I have struggled to find differentiated comprehensions for ancient greek myths, especially the lesser known ones, so. Perseus is one of the greatest heroes of greek mythology. Medusa gorgon is one of the oldest and most popular ancient myths. There was a collective gasp from all in the room, except from perseus.
Her face, whether fierce and grotesque or feminine and composed, appears in virtually all media in varying contexts. I also really hate when formerly heroic characters are demonized in order to make a formerly villainous one look good, so i kept perseus and athena. The earliest known record about the story of medusa and the gorgons can be found in hesiods theogony. She fell in love with him and told him she would help him in his quest, under the condition that he would take her with him.
I laminated and would post when we were covering mythology. Her father, phorcys, was known to be a primordial sea god who had a fish tail, crablike forearms, and red, spiky skin. He is best known as the slayer of the gorgon medusa, a fearsome monster, and as the rescuer of the ethiopian princess andromeda. The medusa myth probably derives from the classical greek period, that is. The story of pandora and her box, snakehaired medusa, and the greedy king midas are three of the twelve myths presented in a colorfully illustrated collection of greek myths. Th e rays of sunlight, which might sometimes be seen across a dark cloud, were apollos golden arrows. Greek mythologyheroesperseus wikibooks, open books for. 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. In ancient greek mythology, medusa is the most famous of three monstrous sisters known as the gorgons. In doing so, students learn to interpret and infer the key elements of plot in texts, comment upon the key themes and plot ideas running through a text, and empathise with the firstperson perspective of a character.
Medusas death was figured as a perversion of the erotic abductions common to many greek myths, and points out the beautiful gorgon s affinities with abducted. Two fully linked, bookmarked, and easy to print pdf files 1809 a4 pages, including. The greeks had a cleareyed curiosity about themselves and all creation. The goddess was outraged, and changed medusa into a monster with snakes for hair. In greek mythology, medusa also called gorgo, was one of the three monstrous gorgons. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes. Medusa was one of the gorgon sisters, the daughter of phorcys and keto. An introduction to greek mythology for children the story. What was the role of medusa in the greek mythology. Aug 20, 20 medusa was a formidable foe, since her hideous appearance was able to render any onlooker into stone. The story of medusa from greek mythology guy counseling. Greek mythology, particularly her connection with medusa. Perseus and medusa perseus was a famous greek hero.
Medusa in ancient greek art essay the metropolitan. She was known originally for being a beautiful young maiden. 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. The myth of perseus and medusa is one of the best thrillerlike tales in greek mythology with a promising plot that gets more complicated as the story progresses, this myth has a typical hollywoodlike scenario with the main character not being born yet at the moment when his destiny was determined. Top 10 listen to this story greek index greek coloring pages athena craft medusa craft perseus craft en espanol dltks countries and cultures greek mythology. There were pretty girls there, and medusa was one of them. Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient greeks and a genre of ancient greek folklore. The gorgon medusa in the oldest greek mythological tales, there were three gorgons, of which medusa was but one. The myth of perseus and medusa explained greek mythology. Sep, 2019 the story of how medusa was killed by perseus is one of the most thrilling stories in greek mythology.
Born to the sea god phorcys and ceto phorcys wife and sister, medusa queen or ruler was one. For medusa was pregnant at the time of her death, her two unborn children, chrysaor and pegasus, sprang from her blood. The story above is the pdf version of the myth recorded on the website. Medusa, in greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as gorgons. Choose from 500 different sets of greek mythology perseus flashcards on quizlet. Perseus and medusa photo by nightowl on pixabay, perseus and medusa. 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. Polydectes asked perseus to slay and behead the gorgon medusa and bring back her head as his gift. Medea was the daughter of king aeetes of colchis in greek mythology, and wife of the mythical hero jason.
Learn greek mythology perseus with free interactive flashcards. A close look at her role in greek mythology and art reveals a nuanced and complex character with multiple iterations and implications. Medusa and athena myth differentiated comprehension. Another greek poet, hesiod, would later add two more gorgons, resulting in the trio of sister known as stheno the mighty, euryale the far springer, and the most wellknown of the three. It is a shame it was wasted on athena for i am so much prettier than she is perhaps some day people will build an even grander temple to my beauty. Hunted by many warriors that wished to claim the prize of her head, many tried. Greek mythology has been incorporated into everything from hollywood movies to childrens television shows. She was a very kind and she obeyed her greek gods and goddesses. Medusa in greek mythology is referenced as one of the three gorgons. The gorgons in greek mythology greek legends and myths. Favorite greek myths the light which comes from the sun, while helios was the god of the sun itself. Contents 8 introduction vii map of the greek world, c. Because the gorgons could turn anybody to stone by looking in their eyes, perseus cleverly looked in the shield, so that medusa couldnt look directly into his eyes. Zeus ruled the entire universe no one was mightier than the mighty zeus.
Greek mythology tells of many heroes who defeated their enemies by superior wit. Medusa coloring pages greek monsters, ancient greece. The complete greek mythology link collection digital edition includes. She has been featured in movies, books, cartoons and even video games.
He received a mirrorlike shield to take on his journey. However, fair medusa 1 was ravished in the temple of athena by poseidon, and in order to punish this deed, athena changed the beautiful locks of medusa 1 into repugnant snakes. Medusa, who represented female wisdom, was the eldest of two other gorgon sisters, stheino, who represented strength, and the last sister, euryale as universality. Medusas tale area51fugitive greek and roman mythology. The gorgons lived in the west, near the ocean, and. The story of medusa and the greek goddess athena a myth submitted to the site by shainuja many years ago there was a beautiful women called medusa. Students will love reading the fascinating tale of perseus slaying medusa. Ancient greek myth were three monsters, the sisters stheno, eurayle and. Greek myths are always a crowd pleaser in the elementary classroom, and having your students create a handson project to record their learning is a surefire way to spark excitement. A time came when many tribes of this aryan race moved on to other lands.
The origin medusa in greek mythology is considered as the first account which depicts her characterization and became the basic idea of following literary and. In greek mythology, the gorgon was first referred to by the poet homer as a single monster who had risen from the underworld. She was beheaded by the hero perseus, using the sword harpe, who thereafter used her head as a weapon until he gave it to the goddess athena to place on her shield the aegis. Greek myths famous stories, myths and legends of ancient. Perseus is also said to be an ancestor of hercules and the asian race of the persians. This engaging and detailed lesson enables students to gain a deep understanding of the greek myth perseus and medusa. The courtiers looked at each other in stunned surprise and then started to titter. 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. The redfigured vases of lucania, campania and sicily. Medusa and athena, a greek play to perform at your school.
Transformed into a vicious monster with snakes for hair, she was. A victim of rape in grecoroman mythology, medusa and her iconography are well. Their bodies were covered with impenetrable scales. The parentage of medusa is an oft debated topic in mythology even though she is most popularly believed to be the daughter of ceto and her brother phorcys, the primordial sea god and goddess among all greek gods and goddesses, residing in the western ocean. He eventually gave medusa s head to athena, daughter of zeus and goddess of war, who placed the head on her shield as a threat to her enemies. Medusa in ancient greek art essay the metropolitan museum. Medusa is an instantly recognizable figure from ancient greek art. The greek myth about medusa and athena for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school kids print, listen to and read. Nov 28, 2018 medusa is one of the most well known and talked about beings from ancient greek mythology that we have ever heard of. Medusa in ancient greek art essay the metropolitan museum of. Pdf medusa the victimized monster dhianita kusuma pertiwi. Countries and nationalities greece medusa and athena. Her story has been told and retold by ancient and modern storytellers, writers, and artists.
This readers theater literacy toolkit includes two readers theater scripts, as well as other activities and resources. The story of medusa zeus, hera and little io greek. Greek myths famous stories, myths and legends of ancient greece. One of my favorites is the medusa story, sometimes referred to as perseus and the gorgon medusa. She is the poor victim of poseidons lust and athenas wrath. You will need to research the following facts about your godess to complete your project. Medusa coloring pages greek monsters, ancient greece, greek. Medusa, the daughter of phorcys and ceto is a famous gorgon in greek mythology. And when medusa reached the altar she sighed happily and said, my this is a beautiful temple. In ancient greek mythology, the olympians were the gods who presided over every aspect of human existence after dethroning the titans who had preceded them. Medusa was beautiful with long, flowing hair and soft skin. Medusa was one of the three gorgons, daughters of phorcys and ceto, sisters of the graeae, echidna, and ladon all dreadful and fearsome beasts. Favorite greek myths the darkness of night was a serpent, slain by their sungods arrows. She was a cautionary tale, a monster to be slain, and an apotropaic symbol.
Greek mythology matawanaberdeen regional school district. In almost every version of the medusa myth, king polydectes of seriphus sent perseus to return with her head so that. Greek mythologyheroesperseus wikibooks, open books for an. The gorgons were very popular subjects in greek art and appeared in vase paintings, as sculpture and architectural carvings.
The story of medusa zeus, hera and little io greek myth. Modern scholars study the myths in an attempt to shed light. Indeed, the gorgon medusa was said to have given birth to the winged horse pegasus, and the giant chrysaor, both emerging from the open neck wound let from the decapitation. A ccss aligned, greek mythology short story and corresponding activities about the hero perseus, who slayed the monster medusa. These stories concern the origin and the nature of the world, the lives and activities of deities, heroes, and mythological creatures, and the origins and significance of the ancient greeks own cult and ritual practices. She was once a beautiful maiden with long, golden hair. Once upon a time, many years ago there lived a beautiful maiden named medusa. Medea met her husband when jason and the argonauts arrived in colchis to claim the famous golden fleece from the king. Greek intelligence went much further than clever strategy. The greek forces try to cut off the trojans supply routes and. However, she swore a vow of chastity and soon broke it by having an affair with poseidon, supposedly in athenas temple. Together, they were known to have birthed some of the most fearsome creatures in greek mythology.
To top it all off, it is a fun and interesting topic to learn about. A tale of the minotaur, and discovering just how accessible classical greek mythology could become with a skilled modern writer, i knew i would give the second book in the heroines of classical greece series, medusa, a try. Still others affirm that medusa 1 was a beautiful woman and the hope of many suitors, and that the most beautiful in her was her magnificent hair. A greek mythology alphabet excellent book, a character per letter, very colorful. Persephone, discussed later, these myths pro vide a useful illustration. Greek cities, the connection of medusa and apollo was undenia ble, the two. The latin poet ovid writes in book iv of his metamorphoses that poseidon had raped medusa in the temple of athena. Medusa perseus achilles aphrodite apollo persephone pandora athena ares artemis demeter hermes hecate daedalus iris nike icarus hades please choose a greek god or goddess from the list for your project. This resource was created for beginner to intermediate esl students to practice reading and responding to a fictional text. Their teeth were giant boar tusks, their hands were made of bronze and they had wings of gold. The most common interpretation of medusa suggests she is an apotropaic symbol used to protect from and ward off the negative, much like the modern evil eye. 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. Pegasus, symbolizes her mothers gentleness and beauty.
This pdf contains portions of the greek mythology link complete collection, version 0906. Odyesseus, for example, was said to have thought of the wooden trojan horse, inside which were hidden invading greek soldiers. Another greek poet, hesiod, would later add two more gorgons, resulting in the trio of sister known as stheno the mighty, euryale. Medea was the daughter of king aeetes of colchis in greek mythology, and wife of the mythical hero jason medea met her husband when jason and the argonauts arrived in colchis to claim the famous golden fleece from the king. Medusae usually reproduce sexually, giving rise to a polyp stage from which the medusae are produced asexually medusae form the dominant phase of the life history of members of the class scyphozoa. Perseus, the maiden medusa, and the imagery of abduction ascsa. Greek mythology activity medusa collaborative poster and.
Perseus was born to the god, zeus, and mortal woman, danae, making him a demigod with great strength and intelligent ingenuity. 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. Like hercules, his father was the mighty zeus, king of all the gods. Adapted from the myths and legends of ancient greece and rome by e. Medusa was a gods and goddessesvictim, just like every nymph and mortal female in the greek mythology. I always found it interesting that medusa s face was used by the ancient greeks as a protective emblem, especially by women, so ive always wanted to write a story that incorporated that. In ancient greek mythology, medusa is the most famous of three monstrous sisters, known as the gorgons. 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. Mytholoy dot project zeus midas poseidon odysseus helen of troy orion heracles paris medusa perseus achilles aphrodite apollo persephone pandora athena ares artemis demeter hermes hecate daedalus iris nike icarus hades please choose a greek god or goddess from the list for your project. Her mother, ceto, was also a primordial sea goddess. Image courtesy of gordon johnson via pixabay james calvert inm307 information resources and documentation assignment the greek myths key stage 2 resources. Greek mythology research project welcome to 5th grade. I have struggled to find differentiated comprehensions for ancient greek myths, especially the lesser known ones, so hope this helps someone.
Medusa simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. An a to z introduction to greek mythology including heroes, gods and goddesses, the iliad, dephi, and labyrinth. Greek antiquity and perhaps further, the fullest and most. Medusa, despite being dead, has further entries in the stories of greek mythology though. She was beautiful beyond measure, and a sworn virgin priestess, until she attracted too much attent. The imaginative narratives that myths provide have a significant.
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