Ok so…… Greek mythology, well it would probably take a few years to learn everything there is to know about it. Greece’s history is peaked with stories of success and tragedy, war and retribution, love and heartache. The great Gods would be closely matched with the legendary heroes and each empire would have its own hero and its own god to protect or conquer. In amongst all the battles there lay creatures of amazing ability, lets say they each had their own unique characteristics. Maybe they all deserve some recognition, but sadly I must filter out those which do not hold a place on….The Top 3 Great Creatures Of Greece.
Medusa
Medusa was one of three sisters, each a Gorgon, which is basically a detesting, loathing female monster. She is one of the most famous monsters of Greek mythology and I had to include her in my top 3. Medusa if you don’t already know had a full head of silky smooth and nourished SNAKES! Oh yes snakes and she was said to of turned anyone to stone just from looking at her…ouch.
Even though she was known for being hideous, part of the legend was changed by a Roman poet called Ovid, he told that she worked as a priestess in Athena’s temple, but one day the great God Poseidon, raped her while she was inside Athena’s temple. Athena, probably taking a rather rash approach towards the situation turned Medusa’s hair into snakes and made her face a ghastly sight, so when looked at it would turn anyone to stone. This was to be Medusa’s punishment for being raped by Poseidon………hmmmm oh how times have changed.
(Picture taken from www.ravemedium.com)
Pegasus
Pegasus was a gloriously white, winged horse who was born along with his brother Crysaor from the blood of Medusa and the white foam of the sea, well that’s one version the other is that Pegasus was born from the neck of Medusa, of course both versions happened after Perseus had cut off the head.
Pegasus was captured by Bellerophon, but Pegasus allowed himself to be captured. After some of their adventures Bellerophon decided he wanted to fly up to the top of Mount Olympus, which is where the Gods resided, Zeus was outraged by Bellerophon’s attempt to be among the Gods and sent him back down to earth to be cursed for the rest of his life.
Pegasus though was commanded to serve the almighty Zeus, he did this by carrying Zeus’s thunderbolts. Pegasus was of course mortal and eventually had to die, but because of his amazing servitude towards the God of all Gods, Zeus, he was rewarded by Zeus by being transformed into a constellation.
(Picture taken from www.elftown.com)
Hydra
Well I had to include the Hydra in my top 3, as he is just awesome. The Hydra if you didn’t know is a huge serpent with numerous heads, some parts of the story say that each head had its own special ability, for example the middle head was said to have poisonous breath.
The Hydra was the guardian of the underworld, it guarded an entrance to the underworld which was hidden by a lake near the great city of Argos. The story says that the Hydra was related to Cerberus, the Nemean Lion and Chimaera. The Nemean Lion happened to be Hercules’s first of the twelve labours and Cerberus was also a guardian of the underworld, Chimaera though was killed by Bellaphron and Pegasus. The Hydra was most famously featured in, Hercules’s Labours and this to me is an interesting coincidence. Hercules was the one who diminished the Hydra from this earth, with the help of his nephew Iolaus he cut off each head and scorched the wound to stop the hydra producing another two heads in its place. The Hydras gift of being able to produce two heads from one, was supposed to take away the attackers hope as it seemed an impossible task……not to Hercules though.
(Picture taken from www.elfwood.com)
