Chelone (mythology)

Chelone is notable for her transformation myth into a tortoise, an animal that lives in the shell it constantly carries, after refusing to leave her house to attend Zeus' wedding.

The noun χελώνη is the ancient Greek word for both the land tortoise and the sea turtle.

[1] Traditionally the word is considered to derive from an Indo-European root *gʰel(H)-ewH- denoting turtles and tortoises, however it has also been suggested that it must be a loanword from a non-Indo-European language, a theory that Beekes supports.

[2] According to Servius, the myth goes that when all the gods, men, and animals were invited by the divine messenger Hermes to attend the wedding of the king and queen of the gods, Zeus and Hera, the river-dwelling nymph Chelone alone remained at home, to show her disregard of the solemnity.

When asked why, her excuse was that she preferred her own home, so Zeus made her carry her house about forever after in punishment.