The Myth of Perseus

The Myth of Persues

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Let me tell you an old story that has been here even before your great-great-great grandparents. It has been the favourite of many young children—a great bedtime story to be cherished forever.



Acrisius was an old king. He had a daughter, Danae, who was very beautiful. She had long, brown hair and emerald green eyes. Acrisius wanted to know her future, so he went to the Oracle to get a prophecy. The Oracle told him that he would be killed by his grandson. Hearing this, he locked Danae in a tower and let no one go near her.

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However,  it wasn’t enough. Zeus, the king of gods, visited the beautiful Danae in a shower of gold and impregnated her. Soon, she had a baby boy called Perseus. Scared for his life, King Acrisius put the princess and the newborn in a boat with no food and no oars. Now Danae’s and Perseus’s life were in the hands of the gods.

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Zeus, the god of the sky, steered her towards land. A good fisherman, called Dictys, found her and let her live with him. They lived with Dictys for a while. When Perseus was already old and able to protect his mother,  the king, Polydectes found out about Danae and wanted her hand in marriage.

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The only problem was the boy. If Danae refused the hand, than Perseus could protect her. But Polydectes was sly. He pretended that he was in love with another princess, Hipposdameia. He told his soldiers that they were going to get married, and they all gave him a horse each. Perseus had nothing, so he said, very foolishly, “I will bring you the head of Medusa Gorgon!”

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I’m awfully sorry. Who’s Medusa, you ask? Medusa was once a young, beautiful girl. She was energetic and happy. Even the sea god, Poseidon, couldn’t resist her. So they started a relationship. One day, the god asked Medusa to meet him at Athena’s temple.

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However, Athena didn’t see this in a nice way. She thought it very irrespective; especially since she and Poseidon were always quarrelling (that’s another story!). The next day, when Medusa and Poseidon were together, Athena snuck up and put a horrible spell on Medusa. Her gray eyes were narrowed angrily, and her long blonde hair was tied together. She had a shield, and was dressed for battle. That’s when you know that this goddess meant business.

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“I have snakes in my hair,” screamed Medusa as she felt her once-blonde hair.

“Correction,” Athena said smugly. “You have no hair. You are left, instead, with snakes. They will be your sole company, apart from your sisters, who will share your same unfortunate fate, because every time a mortal looks at you, they will instantly turn to stone.”

Upon hearing this, Medusa let out a scream so loud that anyone from kilometres around could have heard.

“Feel the wrath of Athena,” cried the goddess and she disappeared.

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Anyway, dear reader, Perseus agreed to hunt down the monster. Polydectes was sure that he would die. Perseus was left with only a sword. He didn’t know what to do. He had nothing—no information, no food, no shelter.

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Hermes, the god of travelers, looked down and felt bad for Perseus. The god gave him flying shoes such as his own. Along with the gift, came orders:

“You must visit the Nymphs of the North for equippement. Flying sandals and a sword is not sufficient. However, only the Gray sisters know where they Nymphs dance and sing. But they will not tell you where they Nymphs live because the Gorgons are their sisters. They have a tooth and an eye to share between the three of them, so you can trick them.”

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Being polite and well raised, Perseus thanked the Hermes and left. As a Gray sister was passing the eye, he grabbed it. He demanded the location of the Nymphs, in return for the eye. They agreed and Perseus departed.

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The Nymphs were hard to resist. They smelled like apples and cinnamon, and were very beautiful. Their music was inspiring with a tune so sweet that you had to dance. However, Perseus was able to leave, and the Nymphs gave him Hades’s (the god of the Underworld) helmet that made the wearer invisible; Athena’s reflective golden shield and a pouch that could hold anything.

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Perseus was now ready to face Medusa. Wearing the helmet, he used the shield as a mirror. Medusa, even asleep, looked frightful. She had scales, and the snakes were hissing. He nearly dropped the shield! But Hermes, in his mind, urged him on. He slew Medusa and put the head in the pouch. As he flew back to the island, he noticed a beautiful lady strapped to a rock in the middle of the ocean.

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“Oh, fair maiden,” called he, “What have you done to be hear alone, strapped to this cold gray stone?”

Andromeda, for that was her name, looked up, her clear, large, blue eyes wide with fright. “Oh, my dear hero. My mother boasted that I was more beautiful than the Nereids in Poseidon’s court. He will send a horrible sea-monster to kill me!” She started sobbing at the mere thought of it.

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“Nay, my lady. I will not let this be. In this pouch, I have the head of Medusa, the mortal Gorgon! I will turn the beast to stone and save you—on one condition—that you become my wife.”

Andromeda agreed at once. Well, he was rather good-looking. Then the sea-monster came, it looked at Medusa’s head and was instantly turned to stone. Perseus sliced the chains off Andromeda and they flew back to the island, Seriphos.

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“I have the head of Medusa!” announced bold Perseus proudly, as he entered the wedding. “I have returned from my quest, and I have a beautiful maiden with me, Andromeda, who will be my wife.” He looked up proudly, and was shocked to see his mother in a bridal dress with Polydectes. Tear tracks marked her pale cheeks. “A trick to get rid of me. Polydectes, you will wish you never forced my mother to marry you!” he cried, angry. “Mother, Andromeda, close your eyes!”

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He lifted the head of Medusa out of the pouch and Polydectes and his soldiers instantly turned to marble.

Andromeda and Perseus got married. At the celebrations, Perseus threw a spear. Whoever could throw it the farthest, would win. Unfortunately, it hit an old man, killing him. It turned out that the old man was really king Acrisius, the father of Danae.

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So the Prophecy came true at last. Danae, Perseus and Andromeda moved in at the castle of Danaes’s for-fathers.

Perseus put his gifts and the head of Medusa down at a nearby tree. He was returning them back to the gods. The next day, they were gone.

And nothing remained for proof of this story except for a handful of very realistic marble statues.

The End.