S4E4 - Andromeda and Perseus

The stories featured in Greaking Out are original adaptations of classic Greek myths.

This week's story features boastful mothers, scary sea monsters, a terrible flood, a creature with an arresting gaze and a sad backstory, and of course, snakes.

Andromeda and Perseus

With so many Greek myths about death and revenge and betrayal It's always nice when you come across a good love story

Today's episode tells the tale of Andromeda and her knight in shining armor Perseus knights did not exist until the 8th century There is no way Perseus, son of Zeus, could possibly be a knight.

Well, not a literal knight, no, but he did rescue her from a monster.

You see, Andromeda was the daughter of King Cepheus and queen Cassiopeia.

She lived in a kingdom by the sea, probably in what is modern-day Ethiopia, and was known to be a kind, dedicated, and charismatic leader.

She was also incredibly beautiful, a fact no one was allowed to forget because her mother, Cassiopeia, insisted on bragging about Andromeda's beauty to anyone who would listen.

Cassiopeia is known throughout Greek mythology for her arrogance and vanity.

One day, Cassiopeia's boasting went just a tad too far.

My daughter and I are the most beautiful beings to ever grace this world.

We are more beautiful than anyone or anything I've ever encountered.

Andromeda is even more beautiful than the sea nymphs.

She puts them all to shame.

Yep, in her pride and arrogance, Cassiopeia had insulted the gods.

Spoiler alert, that never ends well.

You are right about that.

Well, the sea nymphs, sometimes called the Nereids, heard about Cassiopeia's boasting and they were outraged.

They were offended that a mortal dared to challenge their beauty, and unfortunately, they had someone very powerful that they could complain to.

The sea nymphs served as attendants to Poseidon.

god of the sea.

Yes, and they let Poseidon know of their displeasure.

The Nereids weren't too impressed with these mortals who thought they were better than everyone else.

I know we haven't talked much about this, but hubris is a pretty big deal in Greek myths.

Hubris is having too much pride or self-confidence.

It usually starts with boasting or being overconfident and leads to a sudden but inescapable downfall.

Exactly, especially when there's a god involved.

And Poseidon?

Well, he's pretty well known for reacting badly to insults.

If you've listened to our episode on Theseus and the Minotaur from season two, you know what I'm talking about.

Poseidon decided to make sure Cassiopeia knew not to mess with the gods.

So with a flick of his trident,

Poseidon flooded the city and sent a dangerous sea monster named Cetus to wreak havoc on the kingdom.

That will teach them a lesson, Poseidon said to the Nereids.

I doubt they will think so highly of themselves again.

The kingdom was frantic.

Everyone was scrambling for higher ground, all while running and hiding from the horrifying sea monster on the loose.

Some depictions describe Cetis as a creature with the head of a dog and the body of a whale.

Today, the scientific order, Cetacea, contains mammals that live in the sea, like whales.

and dolphins.

That's pretty scary.

The dog-whale thing, I mean, not the science thing.

Especially when you consider the huge teeth.

Keep calm, everyone, King Cepheus pleaded with his kingdom.

We are working hard to get the situation under control.

But imagine you're living your life in a big city, and suddenly everything's underwater.

The roads, your house, even your school.

And while you're sitting on your roof, wondering how you're going to cook dinner that night or where you're going to sleep, suddenly a giant sea monster rises out of the water and tries to eat you in one bite no matter what the king said it would be kind of hard to stay calm wouldn't it now king kephias was a compassionate king who cared more about the people of his kingdom than most rulers tended to do so he agonized over how to stop the flood and kill the sea serpent but everything he tried failed spectacularly All of his soldiers were washed away in the flood.

He tried to trap the serpent, but it was too smart to fall for any of his tricks.

The gifts he sent to appease Poseidon were ignored.

Nothing was working.

He was at the end of his rope, and his kingdom was paying the price.

So Cepheus prayed to Zeus, asking him for guidance.

Zeus, almighty king of the gods, Cepheus began, there has never been a greater ruler than you.

Please tell me what to do.

How can I protect my kingdom?

What do I need to do to keep them safe?

Zeus, never one to resist flattery, decided to answer Cepheus directly.

Cepheus, I am afraid you have angered Poseidon and the sea nymphs.

They heard Cassiopeia claim that Andromeda is the most beautiful creature to ever live.

You have offended them, and now your kingdom is doomed for all eternity.

Please, Cepheus begged, isn't there something I can do?

You must show Poseidon that you consider him more important than anything else you love.

You must sacrifice Andromeda.

If Poseidon sees that you are willing to give up your precious daughter, he will save your kingdom.

Cepheus was stunned.

He couldn't sacrifice his daughter.

That would be horrible.

But if he didn't, thousands would die.

His kingdom would be doomed for eternity.

Andromeda found her father weeping.

What is it, father?

The only way to save the kingdom is to sacrifice someone.

Who is it?

You.

Poseidon wants you.

That's the deal.

Your life for the kingdom.

Andromeda didn't hesitate.

She'd been raised to consider her people before anything else, and she knew her duty was to protect her community at all costs.

I will do it, she said.

Andromeda was scared, but determined.

She knew she was doing the right thing.

So the next day, she was brought to a cliff on the edge of the kingdom that that overlooked the sea.

The villagers whispered as she went by, amazed by Andromeda's courage and sacrifice.

They knew the ordeal was almost over, but they were devastated to be losing their princess.

Andromeda was chained to a tree at the edge of the sea and left to her fate.

She had no idea what would become of her.

Would Poseidon come and drag her down to his kingdom under the sea?

Was she just there to starve to death alone on the cliffside?

And then all of a sudden, Andromeda heard splashing in the distant water.

She saw fins,

huge fins, make their way out of the sea.

Andromeda gasped.

It was Cetus, the sea monster that had destroyed and threatened her kingdom.

He was here at last to claim his reward.

So this is my fate, she thought.

To be fed to a sea monster.

Andromeda closed her eyes and prepared for death when all of a sudden she heard a voice.

Not today, Cetus, the voice cried.

Andromeda opened her eyes and saw a handsome man riding a flying horse holding a large sword in his hand.

Her rescuer turned out to be Perseus, but Andromeda didn't know that at the time.

In fact, Andromeda was convinced she was dreaming.

Horses don't fly, and men certainly couldn't ride them even if they did.

What was even more unlikely was that this man looked like like a god.

He was handsome and strong and he had the attitude of a hero ready for battle.

Perseus was, in fact, a demigod or a half-god.

His father was Zeus, but his mother was a mortal named Danae.

Demigods possess many godlike qualities, but are mortal like humans, which means they can die.

Perseus landed near Andromeda, drawing his shining sword and waving it in the air.

Hello, fair maiden.

I am here to rescue you, he said.

Andromeda was less than impressed.

She wasn't here because she'd tripped and fallen into a trap.

She was here because she chose to be.

She didn't have a warrior's training or gifts from the gods, but she would save her kingdom anyway and didn't need any help.

Listen, friend, I appreciate your offer, but I'm not looking for a rescuer.

This was not what Perseus had expected, to say the least.

He was a dashing prince on a heroic adventure.

He looked at Andromeda, then at the distant fins of the sea monster, then at his very heroic self and sharp sword, and was honestly baffled.

Wasn't this the monster-slaying damsel-saving part of the gig?

Can I ask why you're chained to a tree on the cliffside?

He eventually said.

Well, my mother enraged the gods, so I have to be eaten by the sea monster, so Poseidon will stop punishing my people, she said.

Oh, Perseus said.

I see.

Can I ask you a question?

Andromeda asked.

Of course.

Is that a flying horse?

And with that, Perseus began to tell the tale of how he came to ride a flying horse across the sea.

Wait, we're going into a different story now?

Yeah, we're doing the whole story within a story thing here, Oracle.

Get on my level.

Okay,

Perseus had a rough childhood.

Just after he was born, he and his mother were thrown into the sea.

You see, there was this whole prophecy and Zeus was involved, of course, and well, it's a long story, but basically, Perseus and his mother, Danae, ended up on the island of Seraphis, where Perseus grew up.

One day, King Polydectes saw Danae and thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

So he's determined to marry her.

Now, Dane's not looking to marry anyone.

In fact, the last time she talked to a king, things went south fast.

He is referring here to the being thrown into the sea thing.

Exactly.

So she's not interested, to say the least.

Perseus tells Polydectes to leave his mother alone, but Polydectes doesn't like being told no, so he hatches a plan.

He thinks that if he sends Perseus on a super dangerous quest, then Perseus will die and Polydectes will be left alone with Danic.

We've definitely seen this plan before.

Yeah, it's the old make my enemy go steal something from a dangerous beast on the other side of the world hoping he'll die thing.

It's a classic.

So King Polydectes set Perseus an impossible task.

Bring back the head of the Gorgon Medusa.

If Perseus was victorious, then Polydectes would leave his mother alone.

Medusa was said to be a monster with a head full of snakes and eyes that would turn any any enemy that looked at her into stone.

She is one of the most iconic creatures in Greek mythology and has inspired many pieces of art and pop culture references.

She is also the inspiration behind my love of snakes.

Wait, really?

Well, I do feel a certain kinship with her.

I guess I could see that.

Who doesn't want snakes for hair?

Right.

Okay, who's up for a commercial break?

Anybody?

Show, okay.

Yeah, me too.

All right, we're going to take a short break.

We'll be back on the other side with more Greaking Out.

Zeus the Mighty is back for another thrilling adventure in Book Three.

This time, the overconfident hamster and his friends put their bravery to the test to see who will become the ultimate champion.

The Trials of Harry Cleese comes out in August 2021 and is available for pre-order now.

Go to bit.ly forward slash gozeus3.

That's bit.ly forward slash g-o-z e-us

and the number three.

Because Perseus's bravery knew no bounds and he would do anything to protect his mother, he willingly agreed to this task.

But a few days into the journey, Perseus prayed to the gods for help.

I know this isn't going to be an easy task, even for me, he began.

I am asking for your help.

Please give me the tools I need to defeat Medusa.

Well, the gods were impressed, maybe even a little surprised, by the humility of Perseus, so they brought him gifts to help him on his quest.

Zeus gave him the curved sword.

Hades gave him a cloak of invisibility.

Hermes gave him a flying horse to ride on.

And Athena gave him a really shiny shield.

Athena was particularly willing to help Perseus kill Medusa, as she was the one who cursed Medusa in the the first place, turning her from a beautiful mortal into a deadly monster.

Perseus was a little taken aback by Athena's present.

I mean, he certainly didn't want to appear ungrateful to the gods, but compared to the gifts from the others, a shiny shield just seemed a little

well underwhelming, especially from Athena, whose wisdom and understanding of combat were unmatched.

But regardless, Perseus felt much better equipped to face the monster.

And he needed a shield anyway, so it was all good.

Perseus felt even more confident that he could defeat Medusa as he began his long journey to her cave.

Medusa's cave is said to have been located right where Europe and Africa almost touch at the western end of the Mediterranean.

Legend has it that snakes dropped out of her hair as she walked, leading Africa to become home to nearly 500 species of snakes.

Incidentally, Africa is my personal favorite continent.

No surprise there.

So when Perseus arrived at the cave, he made his presence known.

Medusa, I am here for your head.

Come out and face me.

That may seem like an overly direct approach, but...

Perseus knew he couldn't look directly at her without becoming an instant statue, and he didn't want to risk being taken by surprise.

Slowly, Medusa emerged from the dark shadows.

The snakes in her hair were hissing so loudly that he could barely make out her reply.

How beautiful.

I happen to like my head where it is, young warrior, she said.

If you wish to face me, by all means, please do.

I would love for you to look me in the eye.

Perseus immediately looked away, keeping his eyes cast off to the side, not daring to even take so much as a peek at the Gorgon before him.

I must warn you, Medusa, I am armed with gifts from the gods.

I am more than ready to fight.

The gods?

laughed Medusa.

They are the reason I am the way I am.

Without the gods, I would be beautiful and free.

But they cursed me simply because of my beauty.

And now look at me.

I am a monster.

Never trust the gods.

For a moment, Perseus felt sorry for Medusa.

She didn't seem evil as much as she seemed broken.

But in the exact moment when Perseus hesitated, Medusa lunged toward him with all her might.

She no longer seemed broken, and he no longer felt sorry for her.

Their fight had begun.

Perseus slung his invisible cloak over his head and disappeared from Medusa's sight.

She screamed in outrage as the warrior ran for cover.

Perseus tried to sneak behind Medusa and attack her without looking, but it was impossible.

The snakes could always sense him, even behind her, and he tried time and time again, but Medusa was always ready, her claws and snake fangs getting closer and closer to the hero every time.

Perseus was no longer sure who was hunting who.

As he carefully peeked out from behind a stone pillar, Perseus suddenly heard a loud hiss behind him.

He jumped away, rolled forward, and hid his face behind his shield.

He could see the torchlight reflecting off its surface, and he heard Medusa roar with outrage.

And then he realized what Athena's gift was for.

A clean, metallic surface appears shiny because it is reflecting light.

This interaction is due to the conductivity of the surface of the metal.

A dirty surface is less reflective.

Perseus actually laughed to himself for a brief second and said a small prayer of thanks to the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy.

He lowered his shield, took it off his arm, and turned it around so that he was able to stare at the shiny polished surface on the front.

Sure enough, he could see his own reflection clear as day.

And using the shield as a mirror, Perseus began to hunt again.

And this time, he could actually see what he was aiming at.

Medusa tried to flee, but the the hero tracked her down quickly.

He let out a cry as he brought the sword down on her neck.

Medusa's head lay on the floor of the cave, a small smile still on her lips.

Perseus grabbed the head, put it in his satchel, mounted his flying horse, and began the long journey home.

The story of Medusa is sad.

Many myths say it was her incredible beauty that drew the gods to her and ultimately made them turn her into a monster.

But I say she looked better with snakes on her head.

Well, she definitely had a look, that's for sure.

And her story and symbol are one of the most iconic images in Greek mythology, so there's that.

But back to Andromeda and Perseus finishing his tale.

And that's when I saw you, Perseus told Andromeda, chained on this cliffside for Arsetus to enjoy with his lunch.

But why did you stop?

Surely you must be in a hurry to get home and show off your victory, Andromeda asked.

Well, I thought I could help, Perseus replied.

It wouldn't be very horrid to just leave you tied to a tree.

I suppose not, Andromeda replied, smiling to herself.

So, what do you say?

Perseus asked.

Do you trust me to take care of this little problem for you?

Here, he is referring to the giant sea monster that wants to swallow Andromeda whole.

Yeah, thanks for that, Oracle.

Andromeda hesitated.

She had meant to sacrifice herself, but he did seem to be good at slaying monsters.

In the end, she nodded.

Okay, okay, I guess you can help.

With a loud whoop,

Perseus sprung onto his trusty steed and flew off to fight the sea monster.

The fight didn't even last that long.

Perseus cut off the sea monster's head in one fell swoop.

As the head hit the water with a splash, Perseus flew back to Andromeda and grinned as he began to untie her from the tree.

And so the two spent the afternoon relaxing on the cliffside, talking about their childhoods and dreaming of their futures.

Turns out they had a lot in common, these two.

They both were devoted to the people they cared about and their community.

Perseus had never met anyone as brave and determined as Andromeda, and she liked how kind he was and the way he respected her choices.

As the night came to a close, Perseus began to organize his belongings for tomorrow's journey.

I know this is crazy, he said to Andromeda, but what if you came with me?

As your traveling companion?

As my wife.

Andromeda smiled.

She was relieved to learn that Perseus felt the same way that she did.

She wanted nothing more than to say yes, but she knew she had to visit her father and her kingdom one last time.

I need to go home and let my father know that I'm alive and well, and I'd like to ask his blessing for our marriage.

Perseus agreed, and the two headed back to her kingdom at the dawn's first light.

King Cepheus was ecstatic to see his daughter alive and well.

When he learned that Perseus was responsible for killing the sea monster, he held a celebration in his honor.

And when he learned that Perseus was the son of the almighty Zeus, Cepheus happily agreed to bless the union.

He was happy Andromeda had found someone worthy of her love.

Queen Cassiopeia was also happy about the union, and though she found it quite fitting that her beautiful daughter would end up with a son of Zeus, she held her tongue, having learned her lesson about bragging and insulting the gods.

The next day, Perseus and Andromeda headed back to Seraphis.

Everyone there was glad to see Perseus, everyone, that is, except King Polydectes.

When Perseus told King Polydectes that he had returned with Medusa's head, the king did not believe him.

Are you calling my husband a liar?

Andromeda asked.

I suppose I am, Polydectes replied.

Then you will have no problem looking at what is in his bag, she said.

I do not know what Perseus has, but I know it couldn't possibly be the head of Medusa.

I will look at whatever he shows me.

Andromeda nodded to Perseus, and he pulled the head of Medusa out of his bag, hanging it in front of Polydectes' face.

The king immediately turned to stone.

And with that, the old king was defeated, and Perseus and Andromeda lived happily ever after.

They had seven children together and spent the rest of their days enjoying one another's company.

They were beloved by everyone, mortals and gods alike.

It is said that when Andromeda passed away from old age, Athena placed her in the stars, in a constellation near the heavens, to honor her.

Man, I just love love.

Don't you, Oracle?

Not as much as I love snakes.

Yeah, I guess I set myself up for that one.

Greaking Out.

Thanks for listening to this episode of Greaking Out.

Next week, we'll have some stories of celestial importance.

National Geographic Kids Greaking Out is written by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes and hosted by Kenny Curtis, with Tori Kerr as the Oracle of Wi-Fi, audio production and sound design by Scotty Beam, and our theme song was composed by Perry Gripp.

Dr.

Diane Klein is our subject matter expert and Emily Everhart is our producer.