Legend Has It

 

These aren’t your usual stories to behold

An impenitent defiance of versions old;

For the cunning, the wicked, the clever, the bold

Are not simply as they once were told

 

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Ode to a Prologue

 

We start with sweet Persephone,

a greater beauty there could not be

daughter of Demeter, goddess of spring,

she caught the eye of the Underworld’s King

Abducted by the devil, she mourned

and so an unwilling queen was born –

or at least that’s the tale we often see

Persephone, the Victim… Or was she?

 

You may have heard a famous tale,

of the man who slayed a Minotaur

They praised him as Athens’ saviour,

for his heroism was he adored.

But while Theseus was hailed the hero,

Another’s role went ignored

For although it was he who dealt the blow,

It was a “she” who gave him the sword

 

Next is Medusa; ugly winged creature,

gorgon queen, evil by nature.

With a head of snakes and fatal eyes,

cross her path and face your demise.

Ever the subject of infamous attention,

never is her villainy questioned

But look closer and you will find

an interesting truth and the story behind

 

Queen of the Heavens, notorious for her rage,

goddess of women, childbirth and marriage.

Filled with bitterness and jealousy

at her husband’s fickle fidelity,

The “b****” in Homer’s Iliad: Book VIII

may be condemned for her sins of hate.

But in blind acceptance of Hera’s disgrace

another sinner’s blame is erased…

 

Before there was sin, there was a box

And in that box there lay,

Death and illness and all man’s problems

but in that box, they did not stay

Of course there had to be a scapegoat

Some way for mankind to deflect the blame

Perhaps a woman – oh, how fitting?

And so Pandora was her name

 

Imagine being sacrificed

For your mother’s foolish vanity

Chained to a rock in the middle of the ocean,

with only the wind to hear your pleas

This was the reality Andromeda faced

Until one gallant, young man heard her screams

But Perseus’ intentions behind the rescue,

were not as pure as they might seem

 

Guardian of Athens, Goddess of War

as well as wisdom, civilisation and law

Athena features in countless myths

Though her role in each tale is subject to shifts

In some, the villain, in others the saint,

How to choose in which light to paint?

Perhaps an examining of the Gorgon Queen’s fate…

Will put an end to this timeless debate.

 

Artemis the Protector, the Huntress, the Virgin

Freeing women from illness’ burden

Pursued by many, claimed by none

Her steadfast chastity was not to be undone

But her aversion to men made Artemis subject

to widespread dismissal and disrespect

But though many considered her choice her downfall,

Maybe, just maybe, she was the wisest of them all

 

 

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QUEEN OF THE UNDERWORLD

 

 

Sweet little girl,

Pretty little girl,

Listen to your mother,

Don’t be a bother.

Out in the meadows lies a bed of flowers

There’s a perfect life waiting for you

It’s yours if you want it

Persephone didn’t.

 

Go to the ends of the Earth.

Now go a bit further,

That is the way to the kingdom of the dead,

a sunless, soul-full lair of despair.

and an opportunity, if one wishes to seek it

Persephone did.

 

Primrose. Tulip. Lily.

how to escape how to escape

Mother is a hawk

how to escape

Dandelion. Peony. Marigold.

who is that who is that

Shadows and darkness

who is that

Rose. Pansy. Hyacinth.

who are you?

I am hades

what are you?

I am death

No more flowers, mother.

I’ve found my escape.

 

it’s time to go

take me with you

why

i don’t belong

neither do i

 

Almost at the end. A little further.

are you sure?

At the end. Still further.

yes

At the gate. We’re here.

this is hell

it’s perfect

 

Goodbye dear mother, I hope you understand

I do not belong in your world of flowers

Hades and I we’re one and the same

There’s no greater match than ours

I have to leave – consequences be damned

 

do you regret it? leaving your home?

I don’t.

that place was not my home. i was born there. i did not belong there.

do you belong here?

I do.

 

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THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR

 

You wouldn’t believe the chaos

That my half-brother caused

How embarrassing for father

What a scandal, what an uproar

Mother gave birth to a minotaur

Oh, don’t worry

The problem was fixed soon enough

A labyrinth was built
Sprawling and mysterious

And it was there the minotaur was left to languish

Of course, he was fed occasionally

Once someone entered, they could not leave

It became a sport of sorts

Father demanded sacrifices from his enemies

And so it became that each year seven men and seven women entered the maze

And each year the Minotaur had seven men and seven women for dinner

I watched as this occurred, year after year

I watched as their wits were taken over by fear

If only they stopped for a second to think

They would realise survival wasn’t so hard

But heaven forbid a princess be wise

No, all I was good for was pleasing the eye

It was year three when Theseus came to Crete

I fell in and out of love that year

He sought me for my looks and charm

It wasn’t until the day before the sacrifice that he condescended to ask me for my opinion

But I was young, and too caught up in my fancies to care

what I should or should not share

So I told him what I would do

And the next day he did it

He took the thread with him so that he knew his own path

He slew the Minotaur

And that year Theseus became the first to both enter and exit the Minotaur’s labyrinth

The sacrifices stopped

Hurrah!

And went back Athens to live as a hero

And I was left in Crete to live the life of the naïve, little princess

 

And it was at that moment

As Theseus sailed away

That I realised just how unjust the world was

And it would not change

 

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THE GORGON

 

 

Hiss. Hiss. Hiss.

An insidious chant day and night.

Hiss. Hiss. Hiss.

A hideous noise for a hideous sight.

Hiss. Hiss. Hiss.

SHUT UP OR I JUST MIGHT–

Quiet. Finally.

You would think I would be able to tame my own hair.

But the truth is, it’s not mine. Not really.

I was not born with it. I did not ask for it.

I was cursed with it.

That’s not all I was cursed with.

Look into my eyes, then you’ll see

the true monster lurking inside of me.

For that is what I am.

That is what they call me.

A monster.

A monster who’s seen the end of too many men to count.

A monster who was the end of those men.

A monster who wishes she wasn’t.

I had a family once.

Two sisters, Stheno and Euryale

I don’t know what happened to them.

Are they monsters too?

I don’t think so.

I was alone on the day it happened.

Wandering the outskirts of the citadel, collecting

pretty shells.

I liked pretty things.

The temple was pretty.

I often went there to be alone.

It’s where I did my best thinking – I used to imagine Athena herself watching over me.

I was right.

He came out of nowhere –

Crafted from the salt and the tides,

holding the power of the seven seas

Poseidon.

I didn’t understand his intentions at first.

What would a god want with a human?

It soon became clear.

My tears were salty, wet and unending

When Athena appeared from the heavens,

she did nothing.

Nothing except condemn me to a life of isolation

Because I was raped.

Woman. Gorgon. Monster.

Dead.

So, what am I really?

I am a woman.

A woman with a heart and a mind and a soul.

A woman who was made into a monster by those around her.

A woman who is not really the monster at all.

So tell me then,

Who is the monster?

 

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HERA’S WRATH

 

 

It didn’t used to be like this,

I wasn’t bitter or angry or jealous

But a lot has changed in recent years

I’m always the one left in tears

He still tells me that I’m special –

and I’d believe him if his lovers weren’t several

but they are, so I don’t

and where does that leave me?

as the crazy b****-wife; the hormonal banshee

Yes, I’m bitter, Yes I’m spiteful

I’ve done some things– yes they were frightful

I cursed the land that gave Leto refuge

I set a hundred-eyed giant on Io

I tricked Semele into her own grave

I hunted down Callisto

Perhaps my most infamous endeavour yet

would be the Twelve Labours I set

For the bastard Heracles to complete

An unfortunately non-fatal feat

I did my best to see him dead

I employed all sorts of monsters to bring me his head

So yes, villainous portrayals may be justified

But all vengeful transgressions aside,

There is one issue at this matter’s core

And that’s not mine to account for

For while you declare me the wicked one

I’ll have you know with him it begun

Do not get our roles reversed

It was Zeus, my husband, who betrayed me first

 

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PANDORA’S BOX

 

 

You are Pandora, he says

I can’t make out his face

My limbs are stiff

My mind is foggy

He repeats himself, forcefully

The air reeks of sweat and clay

You are Pandora

 

I am Pandora

But who is she?

 

She is all-gifted.

Beauty, grace, desire from Aphrodite

An aptitude for crafts from Athena

A talent for music from Apollo

The gift of gardening from Demeter

A healing pearl necklace from Poseidon

Curiosity from Hera

A strange, golden box from Hermes

And a warning not to open it

 

Do not open the box.

I can feel the strings of my creation tugging and pulling me towards it

Is this curiosity?

Maybe

 

I, the all-gifted, am gifted to another

To Epimetheus, from Zeus

Am I happy?

Yes

Ok

 

I live my life

I do not question my creation

I do not question myself

Question the box

I question the box

I question it more and more every passing day

What’s inside it?

Why was it given to me?

 

Do not open the box. Do not open the box. Do not open the box.

 

Open the–

I open the box

 

good girl

 

man is cruel, people are sick

all because of the box

 

It’s all your fault they say,

Mankind was perfect they say,

You have ruined us they say,

 

But the box was empty I say

 

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ANDROMEDA

 

Fear. Fear like I have never felt before washed over me in time with the lapping tide,

Tightening my chest and elongating my nerves.

A fleeting desire to bash my skull against the rock beneath me passes through.

If only it were that easy.

No, I am meant to suffer ­– that’s what the oracle said.

The sea monster requires suffering, or else it will go straight back to terrorising the city.

We can’t have that. Oh no, let’s just sacrifice the princess instead.

She’s not terribly important to anyone.

She has a brother, so there’ll still be an heir. A male heir. It’s blasphemy to suggest otherwise.

So here I am. Suffering.

For crimes not even of my own doing.

It was Mother who offended the Nereids, not me.

Still, here I am paying for them.

It’s only a matter of time, the monster will be upon me soon.

Or maybe not. Maybe he doesn’t like the taste of Andromeda, and will find some other poor bastard to eat

Wishful thinking – There’s no saving me now.

Here it comes, I can see it in the distance, flying towards me.

Wait, flying? Shouldn’t a sea monster be swimming?

How peculiar. The sea monster looks almost human. Definitely human.

If it’s not the sea monster then who–?

“The sea monster is dead.” If that isn’t shocking enough, the man starts working on the cuffs at my wrists.

Am I being rescued?

“Yes,” he grinned widely, baring two perfect rows of teeth. “You’re free.”

Free. Not doomed. FREE.

“Now come with me, there’s no time to waste.” he declares, after finally freeing me from the chains.

“But where are we going?”

“To our wedding of course.” I look at him incredulously. “Our what?”

“As payment, for freeing you.” As if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

And just like that I was back in chains.

 

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ATHENA

 

I am no saint

I am a god

with an eternity to make mistakes and right them again

 

I am loved

and I am hated

Both for good reason

 

I am strong and wise and vain and proud

I am the goddess of wisdom and war

I am Athena

 

I possess the head of the Gorgon Queen

I wish I did not

I wish no one did

 

Perseus brought it to me

Perseus will die

I will make it so

 

Medusa

That was her name

She was innocent

 

Until my brother forced her against her will

Then she was scarred

And scared

 

I told her I could make it better

No one would ever touch her again

She would be the feared, not the fearful

 

So I made her a queen

And gave her unimaginable power

She thanked me

 

She thanked her executioner

For that is what I was

I did not mean to be

 

When word spread of her fatal power

and monstrous appearance

That was when the target was painted

 

I underestimated them

Men can learn from their mistakes

At least some of them

 

I didn’t know until it was too late

Until he was standing before me

Clutching the dead serpents

 

Paint me white

Paint me black

Paint me every colour of the rainbow

 

I do not care

Eternity cannot fix this mistake

No one can

 

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THE HUNTRESS

 

life is precious

keep going,

the stars will guide you

tread lightly,

or you’ll scare it away

listen

hear it breathe

be still now

very still

shoot only to kill

never to maim

life is sacred

do not waste it

predator. protector.

lover to all things wild

yes, that is what i am

i weep for my children

those who are broken

innocence gone

my girls

who did not get a choice

who’s virginities were not

their own

i hunt

the arrogant

the evil

the sinful

they don’t know what’s coming

i draw the string

no hesitation

and watch the light

fade from their eyes

some call me silly,

temperamental, naïve

why do i resist?

it’s natural

it’s only fair

i can’t tease them

with my looks

then refuse their company

it’s cruel

it’s ungrateful

it’s their right

it

is

NOT

i am lover

maybe not in the expected way

but i am lover

condemn me for it

i dare you

while you mock me

i will keep hunting

and protecting

and loving

i believe

life is precious

and i will not succumb

 

 

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Epilogue

 

So, my friends, now you know

the myths of the gods – told rightly so

 Maybe you’re wondering how it could be,

that the versions you’re presented, differ so greatly

Well there is one thing you must heed –

the matter of whose words you read

it’s a fact that’s forgotten time and again,

that these myths were written by men, for men.

Behold our ferocious, age-old foe:

a penchant for prejudice and minds narrowed

Present in times ancient and new,

It is a plague that will not be subdued.

At least, not unless human kind can come

together to face the enemy as one

But look in a history book and you’ll see why

My doubt in such a feat is justified

So don’t dare to think that this is the end,

for this is only the surface, my friend.

Just like this, there are dozens more

And dozens still to come I’m sure.

So next time you listen to a story or tale,

consider the teller, question without fail

Then question yourself, open your mind

You might be surprised by the truths you find.