Golden Fleece hangs from an apple tree. Jason's helper in the Athenian vase-paintings is not Medea— who had a history in Athens as the opponent of Theseus— but Athena. The very early origin of the myth in preliterate times means that during the more than a millennium when it was to some degree part of the fabric of culture, its perceived significance likely passed through numerous developments. Several euhemeristic attempts to interpret the Golden Fleece "realistically" as reflecting some physical cultural object or alleged historical practice have been made. For example, in the 20th century, some scholars suggested that the story of
Golden Fleece (clipper) sails, and much of her rigging on an outbound voyage from New York. She put in for repairs in Rio de Janeiro. "Golden Fleece" made only one voyage from the East Coast with a destination other than San Francisco, in 1871. She left New York bound for Bombay with a load of ice on July 1, 1871, under Captain Bray. Three days out, a fire was spotted at the bottom of the forward hold, in the sawdust and shavings used to pack the 1902 tons of ice. Since it was not possible to extinguish the fire, "Golden Fleece" put in