The Gorgon’s Head

Ann Terry White

(1896), who was born in
Russia, had worked as a
teacher, a social worker,
and a translator of Russian
literature. Amongst her
most-loved tales is the
“Gorgon’s Head”.
Oral Tradition
Is the manner in which
information is passed
from one generation to
the next in the absence
of writing or a recording
medium.
Oral Tradition
In the days before
near universal literacy,
bards would sing or
chant their people’s
stories.
Study the definitions
and words forms. Then,
rearrange the letters in
bold to form the
correct word for each
item below.
 eveda
1. To escape or
avoid (verb)
Answer

evade
 erpisulo
2. Dangerous
(adjective)
Answer

perilous
vsmuoneo
3. Poisonous
(adjective)
Answer

venomous
 aeadhbs
4. ashamed (verb)
Answer

abashed
 peeapsa
5. satisfy, gratify
(verb)
Answer

appease
 vorlsaou
6. brave (adjective)
Answer

valorous
How do I build the
best defenses
against challenges
to acquire the best
quality of life
possible for me?
GORGONS
 The Gorgons are
monstrous creatures
covered with impenetrable
scales, with hair of living
snakes, hands made of
brass, sharp fangs and a
beard.
King Acrisius
Acrisius was the king
of Argos, son of Abas
and Aglaea and twin
brother of Proetus.
Acrisius had one
daughter, Danae.
King Acrisius
Acrisius was the king
of Argos. He was
warned by an oracle
that he would be
killed in time by a son
born to his daughter
King Acrisius
Danae. So he
promptly locked her
up in a tower and
threw away the key.
But the god Zeus got
King Acrisius
in, disguised as a
shower of gold,
and became the
father of Perseus.
Danae
A princess of Argos
visited by Zeus in the
form of a shower of
gold and by him the
mother of Perseus.
Zeus
The king of the
gods and husband
of Hera in Greek
mythology
Zeus
The god of sky and
thunder and the ruler
of the Olympians of
Mount Olympus and
the father of Perseus
Perseus
Perseus beheaded the
Gorgon Medusa and
saved Andromeda
from the sea monster
Cetus.
Perseus
Perseus was the
son of the mortal
Danaë and the
god Zeus.
 THE GRAY WOMEN
The Graeae were probably
three monstrous sisters
with the names Enyo ("the
shocking"), Pemphredo
("the horryfying") and
Deino ("the dreadful").
 THE GRAY WOMEN
They were the sisters of
the Gorgons. The
Graeae had grey hair
and the form of old
women since their birth.
 THE GRAY WOMEN
Hades, the god of the
underworld, and
probably therefore
they had never seen
the light of the sun
and the moon.
MEDUSA
 A monster, a Gorgon,
generally described
as having the face of
a hideous human
female with living
MEDUSA
venomous snakes
in place of hair.
Gazing directly into
her eyes would turn
onlookers to stone.
POLYDECTES
 Polydectes was the
ruler of Seraphos and
fell in love with Danae.
He was killed by Perseus
by showing him the
head of Medusa. 
DICTYS
Dictys was a
fisherman and brother
of King Polydectes He
discovered Danaë and
Perseus inside a chest
DICTYS
that had been washed
up on shore He
treated them well and
raised Perseus as his
own son.   
ANDROMEDA
On the way back to
Seraphos Island,
Perseus stopped in
the kingdom of
Aethiopia.
ANDROMEDA
This mythical Ethiopia
was ruled by King
Cepheus and Queen
Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia,
having
ANDROMEDA
boasted her daughter
Andromeda equal in
beauty to the Nereids,
drew down the
vengeance of Poseidon,
The oracle of Ammon
ANDROMEDA
announced that no
relief would be found
until the king
exposed his daughter
Andromeda to the
monster, and so she  
ANDROMEDA
was fastened naked to a
rock on the shore.
Perseus slew the
monster and, setting her
free, claimed her in
marriage. 
HERMES
Hermes was the son of
Zeus, the messenger of
the gods and protector
of the travelers. He gave
Perseus a magnificent
curved sword.
ATHENA
ATHENA was the Greek
virgin goddess of
reason, intelligent
activity, arts and
literature. She was the
daughter of Zeus; her
ATHENA
birth is unique in that
she did not have a
mother. Instead, she
sprang full grown and
clad in armour from
Zeus' forehead.
ATHENA
She gave Perseus a
bright shield to
look unto it so that
he will not turn into
stone.