Greek Mythology

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MEDUSA​

The myth of Medusa, one of the three Gorgon sisters in Greek mythology, has captivated and perplexed the imagination of artists, writers, and philosophers for centuries. Originally depicted as a monstrous creature with snakes for hair and the ability to turn onlookers to stone, Medusa has undergone a remarkable transformation.

The earliest known written account of the Medusa myth is found in Hesiod’s Theogony (c. 700 BCE), where she is portrayed as one of the three Gorgon sisters, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. Medusa is unique among her siblings in that she is mortal yet possesses a petrifying gaze that could turn anyone who beheld her into stone. In subsequent retellings, such as Ovid’s Metamorphoses (c. 8 CE), Medusa’s monstrous appearance is ascribed to a curse inflicted by the goddess Athena, who punished her for desecrating the temple by lying with Poseidon. In the visual arts, Medusa was historically represented as a terrifying figure, often with glaring eyes, protruding tongue, and a mass of writhing serpents for hair. This monstrous representation of Medusa persisted for centuries and was often linked to the idea of the apotropaic—a protective talisman meant to ward off evil. But, then, with the diminishing interest in anthropomorphic gods, her influence faded, and her face was added to the bottom of Roman wine goblets to surprise guests.

Medusa’s image has been subject to various interpretations throughout history, with Sigmund Freud offering his perspectives on the myth. In his essay, “Medusa’s Head,” he posited that the Gorgon’s visage symbolizes castration anxiety, with the petrifying gaze representing the fear of emasculation.

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Cerberus was a hound with multiple heads who was always associated with Hades, or the Underworld. His role was to guard the main gate of Hades and his role was to not only prevent those from entering who didn’t belong in Hades, but to also prevent the dead from leaving.

As is often the case in Greek mythology, the origins of even the fiercest monsters are well-established. In the case of Cerberus, we know that his parents were also monsters. His mother was Echidna, a creature that was depicted as being part woman and part snake. His father was the monstrous giant who was the offspring of Gaia, the earth mother, and Tartarus, the King of the Underworld in the time of the primordial gods. Typhon was most known for the part he played in the War of the Titans. He represented the Titans’ last effort to maintain control before losing out to the Olympian Gods.

Depending on the source, Cerberus could be described in different ways. Some say that he was a giant hound but instead of having only one head, he had multiple heads. Usually, it is the number of heads that differs. Most sources describe him as having three heads, but depending on who is describing him, the number of heads often varies. Some sources also depict him as having the tail of serpent. Others take the serpent theme a step further and describe Cerberus as being part snake. It is interesting to note that Cerberus had multiple siblings and all of them had more than one head. For example, his sibling, the Lernaean Hydra, also guarded an area of the underworld and also had more than one head.

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[Alfred E. Neutrump]

Oedipus was one sick motherfucker.

 

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Oedipus was one sick motherfucker.

Yep! Some people have sick sexual desires.

 

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In addition to the story behind how the Greek Gods replaced the Titans, Poseidon features in many famous Greek myths and legends. One, concerns the foundation of Athens, and which God should become the city's patron and protector. Although Poseidon lost this competition against Athena to name the city of Athens, he remained the second most important deity worshipped in Athens. He was also the most prominent deity worshipped in Corinth and many other cities in Greece.

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The Hydra, often called the Lernaean Hydra, is a serpentine monster in Greek mythology known for its daunting battle with Hercules. This creature is not just any ordinary monster; it is a multi-headed hydra, with the terrifying ability to regrow two heads for every one that is severed. The Hydra's lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, which was considered an entrance to the Underworld.

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Greek mythology characters set: The gigantic hydra with her seven immortal heads.

Guardian Statue of the Hydra in Beng Mealea.

'The champion of the people', 1784. Charles James Fox attacking a many-headed monster, raising the Sword of Justice above his head. Behind him are his supporters, English, Irish and Indians.

Spanish satire against the hydra of the aristocracy. Dated 18th Century.

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The Sirens were poultry with a female head. They were living in the seas. Their power lay in their upper body appearance: they were beautiful, young women and had a charming voice when they sang. They used their singing to lure sailors who were passing by their island and slaughter them. The great hero Odysseus (Ulysses), clever as he was, sealed his sailors' ears with wax and bound himself to the mast of his ship, to enjoy himself the beautiful song of the Sirens, without getting in the temptation of following the seductive Sirens.

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The story of Spinosaurus begins not with a thunderous roar on open plains, but with ripples spreading across the surface of an ancient river system nearly 95 million years ago, during the mid-Cretaceous Period. This was a predator built for water as much as land, one that challenges nearly every stereotype of what a dinosaur was supposed to be. Longer than any other known carnivorous dinosaur, taller than a giraffe when its sail is fully raised, and armed with a skull more like a crocodile’s than a tyrant’s, Spinosaurus remains one of the most extraordinary animals ever discovered in the fossil record.

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