{due-kay'-lee-uhn}
In Greek mythology, Deucalion was the son of PROMETHEUS. He and his wife, Pyrrha, were saved in an ark from the deluge sent by ZEUS as a punishment for human wickedness. When the flood waters subsided, an oracle instructed them to repeople the earth by casting the bones of their mother behind them. Deucalion correctly interpreted the oracle's statement to mean the stones of their common parent, Mother Earth. As they cast the stones behind them, those thrown by Deucalion became men, and those thrown by Pyrrha became women.