ALCYONE or HALCYONE, in Greek mythology, daughter of Aeolus and wife of Ceyx. For their insolence in calling themselves Zeus and Hera, Alcyone was changed into a diver, Ceyx into a kingfisher. In another story, Ceyx was drowned and his body cast on the shore. His wife found the body, and the gods, out of compassion, changed both into kingfishers. The winds ceased to blow during their brooding-time, hence the expression "halcyon days," used in ancient and modern times to denote a period of calm and tranquillity (Ovid, Metam., xi. 41 o et seq.).