The Gorgon's Head
Summary
TLDRIn this mythological tale, King Acrisius of Argos, fearing an oracle's prophecy of his own death by his grandson's hand, imprisons his daughter Danae. Zeus impregnates Danae, and she gives birth to Perseus. To avoid the prophecy, Acrisius sets mother and child adrift. Rescued by a fisherman, Perseus grows up and, to win glory, is sent to slay Medusa. With Hermes and Athena's aid, he succeeds, obtaining winged sandals, an invisibility helmet, and a magic wallet. After adventures including saving Andromeda and inadvertently fulfilling the prophecy by accidentally killing Acrisius with a discus, Perseus returns home to reconcile with his grandfather.
Takeaways
- 😔 A king of Argos received a dire prophecy that he would have no sons and would be killed by his grandson.
- 🏰 In an attempt to avoid his fate, the king imprisoned his daughter Danae in a bronze chamber underground.
- ☀️ Zeus, seeing Danae's beauty, visited her as a golden rain and impregnated her, resulting in the birth of Perseus.
- 🌊 Fearing the prophecy, the king placed Danae and baby Perseus in a chest and set them adrift on the sea.
- 🐟 A fisherman named Dictys found the chest and took Danae and Perseus to his childless wife, who raised Perseus.
- 💍 King Polydectes, who married Danae, sought to kill Perseus by sending him on a dangerous quest to slay Medusa.
- 🔍 Hermes and Athena aided Perseus by providing him with winged sandals, a helmet of invisibility, and a mirrored shield.
- 🐉 Perseus used the reflective shield to locate and behead Medusa without looking directly at her, which turned his enemies to stone.
- 💖 On his return, Perseus rescued Andromeda, who was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster, and married her.
- 🏺 The final fulfillment of the prophecy occurred when Perseus accidentally killed his grandfather with a discus throw during a game.
Q & A
What was the dreadful Oracle that the Christian king of Argos received at Delphi?
-The Oracle told the king that he would have no sons, but a grandson who would be the cause of his death.
How did King Acrisius attempt to evade the Oracle's prophecy?
-King Acrisius tried to evade the prophecy by imprisoning his daughter Danae in a bronze house underground to keep her away from men.
How did Zeus encounter Danae, despite her imprisonment?
-Zeus, seeing Danae's beauty, transformed himself into a shower of gold and entered her chamber through an opening in the roof.
What did King Acrisius do when he discovered the baby Perseus?
-Fearing the prophecy, King Acrisius placed Danae and baby Perseus in a chest and set them adrift on the sea.
Who found the chest with Danae and Perseus, and how did they end up?
-A fisherman named Dictys found the chest and took them to his wife, who raised Perseus as her own son.
Why did King Polydactus suggest that Perseus should go on an adventure to slay Medusa?
-King Polydactus, who was in love with Danae, suggested the adventure to get rid of Perseus because he was jealous of the affection Danae had for her son.
What were the three items Perseus needed to successfully slay Medusa, and who provided them?
-Perseus needed winged sandals, a helmet of invisibility, and a magic wallet. Hermes provided him with the winged sandals and a sword, and Athena gave him her bright shield to use as a mirror.
How did Perseus find out which Gorgon was Medusa, and how did he manage to slay her?
-Athena guided Perseus to identify Medusa, and using her shield as a mirror, he approached and swiftly cut off Medusa's head with his sword.
What was the significance of the Ruby drops falling from Medusa's head as Perseus flew over the Libyan Desert?
-The Ruby drops from Medusa's head turned into venomous snakes, which would inhabit the desert forever.
How did Perseus save Andromeda, and what was the outcome of their encounter?
-Perseus saved Andromeda by killing a sea monster that was threatening her and her people. He then married Andromeda, and they celebrated their wedding.
How was the Oracle's prophecy concerning King Acrisius ultimately fulfilled?
-The prophecy was fulfilled when Perseus, unknowingly, killed his grandfather Acrisius with a discus throw during a game in Larisa.
Outlines
🌟 The Oracle's Prophecy and Persius' Birth
The story begins with a king of Argos who, after receiving a dire prophecy from the Oracle at Delphi, takes drastic measures to prevent the birth of a grandson who would cause his death. He imprisons his daughter Danae in a bronze chamber underground. However, Zeus, seeing Danae's beauty, impregnates her in the form of golden rain, leading to the birth of Persius. To avoid the prophecy, the king places Danae and the infant Persius in a chest and casts them into the sea. They are eventually rescued by a fisherman and his wife, who raise Persius. As he grows, Persius is tasked by his stepfather, King Polydactus, to perform a seemingly impossible feat: to slay Medusa, one of the Gorgons, whose gaze turns men to stone.
🗡️ Persius' Quest for the Gorgon's Head
Persius, unaware of the true nature of his quest, sets out to find the Gorgons. He is aided by Hermes, who provides him with winged sandals, a magic wallet, and a helmet of invisibility, and directs him to the Gray Women for further guidance. Persius cleverly steals their shared eye, forcing them to reveal the location of the Gorgons. He then acquires the winged sandals, the helmet of invisibility, and the magic wallet from the Nymphs of the North. Armed with these items and a sword from Athena, Persius locates the Gorgons and, using Athena's shield as a mirror, beheads Medusa while avoiding her petrifying gaze. He escapes the pursuit of the other Gorgons and, while fleeing, inadvertently creates the Libyan Desert with the blood of Medusa's severed head.
💍 Persius Saves Andromeda and Returns Home
During his journey home, Persius encounters Andromeda, a maiden chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. He defeats the monster and marries Andromeda. Their wedding is interrupted by Andromeda's uncle Phineas, who leads a violent attack on Persius. In self-defense, Persius uses Medusa's head to turn the attackers into stone. He spares Phineas's life but turns him into a statue as a warning. Persius later returns to Argos with his family, where he accidentally fulfills the prophecy by killing his grandfather with a discus during a game. The story concludes with Persius reconciling with his mother and Andromeda, and the Oracle's prophecy is complete.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Oracle
💡Danae
💡Perseus
💡Medusa
💡Gorgon
💡Ploydactus
💡Hermes
💡Athena
💡Andromeda
💡Fate
💡Reconciliation
Highlights
A Christian king of Argos receives a dreadful oracle from Delphi stating he will have no sons but a grandson who will kill him.
The king hides his daughter Danae away in a house of bronze to prevent the prophecy from coming true.
Zeus, seeing Danae's beauty, visits her in the form of a golden shower and impregnates her.
Danae gives birth to Perseus, who is hidden from the king to protect him from the prophecy.
In fear, the king places Danae and baby Perseus in a chest and sets them adrift on the sea.
A fisherman named Dictys finds the chest and takes Danae and Perseus to his wife, who raises Perseus.
Perseus grows up and King Polydactus, Polydactus's brother, falls in love with Danae and makes her his wife.
King Polydactus, hating Perseus, sends him on a quest to slay Medusa, one of the Gorgons.
Hermes provides Perseus with winged sandals, a magic wallet, and a helmet of invisibility for his quest.
Athena gives Perseus a mirrored shield to safely view Medusa's reflection without turning to stone.
Perseus outsmarts the Gray Women to learn the way to the Gorgons by stealing their shared eye.
The Nymphs of the North provide Perseus with the winged sandals, helmet of invisibility, and magic wallet.
Perseus uses his new equipment to fly to the island of the Gorgons and slay Medusa while looking at her reflection.
Perseus rescues the beautiful Andromeda, who is chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster.
Perseus defeats the sea monster and marries Andromeda, gaining a kingdom as part of the agreement.
During the wedding feast, a battle erupts, and Perseus uses Medusa's head to turn his attackers to stone.
Perseus gives Medusa's head to Athena, who places it on her shield.
Perseus returns to Argos with his family, where he accidentally fulfills the prophecy by killing his grandfather with a discus.
Transcripts
foreign
[Music]
the gorgon's head
a Christian king of Argos came home from
Delphi with a heavy heart for he had
received a dreadful Oracle
no Sons shall be born to you the
Priestess had told him
but you should have a grandson and by
his hand you shall die
now the king had an only daughter who
was yet a maiden
so in his distress he thought
I will evade my faith I will shut the
knee up away from the sight of men in a
house of bronze all sunk underground and
he carried out his cruel plan but akris
shoes forgot to take the gods into
account part of the roof of the house
was open to the sky and one day as
lovely Danae sat sadly looking up at the
passing clouds Zeus beheld the maiden
changing himself into a shower of gold
he stormed into her chamber
when afterwards asan was born to the
knee she hid him from her father's sight
nevertheless the king discovered the
baby and was more than ever filled with
fear
he dared not kill little precious
directly lest the gods Avenge the murder
instead he had a great chest built Place
Danae and her boy in it and set them
adrift upon the sea
all day and all night the chest tossed
upon the waves the Nay lulled her child
with song and he slept but when the Don
came a great wave picked up the chest
and carried it close to the tiny island
of seraphos
it happened that a fisherman did this by
name saw the chest bobbing on the waves
close to the shore
he dragged the box to land and opened it
when he beheld the pitiful mother with
the helpless little child his heart was
moved
he took them both to his wife for
addictis was childless
and there in the kind of Fisher folks
Humble Home versus grew up
now Danae had been a beautiful maiden
and when persius has grown into a fine
tall youth she was still beautiful
so it was not strange that King
polydactus who was [ __ ] his brother
fell in love with her and made her his
wife but the king hated the youth just
because the Nay doted on him and sought
some way to get rid of him
at last polydactus said to his stepson
the time has come precious for you to
win glory for yourself in some bold
adventure
young precious thought so too
but what should the adventure be
I think the Willy polydactus said it
would be a good idea for you to cut off
the Medusa's head that would bring you
to the greatest frame all unsuspecting
Persia set off to find the Medusa not
knowing in the list how very loose an
adventure he had undertaken
for the Medusa was one of the three
Gorgons terrible winged monsters who
lived alone on an island
they had teeth like the task of a boar
hands of brass
and snakes instead of hair
shoes did not know where to look for the
Gorgons
nor did he know which of them was Medusa
and this was important for Medusa was
the only one of the three that could be
slain
from place to place the prince went on
his quest getting more and more
discouraged
then one day he beheld a young man of
great Beauty wearing winged sandals and
a winged cup and carrying in his hand a
wand around which two golden serpents
twine
Persia's knew at once that this was her
mess and was overjoyed when the God said
virtuous I approved the high adventure
you have in mind but you must be
properly equipped for it without the
wing sandals the magic wallet and the
helmet of invisibility it will be
difficult for you to slay Medusa but I
will take you to the gray women
you can find out from them
and will they indeed tell me persius
asked
not willingly Hermes replied but you can
make them do it
they have but one I shared among the
three
snatch it from them as they pass it from
one to another and none can see
and do not give it back till they tell
you what you want to know
with that
Hermes gave persus a magnificent curved
sword
you will need it he said for Medusa's
skills our hardest metal
first shoes had just taken the sword
when there was a sudden brightness in
the sky
and he beheld the goddess Athen
descending toward them of what use will
be your sword my brother
when none may look the Gorgons and live
the sight of them as you well know turns
men into stone
take my bright Shield purchase
look into it instead of at the monster
as you approach to do battle
and you will see the Medusa reflected as
in a mirror and the goddess left
on and on with God companion purchase
journeyed farther than man had ever been
at last they came to the end of the
Earth
there the weird gray women sat passing
their eye from one to another just as
her mess had said
the nay's son knew what to do
he left the God and crept quietly
towards them
waited till one had taken the eye from
her forehead and snatched it away as she
passed it to her sister
the gray women raised a fearful glamor
when they realized that a stranger had
their eye
they held and they threatened but
without the eye they were helpless and
in the end they grudgingly told persus
the way to the nips of the North
so again precious went on this time to
find the happy beings who possessed the
three Priceless things he needed
and when the nibs hurt the reason he
wanted them they were willing to give
him the wind shoes the helmet that would
make him invisible and the Magic Wallet
that would become the right size for
whatever he wished to carry
fully equipped now precious lightly
spread through the air over land and
over sea to the fearful island of the
Gorgons
as he approached he could see scattered
in the fields and along the roads
statues of men and beasts whom the sight
of the Gorgons had turned Stone
and at last from high above he beheld
the monsters themselves reflected in his
shield
their scale covered Bodies glistened In
The Sand their great wings were folded
and the snakes that were their hair lay
hideously coiled and intertwined the
Gorgons were asleep
but which of the three was Medusa
persius could see no difference among
them
suddenly he heard Athena's voice
descent persues and strike the Gorgon
nearest the shore is Medusa
Persia swept down and still gazing into
the shield boldly swung his blade with
one stroke he cut off the gristy head
then springing into the air he thrusts
his prize all reading and hissing into
the Magic Wallet
uplift the Gorgon sisters for they heard
the rattle of Medusa's skills as the
severed body thrashed about
they turned their snaky heads and when
they saw Perseus they roared with Fury
flapping their great Wings they set off
in Pursuit but they could not outstream
the wing sandals
over lands and people the hero flew on
and on
he had lost his way now for her mess had
left him below the Libyan Desert
stressed endlessly
persius did not know what those signs
were nor did he guess that their Ruby
drops falling from Medusa's head were
turning into venomous snakes that would
inhabit the desert forever
but now he saw a sight that made his
heart beat fast with excitement and
wonder
fastened by chains to a cliff by the Sea
he was a beautiful Maiden
precious almost forgot to keep his
winged sandals moving so Strack was he
by her rare Beauty
I pray you tell me your name and why you
are bound like this
I am Andromeda she said
daughter of cephus king of Ethiopian the
beautiful kashiopeia is my mother it is
her beauty that has chained me here for
the gods are jealous and in nothing
maybe mortal surpass them
the day my mother wanted herself fairer
than the daughters of nireius the sea
God has sent a serpent to Prey Upon Our
People and my death alone can appease
his anger
so says the oracle
enough of Tears Persia said to them
sternly
I am Perseus son of Zeus and the knee
now I will make this contract with you
that Andromeda shall be mine if I save
her from the serpent
indeed indeed Valerie's youth she shall
be yours only save her from the monster
and you shall have our kingdom as well
as our daughter
pressure sprung into the air and shot
high up in the clouds and buried his
sword up into the beast's right shoulder
on and on he struck the monster with his
sword that lead to its death
I will take Fair Maiden without dowry
Persia said
and that very day the wedding was
celebrated
now while the marriage Feast was at its
height the door of the banquet hall was
suddenly flung open and in burst of a
mob of shouting riotous men
foremost stood atromeda's Uncle Phineas
with a javelin in hand
behold I am here he cried I have come to
avenge the death of my promised bride
finesse said not a word he looked from
the King to Perseus and decided at which
to aim his weapon then hurdled it at the
hero the spare stuck in Persia's couch
then the rioters went wild weapons were
hurdled and the feast turned into a
battle
thick as hell javelin's spread by
Persia's ears he set his shoulders
against a great stone column and struck
down one man after another
but at least he realized that Valor
could not withstand the numbers against
him
if I have any friends here let them hide
their faces he shouted with this he drew
Medusa's head out of the wallet
200 men became Stony statues before
Phineas
Phineas cried put away your horrible
weapon hide it grant me only my life and
May the rest be yours
what I can give you most cowardly
Phineas I will
precious replied you shall be a lasting
Monument here in the Palace of my
father-in-law
the unhappy Phineas tried to turn away
his eyes but even as he did so his flesh
turned to stone
when at the Year's End Persia stayed
home with Andromeda
polydactus hatred had in no way lessened
the King was Furious that his stepson
had returned and refused to believe that
he actually slain the Medusa
I shall prove to you that what I say is
true he cried
hide your eyes all you who are my
friends
and he showed the gorgon's head the
cruel polydactus
that was the last time persus ever used
the horrible head
he gave it most willingly to Athen who
kept it ever after
now that polydactus was dead then they
yearned to go home again and be
reconciled with her father
so persius made the fisherman dictus
king of Island and sailed with his
mother and Andromeda to Greece but it
happened that when they came to Argos
King akris shoes was away from home
games were being held in Larisa and
persuas hearing of them decided to go
there and take part
and there at the game it was that the
Oracle which acrisius had received at
Delphi was strangely fulfilled
for when it came to Persia's turn to
throw the discus he threw it so hard
that it swerved to one side
it landed Among The Spectators and
killed an old man
that old man was King a Christians who
had gone to such cruel lengths to avoid
the Fate which the gods had ordained
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