Epic Universe gods: An analysis of Helios and Luna
Epic Universe will highlight a Greek god and Roman goddess in the center of the new theme park: Helios and Luna. Who are they?
Time is flying by. It feels like just yesterday Universal announced Epic Universe. I was entering my senior year of high school when I laid my eyes on the first piece concept art in 2019. I’ll be 23 when I walk through the gates upon the new theme park’s grand opening in May 2025.
With each passing day throughout these last five years, there has always been a constant: The sun will rise, the moon will set. The moon will rise, the sun will set. Helios and Luna, known as the mythological gods who represent the sun and moon, respectively, are thought to be responsible.
Depictions of these gods are represented in Celestial Park, the central hub of Epic Universe. Celestial Park — which will “bring the ‘park’ back into theme parks,” according to Mark Woodbury, chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences — contains statues of these two deities anchoring the ends of this lush gateway to the other four worlds of Epic Universe: Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk.
Helios, god of the sun
Helios is thought to be the Greek personification of the sun, as described by Dr. Avi Kapach. Helios is occasionally referred to as “Hyperion,” which translates to “the high one.” This explains why those have seen him as a god who watches over and sees all.
Photos by bioreconstruct
In Homer’s “Odyssey,” Helios communicates with Zeus to punish those who wrong him, excluding Odysseus, who knows better than to cross him.
Helios is commonly associated with the four-horse chariot he rides. This is not the case in Epic Universe. Sitting near the base of Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Helios stands with a bow and arrow drawn. Although he’s not usually depicted with a weapon, this could be a reference to the Greek god Apollo. Apollo, a more well-known “god of the sun,” is also the god of archery, which would explain the massive bow.
Photo by bioreconstruct
It’s said that Helios’ son once stole his father’s chariot, but ended up crashing it and scorching the earth. This resulted in his execution, but now I think we know who to blame for the blazing Florida heat guests are sure to experience in the park’s opening months! It’s poetic that the one known as “the high one,” an overseer who sits toward the back of the park, will watch over all the guests who enjoy their day in Epic Universe.
Luna, goddess of the moon
You can’t have the sun without the moon. The two complement each other, so it makes sense why as you enter Epic Universe, across the park from Helios at the back, rests Luna, the Roman embodiment of the moon, according to Nena Milojkovic of History Cooperative.
Luna directly translates to “moon” in Latin. Though usually seen with a crescent moon on her forehead, Epic’s Universe’s Luna has one displayed prominently on her chest.
The Roman author Marcus Terentius Varro credited Luna as one of the twelve deities who play a crucial role in agriculture, as she is a primary source of light. Luna, like Helios, also is usually illustrated with a chariot, but hers is a little different. Helios’ chariot is known as a quadriga, four horses embodying the sun’s trip through all four seasons. Luna, however, is usually sporting the biga, a two-horse chariot that represents the moon as following the sun on its corresponding course through night and day.
As the sun sets and Luna illuminates Epic Universe, Celestial Park will truly come alive. At the time of writing this, there’s no word on if or when Epic Universe will introduce a nighttime show. However, fireworks are in the concept art.
Images courtesy of Universal
As much as I can’t wait to fly with dragons and experiment on monsters, Celestial Park is what I see as Epic Universe’s lifeblood. The same can perhaps be said for any theme park’s hub area, but with Celestial Park being as detailed and lively as it is, I’m ecstatic that it’s what will greet us into this brand-new theme park. Greek and Roman mythology have a lot of similar figures, like Helios and Luna, with their own slight twist. I can only hope that we’ll learn more about the lore of the roles Helios and Luna play within Celestial Park as we get closer to Epic Universe’s Opening Day.
Aerial video of Epic Universe construction
See an aerial view of Epic Universe in this video captured by bioreconstruct on Nov. 15, 2024:
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