One of my favorites is the medusa story, sometimes referred to as perseus and the gorgon medusa. Medusas children the lament of the gorgons for medusa was pregnant at the time of her death, and when perseus severed her head, her two unborn children, chrysaor and pegasus, suddenly sprang from her. The story of medusa from greek mythology guy counseling. The only son of zeus and danae and, thus, a halfgod by birth perseus was one of the greatest heroes in greek mythology, most renowned for beheading the only mortal gorgon, medusa, and using her severed head capable of turning onlookers into stone as a mighty weapon in his subsequent adventures. Merdusa didnt live long enough to see her daughter, mercedi, but she knew she would be special. Medusa was a gorgon one of three sisters with venomous snakes for hair and the ability to turn people to stone. Scott mckay is suppose to get a contract based off of his initial flight.
I remember reading the story of medusa, or at least one version of it, in my fathers edition of bullfinchs mythology when i was a child. Whispers ran through all the people in the temple who quickly began to leave for everyone knew that athena enjoyed watching over the people of athens and feared what might happen if the goddess had overheard medusas rash remarks. The story and myth of medusa features pictures from mythology and legend. Medusas face was used to protect those who used that image when defending their country. The story of perseus and medusa, the snakehaired gorgon. Medusa, one of the three gorgon sisters, the most beautiful, and the only mortal one, was punished by athena after being raped by poseidon in the temple of athena. The story of medusa greek mythology explained youtube. Things are going welluntil he discovers while in flight that a crate hes carrying holds an armed 20megaton hydrogen bomb hitched to a deadly new. Fantasy fiction young adult fiction juvenile fiction sisters californiasan francisco mythology, greek monsters medusa greek mythology fate and fatalism. Medusa cursed by athena and killed by perseus ancient pages.
Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. A visual dictionary with entries and more than 600 fine art images. Perseus was the greek hero who killed the gorgon medusa, and claimed andromeda, having rescued her from a sea monster sent by poseidon. Perseus and medusa photo by nightowl on pixabay, perseus and medusa. Medusa was turned into a hideous monster who took all lives that merely gazed upon her face. She was a beautiful, young women with magnificent long, silky hair. Air force reserve, nance is a decorated pilot veteran of vietnam and operations desert stormdesert shield. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search.
She was once a beautiful woman, but she offended athena, who changed her hair into snakes and made her face so hideous that all who looked at her were turned to stone. Medusa lived in the city of athens in a country named greece and although there were many pretty girls in the city, medusa was considered the most lovely. Why is medusas sad backstory so rarely told in greek myth. Retired airline and air force pilot nance improves steadily, this time borrowing from his own plot for pandoras clock 1995 but leaving out the romance. A beautiful mortal, medusa was the exception in the family, until she incurred the wrath of athena, either due to her boastfulness or because of an illfated love affair with poseidon. The latin poet ovid writes in book iv of his metamorphoses that poseidon had abused medusa in the temple of athena. The power of medusas head is seen again when perseus encountered the titan atlas. Medusa s child is a used mass market paperback available to purchase and shipped from firefly bookstore in kutztown, pa. Medusa jones by ross collins is a funny book incorporated with some greek mythology. Oct 26, 2016 medusa, monstrosity, and the patriarchy. Medusas children the lament of the gorgons for medusa was pregnant at the time of her death, and when perseus severed her head, her two unborn children, chrysaor and pegasus, suddenly sprang from her neck. A time came when many tribes of this aryan race moved on to other lands. Most of what we know of medusa comes from her short time serving in athenas temple and the way in which her head was used after she was beheaded by perseus.
Daulaires book of greek myths, is the absolute best book written for learning everything you would like to know about greek mythology, in my opinion, of course. When i was in a bookstore a few years ago, i bought pandoras clock and medusas ch ild together, and read them in that order. Jan 10, 2015 first time making an animated comic, so dont flames on me. They would put small medusa heads on buildings and doors as a way to try to keep scary things away. Medusas ch ild has 12 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Some of them settled in the land we now call greece, taking with them their quaint stories of the sky and the clouds, of father dyaus. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Yet, when her head was given to athena by perseus, athena used her image on armor and a shield. Fuming over the departure of his wife vivian and the cutting of his research funding, crazy nuclear scientist rogers henry constructs medusa, a thermonuclear bomb capable of generating a continentsized electromagnetic pulse. In medusas child the author was still very readable, and once again the main characters were very likable, but the technical and practical aspects of the book were so far stretched and so unbelievable that they got in the way of the story. Medusa medusalith amaquelinboltagon is a fictional character appearing in american comic books published by marvel comics. Nance is one of my favorite authors, but medusas ch ild just didnt do it for me.
According to this ancient author, the three sisters, sthenno, euryale, and medusa, were the children of phorcys and ceto and lived beyond famed oceanus at the worlds edge hard by night. Medusas child kindle edition by nance, john j mystery. Medusa, in greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as gorgons. Jul 30, 2018 medusas name means to protect this is the irony of it all. Devils gate by thea harrison, sweet venom by tera lynn childs, medusa, a love story by sasha summers, the deep end of the sea b. The story of perseus begins in the greek kingdom of argos, at a.
Once upon a time, a long time ago there lived a beautiful maiden named medusa. For 30yearold captain scott mckay, the transport run from miami to denver will give him the money he desperately needs to keep his fledgling air cargo company flying. In the book, she never gets near turning percy to stone but in the film. Two of his novels, pandoras clock and medusas child, were made into television miniseries. Daulaires book of greek myths audiobook by ingri d. Medusa was the child of phorcys and ceto, who in turn were the children of gaia and oceanus. The angry goddess change s medusa s hair to snakes and makes her so ugly her look will turn any living thing that looks at her to stone. They were both ascertain medusa would appreciate this if she were alive.
The latin poet ovid writes in book iv of his metamorphoses that poseidon attacked medusa in the temple of athena. The goddess was outraged, and changed medusa into a monster with snakes for hair. With vincent spano, lori loughlin, gail ogrady, kevin dillon. In later myths mainly in ovid medusa was the only gorgon to possess snake. Joan holub is a great author for making this book to be unsuspected. This week were going greek as asha recounts the tale of medusa. Oct 28, 2016 welcome back to another fairy tale friday. As a general rule we do not censor any content on the site. Medusa was a character that fascinated the ancient greeks, and then later the romans. Percy is only stopped from opening his eyes medusa s snakes were opening percy s eyes forcefully by medusa being run over by annabeth and grover in a pickup truck formerly used by one of medusa s customers that had been turned into stone. The story of perseus, like many greek myths, begins with a prophecy, a prophecy that acrisius, the king of argos, received from the oracle of delphi. Perseus, one of the most famous of the legendary heroes of ancient times, was the son of zeus and danae, daughter of acrisius, king of argos. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes.
Acrisius went to the oracle for guidance and wisdom but left with a prophecy of his doom and demise instead, a prophecy which foretold that he would in the. Today we look at one of the most misunderstood characters in greek mythology, medusa. Perseus may hack medusa s head off with a sword, but in most cases his success comes from quick, clever thinking rather than through mad fighting skills. Originally a fair maiden, she was violated by poseidon in a temple of the goddess athena, and athena then punished her by transforming her into an ugly monster with snakes for hair. In some variations of the myth, medusa was born a monster like her sisters, described as girded with serpents, vibrating tongues, gnashing their teeth, having wings, brazen claws, and enormous teeth. Her name and aspects of her character are derived from greek mythology as her hair has prehensile attributes like that of medusa the gorgon s hair. When the blood dripped from medusas head onto the plains of libya, each drop of blood transformed into venomous serpents. Medusas child proves once again that john nance is the king of the modernday aviation thriller publishers weekly. Medusa was one of the three gorgons, daughters of phorcys and ceto, sisters of the graeae, echidna, and ladon all dreadful and fearsome beasts. But she is also the most famous and the myth of her demise at the hands of perseus is often recounted. Packed with action, intrigue, trickery, and love, a child s introduction to norse mythology acquaints kids with the original north germanic and scandinavian folklore behind characters like thor and loki, plus other gods, goddesses, giants, dwarves, and more. Former navy pilot scott mckay has started up his own airline for hauling air freight. Our heroes are descendants of medusa, although the stories are all wrong about her but this story sets it right, lol. The curse of medusa from greek mythology tripsavvy.
Medusa is one of the more unusual divine figures of ancient greece mythology one of a trio of gorgon sisters, medusa was the only sister who was not immortal. Medusa greek mythology up to 20 books are listed, in descending order of popularity at this site. She is famed for her snakelike hair and her gaze, which turns those who look at her to stone. While medusa is known to be one of the most famous monsters in greek mythology, there is relatively little that is recorded of her existence before she was beheaded by perseus. Her sisters, sthenno and euryale, raised mercedi for her. Greek mythology is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices.
But after a school field trip she becomes a hero by helping save her worst enemy and one of her best friend. Medusa jones is a girl in rome very unpopular because of her hair, doesnt fit in and gets picked on everyday at school. When perseus asked atlas for a place to rest for a short while, his request was refused. The goddess became angry, and changed medusa into a monster with snakes for hair. In a late version of the medusa myth, related by the roman poet ovid metamorphoses 4. Some versions of the story state that athena also cursed her so that a pair of golden wings grew from her head. The stories of the gods, goddesses, heroes, monsters, and other mythical creatures child s introduction series. Perseus is one of the greatest heroes spoken of in greek mythology, for perseus was the famed vanquisher of the gorgon medusa. He was, alongside cadmus and bellerophon, the greatest greek hero and slayer of monsters before the days of heracles. That gets screwed up when he finds out they, the airport crew, loaded the.
Medusa was the target to blame, since she was so beautiful and attentiongrabbing. As an educator and counselor, i often use tales from classic greek mythology as a way of relating common themes that speak to the human condition. This work is actually a comic book that uses imagery from harry potter to ancient mythology to tell the tale of its protagonist tommy taylor, the former model for the boy hero of his father wilsons fantasy novels. When a mysterious crate is discovered on his plane, however, mckay is ordered to aban. I couldnt put down this book because i wanted to know if medusa will become immortal or get out of moa because she was stealing. I also read contemporary retellings by jenny march in the penguin book of classical myths, robert graves in greek mythology, edith hamilton in mythology, and, for a pop culture spin, rick riordan in percy jacksons greek heroes and percy jacksons greek gods. The only content we will consider removing is spam, slanderous attacks on other members, or extremely offensive content eg. Medusa biography birthday, trivia mythical figure who2. This audible version is great as it portrays the facts in more of a story form than anything youd find in a textbook. This book by nance ranks right up there with pandoras clock. Medusa the mean by joan holub was a beautiful story because it was unsuspected. We will not remove any content for bad language alone, or for being critical of a book. Medusa is an ancient greek mythological character known for her ability to turn one into stone if they looked at her even by accident, and for her head of snakes instead of hair and winged human female form. Chief of the gorgons, medusa was the serpentheaded monster of greek mythology whose hideous appearance turned men into stone.
Books about medusa greek mythology what should i read. Athena never tried to curse him or call him out for what he did to medusa. Adapted from the myths and legends of ancient greece and rome by e. Most sources describe her as the daughter of phorcys and ceto, though the author.
Heart in the stonemedusa and the blind babyan animated. In greek mythology, a gorgon is a female monster also known as a gorgo. Publishers weekly dec 30, 1996 novelist and alaska airlines pilot nance is a champ at dreaming up spellbinding premises as in his bestselling pandoras clock about doomsday threats lurking in our friendly skies. The real story of medusa may not be what you think it is. Medusa was a formidable foe, since her hideous appearance was able to render any onlooker into stone. Nance is the author of thirteen novels whose suspenseful storylines and authentic aviation details have led publishers weekly to call him the king of the modernday aviation thriller. Her story has been told and retold by ancient and modern storytellers, writers, and artists. They were distraught about medusa, but didnt let that stop them from raising mercedi. Lets learn about an important bad guy in greek mythology, medusa. We examine how she became the monster that she is so widely regarded as. The adventures of perseus have been told, and retold, over the millennia, and even today his story regularly appears on the big screen. The legends of ancient greece, rome and the norse and celtic worlds. Perseus in greek mythology greek legends and myths. Athena punished medusa by turning her hair into snakes.
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