Helen are shown departing arm in arm, while their marriage was depicted into Franco-Flemish tapestry.

In Christopher Marlowe's ''Doctor Faustus'' (1604), Faust conjures the shade of Helen. Upon seeing Helen, Faustus speaks the famous line: "Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships, / And burnt the topless towers of Ilium." (Act V, Scene I.) Helen is also conjured by Faust in Goethe's ''Faust''.

In Pre-Raphaelite art, Helen is often shown with shining curly hair and ringlets. Other painters of the same period depict Helen on the ramparts of Troy, and focus on her expression: her face is expressionless, blank, inscrutable. In Gustave Moreau's painting, Helen will finally become faceless; a blank ''eidonon'' in the middle of Troy's ruins.

Cult[link]

The major centers of Helen's cult were in Laconia. At Sparta, the urban sanctuary of Helen was located near the Platanistas, so called for the plane-trees planted there. Ancient sources associate Helen with gymnastic exercises or/and choral dances of maidens near the Evrotas River. Theocritus conjures up the epithalamium Spartan women sung at Platanistas commemorating the marriage of Helen and Menelaus:

{{Blockquote| :We first a crown of low-growing lotus :having woven will place it on a shady plane-tree. :First from a silver oil-flask soft oil :drawing we will let it drip beneath the shady plane-tree. :Letters will be carved in the bark, so that someone passing by :may read in Doric: "Reverence me. I am Helen's tree."}}

Helen's worship was also present on the opposite bank of Eurotas at Therapne, where she shared a shrine with Menelaus and the Dioscuri. The shrine has been known as "Menelaion" (the shrine of Menelaus), and it was believed to be the spot where Helen was buried alongside Menelaus. Despite its name, both the shrine and the cult originally belonged to Helen; Menelaus was added later as her husband. Isocrates writes that at Therapne Helen and Menelaus were worshiped as gods, and not as heroes. Clader argues that, if indeed Helen was worshiped as a goddess at Therapne, then her powers should be largely concerned with fertility. There is also evidence for Helen's cult in Hellenistic Sparta: rules for those sacrificing and holding feasts in their honor are extant.

Helen was also worshiped in Attica along with her brothers, and on Rhodes as Helen ''Dendritis'' (Helen of the Trees, Έλένα Δενδρῖτις); she was a vegetation or a fertility goddess. Martin F. Nilsson has argued that its cult in Rhodes has its roots to the Minoan, pre-Greek era, when Helen was allegedly worshiped as a vegetation goddess. Claude Calame and other scholars try to analyze the affinity between the cults of Helen and Artemis Orthia, pointing out the resemblance of the terracotta female figurines offered to both deities.

Modern Culture [link]

Helen appears in various versions of the Faust Myth, such as Marlowe's play ''The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus'' - of which Faustus' summoning Helen and courting her is one of the most well-known scenes, and which contributed the line "Was this the face that launched a thousand ships...?" which inspired many later references to Helen (see below).

German poet and polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe re-envisioned the meeting of Faust and Helen. In ''Faust: The Second Part of the Tragedy'', the union of Helen and Faust becomes a complex allegory of the meeting of the classical-ideal and modern worlds.

In 1928, Richard Strauss wrote the German opera ''Die ägyptische Helena'', ''The Egyptian Helena'', which is the story of Helen and Menelaus's troubles when they are marooned on a mythical island.

In 1928, a silent film ''The Private Life of Helen of Troy'', was made.

In 1956, a British-Italian epic titled ''Helen of Troy'' was released, directed by Oscar-winning director Robert Wise and starring Italian actress Rossana Podestà in the title role. It was filmed in Italy, and featured well-known British character actors such as Harry Andrews, Cedric Hardwicke, and Torin Thatcher in supporting roles.

In 1971, Michael Cacoyannis directed a film version of ''The Trojan Women'' in which Helen is played by Irene Papas.

A 2003 television version of Helen's life up to the fall of Troy, ''Helen of Troy'', in which she was played by Sienna Guillory.

Helen was portrayed by Diane Kruger in the 2004 film ''Troy''. In this adaptation she does not return to Sparta with Menelaus but leaves Troy with Aeneas when the city falls.

Appeared in the episode 12 of Season 1 called "Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts" in ''Xena: Warrior Princess''. Played by Galyn Görg, Helen was supposedly a close friend of Xena's and sent out a messenger to fetch her during the Trojan War.

Helen of Troy is referenced in the climactic scene of ''The Truth About Cats & Dogs''.

Margaret George wrote an epic adult novel, ''Helen of Troy'', in 2006, told through Helen's first-person narrative.

Esther Friesner wrote a young-adult novel, ''Nobody's Princess'', published in 2007, of Helen's childhood and early life, and its sequel, ''Nobody's Prize''.

Caroline B. Cooney also wrote a young-adult novel, ''Goddess of Yesterday'', where Helen is one of the main characters.

Kimberly-Clark's 2010 TV campaign for Poise adult underwear with Whoopi Goldberg as Helen.

Josephine Angelini wrote a young adult novel, Starcrossed about Helen of Troy.

Irish poet William Butler Yeats compared Helen to his lover, Maude Gonne, in his poem "No Second Troy". Canadian novelist and poet Margaret Atwood re-envisioned the myth of Helen in modern, feminist guise in her poem "Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing".

Henry Rider Haggard wrote a novel, ''The World's Desire'' in which Odysseus finds Helen in Egypt as a priestess and they wed.

Inspired by the above-mentioned line "Was this the face that launched a thousand ships...?" from Marlowe's '' Faustus'', Isaac Asimov jocularly coined the unit "millihelen" to mean the amount of beauty that can launch one ship.

Also inspired by the same Marlowe quotation is ''"If a face could launch a thousand ships, then where am I to go?"'', a line from the song "If" by David Gates and Bread.

The modernist poet H.D. wrote an epic poem ''Helen in Egypt'' from Helen's perspective.<

Jacob M. Appel's play, ''Helen of Sparta'', retells Homer's Iliad from Helen's point-of-view.

''The Memoirs of Helen of Troy'' by Amanda Elyot is about the life of Helen.

The anthology ''Of Other Worlds'' by C. S. Lewis includes "After Ten Years". In Egypt after the Trojan War, Menelaus is allowed to choose between the real, disappointing Helen and an ideal Helen conjured by Egyptian magicians. As it stands, it recalls "The Lady, or the Tiger?". Which would Menelaus choose?

The band Glass Wave entitled a song on their 2010 album "Helen". In the song, Helen remembers her life before the Trojan War.

''Star Trek: The Original Series'' produced an episode that is called "Elaan of Troyius" in which a woman's beauty causes problems for the crew of the ''Enterprise''.

In the movie English dubbed version of ''Kung Fu Hustle'', The Beast asks if they are the fated Lovers, to which the Landlord and Landlady refer to themselves as Paris and Helen of Troy.

Her cuff bracelet is briefly mentioned in a ''Warehouse 13'' episode as having seductive properties.

In the novel "Faust Among Equals" by Tom Holt, the relationship between Faust and Helen of Troy is a central theme.

See also[link]

Astyanassa

Simon Magus and Helen

Notes[link]

References[link]

Primary sources[link]

Aristophanes, ''Lysistrata''. For an English translation see the Perseus Project.

Cicero, ''De inventione'' II.1.1-2

''Cypria'', fragments 1, 9, and 10. For an English translation see the Online Medieval and Classical Library.

Dio Chrysostom, ''Discourses''. For an English translation, see Lacus Curtius.

Euripides, ''Helen''. For an English translation, see the Perseus Project.

Euripides, ''Iphigenia in Aulis''. For an English translation, see the Perseus project.

Euripides, ''Orestes''. For an English translation, see the Perseus Project.

Herodotus, ''Histories'', Book II. For an English translation, see the Perseus Project.

Hesiod, ''Catalogs of Women and Eoiae''. For an English translation see the Online Medieval and Classical Library.

Homer, ''Iliad'', Book III; ''Odyssey'', Books IV, and XXIII.

Hyginus, ''Fables''. Translated in English by Mary Grant.

Isocrates, ''Helen''. For an English translation, see the Perseus Project.

Servius, ''In Aeneida'' I.526, XI.262

Lactantius Placidus ''Commentarii in Statii Thebaida'' I.21.

''Little Iliad'', fragment 13. For an English translation, see the Online Medieval and Classical Library.

Ovid, ''Heroides'', XVI.Paris Helenae. For an English translation, see the Perseus Project.

Pausanias, ''Description of Greece'', Book III. For an English translation, see the Perseus Project.

Pseudo-Apollodorus, ''Bibliotheca'', Book III; ''Epitome''.

Sappho, fragment 16.

Sextus Propertius, ''Elegies'', 3.14. Translated in English by A.S. Kline.

Theocritus, ''Idylls'', XVIII (''The Epithalamium of Helen''). Translated in English by J.M. Edmonds.

Virgil, ''Aeneid''. Book VI. For an English translation see the Perseus Project.

Secondary sources[link]

External links [link]

An analysis of the legend including historical evidence of worship as a goddess.

See reviews of ''Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore'' by Bettany Hughes (2005) New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-224-07177-7, which has been translated into ten languages, on http://www.bettanyhughes.co.uk/

Category:Characters in the Iliad Category:Characters in the Odyssey Category:Demigods of Classical mythology Category:Women in Greek mythology Category:Offspring of Zeus Category:People of the Trojan War Category:Laconian mythology Category:Greek mythological hero cult Category:Kidnapped people

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Name	Noel Gallagher
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Noel Thomas David Gallagher
Birth date	May 29, 1967
Birth place	Manchester, England
Genre	Rock, Britpop, alternative rock, psychedelic rock
Occupation	Musician, songwriter
Years active	1991–present
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, sitar, melodica, mellotron, violin, banjo, drums
Label	Creation, Big Brother, Epic, Sour Mash
Associated acts	Oasis, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, The Rain, Tailgunner, Smokin' Mojo Filters, Inspiral Carpets
Notable instruments	Epiphone Supernova Signature ModelGibson ES-355Gibson Les PaulGibson J-200Martin D-28 }}

Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, lead and backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his brother Liam, Noel began learning guitar at the age of thirteen. After a series of odd jobs in construction, he worked for local Manchester band Inspiral Carpets as a roadie and technician in 1988. Whilst touring with them, he learned that Liam had formed a band of his own, known as The Rain, which eventually took on the name Oasis. After Gallagher returned to England, he was invited by his brother to join Oasis as songwriter and guitarist.

Oasis' debut album, ''Definitely Maybe'' (1994), marked the beginning of the band's rise to fame as head of the Britpop movement. Oasis' second album, ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'', reached the top of the album charts in many countries and their third studio album, ''Be Here Now'', became the fastest-selling album in UK chart history. Britpop eventually declined in popularity and Oasis' next two albums failed to revive it. However, the band's final two albums, ''Don't Believe the Truth'' (2005) and ''Dig Out Your Soul'' (2008), were hailed as its best efforts in over a decade and found renewed success. On 28 August 2009, following an altercation with Liam prior to a gig in Paris, Gallagher announced his departure from Oasis and on 23 October 2009, he confirmed he would embark on a solo career.

Gallagher's run with Oasis was marked by turbulence, especially during the peak of Britpop, during which he was involved in several disputes with Liam, and the brothers' fights and wild lifestyles regularly made headlines in British tabloid newspapers. Gallagher (along with Oasis) also shared a personal rivalry with fellow Britpop band Blur. However, Gallagher was often regarded as the spear-head of the Britpop movement, and at one point of time, ''NME'' termed a number of Britpop bands (including Kula Shaker, Ocean Colour Scene and Cast) as "Noelrock", citing Gallagher's influence on their success. Many have praised Gallagher's songwriting, with George Martin claiming Noel to be 'the finest songwriter of his generation'.

Childhood and early life[link]

Noel Gallagher was born in Longsight, Manchester, to Irish parents Peggy and Thomas Gallagher. He was the couple's second child, after the birth of Paul Anthony Gallagher. Soon after the birth of younger brother Liam in 1972, the Gallaghers moved to Ashburn Avenue in the Manchester suburb of Burnage. Noel had an unhappy childhood. He and his brothers were often beaten by his alcoholic father, and he was often reclusive—Liam described him as "the weirdo in the family". Due to their unease around their father, Noel and Paul both developed stammers. As the oldest child, Paul was given a room to himself, and Noel was forced to share with Liam.

Peggy Gallagher acquired a legal notice of separation from her husband in 1976. Six years later she finally left him, taking the three boys with her. As teenagers the Gallagher brothers—especially Noel—were regular truants, often getting in trouble with the police. When his mother took a job working in the school canteen, Noel ensured that he stopped by to visit her during lunch before skipping the rest of the day. He was expelled from school at the age of 15 for throwing a bag of flour over a teacher. He used to hang around with the football hooligan firms Maine Line Crew, Under-5s and Young Guvnors in the 1980s, and at the age of thirteen, Noel received six months' probation for robbing a corner shop. It was during this period of probation, with little else to do, that Noel first began to teach himself to play a guitar his father had left him, imitating his favourite songs from the radio. Noel was particularly inspired by the debut of The Smiths on ''Top of the Pops'' in 1983, performing their single "This Charming Man". He later reflected, "From that day on ... I wanted to ''be'' [Smiths guitarist] Johnny Marr."

As teenagers the Gallagher brothers maintained limited contact with their father in order to secure jobs in construction. However, the relationship between father and sons continued to be tempestuous; Noel said, "Because we were always arguing we'd still be working at nine o'clock every night". Having left his father's building company, he took a job at another building firm sub-contracted to British Gas. There he sustained an injury when a heavy cap from a steel gas pipe landed on his right foot. Following a period of recuperation, Noel was offered a less physically demanding role in the company's storehouse, freeing up time in which to practice guitar and write songs. He claimed to have written at least three of the songs on ''Definitely Maybe'' in this storehouse (including "Live Forever" and "Columbia"). He later called the storehouse "The Hit Hut" and claimed the walls were painted gold Much of the late 1980s found Noel unemployed and living in a bedsit, occupying his time with recreational drug use, songwriting and guitar playing. He is left handed, but plays right handed.

In May 1988, Noel met guitarist Graham Lambert of Inspiral Carpets during a Stone Roses show. The two struck up an acquaintanceship and Noel became a regular at Inspiral Carpets shows. When he heard singer Steve Holt was leaving the band, Noel auditioned to be the new vocalist. He was rejected, but became part of their road crew for two years. Singer Tom Hingley said Gallagher owes his own career to the band, since "his business sense, work ethic, message and humour are Inspiral down to the core." Noel struck up a friendship with monitor engineer Mark Coyle over their love of the Beatles, and the pair spent sound-checks dissecting the group's songs.

Career with Oasis[link]

Joining the band[link]

In 1991, Noel returned from an American tour with the Inspiral Carpets to find that his brother Liam had become a singer with a local band called "The Rain". Noel attended one of their concerts at Manchester's Boardwalk, but was unimpressed by the group's act. After rejecting an offer from Liam to be the band's manager, he agreed to join the band, on the condition that he take creative control of the group and become its sole songwriter. According to another source, Noel Gallagher told Liam and the rest of the group after having heard them play for the first time: "Let me write your songs and I'll take you to superstardom, or else you'll rot here in Manchester". His control over the band in its early years earned him the nickname "The Chief".

In May 1993, the band heard that a record executive from Creation Records would be scouting for talent at King Tut's in Glasgow. Together, they found the money to hire a van and make the six-hour journey. When they arrived, they were refused entry to the club because no one notified the venue that Oasis had been added to the bill. The band eventually secured the opening slot and played a four-song set that impressed Creation founder Alan McGee. McGee then took the ''Live Demonstration'' tape to Sony America and invited Oasis to meet with him a week later in London, at which point they were signed to a six-album contract. Gallagher has since claimed that he only had six songs written at the time, and has put his success in the interview down to "bullshitting". However, McGee believes that when they met, Gallagher had fifty or so songs written, and merely lied about how prolific he had been following the contract. Richard Ashcroft was so impressed with Oasis during the time, that he invited them to tour with his band The Verve as an opening act.

Gallagher claimed to have written Oasis' first single, "Supersonic", in "the time it takes to play the song." "Supersonic" was released in early 1994 and peaked at No.31 on the official UK charts. The single was later followed by Oasis' debut album ''Definitely Maybe'', which was released in August 1994 and was a critical and commercial success. It became the fastest-selling debut album in British history at the time, and entered the UK Charts at #1. Despite their rapidly growing popularity, Noel briefly left Oasis in 1994 during their first American tour. The conditions were poor, and he felt the American audience—still preoccupied with grunge and metal—did not understand the band. Noel stated that his early songs, especially "Live Forever", were written to refute grunge's pessimism. Tensions mounted between him and Liam, culminating in a fight after a disastrous L.A. gig. Having effectively decided to quit the music industry, he flew to San Francisco without telling the band, management or the crew. It was during this time that Noel wrote "Talk Tonight" as a "thank you" for the girl he stayed with, who "talked him from off the ledge". He was tracked down by Creation's Tim Abbot and during a trip by the pair to Las Vegas, Noel decided to continue with the band. He reconciled with his brother and the tour resumed in Minneapolis.

Britpop and the height of fame[link]

Gallagher followed up the debut in 1995 with Oasis' first UK No.1 single in "Some Might Say". This preceded their second album, ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'', released later that year. Though it suffered initial critical apathy, the album became the second fastest-selling album ever in the UK, entering the UK album charts at No.1 and peaking at No.4 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.

The success of Oasis and his newfound fame and fortune were not lost on Gallagher, and both he and his brother became famous for their "rock and roll lifestyle". They drank heavily, abused drugs, fought fans, critics, peers, and each other, and made celebrity friends such as Ian Brown, Paul Weller, Mani, Mick Jagger, Craig Cash, Kate Moss and Johnny Depp. Noel Gallagher spent extravagantly, buying various cars and a swimming pool, despite the fact he can neither drive, nor swim. He named his house in Belsize Park in London "Supernova Heights" (after the song "Champagne Supernova"), and his two cats "Benson" and "Hedges" after his favourite brand of cigarettes.

Oasis went on to have greater success with their next two singles, "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back in Anger" charting at No.2 and No.1 respectively; the former becoming their sole top 10 hit in the US. Originally, Noel had wanted to take lead vocals on "Wonderwall", but Liam insisted on singing it. As compensation, Noel decided he would sing lead vocals on "Don't Look Back in Anger". 1995 also saw Gallagher play two songs for the charity album ''Help!'' : "Fade Away", accompanied by friend and Oasis fan Johnny Depp and Depp's then-girlfriend Kate Moss; and The Beatles' 1969 hit "Come Together", along with Paul Weller, Paul McCartney and others in a supergroup called Smokin' Mojo Filters. Noel has also collaborated with the Chemical Brothers, Ian Brown, The Stands, The Prodigy and Weller, amongst others. Gallagher became so influential that a June 1996 ''NME'' article argued that "If Noel Gallagher, the most successful songwriter of his generation, champions a group, then said group are guaranteed more mainstream kudos and, quite possibly, more sales. And since Noel has taken to championing only five or six groups, then it's a powerful cabal he's promoting."

In March 1996, Noel and Liam Gallagher met their father again when the ''News of the World'' paid him to go to their hotel during a tour. Noel left for his room, later commenting "as far as I'm concerned, I haven't got a father. He's not a father to me, y'know? I don't respect him in any way whatsoever". Also in 1996, Oasis sold out two nights at Knebworth, playing to over 250,000 fans. Following the worldwide success of ''Morning Glory?'', ''Be Here Now'' (1997) became Oasis' most eagerly anticipated album to date. As with the previous two albums, all the tracks were written by Noel. After an initial blaze of publicity, positive critical reviews, and commercial success, the album failed to live up to long-term expectations, and public goodwill towards ''Be Here Now'' was short-lived. The album was ultimately regarded by many as a bloated, over-indulgent version of Oasis, which Gallagher has since blamed on the drug-addicted state and indifference of the band at the time.

Gallagher began to suffer drug-induced panic attacks during this period. His Depression and paranoid well-being inspired the song "Gas Panic!", subsequently included on the 2000 album ''Standing on the Shoulder of Giants''. Gallagher claimed to have quit using illicit drugs on 5 June 1998. He stated in 2001, "I liked drugs, I was good at them. But I'd had panic attacks for about a year and I stopped because I wanted to. After you make the decision, it is quite easy." Between 1993 and 1998, he claims, "I can hardly remember a thing."

Post-Britpop years[link]

After the hype surrounding the release of ''Be Here Now'' had started to wane, critical response to the band became calmer and more considered, leading to a media backlash. In 1997, Noel was criticised for attending a high-profile and well-publicised media party at 10 Downing Street, hosted by the newly-appointed Prime Minister, Tony Blair, along with other celebrities and industry figures who had supported New Labour in the run-up to the general election. Both brother Liam and Blur's Damon Albarn declined their invitations, with Albarn commenting "Enjoy the schmooze, comrade." The perception of Gallagher as someone now mixing with politicians—or, in particular, a famous photograph of him sipping champagne with Blair—conflicted with the "working class hero" status championed through songs such as "Up in the Sky".

In 1999, rhythm guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs quit the band, with bassist Paul McGuigan following soon afterwards. As a result, the fourth studio album, ''Standing on the Shoulder of Giants'', was recorded by just the Gallaghers and drummer Alan White, with Noel playing all guitar parts. Gallagher commented on Bonehead's departure, "It's hardly Paul McCartney leaving the Beatles, is it?". After the recording sessions were completed, Gallagher selected Gem Archer to join in place of Bonehead.

Later that year Alan McGee decided to leave Creation and sold the rest of his 51% stake in the label to Sony. Gallagher took this opportunity to set up Big Brother Recordings, which took over Oasis' distribution in the UK, but Sony imprint Epic Records continues to handle the band's international distribution. Around the time of the album's release, Andy Bell, formerly of Ride, joined the band as bassist. In 2001, Gallagher formed his own label, Sour Mash Records, which released records by the likes of Shack and Proud Mary. The incorporation of the label followed Gallagher's debut as a producer, working with Proud Mary on their debut, ''The Same Old Blues''.

In late 2006, Gallagher toured the UK, Europe, Japan, America and Australia in a series of acclaimed intimate semi-acoustic gigs accompanied by Gem Archer and Terry Kirkbride on percussion. The show proved successful and a further series of sets took place in 2007. March 2007 saw Gallagher perform in Moscow—the first time an Oasis member has performed in Russia. Yet Gallagher dismissed claims that he was planning to embark on a solo career. In early 2007, Gallagher joined the rest of Oasis to collect the "Outstanding Contribution to Music" Award at the Brit Awards 2007.

Noel, along with the band recorded their seventh studio album between 2007 and the next year in Abbey Road Studios and Los Angeles, and started at the end of the summer of 2008 a tour that will last at least 12 months.

In March 2009, ''The Times'' in conjunction with iTunes released a selection of live recordings by Noel Gallagher taken from his semi-acoustic performance at the Royal Albert Hall on 27 March 2007 in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. ''The Dreams We Have as Children'' features classic and rare tracks from the Oasis canon along with several cover versions of some of Noel's favourite artists.

Departure from the band[link]

On 28 August 2009 Noel quit Oasis after a fight with his brother, Liam Gallagher. A little before midnight on Friday he posted a statement on his message board called "Tales from the Middle of Nowhere" on the band's website announcing his departure.

Post-Oasis[link]

Solo performances[link]

Noel's first concerts without Oasis were announced on 1 February 2010 to be at London's Royal Albert Hall on 25 and 26 March 2010 for Teenage Cancer Trust . Noel was supported by The Courteeners and Plan B respectively. Terry Kirkbride and Gem Archer joined him on-stage, as did Jay Darlington, all of whom Gallagher had previously worked with while he was still a member of Oasis. He played a mostly acoustic set, and played a variety of Oasis album tracks and B-sides. It was almost the same set he played at the Royal Albert Hall in 2007. Noel also joined friend Paul Weller onstage in London on 21 April 2010, and played the Oasis song "Mucky Fingers" and a song he co wrote with Weller, "Echoes Round the Sun".

Returning to the studio[link]

Noel confirmed that he would be returning to the studio in August 2010 to record drums for another unnamed artist. Paul Weller subsequently confirmed in an interview with Absolute Radio that he was the previously unnamed artist who would be using Noel's drumming services. He also denied rumours that he would be the Best Man for Russell Brand's marriage to Katy Perry. In August, it was mentioned on a UK Music blog, Sourmash Music, that Noel has been working with Liverpool's own The Sand Band. Lead singer David McDonnell has been co-writing with Noel and are looking to collaborate on future solo projects together.

On 24 November 2010, Miles Kane revealed that Noel sings on a track from his debut solo album entitled ''My Fantasy''. He also revealed that he will appear on Noel's forthcoming album, playing guitar.

On 10 February 2011, Noel stated he has "not even started" his first solo record, despite Liam rumouring that he 'swiped' material from the ''Dig Out Your Soul'' sessions. "I am not recording new stuff, not just yet," Noel said to Talksport. "It'll be out when it's finished I guess. Well I've not even started it, so I don't know."

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds[link]

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds released a self-titled album on 17 October 2011; a collaboration album with Amorphous Androgynous will be released in 2012. He will be on tour, debuting in Dublin on 23 October 2011. The touring band for Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds includes David McDonnell (guitar), Russell Pritchard (bass), Mikey Rowe (keyboards) and Jeremy Stacey (drums). On 20 July 2011, Gallagher released a 47 second trailer of his first single "The Death of You and Me". The video for the debut single was released on 25 July at 8:21 am (GMT).

Personal life[link]

Relationships[link]

At the age of 18, Gallagher became engaged to his then-girlfriend Diane, but they never married and eventually separated. In 1988, he moved out of his family home to live with Louise Jones, whom he described as his "soulmate" and for whom he wrote "Slide Away". They had an on-again, off-again relationship before finally separating in June 1994, with Gallagher stating, "I don’t think I’ll ever get over it."

In June 1997, Gallagher married Meg Mathews in Las Vegas, Nevada. He had met her in 1994 through her roommate, MTV presenter Rebecca de Ruvo, whom he was dating at the time and whom he left for Mathews. Mathews gave birth to a daughter, Anaïs Gallagher, on 27 January 2000. Gallagher and Mathews divorced in January 2001 on grounds of his adultery with Scottish publicist Sara MacDonald. After the divorce was finalised, Gallagher admitted he had only claimed to have cheated in order to speed up the divorce process and that he had never actually been unfaithful.

Since his separation from Mathews, Gallagher has been in a relationship with MacDonald, whom he met at club Space on Ibiza in June 2000. He wrote "Waiting for the Rapture" about their meeting. They have two sons, Donovan Rory MacDonald Gallagher (born 22 September 2007) and Sonny Patrick MacDonald Gallagher (born 1 October 2010). Gallagher and MacDonald were married on 18 June 2011 in a private ceremony at the Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest National Park. Gallagher's best friend Russell Brand was best man at the wedding.

Other[link]

He was a frequent guest on ''The Russell Brand Show'' on BBC Radio 2, appearing on almost every show, leading Brand to dub him an unofficial "Co presenter". He is also a regular on the digital radio sports show, "TalkSPORT" Other notable friends of his are, Mani of Primal Scream, Richard Ashcroft of The Verve – for whom he dedicated a song, "Cast No Shadow", the band members of the Chemical Brothers, - Sex Pistols members John Lydon and Steve Jones the members of the rock band Kasabian, Andy Nicholson, boxer Ricky Hatton, Paul McCartney, Liverpool F.C footballer Jamie Carragher, Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Johnny Marr, Paul Weller, Ian Brown, John Squire, Lee Mavers, Craig Cash, Kelly Jones and Johnny Depp (who played slide guitar on the Oasis song Fade In-Out). He was also good friends with Kate Moss who used to stay with him when she was visiting London. In 2001 he was reported to have an estimated personal fortune of £25 million. In 2009 ''The Sunday Times'' Rich List estimated Noel and Liam's combined personal fortune at £52 million.

Gallagher is a fan of football, being a life-long supporter of Manchester City F.C. and Celtic F.C He is a friend of former City midfielder Joey Barton, as well as Celtic manager Neil Lennon and Italian striker Alessandro Del Piero, who described Gallagher as Italy's "lucky mascot" during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and appears in the Oasis video "Lord Don't Slow Me Down". Gallagher was an official ambassador for England's bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Gallagher stated in a 2006 radio interview with Russell Brand that he does not believe in God or "an all-guiding force." Despite this assertion, throughout his career, many of his songs have mentioned God ("Carry Us All," "Gas Panic!," "The Hindu Times," "Little by Little," to name four), and all the tracks he had contributed to ''Dig Out Your Soul,'' as well as the other bandmates' songs, have lyrics and references to God and other biblical terms. ''Dig Out Your Soul'' has been described by Noel as a "religious Armageddon". But in recent interviews for ''Dig Out Your Soul'' regarding religion, Noel stated "See, I don't know what I am. If I was an atheist I'd just write songs about not believing in God – but I don't know what I am."

In 2008 it was announced that Gallagher would sell his home in Ibiza located near fellow musician James Blunt's, saying while in Los Angeles on the Russell Brand BBC Radio 2 show that he "Can't stand living there in the knowledge that Blunt is nearby making terrible music."

Gallagher along with Matt Morgan (who was co-host on The Russell Brand Show) sat in for Dermot O'Leary's Saturday show on BBC Radio 2 on 10 September 2011.

Gallagher was reportedly asked by Simon Cowell to be a judge on The X Factor after Dannii Minogue, Cheryl Cole and Cowell himself declined to participate in series 8, which Gallagher subsequently declined as well.

Songwriting and musicianship[link]

Noel Gallagher was the primary songwriter in Oasis, and on the group's first few albums he was the sole songwriting contributor. Gallagher is often criticised for the praise he gives to his own songs. He points out "If you'd written 'Live Forever', you'd be walking to a different tune the next day too." Gallagher has often been accused by critics of plagiarising the music of his heroes, but he has maintained outright homages in his music are his intention. In a 1996 ''Guitar World'' interview, he described himself as "a fan who writes songs" and stated, "I'm not saying, 'I'm the greatest songwriter in the world. Listen to me.' Usually, I'm saying, '''These'' are the greatest songwriters in the world. And I'm gonna put them all in this song"'. His response to critics about the topic of "blatantly pinching riffs" was, "No, I don't feel guilty. But you feel pissed off because you didn't do it first."

Though naturally left-handed, Gallagher plays guitar right-handed, which he claims is the only thing he can do with his non-dominant hand. Noel has said he sometimes does not understand his own lyrics, commenting in 2005 that "when I'm halfway through 'Don't Look Back in Anger' I say to myself. 'I still don't know what these words mean!'" Noel has declared to be dyslexic, which slows down the process of his songwriting, nor can he read or write music.

Changing band dynamic[link]

Gallagher's role as chief songwriter for Oasis changed over time as he allowed a greater level of lyrical input from the other band members. ''Standing on the Shoulder of Giants'' included Oasis' first ever album track written by Liam Gallagher. ''Heathen Chemistry'' included a further three tracks by Liam (including the single "Songbird"), one by Archer and one by Andy Bell. ''Don't Believe the Truth'' featured another three tracks by Liam (though one of them, "Love Like a Bomb" was co-written with Archer), one from Archer, and two from Bell. The latter two albums have been greeted with increasing critical and commercial success in the U.K., particularly ''Don't Believe the Truth''. Yet the second single from ''Don't Believe the Truth'', "The Importance of Being Idle" became the second Noel-sung Oasis track to top the UK charts and was named 2005's finest track by ''Q'' magazine, as well as being nominated for the ''NME'''s "Best Song of 2005" award. However, on the last Oasis albums, Noel's increasing role as lead singer, apparently to compensate for his diminished role as songwriter, caused some tension with Liam.

Zak Starkey, son of former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and previous drummer for Gallagher's heroes The Who and Johnny Marr, replaced long-time drummer Alan White during the recording sessions for ''Don't Believe the Truth''. The loss of White prompted Gallagher to comment, in a 2005 interview, that he puts Oasis' trouble with drummers, in part, to the fact that he is himself a talented drummer, saying "I get a lot of stick for it, but I'm the best drummer in the group."

Controversy[link]

Gallagher is well known for his controversial, outspoken statements in the press; he acknowledged his tendency for ''faux pas'' in the song "My Big Mouth" on the album ''Be Here Now''. Yet Gallagher has defended himself, saying "people think [I'm] controversial for the answers [I] give to silly questions in interviews, but ... I'm not thinking about insulting ... people; I say what I genuinely feel is in my heart. My conscience is clean, d'you know what I mean? Y'know, I'm true to myself—fuck everybody else." His opinions have earned him an "elder statesman" reputation, with ''NME'' dubbing him "The wisest man in rock".

Damon Albarn and Blur[link]

The most infamous of Gallagher's controversial statements was in a 1995 interview with ''The Observer'', where he expressed a wish for Damon Albarn and Alex James of rivals Blur to "catch AIDS and die", a comment which he quickly apologised publicly for, and stated that "AIDS is no laughing matter." This statement was preceded by the success of ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'', which led to a well-documented feud with fellow Britpop band Blur. The differing styles of the bands, coupled with their prominence within the Britpop movement, led the British media to seize upon the rivalry between the bands. Both factions played along, with the Gallaghers taunting Blur at the 1996 BRIT Awards by singing a rendition of "Parklife" when they collected their "Best British Band" award (with Liam changing the lyrics to "Shite-life").

Gallagher maintains that the rivalry was conceived by the magazine ''NME'' and members of Blur's entourage as a ploy to raise their respective profiles, and that since this point he has had no respect for either party. However, Albarn has suggested the roots of the feud were much more personal. By 2007, the tension between the two had cooled, and in an ''NME'' interview, Gallagher said "I've got a lot of respect for Damon, I really do mean it. Because I'm indifferent to Damon he thinks that I think he's a cunt. Our Liam will talk to him, I won't because he's just another singer in a band to me, but I don't think he's a cunt. Good luck to him!" In an interview during The Jonathan Ross Show on 22 October 2011, Gallagher explained how he coincidently met Albarn in a night club and how they reconciled their feuds and reminisced about the music scene in the 1990s. Furthermore, Gallagher and Albarn met and shared "a warm embrace" at the Brit Awards 2012.

Liam Gallagher[link]

The Gallagher brothers famously share a turbulent relationship; one of their arguments was even released on a 1995 bootleg single entitled ''Wibbling Rivalry''. Although in recent years their relationship had stabilised, during the band's early career there were a handful of incidents where the two have actually come to blows. In an L.A. show during their first American tour in 1994, Liam took to changing the words of the songs so that they were offensive to both Americans and Noel. A confrontation after the show which led to a chair being thrown and a brawl caused Noel to leave the tour and head for Las Vegas; Noel later claimed he had "visions of ''Fear and Loathing'' flashing in [his] eyes". During recording sessions for the second Oasis album, ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'', the brothers had a violent fight involving a cricket bat, when Liam invited everyone from a local pub back into the studio while Noel was trying to work. In 1995, Noel was obliged to sing ''Wonderwall'' on ''Later... with Jools Holland'' when Liam failed to turn up.

In 1996, Noel provided lead vocals at a performance for ''MTV Unplugged'' when Liam backed out minutes before the set was due to start. Liam claimed to have been struck down with a "sore throat"; the band later found out that Liam did not like performing acoustically. Noel was further angered when Liam proceeded to heckle him from the balcony and nurse his "sore throat" with beer and cigarettes while the band performed. Just before the band were about to board a plane to the United States for their important make-or-break US tour, Liam left the airport, claiming he had to find a house for his then-wife Patsy Kensit. He later joined the band for their last few gigs and the infamous MTV Awards performance; the remaining dates were scrapped. The band's future was daily tabloid news.

While on tour in Barcelona in 2000, Oasis were forced to cancel a gig when Alan White's arm seized up, and the band spent the night drinking instead. Liam made a derogatory comment about Noel's then-wife Meg Mathews, and attempted to cast doubt over the legitimacy of Noel's daughter Anais, causing Noel to head-butt Liam. Following this, Noel declared he was quitting overseas touring, but returned for an Oasis gig in Dublin on 8 July 2000. During the performance, the two brothers shook hands at the end of "Acquiesce".

However, the relationship between the two brothers had become strained throughout 2009, leading eventually to a last-minute cancellation of an Oasis concert scheduled to take place on 28 August 2009 in Paris, due to an "altercation within the group." Later that evening, Noel confirmed he had left Oasis as he "simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer." Through the Oasis website, Noel said "It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight". On 29 August, Noel expanded further on his blog, stating "the level of verbal and violent intimidation towards me, my family, friends and comrades has become intolerable. And the lack of support and understanding from my management and band mates has left me with no other option than to get me cape and seek pastures new."

Glastonbury[link]

Gallagher reportedly blasted the organizers of the 2008 Glastonbury Festival for scheduling Jay-Z as a headliner for the traditionally guitar-driven festival:

"If it ain't broke don't fix it. If you start to break it then people aren't going to go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go 'Kylie Minogue?' I don't know about it. But I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong."'''

Emily Eavis, the organiser of England's famed Glastonbury music festival, said she was honoured U.S. hip-hop artist Jay-Z was headlining the event saying: "He is absolutely the right act for our festival," she said. "There is no reason why we should not have the greatest living hip-hop artist on at Glastonbury." Eavis also cited that Jay-Z was far from the first hip-hop artist to appear at Glastonbury. The Roots, Cypress Hill, and De La Soul had all previously performed at the Glastonbury Festival.

Jay-Z responded to this controversy saying the following:

"We don't play guitars, Noel, but hip-hop has put in its work like any other form of music. This headline show is just a natural progression. Rap music is still evolving. From Afrika Bambaataa DJ-ing in the Bronx and Run DMC going platinum, to Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince winning the first rap Grammy, I'm just next in the line. We have to respect each other's genre of music and move forward."

Jay-Z opened his set at Glastonbury 2008 with a cover of Oasis' song "Wonderwall". When Gallagher was asked about the incident he replied "The way it's played itself out is that I said Jay-Z had no right to play Glastonbury, which is a crock of horseshit. I got off a plane and someone asked me about the fact that Glastonbury hadn't sold out for the first time in years, and if it was because of Jay-Z. From there it grew into this crap that I was standing on an orange crate at Speakers' Corner saying, 'Gather round, brothers and sisters. Have you heard what's happening at Glastonbury this year?' I have a certain turn of phrase. So if I say, "Chicken sandwiches in McDonald's are just plain fucking wrong," it doesn't mean I'm attacking all chickens or all sandwiches. I've hung out with Jay-Z in Tokyo. I've seen his show. It's not my bag, but it's all right. We have a mutual friend in Chris Martin. So I am a guy who doesn't like hip-hop—shock, horror. I don't dislike rappers or hip-hop or people who like it. I went to the Def Jam tour in Manchester in the '80s when rap was inspirational. Public Enemy were awesome. But it's all about status and bling now, and it doesn't say anything to me." When Jay Z was asked about Gallagher's comments he said "I haven't spoken to him [Gallagher], I heard he was reaching out. I don't bear any grudge, it's all good. I just believe in good music and bad music, I've always said that. You look at any interview from the beginning of time, I've always stated that I don't believe in the lines and classifications that people put music in so they can easily define it". When asked who he would be interested in collaborating with in the future, the rapper said, "Anyone. Oasis as well – it doesn't matter to me."

Politics[link]

Gallagher has spoken out about his political views on several occasions, most notably when he visited Tony Blair at No. 10 Downing Street in 1997. In an interview in 1997 when he was asked about why he visited Blair he replied, "I've taken a lot of flack for going to No. 10 Downing Street but the thing about that is, I never considered myself a rebel anyway. I wasn't going there representing the 'Indie community'. I wasn't representing anyone. I was going there for me. You have to understand that from when I went to school and from when I was born all we ever knew was conservative, Tory, right-wing government. What people don't mention is, they say 'He went to meet Tony Blair.' No. I went to meet the LABOUR prime minister. Our parents always drummed into us that the Labour Party was for the people and the Tory Party was not. I went to meet the Labour prime minister. Full stop."

In an interview in 2007 when asked about politics he said, "I'd been unemployed all my life. It was a big deal for me when he [Tony Blair] got in. Now David Cameron is no different than our Tony Blair and Gordon Brown is no different than our David Cameron. They're all cut from the same cloth and it annoys me that the biggest political icon in the last 30 years has been Margaret Thatcher, and she's a dick. Someone who tried to destroy the working class. It freaks me out. So I don't really think there's anything left to vote for. I believe that I, as a person, can only change things once every 5 years and that's by voting, and my point is that even casting that vote means that the same guy gets in, the only difference is one has a red tie and the other has a blue one. That's all it means, so I think that I should start the Gallagher Party."

He was open in his support for Barack Obama's successful bid for U.S. President, calling his acceptance speech to the 2008 Democratic National Convention "spellbinding."

In 1997 he played a 5 song set at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in NYC. As a result Oasis have been deemed "unsuitable" by the Chinese government, forcing a planned tour of the country in 2009 to be cancelled.

He has also been very vocal about knife crime. He said to one journalist, "It all goes back to the Thatcher Years. I know it's a cliché to say it but that's where the rot set in. If you go up north to any city there are rows and rows and rows of derelict houses. They can't even afford to knock them down and build something new, and that's where it all starts, if kids haven't got anything what are they supposed to do?"

When the interviewer suggested it was for status he replied, "In my day status was about trying to be somebody, not trying to kill somebody, so how's that all changed?"

Speaking out about the August 2011 riots that took place in England, Gallagher claimed that violent video games and violent television shows which children were being exposed to were partially to blame for social problems.

In October 2011 Gallagher told Newsnight he believes the Labour leader Ed Miliband is "utterly uninspiring and dull", and says he has no idea what he stands for.

In February 2012, he implied that the UK under the Premiership of Margaret Thatcher was a more fertile ground for dissent in the arts: "Under Thatcher, who ruled us with an iron rod, great art was made. Amazing designers and musicians. Acid house was born. Very colourful and progressive. Now, no one’s got anything to say. 'Write a song? No thanks, I’ll say it on Twitter'. It’s a sad state when more people retweet than buy records."

He also claimed that he was embarrassed by the 2011 London Riots. "Last August I was on tour in Europe and people were asking me about the riots. All over the world, Syria and Egypt, people were rioting for freedom. And these kids in England are rioting for tracksuits. It's embarrassing,"

Musical equipment[link]

Throughout his career Gallagher has used a wide range of different guitars, effect pedals and amplifers from his large collection. Most of it emerged from the ''Standing on the Shoulder of Giants'' sessions, where he decided to drop the equipment used in the three previous albums and instead buy "loads of really weird pedals, old guitars, and small amps", as the lack of deadline to deliver the album allowed Gallagher to "take quite a few days just messing around."

Guitars[link]

;Electric guitars Epiphone Supernova – Gallagher's signature model combines features from Gallagher's most frequently used guitars over the years, including various Gibson and Epiphone semi acoustics. The Union Jack paintjob echoes his custom-painted Epiphone Sheraton that he used at Maine Road in 1996. Epiphone Riviera Epiphone Sheraton Fender Telecaster – Gallagher uses several, one of which, a 60s model, was given to Noel by Johnny Depp as a birthday present Epiphone Les Paul Gibson Les Paul Epiphone Casino

Effect pedals[link]

In the early days of Oasis, Gallagher did not use pedals: "I used to just turn up the amps as full as I could get them". Since then, he has begun using a large number of effects, but singled out the Ibanez Tube Screamer.

Amplification[link]

Gallagher has said that he used only 100-watt Marshalls early in his career. After ''Definitely Maybe'', he began using smaller amps, singling out Fenders (Princeton and Bandmaster), and also a combo made by Clark Amplification, which builds amplifiers based on vintage Fender and Marshall amps.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

2009: ''The Dreams We Have as Children - Live at the Royal Albert Hall''

2011: ''Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds''

Also featured on:-

1995: Stanley Road by Paul Weller, acoustic guitar on "I Walk on Gilded Splinters"

1997: Dig Your Own Hole by The Chemical Brothers, vocals on "Setting Sun"

1998: Unfinished Monkey Business by Ian Brown, vocals on "Corpses in Their Mouths"

1998: Saturnzreturn by Goldie, guitar on "Temper Temper"

1998: The X-Files: The Album, the track "Teotihuacan"

1998: More Than Us E.P. by Travis, the track "All I Want To Do Is Rock (Live Version)"

1999: Surrender by The Chemical Brothers, vocals on "Let Forever Be"

2000: Tailgunner by Tailgunner, drums

2000: The Same Old Blues by Proud Mary, production, plus additional vocals, guitars, bass and percussion

2002: Illumination by Paul Weller, drums, percussion & bass on "One X One"

2003 (Recorded in 2000): Live at the Royal Albert Hall by The Who, guitar, backing vocals on "Won't Get Fooled Again"

2004: Solarized by Ian Brown: collaboration on the song "Keep What Ya Got".

2004: All Years Leaving by The Stands, guitar on "Some Weekend Night"

2008: 22 Dreams by Paul Weller, bass, piano, mellotron and wurlitzer on "Echoes Round The Sun"

2011: Colour of the Trap by Miles Kane, backing vocals on "My Fantasy"

High Flying Birds[link]

Year	Single	Peak chart positions		Album
		! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"	! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"
		15	35	rowspan="4"
	20	-
	95	-
2012	style="text-align:left;"	52	-

Year

Album details

Peak chart positions

Certifications

UK

FRA

GER

IRE

ITA

JPN

KOR

SPA

US

2011

align="left"

*Released: 16 October 2011

*Label: Sour Mash

*Formats: LP, CD, Digital download

1

9

11

1

2

5

12

15

28

*UK: 2x Platinum

Other charted songs[link]

Year	Single	Peak chart positions	Album
		! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"
		101	rowspan="5"
	119
	120
style="text-align:left;"	121
style="text-align:left;"	141
2011	style="text-align:left;"	192	"The Death of You and Me"
2011	style="text-align:left;"	107	"AKA... What a Life!"
2011	style="text-align:left;"	128

As featured artist[link]

Year	Single	Peak chart positions	Album
		! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"
1995		19	''The Help Album''
1997		1	''Dig Your Own Hole''
1998		13	''Saturnzreturn''
1998		9
1998	style="text-align:left;"	16
2004		18	''Solarized''

2004 Free Love, Freeway - Ricky Gervais Ft. Noel Gallagher credited as 'a special guest' on Backing Vocals for the 'Office Christmas Special DVD' which you can watch the video of the recording session featuring Noel & Ricky.

Other[link]

2011, ''Well... All Right!'' (compilation album compiled by Gallagher - released covermount into ''Mojo'' magazine)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

Gallagher, Paul; Christian, Terry. ''Brothers, From Childhood to Oasis'' (Virgin Books)

Harris, John. ''Britpop!: Cool Britannia and the Spectacular Demise of English Rock''. Da Capo Press, 2004. ISBN 0-306-81367-X

Hewitt, Paolo. ''Getting High: The Adventures of Oasis'' (Boxtree Press)

Mathur, Paul. ''Take Me There: The Story Of Oasis'' (Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)

Middles, Mick. ''Oasis: Round Their Way'' (Independent Music Press)

Moody, P. ''Oasis: Lost Inside'' (UFO Music Ltd)

Robertson, I. ''Oasis: What's The Story?'' (Blake Books)

Wheeler, J. ''Oasis: How Does It Feel?'' (UFO Books Ltd)

Williams, J. & Cook J. ''Oasis member attacked on stage'' (Canoe.ca)

External links[link]

Noel Gallagher on SoundCloud

Category:1967 births Category:English male singers Category:English people of Irish descent Category:English rock guitarists Category:English singer-songwriters Category:Lead guitarists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Manchester Category:NME Awards winners Category:Oasis (band) members Category:People from Burnage Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers Category:Road crew

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