Medusa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medusa - Research Paper Example But for the date with Medusa he chose a place that was absolutely unacceptable – the temple of Athena. The virgin warrior got angry and not only turned the beauty into a winged monster, but also presented it with the terrifying force – to turn living creatures into stone. Poor Medusa, whose name is translated as "the patroness, the keeper" had to hide her ugly shape, and moved to the world’s end, to the forgotten island. Many years passed, but Athena couldnt calm down, until the hero Perseus came. The son of Zeus and Danai promised to bring Medusas head. Athena warned him not to look at Meduza, but only at her reflection, and presented his with the polished shield. Perseus also got help from Hermes, who gave him a sickle, with which it was possible to cut off Meduzas head. Then Perseus got winged sandals, a black cap of darkness and a magic bag for storage of the cut-off head of the victim. Having equipped, Perseus went to the country of hyperborean where among t he petrified sculptures of people and animals he saw the sleeping gorgon. Looking in a mirror shield at Medusas reflection, Perseus, directed by Athen, cut off the head of the unfortunate maiden with one stroke of a hand. He put the head into the bag. According to ancient myths, when Perseus was flying over the sea, red corals called gorgonaria grew on a place where the drops of gorgon’s blood fell in the water. According to myths, red corals were used as amulets protecting from "evil eye", from poisonings and even from gout. The earth in its turn made snakes out of drops of Medusa’s blood. The head of Medusa even after death kept the ability to turn living creatures into stone. Perseus landed near the palace of the titan Atlanta, which didnt show hospitality to the hero, He turned him into a mountain, having shown the gorgon’s head to him. Soon the cut-off head of Medusa was given to Athena, and she put in on her legendary shield – aegis, which received an epithet "gorgoneion",