MedusaThere are many variations of tale of Medusa, the women who had snakes for hair.... and turns living thing things into stones it comes up as a reference in much of our pop culture today. It appears in Roman and Greek mythology.I will be providing a summary of Medusa from Ovid a Roman Poet. Medusa is one of the three sisters born to Phorcys and Ceto known as the Gorgons (monsters of the underworld). The Gorgons sisters were Sthenno, Euryale, and Medusa. Medusa was the only sister that was mortal, the rest of the sisters were immortal. Medusa originally had an appearance of a beautiful young women with wonderful beautiful luscious locks. Medusa was desired by many suitors for her inquestite beauty. But before she was bothered by the idea of being married something happened to her that changed her life forever. Medusa was found worshiping in the Temple of Athena (Minerva) when Poseidon (Neptune) found her and went on to rape her. Medusa was punished with a hideous appearance and serpents as locks who turned anyone who looked into at Medusa into stone. Her snake locks bought misfortune to her as she was beheaded by Perseus who used the head as a weapon but later was returned to Athena. This myth fits into my research for the reason that the snakes on Medusa's head bought death to her they were a symbol of evil in every way. So when Athena punished the Gorgon Medusa with these locks she ultimately bought misfortune and death to Medusa.
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Jormungand"Great Beast" also called the "Midgard Serpent" is a snake that lives in the ocean that surrounds Midgard, the visible world. Jormungand is an enormous monster whose body forms a circle around the entirety of Midgard. The serpent is so large that it was able to surround the great ocean the encircle Migrid. Like many serpent beasts in mythology, the serpent has an enemy. This enemy's name is Thor, the thunder-god. Two battles are rencounted in the Eddas. The first battle begins when Thor fishes for Jormungand but fails to pull him up with his giant Hymir. Terrified that this will bring about Ragnarok....Hymir severs the line, sending the great serpent back down into depths of the ocean. Thor and Jormungand are destined to slay each other when Ragnarok does arrive. When Jormungand will come out of the ocean and poison the sky. Thor will kill Jormungand, Thor will proceed to walk nine paces before falling dead himself having been poisoned by the serpent's venom.
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Lernaean HydraThe Lernaean Hydra...more often known as Hydra. Is a serpentine water monster in Greek and roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Lerna (reputed to be an entrance to the underworld) in the Argolid, which was also the site of the myth of the Danaids. Hydra was a gigantic, nine-headed water serpent. Herakles (Hercules) was sent to destroy her as one of his Twelve Labours. Hera, (Zeus's wife; kinda of a step-mother to Hercules) trained Hydra to specifically kill Hercules. Each head Hercules decapitated, two more sprang forward. With the help of lolaos, he applied burning brands to the severed stumps..cauterizing the wounds and preventing regeneration. The last head snake was slayed with a sword given to Hercules by Athena. The Hydra and the Crab (giant crab;Hydra's sidekick but was crushed by Hercules in the battle) are now placed among the stars by Hera as the constellations...Hydra and Cancer.
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EcidnaIn Greek mythology, Echidna is a half-woman, half-snake...known as the "Mother of all Monsters" in Greek mythology. Echidna lives alone in a cave. Echidna is the mate of the fearsome monster Typhon, who was "The father of all monsters" the most fearsome and dangerous monster in Greek mythology. Some of her most famous children with mate Typhon include Cerberus (three-headed hound, Lernaean Hydra, Chimera, Gorgon sisters...best known as Medusa and her sisters. The site of her cave Homer calls "Arima, couch of Typhoeus". When she and her mate attacked the Olympians, Zeus beat them back and punished Typhon by sealing him under Mount Ethna. However, Zeus allowed Echidna and her children to live as a challenge to future heroes. To Hesiod, Echidna was an immortal. Echidna was killed by Argus Panoptes, the hundred-eyed giant while she was sleeping.
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This creature is full of dread a creature of pure evil. The Basilisk of Cyrene is a European Legend with the title given "King of Serpents". The Basilisk has the power of killing anything living at glance. The Basilisk is alleged to be hatched by a cockerel from the egg or a serpent or toad. "All who behold its eyes, fall dead upon the spot" from Pliny the Elder's Natural History, From 79 A.D.
Only way to kill the dreaded King of Snakes is too show it's own reflection through a mirror for example. This monster in native to Libya, but has connection to the Romans. Besides having a "killer stare" it has the ability to spit poison. There's a tale going back to Alexander the Great who ordered a mirror to be placed between his own army and the Basilisk who was defending the city. Christianity often referred to the Basilisk as a symbol of evil and death often pictured in christian church murals being defeated by pure good to symbolize overcoming evil. |
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This ancient myth is adopted from the ancient Egypt empire. Apep was an ancient Egyptian serpent god spirit of evil, darkness, and destruction. Apep was depicted as a huge snake often with tightly compressed coils to emphasis his huge size. Known as "Serpent of the Nile", "The Evil Lizard", and "Lord of Chaos". Apep is known to have threatened to destroy the sun god Ra as he traveled through the underworld at night, he wanted to prevent the sun god Ra from bringing sun in the sky. The sun god Ra was believed to traverse the sky each day in a sun boat and pass through the realms of the underworld each night. Some nights on his solar barge (sun boat) and during his nightly travels in the terrifying Underworld Ra was attacked by the serpent god Apep. Originally Set (Egyptian god of Chaos) and Mehan (the serpent headed man) were given the job of defending Ra and his sun boat. They would cut a hole in the belly of the snake to allow Ra to escape his clutches. If they failed, the world would be plunged into darkness. In ancient Egypt Apep was blamed for unexplained darkness, solar eclipses, storms, and earthquakes. He was not worshiped but feared by many Egyptians, he was powerful because he required no nourishment as a snake and could never be completely destroyed....only temporary defeated. Apep led an army of demons that preyed on the living and dead. The "Book of Apophis" is a collection of magical skills from the new kingdom which are supposed to contain or repel the evil of the serpent.
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In Norse Mythology, "Níðhöggr" known as Nidhogg (representing evil and chaos). The name means "Curse-Striker", "He who strikes with Malace". Is a serpant dragon who gnaws at the roots of the world tree, Yggdrasil. The snake dwells at the roots of the tree and eats them which is injurous to the tree..because it holds the Nine World Of the Cosmos (homelands of the various types of beings found in the pre-Christian worldview of the Norse and other Germanic peoples). Nidhogg's actions are to pull the cosmos back to chaos, and he, along with his reptilian "entourage", can therefore be classified among the giants.
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