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Perseus and Medusa
On the island of Seriphos lived a young man called Perseus with this mother Danae. The King Polydictes wanted Danae to marry him. He was a cruel, wicked tyrant and she didn't want to. Polydictes was convinced that it was Perseus' fault and if he could get rid of Perseus then there would not be a problem.
Polydictes invited all of the young men of Seriphos to a banquet. They all arrived with beautiful gifts, except Perseus who had nothing to give. Perseus was upset and went away saying that he would bring a better gift than all of the others. Polydictes set Perseus a task: to bring Medusa's head. Now Medusa had hair made of serpents. Anyone who looked at her was turned to stone.
Athena realized what Polydictes had done and helped Perseus by giving him a very shiny shield. Hermes helped him by giving him a very sharp sword. They told him to go to the home of the grey sisters.
When Perseus arrived at the home of the grey sisters he watched them for a while. He saw that they only had one eye and one tooth between them. He crept up and as they passed the eye from one to the other he snatched it from them. He threatened to keep it if they did not tell him where to find Medusa.
And so he learned the secret. As he approached the land the Nymphs who lived there gave him a cap which hid him from Medusa's sisters, shoes of swiftness with which to escape and a special bag to put the head in.
Perseus crept up to Medusa, looked at her reflection through his shield and cut her head off. He put her head in the bag and took it back to the palace. As he pulled the head out of the bag he turned all of the court to stone and freed his mother.
On the island of Seriphos lived a young man called Perseus with this mother Danae. The King Polydictes wanted Danae to marry him. He was a cruel, wicked tyrant and she didn't want to. Polydictes was convinced that it was Perseus' fault and if he could get rid of Perseus then there would not be a problem.
Polydictes invited all of the young men of Seriphos to a banquet. They all arrived with beautiful gifts, except Perseus who had nothing to give. Perseus was upset and went away saying that he would bring a better gift than all of the others. Polydictes set Perseus a task: to bring Medusa's head. Now Medusa had hair made of serpents. Anyone who looked at her was turned to stone.
Athena realized what Polydictes had done and helped Perseus by giving him a very shiny shield. Hermes helped him by giving him a very sharp sword. They told him to go to the home of the grey sisters.
When Perseus arrived at the home of the grey sisters he watched them for a while. He saw that they only had one eye and one tooth between them. He crept up and as they passed the eye from one to the other he snatched it from them. He threatened to keep it if they did not tell him where to find Medusa.
And so he learned the secret. As he approached the land the Nymphs who lived there gave him a cap which hid him from Medusa's sisters, shoes of swiftness with which to escape and a special bag to put the head in.
Perseus crept up to Medusa, looked at her reflection through his shield and cut her head off. He put her head in the bag and took it back to the palace. As he pulled the head out of the bag he turned all of the court to stone and freed his mother.
