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mj_toronto8

Active member
I’ve been diving into Greek mythology lately, and one story that keeps catching my attention is the myth of Perseus and the Gorgons — especially Medusa.

I know the basic outline: Perseus is sent on a quest to bring back Medusa’s head, he receives help from the gods (like Athena and Hermes), and he manages to behead her by using a reflective shield so he won’t turn to stone. Then he escapes using winged sandals and later uses Medusa’s head as a weapon.

But beyond that, I realize I don’t know much about the deeper meaning or variations of the story. Were the other Gorgons, Stheno and Euryale, involved much in ancient sources? Was the myth originally meant to be a heroic tale, or did it have symbolic meaning for ancient Greeks?
 
The Perseus myth is more than just a heroic adventure. Ancient sources highlight divine support and symbolism, with Medusa representing danger and fear. Stheno and Euryale appear briefly, mostly as immortal guardians mourning their sister. Interpretations vary, but the tale remains central to Greek mythology. Stories like this, much like real journeys in Seattle here or Miami here, show how narratives and travel both shape perspective.
 
I’ve been diving into Greek mythology lately, and one story that keeps catching my attention is the myth of Perseus and the Gorgons — especially Medusa.

I know the basic outline: Perseus is sent on a quest to bring back Medusa’s head, he receives help from the gods (like Athena and Hermes), and he manages to behead her by using a reflective shield so he won’t turn to stone. Then he escapes using winged sandals and later uses Medusa’s head as a weapon.

But beyond that, I realize I don’t know much about the deeper meaning or variations of the story. Were the other Gorgons, Stheno and Euryale, involved much in ancient sources? Was the myth originally meant to be a heroic tale, or did it have symbolic meaning for ancient Greeks?
Perseus is the Persian god Mithras/Mitra who sacrificed Haoma [Soma] the Moon god in bull form. See the constellations Perseus and Taurus. The Gorgons are the three Erinyes [Furies]. Phorcys is Ares [Norse Hildisvini/Calydonian Boar/Ninshubur/Nergal/Pelias] who attacked Adonis [Oeneus] in the form of a boar.
Ceto [Medea/Anahita/Angitia] was Phorcys' wife.
Scylla is Skyllaros meaning hermit-crab/constellation Cancer.Scylla was also called Megara or Megaera in Greek myth. Scylla is another name for Amphitrite, the wife of Poseidon [Neptune] and was called Nephthys in Egypt. Set is Poseidon [ Yam ] and Osiris is Hades [ Mavet/Mot ]. Amun is linked to Zeus [ Ammon ], but Amon-Ra is in reality Saturn.Roman Caelus is Greek Uranus [Anu]. Tanit [Mut] is Juno Caelestis [Aphrodite Urania].
Medusa is Echidna [ Viper-woman/Delphyne/Helice ],the wife of Set-Typhon [Telipinu].
Argus Panoptes [Celtic Esus; depicted cutting down a willow tree,the symbol of Hera of Samos], is, however,Horus/Sol [Erisichthon/Erichthonius].
Sol [Aton/Aten/sun-'disc'] is Perseus' discus.
Medusa [Scylla] lived in the far west [Scilly Isles].
Perseus' reflective shield with which he was able to slay Medusa using his harpes [Hebrew hereb/sickle]
is the aegis of Athena and is Kadmos/Cadmus [meaning round shield in Greek] and is a name for Aquarius [between Capricorn/Aegeus and Pisces/
Athene/Neith of Latopolis].Hence Ganymede [Khnum] was Catamitus in Rome. Scylla [Skyllaros] is the constellation Cancer and her face is reflected in the shield.
Medea [Anahita/Angitia/Anguitia/
Saranyu/Sirona/Seren/Asteria/Shala] as Virgo, was also reflected in the shield.
It is Scylla who is raped by Poseidon [Talos or Talaus,who is also called Polytekhnos/
Polytechnus].
It is Scylla [Medusa/Chelidon/Swallow] who is the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. Medusa [Ariadne/
Ariane/Arianrhod/Selene/Ariagne/Arachne] was killed by Perseus, with the assistance of Athena [Penelope/Anat/Antum].
Saranyu [Demeter Erinys] was chased and raped by Surya [Apollo]. Virgo or Cancer is the wicked stepmother in the story of Snow White [Chione in Greek/Athene/Brigid].Leo's head is shaped like a sickle. Autonoe[Harmonia] should be the wife of Cadmus [Aristaeus/
Autumnus/Atum]. Harmonia is Antimache.
Campaigns ended in Autumn. Arachne [Black Widow spider] is Scylla [Deianira/Aglaea/Anticleia].
See Sumerian Uttu who Enki seduced/raped.
Perseus was also called Theseus in Greek myth and Arthur Pendragon in Britain [ constellations Bootes/Arcturus and Draco].
As Perseus is a name of Pluto the name Theseus is likely to be linked to Thasos,
a source of gold ore [Aurora/Eos]
that Paros [Autolycus/Parnassus/Paros-Island] invaded.
Euryale [ 'Wide Sea'] was Aphrodite [Tamtu/Medea/Aphrodite], and Apollo Abae/Euryalus was Ares [Abas/Abzu]. Euryale [Danu] was the mother of Orion [Osiris/Vala/Vali] by Apollo [Linus/
Lynceus/Lug]. Linus and Danu were parents of Sati of Philae [Philyra/Linden tree/Philonoe/Phylonoe/Philonis/
Phaedra]. Minos is Daedalus [Daedalion/
Autolycus],son of Hermes and Chione.
Philyra was the mother of Chiron [Centaurus/anagram of Kurunta].
The three Gorgons are Venus [Morrigan].
Perseus Chrysogenia [Pluto/Mithras] is Theseus Aurigenia.
Thesauros/Thesaurus is Greek and Latin for treasure or treasure-house/treasury.
Zeus Ammon [Aegeus/Saturn/Priapus] was the father of Perseus [Mithras/Misharu/'Law'/Orion/Urien/Osiris]. Perseus was born from Zeus in the form of a shower of gold [golden shower]. Orion was born from Zeus' urine in Greek myth.
Arthurian Lot and Biblical Lot, son of Haran, are both Lleuad/Moon-god/Sin/Laban. Abraham is Mercury.
Terah is Tereus/Terambus/Triambika/Triopas i.e. Shiva [Dionysus/Osiris/Arthur Pendragon/Achilles]. Anahita [Lotis/Vesta/Medea/Ino/Halia/Anna] is Morrigan,
the wife of Lot [Lohita/Mangala/Menelaus] and the sister of Medraut [Daksha-Prajapati/Ammon/Amman/Hammon].
Gorge is the Gorgon Medusa. Andraemon is Androgeus [Indra]. Thoas is Thoth [Hermes/Odysseus].
Andromeda of Joppa [Greek Ioppe] is Iope [Phaedra],wife of Theseus [Perseus].
The Linden-tree [famous for its longevity]
was sacred to Freyja [Aphrodite/Rhea/Philyra/Merope,the daughter of Merops].
Poseidon and Medusa were the parents of Pegasus [Arion]. Arion is Uranus. Chrysaor was the father of Demeter Khrysaoros.
Aristaeus is Sol/Helios [Horus son of Isis/
Har sa Iset].Proteus [Shu/Cetes/Actaeon] is Periclymenus [Mercury]. Menelaus is Mangala [Ares/Phorcys]. Diodorus Siculus wrote that Proteus was also called Cetes.
Ceto [Aphrodite/Nut] was the daughter of Cetes [Proteus]. Set [Heracles] was said to have violently ripped himself from Nut's womb. Tithonus is Thutmosis IV. Memnon [Mnemon] is Amunhotep III. Proteus is Akhenaton [linked himself to Shu and his father to the Aton/Atum-Ra/Helios].
Theoclymenus and Busirus are Hades Clymenus [Osiris] and linked to Telegonus, husband of Io [Isis]. Iphigenia/Iphianassa is Ariadne/Medusa [Hera].
Crotopus is Erisichthon [Argus Panoptes/
Helios].Crotopus was the father of Proteus and Psamathe. Proteus and Psamathe were the parents of Linus [Cygnus constellation/Lot/Lohita].Linus was the father of Theoclymenus [Osiris/Arthur]. Brahma was the father of Kumara [see 4 kumaras]/Kartikeya/Cretheus/Mangala. Aethra [Aphrodite/Theia/Pitys] is the daughter of Aether/Atreus [Mercury/Uther/Acrisius] or Pittheus [Moon-god/Men/Proetus/Pirithous/Anpu].
Kartikeya's symbol was a rooster [Alectryon/Electryon].
Pollux [Mithras] is Phanes [Shiva/Dionysus].
Hades Clymenus [Pallas/Mavet/Mot] was the father of Neleus,
and was wounded defending him from the attack of Heracles,at Pylos. Clymene [Pero] is Athena.Bias [Merops/Aeetes] is Mercury.
Merope is Aphrodite [Pleione].Paean [Pan]
healed Hades. Pleione, mother of the Pleiades/Peleiades [doves/pigeons] is Aphrodite Area [Bellona].
 
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That’s one of my favorite myths too! What’s fascinating is how Medusa’s story evolved over time. In early Greek art, all three Gorgons, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, were monstrous sisters, but only Medusa was mortal. Later interpretations, especially in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, turned her into a tragic figure, once beautiful, cursed by Athena after being violated by Poseidon in her temple.

Perseus’s quest was certainly a heroic tale, but symbolically it also represented the triumph of reason and divine order (Athena’s guidance) over chaos and the primal feminine force. The Gorgons weren’t just monsters, they embodied awe, fear, and the sacred feminine power the Greeks both revered and feared.
 

Was Corfu Really Homer's Scheria?

I'm hoping to visit Corfu in late summer or early fall, so I've been reading more about the island's mythology before I go. One thing that keeps coming up is the idea that Corfu was Homer's Scheria, home of the Phaeacians in the Odyssey. The more I read, the more fascinated I become.

I know there are different theories, and not everyone agrees that Scheria was actually Corfu. Still, it's fun to imagine Odysseus washing ashore there and meeting Nausicaa before finally returning to Ithaca. It certainly adds another layer to visiting the island.

What do you all think? Do you believe Corfu really inspired Homer's Scheria, or do you think Scheria was meant to be an entirely mythical place? I'd also love recommendations for any sites on Corfu with strong connections to these myths that are worth visiting.

Which Olympian god would you most want to meet?

If you could meet one of the Olympian gods from Greek mythology, which one would you choose? I think this is a difficult question because so many of them would be fascinating to talk to, although some would definitely be safer choices than others!

Athena would probably be near the top of my list. I’d love to hear her thoughts on wisdom, strategy, warfare, and the way humans make decisions. Hermes would also be interesting because of his connection with travel, communication, cleverness, and his role as a messenger between different worlds.

Apollo might be another good choice because of his associations with music, prophecy, healing, and the arts. On the other hand, meeting Zeus or Poseidon could be a little intimidating.

Which Olympian god or goddess would you most want to meet, and why? What would you want to ask them if you had the chance?

Apollo and Artemis Personality Contrasts

I’ve always been fascinated by Apollo and Artemis, especially the contrast between them as twins. On the surface they share so much, archery, associations with youth, strong connections to nature, but symbolically they seem almost like opposites in some ways. Apollo often represents order, reason, light, music, and prophecy, while Artemis feels more wild, instinctive, independent, and tied to the untamed natural world.

I’m curious how others interpret their relationship and balance. Do you see them as complementary forces, like civilization and wilderness, or more as two expressions of similar divine energy? And are there specific myths that you think best highlight their differences or similarities?

I’d love to hear perspectives, especially from people who study mythology more deeply or look at the symbolic meanings behind the gods.

Unsung Heroes of Greek Mythology?

Greek mythology is full of larger-than-life figures like Heracles, Odysseus, and Achilles, but I’ve always been fascinated by the lesser-known heroes who don’t get as much attention. There are so many incredible stories that fly under the radar: Meleager and the Calydonian Boar, Bellerophon taming Pegasus, or even Diomedes, who faced the gods themselves in battle.

I recently came across the story of Atalanta again, the only woman among the Argonauts, raised by a bear, unbeatable in a footrace, and I can’t believe she isn’t talked about more! These “side characters” often feel more human and relatable than the famous ones.

Which lesser-known hero (or heroine) stands out to you? Do you have a favorite overlooked myth or backstory that deserves more love? I’d love to hear which of these hidden legends captured your imagination and why.

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I’ve recently started learning more about Greek mythology, and I keep coming across the story of Persephone and how it’s connected to the arrival of spring. The idea that her return from the underworld brings life back to the earth is really fascinating to me, especially how it ties into the seasons in such a symbolic way.

I’m curious how others interpret this myth beyond the basic explanation. Do you see it more as a story about nature and seasonal change, or is there a deeper emotional or psychological meaning behind it? I’ve also read a bit about Demeter’s role and how her grief affects the earth, which adds another layer to it.

Would love to hear how others understand or connect with this story!
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