![]() She is then a product of ignorance and of a separated consciousness, the symbol of a “twisted” consciousness-energy which along with three other monsters (Orthrus “lying” Chimera “illusion” and Cerberus “sense of separation in the body”) leads us to think we are isolated from nature, others and the Divine. ![]() Note that she is for Hesiod one of the four children of Typhon ““what dissimulates, what blinds” – ignorance – and Echidna “which stops the process of evolution in the union”. We therefore considered the Hydra as a purely human deviation. It is this filiation that we have finally chosen as being the most consistent with the rest. But as for Hesiod she is the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, she appears during the constitution of the animal me and thus symbolizes deviations at the root of animal life. She would therefore be logically located downstream in the genealogy of the Hydra. She should therefore be considered as the symbol for the influence of archaic evolutionary processes over the human mind, that is to say doubt and mental fears. According to the iconography, she has a human form and her head is covered with snakes. The symbolism of the Gorgon is ambiguous depending on whether one considers the iconographic sources or affiliations given by Hesiod Homer unfortunately gave no indications concerning her genealogy. Just like there are two representative symbols of the ego, the lion of Cithaeron which only relates to its surface manifestations and the Nemean lion who plunged to its roots, there are also two levels of representation for the twisted life energy: the Gorgon Medusa and the Hydra, of which we will mention here a few elements discussed earlier in the myth of Perseus. For Hesiod, however, Typhon is from Tartarus “the Nescience” making “ignorance” an original principle. We also mentioned that between the two, Homer was the one whose accounts fit best with the experience, while those of Hesiod involve more metaphysical notions.Īccording to Homer, Typhon “the ignorance” (from whom the four major monsters Orthrus, Cerberus, the Hydra and the Chimera were born) is a son of Hera, and her children are unquestionably linked to human consciousness. We have observed the difficulty of matching primordial movements of life with different monsters while studying the Gorgon, especially as Hesiod and Homer do not agree on genealogies. Later, she would dip a tunic in the poisoned blood and give it to Heracles in revenge for his infidelity, causing his death.Įurystheus refused to recognise this labour, arguing that Heracles had not accomplished it alone. The latter gave Dejanira a little of his blood poisoned by the venom before dying. This venom caused the death of the Centaur Nessus much later. Then he rubbed the tip of his arrows with the blood of the monster which was a powerful poison. ![]() The hero first crushed the crab with his foot, then managed to defeat the Hydra, while Iolaos burned the necks at their roots when the heads were cut off to avoid them to grow again. Heracles then had to ask for the help of his nephew Iolaus. While the monster hugged one of his legs, Hera sent a giant crab that pinched his foot. In order to force the Hydra out of the marsh, Heracles used flaming arrows before seizing her firmly. It had a large number of heads (six to fifty depending on the sources). The Hydra was a giant water snake, born of Echidna and Typhon, who lived in the marshes near the Amymone springs and ravaged the surrounding country. Heracles fighting the Lernaean Hydra with the help of Iolaos – Louvre MuseumĪfter the test of the Nemean Lion, Eurystheus ordered the hero to kill the Lernaean Hydra. The method to navigate in the site is given in the Home tab. This progression follows the spiritual journey. To fully understand this web page, it is recommended to follow the progression given in the tab Greek myths interpretation. The Lernaean Hydra that Heracles must overcome during his second labour symbolizes the victory over desire and the primary movements of appropriation.
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