Table of Contents
ISBN: 978-1-4824-4869-6
Levels: GR: I; DRA: 16
Frances Nagle
MONSTERS !
MEDUSA
NAGLE
Medusa
Contents
Please visit our website, www.garethstevens.com. For a free color catalog of all our
high-quality books, call toll free 1-800-542-2595 or fax 1-877-542-2596.
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Nagle, Frances.
Title: Medusa / Frances Nagle.
Description: New York : Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2016. | Series: Monsters! | Includes index.
Identiers: ISBN 9781482448672 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781482448696 (library bound) | ISBN
9781482448689 (6 pack)
Subjects: LCSH: Medusa (Greek mythology)--Juvenile literature.
Classication: LCC BL820.M38 N335 2016 | DDC 398.2093801--dc23
First Edition
Published in 2017 by
Gareth Stevens Publishing
111 East 14th Street, Suite 349
New York, NY 10003
Copyright 2017 Gareth Stevens Publishing
Designer: Samantha DeMartin
Editor: Kristen Nelson
Photo credits: Cover, p. 1 Mondadori Portfolio/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images;
p. 5 Slava Gerj/Shutterstock.com; p. 7 Eye Ubiquitous/Universal Images Group/Getty Images;
p. 9 Dimitrios/Shutterstock.com; p. 11 Linda Bucklin/Shutterstock.com; p. 13 Mondadori
Portfolio/Hulton Fine Art Collection/Getty Images; p. 15 PHAS/Universal Images Group/Getty
Images; pp. 17, 28 Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group; p. 19 Peter Paul Rubens/
Wikimedia Commons; p. 21 DEA/A. DAGLI ORTI/De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images;
p. 23 Duncan Walker/E+/Getty Images; p. 25 Gary Yeowell/e Image Bank/Getty Images;
p. 27 Pavel K/Shutterstock.com; p. 29 Kevin Hellon/Shutterstock.com; p. 30 (Cerberus)
Zvonimir Atletic/Shutterstock.com; p. 30 (Nemean lion) Pierre-Yves Beaudouin/Wikimedia
Commons; p. 30 (Chimera) Leemage/Universal Images Group/Getty Images.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without
permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.
Printed in the United States of America
CPSIA compliance information: Batch # CS16GS : For further information contact Gareth Stevens, New York, New York at 1-800-542-2595.
Contents
Contents
Mythical Monster 4
e Gorgons 6
Monstrous Beauty 8
Perseus 12
Gifts from the Gods 16
Medusas Children 20
Turned to Stone 22
Blood to Snakes 24
Athena 26
Monster on Guard 28
Monsters of Greek Myth 30
For More Information 31
Glossary and Index 32
Contents
A woman with snakes for hair
sounds like a character in a
scary movie! ats the story
of Medusa, but her tale is
actually very old. Its a myth
thats been told for more than
2,000 years!
Mythical
Monster
beyond the myth
A myth is a legend or story. e myth
of Medusa comes from Greece.
Medusa is one of the three
Gorgons. e Gorgons were
monsters and sisters of Greek
myth who lived at the edge
of the world near where the
night came from. Medusas
sisters were named Sthenno
and Euryale.
The Gorgons
beyond the myth
Gorgon comes from an ancient Greek word
meaning erce and terrible.
One story of Medusa said she
was born the only beautiful
Gorgon. However, Athena, the
goddess of war and wisdom,
punished Medusa for not
respecting her temple. Athena
turned her hair into snakes!
Monstrous
Beauty
beyond the myth
Medusa was the only Gorgon who was
mortal, meaning she could be killed.
Temple of athena
Another version of the Medusa
myth says she was just as
monstrous looking as her
sisters! e Gorgons are said
to have yellow wings on their
backs, claws, and huge teeth.
Medusas sisters are said to have
snakes on their bodies, too.
beyond the myth
e name Medusa is an ancient Greek
word that means to guard.
e myth of Medusa is part
of the story about a famous
Greek hero named Perseus.
His father was Zeus, the king
of the gods. Perseus and his
mother lived on the island
of Seriphos.
beyond the myth
Before Perseus was born, his grandfather, Acrisius, was
told a grandson would kill him. After Perseus was born,
Acrisius sent him and his mother into the sea in a wooden
box to try to stop this from coming true.
Perseus
Seriphoss King Polydectes
wanted to marry Perseuss
mother, Dana. Perseus
didnt want him to! So, when
Perseus was unable to bring
a gift to a special dinner,
Polydectes sent him away to
get oneMedusas head!
beyond the myth
Polydectes didnt know Perseus was the son of a god.
He didnt think Perseus would come back at all.
Dana
Perseus needed some help. e
messenger god Hermes gave
him winged shoes. Hades, the
god of the underworld, gave
him a helmet that could make
him invisible . Perseus also got
a shield from Athena and a
special sword.
Gifts from
the Gods
beyond the myth
Other versions of the myth say the Graiae helped
Perseus gather the tools he needed to kill Medusa.
ey were the Gorgons other sisters!
Using the special gifts from
the gods, Perseus found the
Gorgons cave. Looking at them
would turn him to stone, so he
used Medusas reection in his
shield to behead her. She was
asleep and didnt ght back!
beyond the myth
After Medusa was killed, her sisters tried to go
after Perseus. He was wearing Hadess helmet,
however, so they couldnt see him!
Right after Perseus cut o
Medusas head, her sons
Chrysaor and Pegasus were born
from her neck! One writer said
Chrysaor was born holding a
golden sword. eir father was
the god of the sea, Poseidon.
beyond the myth
Pegasus was a winged horse featured in many other
Greek myths. e hero Bellerophon caught Pegasus
and rode him into battle.
Medusas
Children
Perseus placed Medusas head
into a special bag. Even dead,
Medusa would still be able to
turn people to stone! On his
way home, Perseus used the
head to turn a sea monster to
stone and save a princess.
Turned
to Stone
beyond the myth
When Perseus returned to Seriphos, he used Medusas
head to turn King Polydectes into stone!
Blood to
Snakes
beyond the myth
Another hero of Greek myth, Heracles, got a piece of
Medusas hair from Athena. He used it to guard the
town of Tegea when enemies were attacking.
