The Myhs Medusa'sHead and Perseus and he Gorgon's Head bn sldls ldenify forms of Jicion: myhs. Bc.dl.E Sldlk Dialogue wih he ex. Make he Connecion Talk l Over The idea of fae is imooran in his Greek myh. Fae refers o a power ha is believed o decide he fuure no maer wha we do. You learn righ away in his sory ha a king has received bad news from an oracle (6r'a. kal)-a pries or priesess who can foreell he fuure. He has learned ha one day he will be killed by his own grandson. Think abou his siuaion for a few minues. Then, wih several classmaes, discuss wha i would be like o know wha will happen in he fuure. Lierary Focus Mrhic Heroes Wha characers can f ly, become invisible, and call on oher magical powers in he figh agains evil? You'll probably hink of modern comic-book characers, such a5 Baman or Superman. In "Medusa's Head" you'll mee an ancien myhic hero, Perseus, who can do all hese hings-and more. In he world of myh, heroes do hings we wish we could do and hings we're glad we don' have o do. Heroes in myhs represen he hopes and fears of he people who creaed hem. Heroes in myhs are ofen helped by gods. Someimes hey are gods hemselves. These superheroes usually have magical powers, and hey always face grea difficulies and challenges (like slaying a monser). Ofen a hero saves a whole sociey from ruin, Reading Skills.#, Dialogue wih he Tex As you read his sory lo down your responses o i. Ask quesions abou unfamiliar words, and ry o predic wha will happe nex. Vocabulary Developmen These are he words you'll learn as read "Medusa's Head": descended (d6.send'id) y.: moved o lower place; came down. Ou of pil, Zeus, king of he Greek gods, he imprisoned girl, perplexiy (par. plek'sa ' ) n.: bewildermen; confusion. f his Perseus urned o Ahene. perpeual (par. pedr'6.a1) ad1: permanen; consan. Medusa's in a place of perpeual wiligh, is neiher day nor nigh. recesses (rc'ses'az) n.: inner places. The siserscrambled o he receses cave afer Perseu sole heir sigh. hovered (huv'ard) u: remained in he air. Wearing he winged Perseus hovered high above he rods 350 Collecion 4 / Forms of Ficion
------a rmyhic ruin. your bou :d ic )n n as you red o a,f piy, cended o Ch., [ing Acrisios (a.crc'sc'6s') of Argos (iir'giis'): Argos was an ancien ciy and kingdom in souhern Greece. Also spelled Acrisius. Pmios(p16.e'os): broher of King Acrisios. Danae(dan'a'C'): daugher of King Acrisios. She bears Zeus' son Perseus. Apllo: Greek god of ligh, medicine, poery, and prophecy. The oracle of Apollo was a pries or priesess hrough whom he god was believed o spea k. hus (zds): king of he Greek gods. DiOs (dic'is): f isherman, broher of Polydeces. He and Polydeces live on he island of 5eriphos. Also spelled 5eriphus. hlydedes (pii l'. dek'cz): king of 5eriphos. hrseus (pur'sd.as): son of Danae and Zeus. 6orgons: hree fearsome sisers wih brass hands, gold wings, and serpenlike scales. Medusa, he younges Gorgon, has snakes for ha ir and a face so errible ha i urns o sone anyone who looks a i. Ahene (a.he'n ): Greek goddess of crafs, war, and wisdom. Her name is also spelled Ahena. Phorcides ({6r'sa'd6z): hree sisers who live in a cave and have only one eye and one ooh beween hem. Hermes (hur'mcz'): messenger of he gods. Cepheus GE'fe.as): king of Ehiopia. Cassiopeia (kas'c.6.pe'a): queen of Ehiopia. Andromeda (an. d16m'a. da): daugher of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia. She has been chained o a rock near he sea o calm he anger of he god Poseidon. Nereus (nir'e.as): a minor sea god. Poseidon (p6.si'dan): god of he sea. s perplexiy, sisers live where here ace5. sses of he '.. suspended ndab, 'ocks..r'?a Medusa's Head / Perseus and he Goroon's Head 351
ing Acrisios of Argos was a hard, selfish man. He haed his broher, Proios, who laer drove him from his kingdom, he cared nohing for his daugher, His whole hear was se on havine who should succeed him, bu since years wen by and sill he had only he daugher, he senl a message o he oracle o ask wheher he should have children of his own. The answer of he was errible. Acrisios should have no bu his daugher, Danae, would bear a grandchild who should grow up o him. A hese words Acrisios was beside wih fear and rage. Swearing ha should never have a child o murder he had a room buil undersround lined all hrough wih brass. Thiher he Danae and shu her up, bidding Wnd he res of her life alone. I is possible o hwar he plans of moral bu never hose of he eods. Zeus himwih piy on he unforunae girl, i is said he descended o her hrouqh iny hole ha gave ligh and air o her pouring himself down ino her lap form of a shower of gold. word came o he kins from hose brough food and drink o his daugher girl was wih child, Acrisios was and afraid. He would have liked bes boh Danae and her infan son, bu he did no dare for fear of he anger a so hideous a crime. He made, a grea ches of wood wih bands of abou i. Shuing up he girl and her inside, he cashem ino he sea. hinkhey would eiher drown or sarve. he gods came o he help of Danae, caused he planks of he ches o sivell unil hey fied ighly and le no waer in. The ches floaed for some days and was cas up a las on an island. There Dicys, a fisherman, found i and ook Danae o his broher, Polydeces, who was king of he island. Danae was made a servan in he palace, ye before many years had passed, boh Dicys and Polydeces had fallen in love wih he silen, golden-haired girl. She in her hear preferred Dicys, ye since his broher was king, she did no dare o make her choice. Therefore she hung always over Perseus, preending ha moher love lef her no room for any oher, and year afer year a silen frown would cross Polydeces' face as he saw her caress he child. A las, Perseus became a young man, handsome and srong beyond he common and a leader among he youhs of he island, hough he was bu he son of a poor servan. Then i seemed o Polydeces ha if he could once ge rid of Perseus, he could force Danae o become his wife, wheher she would or no. Meanwhile, in order o lull he young man's suspicions, he preended ha he inended o marry a cerain noble maiden and would collec a wedding gif for her. Now he cusom was ha his gif of he bridegroom o he bride was in par his own and in par pu ogeher from he marriage presens of his friends and relaives. All he young men, herefore, brough Polydeces a presen, exceping Perseus, who was his servan'son and possessed nohing o bring. Then Polydeces said o he ohers, "This young man owes me more han any of you, since I ook him in and brough him Vocabulary descended (dc.send'id) y.; moved o a lower place; came down. Medusa's Head
Medusa by Michelangelo Caravaggio (1573-1610). Uffi2i, Floren(e, laly. O fala/ar Resour(e, NY up in my own house, and ye he gives me nohing." Perseus answered in anger a he injusice of he charge, "I have nohing of my own, Polydeces, ye ask me wha you will, and I will fech i, for I owe you my life." A his Polydecesmiled, for i was wha he had inended, and he answered, "Fech me, if his is your boas, he Gorgon's head." Now he Gorgons, who lived far off on he shores of he ocean, were hree fearful sisers wih hands of brass, wings of gold, and scales like a serpen. Two of hem had scaly heads and usks like he wild boar, bu he hird, Medusa, had he face of a beauiful woman wih hair of wrihing serpens, and so errible was her expression ha all who looked on i were immediaely urned o sone. This much Perseus knew of he Gorgons, bu of how o find or kill hem, he had no idea. Neverheless, he had given his promise, and hough he saw now he saisfacion of King Polydeces, he was bound o keep his word. In his perplexiy, he prayed o he wise goddess Ahene, who came o him in a vision and promised him her aid. "Firs, you mus go," she said, "o he ers Phorcides, who will ell you he way he nymphs who guard he ha of he winged sandals, and he knapsack whi can hold he Gorgon's head. Then I will you a shield, and my broher Hermes will give you a sword, which shall be made of adaman, he hardes rock. For nohing can kill he Gorgon, since so venomous is her blood ha a moral sword, when plunged in i, is eaen away. Bu when you come o he Gorgons, invisible in your ha of darkness, urn your eyes away from and look only on heir reflecion in your gleaming shield. Thus you may kill he monser wihou yourself being urned o sone. Pass her sisers by, for hey are immoral. bu smie off he head of wih he hair of wrihing snakes. Then pu in your knapsack and reurn, and I will be wih you." The vision ended, and wih he aid of Ahene, Perseuse ou on he long o seek he Phorcides. These live in a dim cavern in he far norh, where nighs and days are one and where he whole earh is overspread wih perpeual wiligh. There sa he hree old women mumbling o one anoher, crouched in a dim heap ogeher, for hey had bu one eye and one ooh beween hem, which hey passed from o hand. Perseus came quiely behind and as hey fumbled for he eye, he pu his srong, brown hand nex o one of he vocabulary perplexiy (par.plek'sa. ) n.: bewildermen confusion. perpeual (par.pedr'6.a1) adl..' permanen consan. Collecion 4 / Forms of Ficion
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like women, ve scaled from head o as serpens are. Insead of hands hey gleaming claws like eagles, and heir fee dragons'fee. Skinny meallic wings like wings hung from heir shoulders. Their were neiher snake nor woman, bu like faces in a nishmare. These arm in arm and never sirred. Onlv snakes sill hissed and wrihed he pale, se face of Medusa, as hough in sleep she were roubled bv an evil She lay by herself, arms ousreched, more beauiful and errible man may bear. All he crimes and ofhe world rushed ino Perseus' as he gazed a her image in he shield. siffened his arm as he hovered over his sword uplifed. Then he shu his he vision and in he darknessruck. was a grea cry and a hissing. Perseus for he head and seized i by he limp hair. Somehow he Du i in his and was up and off, for a he scream he siser Gorgons had awak- Now hey were afer him, heir sharp ing agains his silver shield. Perseus forward on he pahwav of he wind and behind him he wo sisers ou he prey hey could no dared from heir girdles," foam heir usk, and he grea wings air. Ye he wineed sandals were even $an hey, and Perseus fled like he deer wih he speed of desperaion. he horrible noise srew fain behind hisine of snakes and he sound of died away. A las he Gorgons him no lonser and reurned ; bls or sashes. By now, Perseus was over he Libyan deser, and as he blood from he horrible head ouched he sand, i changed o serpens, from which he snakes of Africa are descended. The sorms of he Libyan deser blew agains Perseus in clouds of eddying sand, unil no even he divine sandals could hold him on his course. Far ou o sea he was blown, and hen norh. Finally, whirled around he heavens like a cloud of mis. he alighed in he disan wes, where he gian Alas held up on his shoulders he heavens from he earh. There he weary gian, crushed under he load of cenuries, begged Perseus o show him Medusa's head. Perseus uncovered for him he dreadful hing, and Alas was changed o he mighy mounain whose rocks rear up o reach he sky near he gaeway o he Alanic. Perseus himself, reurning easlvards and sill baling wih he wind, was driven souh o he land of Ehiopia, where King Cepheus reigned wih his wife, Cassiopeia. As Perseus came wheeling in like a gull from he ocean, he saw a srange sigh. Far ou o sea he waer was roubled, seehing and boiling as hough sirred by a grea force moving in is dephs. Huge, sullen waves were saring far ou and washing inland over sunken rees and flooded houses. Many miles of land were under waer, and as he sped over hem, he saw he muddy sea lapping around he foo of a black, upsanding rock, Here on a ledge above he waer's edge sood a young girl chained by he arms, lips pared, eyes open and saring, face whie as her linen garmen. She migh have been a saue, so sill she sood, while he ligh breeze fluered her dress and sirred her loosened hair. As Perseus looked a her and Medusa Head
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hce, Perseus sprang once more ino he unveiling he dreadful head of dead o he monser, which reared is jaws yards high ino he air. The ail siffened all of a sudden. he ofhe waer ceased, and only he waves of he receding ocean lapped a long, gray ridge of sone. Then freed Andromed and resored her faher and beauiful moher. wih heir consen, he married scenes of remendous rejoicing, widr his bride se sail a las for he of Polydeces. had los no ime on he of Perseus. Firs he had begged o become his wife. and hen he had her. Undoubedlv, he would go his way by force if Danae had in error o Dicys. The wo ook a he alar of a emple whence did no dare drag hem away. sood when Perseus reurned. was enraged o see him, for he a leasha Danae's mos proecor would never reurn. seeine him famous and wih daugher o wife, he could no himself. Openly he laughed a he saying ha he hero had blled he Gorgon, only preended o, now he was claiming an honor he deserve. A his, Perseus, enraged by and by repors of his moher's persaid o him, "You asked me for he head. Behold i!" And wih ha he i high, and Polydeces became sone. Perseus lef Dicys o be king of ha bu he himself wen back o he Greo seek ou his grandfaher, who was once again king ofargos. Firs, however, he gave back o he gods he gifs hey had given him. Hermes ook back he golden sandals and he ha of darkness, for boh are his. Bu Ahene ook Medusa head, and she hung i on a fleece around her neck as par of her bale equipmen, where i may be seen in saues and porrais of he warlike goddess. Perseus ook ship for Greece, bu his fame had gone before him, and King Acrisios fled secrely from Argos in error, since he remembered he prophecy and feared ha Perseus had come o avenge he wrongs of Danae. The rembling old Acrisios ook refuge in Larissa, where i happened he king was holding a grea ahleic cones in honor of his dead faher. Heroes from all over Greece, among whom was Perseus, came o he games. As Perseus was compeing a he discus hrowing, he hrew high ino he air and far beyond he res. A srong wind caughhe discus as i spun, so ha i lef he course marked ou for i and was carried ino he sands. People scrambled away o righ and lef. Only Acrisios was no nimble enough. The heary weigh fell full on his foo and crushed his oes, and a ha, he feeble old man, already weakened by his errors, died from he shock. Thus he prophecy of Apollo was fulfilled a las; Acrisios was killed by his grandson. Then Perseus came ino his kingdom, where he reigned wih Andromeda long and happily. To read abou Olivia Coolidge, see Mee he Wrier on page 252, MedusalHcad 359
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Response ond Anolysis Firs Thoughs 1. Wha do you hink oj Perseus? Do we have heroes like him oday? ReJer o your reading noes for your responses o he s ory..4. Thinking Criically 2. Why is Perseus a good example of a myhic hero? (Think abou how he handles challenges and how he gods help him.) 3. How does his myh illusrae he idea ha no one can escape fae? Wha do you hink of he ancien Greek belief ha eveqnhing ha happens is decided in advance by fae? ljl.. gdlf Analyze a myh. Rcdhg sklll Dialogue wih he ex. urldg Sklll Wrie a shor sory. Exending Inerpreaions 4, Modern sories of acion heroes ofen resemble ancien myhs. Wha movies or TV shows remind you of he sory of Perseus? Think abou hese elemens in he myh: a. he hero hreaened a birh b. he beauiful woman in danoer c. he awful monser d. he role played by magic e. he perils faced by he hero f. he people who help he hero g. he riumph of good over evil WRIT!NG Wriing a sory Make up a sory abou a characer who can become invisible. Jo down some ideas abou he way he characer becomes invisible, he hings he or she can do ha visible characers can' do, and he dangers ha an invisible person would face. lf you wish, ellyour sory in he form oj a caroon. Collecion 4 / Forms ol ficion