#percyjackson

“Cetus and Andromeda” (#8 in my “Quest for the Gorgon Head” series)

part8: Having successfully acquired his prize, Perseus flies over the sea for home. But along a foreign coast, he hears cries. A young woman, Andromeda, chained to a rock as a sacrifice, with a vicious sea beast approaching. (Andromeda’s mother, Queen Cassiopia, had bragged that her daughter’s beauty was greater than even the sea nymph Nereids. The nymphs were outraged as such hubris, and Poseidon sent a flood and sea creature to ravage the kingdom. Ammon the oracle prophesied the kingdom would be spared if Andromeda were offered as sacrifice). When young Perseus laid eyes upon the helpless girl, he fell in love, and vowed to fight the Sea serpent. Upon defeating the beast, Andromeda marries Perseus and they fly away together.

Perseus and Andromeda later go on to have many children and are the founder of the Mycenae kingdom, from which the Greek kings Agamemnon and Menelaus from the Iliad hail. Upon her death, Andromeda was placed in the sky as a constellation in honor by Athena.

There are other fascinating examples of the god’s punishing mortals for their hubris. The king Salmoneus was struck down by Zeus for comparing himself to the king of gods. Tantalus, attempting to trick the gods by serving them the meat of his own son, was condemned to everlasting punishment in the underworld, “tantalized” by hunger and thirst with fruit and water always moving out of reach. The Roman poet Ovid writes of Arachne, who boasted of her weaving being better than Athena, and was turned into a spider by the goddess, cursed to weave forever.

Can you think of other examples where the gods punished mortals for their prideful transgressions?

Coming next…Perseus returns to find some drama at home with his mother and king Polydectes!!!

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“The Birth of Pegasus and Chrysoar” (#7 in my “Quest for the Gorgon Head” series)

Part7 : But Perseus was not turned to stone by Medusas gaze, for he used his bronze shield as a mirror. Before Medusa could rise and attack, Athena guided Perseus sword-hand, decapitating the monster. From the bloody neck stump of Medusa, from Poseidon’s seed, two bizarre children were born; Pegasus the winged horse, and a son, Chrysaor. Not far off, the Gorgon sisters awoke in fury. There was little time. Perseus secured Medusa’s head into his Kibis, and fled into the night upon his winged sandals, while the screeching gorgon sisters sought the killer in vain.

Here we have another example of a strange, “higher birth” in Greek mythology. It brings to mind Athena’s birth, fully formed and armored, from Zeus’ cracked forehead.
        Pegasus is an important figure in Greek mythology. In some versions of the Perseus myth Pegasus is ridden away, while in others, Perseus flees the gorgon upon his winged sandals.  Pegasus appears in another hero myth, being tamed and ridden by the hero Bellerophon to kill the fire breathing beast; Chimera. Later, Bellerophon attempted to ride Pegasus to Olympus, but Zues caused him to fall. Pegasus continued on to Olympus, joining the King of gods as his thunderbolt bearer, and receiving a constellation in the horses honor.

Pegasus’ brother Chrysaor means “golden-blade.” Some variations tell of him as a giant, while others say he was a winged boar. Chrysoar went on to lay with an oceanid nymph to father a three bodied, four-winged Giant named Geryone. During Hercules quest to perform 12 tasks, his 10th task is to collect the cattle of Geryone. But… that’s a tale for another time.

Coming next…a certain sea serpent and princess in peril!

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“The Gaze of Medusa”, by me (#6 in my “Quest for the Gorgon Head” series)

Part 6: With his winged sandals, Perseus flies over the sea finally coming to the barren lands of the three Gorgon sisters; the immortals- Stheno and Euryale, and the mortal sister-Medusa. Passing amongst the stony victims of animals and mortals alike, he stealthily descends deep into their lair where they sleep. Using Athena’s shield as a mirror, and invisible due to hades helmet, he quietly floats over to Medusa, rising his Adamantine sickle high for the death stroke. But she hears him! She awakes in rage, unleashing the full terrible power of her gaze upon the intruder!

In the oldest, archaic representations of the gorgon in Greek art (tombs, coins, breastplates, rooms,) the frightening head seems to function as an “apotropaic” symbol (protective amulet) to ward off evil, known as a “Gorgoneian. A fascinating aspect of the portrayal of the gorgon head in Ancient Greek art is that she uniquely portrayed as front facing, strikingly meeting the viewer’s gaze head on. While most other God’s and mortal character’s faces and bodies are shown in side profile views.

There are multiple sources for the stories involving Medusa. In Homer’s Odyssey, the gorgon is vaguely referred to as a frightening head from the underworld. In Hesiod’s “Theogany,”(700 B.C. Greece) increases the number to three sisters, with Medusa being a monster from birth who willingly lays with Poseidon, and resides in the far lands with her Gorgon sisters. It’s not until 700 years later, in the Roman Poet Ovid’s "Metamorphosis” (8 A.D.) that Medusa is completely reinvented as a beautiful mortal, and chaste priestess of Athena, who, after being raped by Poseidon in Athena’s temple, is cruelly cursed by Athena with snake for hairs and a stony gaze, and then exiled. In fact, although the gorgon was always associated with snakes, it seems to be Ovid who first makes Medusa’s hair actually be snakes. The Gorgon head is also shown on Athena’s breastplate or shield as her “Aegis” for protection, (which we’ll see and revisit in more detail at the end of Perseus myth.) The Medusa character in Myth is a great example of Myths having fluidity and variations, and citing your literary sources when discussing myths is important for us all to know which time period and culture we are alluding to.

So, what do you guys think of Medusa and Gorgon’s history and development? Am i missing any important info?

Coming next…the beheading of medusa!

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“The gifts of the gods” (image #5 in my “Quest for the Gorgon Head” series)

Part 5:

Perseus is guided to the coast where the “Nereids” (sea nymphs) offer sacred objects to assist the boy in his quest; winged sandals for flight, Hades’ helmet (or cap) of invisibility, and a knapsack called a “Kibisis” to hold the severed head of the Gorgon.

In ancient Greek art the Nereids are typically portrayed as long dressed maidens riding dolphins or Hippocampi (half-horse half-fish creatures) or even having lower fish bodies (aka the mythic precursors to mermaids). The Nereids were known to help sailors in distress, and some mortals on mythic quests, such as Thetis, Achilles mother, who delivered Hephaestus’ sacred armor to her son, Achilles at Troy. The Nereids also famously assisted Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece. The sea nymphs had a darker side as well, when they and Poseidon send a sea monster to ravage the coast of a kingdom, which will intertwine with Perseus’ Myth soon.

Above right, Hermes, to behead Medusa, offers a sickle sword of “Adamantine” which was said to be an indestructible, diamond like metal. Athena offers a shimmering, bronze shield, so that Perseus might use it as a mirror and avoid looking directly into the Gorgon’s eyes. So, now with his sacred boons attained, Perseus is now ready to fly to the land beyond Oceanus, to the cursed land of the gorgons to take the head of Medusa.

What do you guys think of the Nereides? Are they allies or enemies to mortals?

And can you think of other examples of gods or deities giving mortals weapons or tolls for sacred quests in greek mythology?

Coming next…into the gorgon lair for the beheading of medusa!!!

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This is a test image as I’m experimenting with another style of simple linework. Sometimes I want to do more linework variety in a simple, faster and graphic style. Maybe I could pepper these types of images into my book alongside the color paintings. What do you guys think?

part 4:

As Perseus was the son of Zeus, the gods heard his prayers. Athena answered, offering strategic information on the only ones who knew the locations of the The Gorgon sisters, were in fact, another set of three sisters; the sisters Graeae. These are three gray haired old hags with swan like bodies, who share but one eye and tooth between them. Hermes, God of travelers and ally to mortals, also offered his guidance to the distant realm. After many weeks of difficult trekking, Perseus found himself on the island of Cisthene, in the craggy land of the sisters Graeae. Sneaking upon the women, he waited until they passed their one eye between them, snatching it away, and threatening to heave it into the sea. The Graeae gave in, revealing the location of the Gorgon sisters. But it would be no easy task. The gorgon sisters had golden wings, bronze hands, snakes for hair, and worst of all, their gazes turned men to stone. Perseus would need sacred weapons for such a mission. And, according to Athena, there was only one group who could provide them: the sea nymphs.

With the 3 sisters we can the first of many examples of the “triple goddess” archetype in Old world mythology. Some are represented with one body and three forms (triple bodied Hekate) while most are three individuals. (i.e. “The Morai” (fates), “the Horai” (seasons) “The Furies,” “The Hesperides,”(graces) and “the Gorgons.”) We can see other examples from other ancient cultures, like the Norse “Norns” or the Christian holy trinity of the father, son, and holy spirit. Even Shakespeare, a student of Greek myth and poetry, chose three witches to prophecy to Macbeth.

Karl Kerenyi explains the connection with the moon phases; “With Hera the correspondences of the mythological and cosmic transformation extended to all three phases in which the Greeks saw the moon: she corresponded to the waxing moon as maiden, to the full moon as fulfilled wife, to the waning moon as abandoned withdrawing women” While, according to Erich Neumann the triple deity archetype refers to “…the three temporal stages of all growth (beginning-middle-end, birth-life-death, past-present-future).“

**if you have any further thoughts to add to this concept of the “triple goddess” archetype-Please comment below!

Here we can also see the variations of myths in ancient Greek written works. Hesiod mentions two sisters, But Psuedo-Appolodorus mentions three, And Aeschylus, in his lost “Perseus trilogy”, refers to them as having swan like features. So while most art portrays them as old, human crones, I chose to lean into the swan like features for something a bit more horrific. Their sisters are the Gorgons after all.

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part 3:

Perseus was lovingly raised into a fine young man by the fisherman who found him and his mother. Amazingly, the fisherman’s brother was King Polydectes, the ruler of Seriphos. One evening Perseus is invited to a secret banquet within the king’s hall. It is revealed the party is for guests to offer gifts to the king for a dowry to marry a neighboring princess. Many aristocrats lead fine horses before the king in generous offerings, until finally, Perseus is called up to present his contribution. The boy, unprepared, stands empty handed. Eager to prove his worth, the young man offers to acquire anything the king wishes, even “the Head of a dreaded gorgon”, he jokingly adds. The hall echoes in chuckles. But the king does not laugh. For king Polydectes, secretly desiring Perseus’ mother Danae, has cleverly devised this trap to dispose of the boy. The king immediately agrees to Perseus’ impossible suggestion. Perseus, keeping his composure, gracefully bows and retires. But how on earth can he ever hope to accomplish such an unimaginable task? He will need help. Help from the gods.

Here we have an example of what Joseph Campbell deems the “Call to adventure.” This is the point in a myth or fairytale where the protagonist is either offered or forced into a quest. Sometimes the hero will turn down the call, but in the end, the journey must commence, or else we have no story.

(*I didnt really know what else to discuss in this plot point, so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know. :)

“Castaways”, Illustrated by me, (#2 in my “Quest for the Gorgon Head” series)

After the miraculous conception, Danae gives birth to a demi-god son she names Perseus. King Akrisios, not believing the child to have been born of Zeus, and to punish her, places her and the child into a chest and casts them into the sea. Through the will of Zeus, the pair find safe passage to the shore of Seriphos. Here they are rescued upon the coast by a fisherman, Diktys, who raises Perseus. But Diktys brother is king Polydektes, who, becoming enamored with Danae, seeks to remove the protective Perseus from his path of desire.

What I find fascinating about this plot point is it being an early example of the “child surviving sure death to fulfill destiny as the chosen one” archetype. From the Book of Exodus (600 B.C.) we have a similar structure of abandonment, rescue from water, and adoption by royalty. In Ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh ordered the slaughter of Israelite children, so Moses’ mother placed him within a basket, and cast him off into the Nile, to later be discovered and adopted by the Egyptian royal family.

It also brings to mind another similar structure used by Sophocles in his famous tragedy “Oedipus Rex.” (429.B.C.) Queen Jocasta, hearing a prophecy that her son will kill his father (her husband) gives the baby away to a shepherd to leave out exposed on a mountain side, but the shepherd saves the baby’s life, thus allowing Oedipus to live on to fulfill the prophecy. But that’s a tale for another time.

In the first plot point of the “Perseus Quests for the Gorgon head” myth we begin with a dark prophecy, a cruel king, and a miraculous birth. A cracking good start! King Akrisios of Argos receives an ominous warning from the oracle that his daughter, Danae, will give birth to a child that will slay the king. These pesky father slaying prophecies pop up again and again in Greek myth; Cronus being overthrown by his son (Zeus) and Zeus in turn being overthrown by his offspring with Metis.

So what does our King Akriosis do with his daughter? Well, he imprisons her into an underground Bronze chamber of course! keeping her and her womb far from any pesky suitor’s libidos. But Zeus, never one to let such barriers prevent him from copulation, is the ultimate shapeshifter here. He visits Danae, and morphs into a gaseous cloud, penetrating into the cracks of the chamber, seducing Danae with warmth and wonder, pouring his favor upon her in the form of a golden rain. The symbolism is clear here, as rain fertilizing crops is standard symbolism for intercourse in Greek erotic poetry.

There is much debate through a modern lens at Zeus’s conquests; is he raping or seducing? Well, it depends on the myth, the source, and translation. He, and many other gods, do both. In certain tales, they seduce the willing, and in others, they rape the unwilling. With Danae, it was left open to my artistic interpretation. I decided that Danae, having been chained in a bronze dungeon cell by her own father, in her isolation and confinement, welcomes the deity and a child into her womb as a miracle. But when Danae gives birth to her son, a little boy she names Perseus, the King has a cruel plan for them both. Stay tuned for the next titillating episode!

*for anyone that followed my “Olympians” series, i want to let you know that I’ll be illustrating the main heroic myths over the next 6-8 months, with the goal of compiling these into a book later in the year. If you want to come on board into this process with me, please join me over on my discord server, where ill be posting my work-in-progress images, and even be making my manuscript available to folks for feedback, beta reading, advice, etc. In fact. my text posts accompanying these images are a sort of rough draft to the types of commentary i hope to accompany these images in my book. Anyways, I hope to see you over there :)

https://discord.gg/wBc47nYr

If you wish to see more of my Greek Myth art, please click on my link tree in my bio to see insta, Etsy print shop, etc. Thanks! xoxo

All right, moving on to big momma! i dont want to give her backstory this time, as i like posing the questions to you all as a guessing game. so I’m going to list the visual symbols i have incorporated into the image, and hopefully some informed tumblrs can come by and describe the deeper meanings. 

1.) night sky

2.) Constellation

3.) CARYATIDS columns

4.) staff

5.) fruit in hand

6.) Bull

7.) Peacock

8.) Golden lion

9.) snakes

So here’s my first Olympian illustration. I started with big daddy.

Can you all guess at the meaning of symbolism in the piece? (the animals, the winged figures above his hand, the eye-light beam-to figure on the temple?)

One challenge with these, is that I want to include a lot of visual references to the god’s story and background, but I don’t want the illustration to get too cluttered and overly busy. This becomes even more challenging as I add in textures, which can quickly become like a “visual noise.”

Story Time

You know how Solangelo became cannon in the first ToA book? So in seventh grade one of my friends was reading THO during lunch and then she starts squealing with excitement. She shows all of us the line that confirms Solangelo and everyone at the table starts erupting into cheers. The lunch bell rings signaling the end of lunch and as we’re all walking back to class we are screeching at the top of lungs our joy that Uncle Rick finally made Solangelo cannon. It was a pretty good day.

Sometimes I lay in bed thinking about how cute the Percabeth scenes are going to be in the live action as I fall asleep.

• Annabeth did not have a crush on Luke during the Percy Jackson books. She did before the series, prior to meeting Percy. But in my mind she stopped having a crush on him when she met Percy or at least shortly after she became friends with him. Everyone talks about how Annabeth shouldn’t have a crush on a Luke, but she doesn’t feel that way anymore in the books. I see it this way because in TLO Luke asks if Annabeth loves him and she says she thought she did but actually didn’t. She only thought of him as family. Also during this exact moment she looks over to Percy indicating that she actually had a crush on Percy the whole time not Luke.
• This was very long and it was a rant thanks for coming to my ted talk

Leo: I find using humor as a defense mechanism very therapeutic

Jason:…

Leo:What?

Jason: Shut up