The Prophecy Begins: Myth of Perseus

Long ago, the kingdom of Argos was ruled over by a suspicious and
calculating king, called Acrisius. Acrisius had a beautiful daughter called Danaë,
who he loved - as she grew up she grew more lovely, and gathered more and
more attention. One day, Acrisius was informed of a prophecy that shook him to
the core. The prophet told him that one day, he would be killed by his own
grandson, the child of Danaë. At once fearful and angry, he locked Danaë up in a
brass tower, where she was all alone. Her only connection to the outside world
was a skylight, from where she could see a sliver of the sea, and the big blue sky
above her. Acrisius thought he was safe from the prophecy, but he failed to
consider the might of the Gods. He may have secreted his daughter away from
mortals, but in her tower she was closer to Olympus, and it wasn’t long until she
caught the eye of Zeus, King of the Gods. Zeus quickly became enamoured with
her beauty, and flew down to visit her. The tower couldn’t keep him out. Assuming
the guise of a handsome young man, the two flirted and courted far beyond the
watchful gaze of Acrisius. And it wasn’t long before Danaë fell pregnant. When
Acrisius found out that Danaë had given birth to a baby boy named Perseus, he
was enraged. In a fit of fear and anger, he locked the two of them in a wooden
chest and set them out to sea, certain they’d drown.

As fate would have it, Perseus and his mother didn’t drown, but instead
washed up on the island of Seriphos, where they were found by a kindly
fisherman, named Dictys. Under Dictys’ care, Perseus grew up happy and healthy,
playing games on the shore of Seriphos and spending time with his mother.
Despite their traumatic past, the mother and son found security on Seriphos. For a
while. Dictys had a brother, who was king of the island. Like so many before him,
he took a shine to Danaë, but she refused him. By this time, Perseus had grown
into a strong young man capable of protecting his mother from the king’s
advances, so the king began to plot to get rid of him. Without Perseus’ protection,
Danaë would have to marry him. So he devised a quest, from which he was
certain Perseus could never return.
 He summoned Perseus before him, and charged him to bring him the head
of Medusa, a vicious gorgon. Anyone who gazed upon her was instantly turned to
stone, and he was sure that the same fate would befall Perseus.

Perseus was brave and strong, but he was woefully illequipped to complete
the quest. He had no weaponry, and no idea where to find Medusa. Luckily,
Athena and Hermes flew down from Mount Olympus to point him in the right
direction. Athena gave him a beautiful shiny shield, and Hermes lent him his
winged sandals to help him on his journey. He flew to the cave where the Grey
Sisters lived, hoping to gain information from them about Medusa. The Grey
Sisters were so wizened and haggard that their skin drooped from their bones,
and they had only one eye between them. As Perseus arrived, the sisters
squawked and squabbled over the eye, grabbing it from each other roughly, until
it dropped onto the floor. Quick as lightning,

Perseus picked it up, knowing he could use it as a bargaining chip. When the
sisters realised that he had their one eye, they quickly agreed to tell him what he
needed to know. They instructed him to go and visit the Nymphs of the West, who
would be able to equip him with the weaponry he needed to complete his quest.
They also reluctantly revealed the location of their sister, Medusa. Not one to be
unkind, Perseus thanked the sisters and returned their eye, before flying to find
the Nymphs of the West.

In the distant west, Perseus found the nymphs. Exhausted, he sat down
with them to explain his story. The nymphs were good and kind, and were eager
to help him achieve what he’d set out to do. They gifted him a special bag to put
Medusa’s head in, along with an impressive adamantine sword for the battle. They
also gave him a magical cap, which could make the wearer invisible. Knowing he
couldn’t stay and rest for too long, he thanked them, and flew off again to
confront Medusa, and make his stand.

Medusa lived on a secluded island in the sea, where she hid in a dark, dingy
cave. Once, she’d been a beautiful young woman, but now she was twisted and
ugly, and instead of long golden curls, her face was framed by venomous snakes.
Donning the nymphs’ cap, Perseus became enveloped in darkness, and crept
inside the cave. He hoisted his shield high, realising that he could see reflections in
the gleam of the metal. It hit him that this was why Athena had given him such a
highly polished shield; by using it as a mirror, he had no need to look directly at
Medusa, and could avoid the fate that had befallen so many others. Tiptoeing
through the cave, Perseus passed a series of eerie statues of men and women -
the previous victims of the gorgon. As quiet as he tried to be, Medusa heard his
footsteps, and rushed out to attack him. But emerging into the mouth of the cave,
she couldn’t see anyone. Perseus caught her reflection in the shield and tried not
to shudder. Knowing this was his chance, he crept closer, before swinging his
sword down on Medusa. With a cry, she was killed. Still taking care not to look
directly at her, Perseus gathered her head into his bag, and fled the island, heart
beating fast.

On the way home, Perseus discovered a beautiful woman named

Andromeda chained to a rock, about to be devoured by a vicious sea monster.
Falling in love with her, he used the severed head of Medusa to turn the sea
monster to stone, giving him time to free her. The episode also gave him an idea.
Taking Andromeda with him, he returned home to his mother. During his absence
she’d been hounded by the wicked king, but had been resolute and had not given
in to him. Marching to the palace, Perseus resolved to give the king the gift he’d
demanded of him; the severed head of Medusa. The moment it came out of the
bag, the king was transformed into stone, fixed forever on his throne, alone.
Perseus was reunited with his mother, and the two of them decided it was time to
go home.

By this time, Acrisius was a very old man. When he heard that Perseus and
Danaë were returning to Argos, he fled in fear, frightened until the end of the
prophecy that would take his life. Perseus was upset that he wouldn’t get to meet
his grandfather, who he had no intention of hurting, and reluctantly took up the
throne in his absence. Years passed, and Perseus proved a popular and kind ruler.
Along with Andromeda and his mother, he was happy in the palace, though he
wondered what had become of his grandfather. One fateful day, Perseus agreed to
take part in a series of games and challenges, where men strove to prove their
strength and athleticism.

On the day, no one was a match for Perseus, who threw a metal throwing
hoop much further than anyone else was able to. It sailed through the air and into
the crowd gathered to watch. Rushing to the aid of the onlooker who had been
hit, Perseus realised he had unwittingly hit Acrisius, who had gathered to watch
his grandson play. The prophecy had been fulfilled, but it devastated Perseus. He
withdrew from Argos with Andromeda, living out their lives in a modest fashion in
a neighbouring kingdom. Though he always grieved his misfortune and the death
of his grandfather, the two of them found peace, and lived to an old age together