Greek Mythology fanmix: Victim + Murderer
Title: Victim + Murderer
Subject: Medusa
Length: 9 tracks
Summary: For the girl who suffered a god's assault and a goddess's wrath; for the curse that made her a monster; for the stone gardens in her heart.
Warnings: Mentions of rape in the mix description, character death.
Notes: Made for waywardmixes Round Eleven Theme: Mythology. Follows Ovid's version of the Medusa myth. Also, the downloads are refusing to cooperate, so until I can figure out what's going on the links will take you to youtube videos - my apologies!
In the stories where Medusa is not born a monster, she is made one. A beautiful young priestess dedicated to Athena, Medusa caught the eye of Poseidon - surging up out of the sea, he raped her in Athena's temple. The goddess, known for being wise and just, saw only the desecration of her temple and Medusa's shattered vow of chastity. Enraged, Athena cast a curse on Medusa, transforming the beauty that had caught Poseidon's eye into something hideous. Her skin turned gray and cracked, her eyes yellow, and her teeth sharp. And her hair, oh, her hair. Her hair became a living nest of snakes, hissing, spitting, and dripping poison. But Athena's curse had one more element - it not only stole Medusa's beauty, it made her the very sight of her deadly. All who looked on Medusa's terrible visage were instantly turned to stone. Cast out of Athena's temple and cursed with the form of a monster, Medusa fled, hoping to find a place of solitude. Instead, she was pursued by would-be heroes who came to see if they could slay her. They all died as soon as they gazed upon her face. She spent years wandering through a stone garden, filled with the frozen figures of all the men who had failed to kill her, until the hero Perseus, aided by the gods, finally cut her down. After he killed her he presented her severed head to Athena, who placed the head on her shield. Raped, cursed, and finally murdered, Medusa finds no peace even in death, her head forever adorning the shield of the goddess who chose to punish a victim by turning her into a murderer.
I. How You Remember - Azure Ray
and you tread on the water when you know you can touch the bottom now
‘it’s the southern way,’ said your mother
‘stay in shallow, shallow water, don’t touch the ground’
but then a slithering, sliding form catches you before you reach the shore
and as he strikes full of venom you reach out towards the trouble
II. Spanish Sahara - Foals
black rocks and shoreline sand
still that summer I cannot bear
now the waves they drag you down
carry you to broken ground
forget the horror here
leave it all down here
it's future rust and then it's future dust
III. Knives, Snakes & Mesquite - Bowerbirds
and I am a peach down in the forest
of knives and snakes and mesquite
where all is a dream all eyes on me
and I bite my nails ‘til they bleed
IV. Stab City - As Tall As Lions
this skeleton town with snakes in the grass
where every single breath you take might be your last
and even when you find the love it's fake
and everything you try to touch will break
V. Monster - Charlotte Martin
I'm so uncertain of what's growing in my head
that's how it goes when there are ghosts to put to bed
what does it want from me certificates of certainty?
there must be help around the bend
did I just have to live the chapter on regrets?
should I just tell myself it's easy to forget?
I cannot face my pain the same familiar way again
the monster I have hidden in my mouth it has to scream
all at once I give into it's sound, remembering
the monster I have hidden in my mouth
it has to sing, it has to sing, it has to sing
VI. Bones and Skin - Mirah
if you live inside the old graveyard
your skin and bones get kind of hard
you blame it on all of the ones who've left you
but it's in the mouth, it's in the blood
it's sweet with taste, the spit of love
will I be this way when I'm dead?
VII. Old Mary - The Dead Weather
old Mary full of grease
your heart stops within you
scary are the fruits of your tomb
and harsh are the terms of your sentence.
old Mary, sister of mine
mother to the world
carry this burden now
until the moment of your last breath
now till the moment of your last breath
VIII. When It Flows - Great Lake Swimmers
for a second I saw you so clearly
for a moment I knew you so dearly
I looked into your eyes and into your mind
you were laughing like a statue come to life
IX. Tristan - Patrick Wolf
I am the victim
and the murderer
you speak of love
but I've never heard of her
Feedback is love!
Subject: Medusa
Length: 9 tracks
Summary: For the girl who suffered a god's assault and a goddess's wrath; for the curse that made her a monster; for the stone gardens in her heart.
Warnings: Mentions of rape in the mix description, character death.
Notes: Made for waywardmixes Round Eleven Theme: Mythology. Follows Ovid's version of the Medusa myth. Also, the downloads are refusing to cooperate, so until I can figure out what's going on the links will take you to youtube videos - my apologies!
In the stories where Medusa is not born a monster, she is made one. A beautiful young priestess dedicated to Athena, Medusa caught the eye of Poseidon - surging up out of the sea, he raped her in Athena's temple. The goddess, known for being wise and just, saw only the desecration of her temple and Medusa's shattered vow of chastity. Enraged, Athena cast a curse on Medusa, transforming the beauty that had caught Poseidon's eye into something hideous. Her skin turned gray and cracked, her eyes yellow, and her teeth sharp. And her hair, oh, her hair. Her hair became a living nest of snakes, hissing, spitting, and dripping poison. But Athena's curse had one more element - it not only stole Medusa's beauty, it made her the very sight of her deadly. All who looked on Medusa's terrible visage were instantly turned to stone. Cast out of Athena's temple and cursed with the form of a monster, Medusa fled, hoping to find a place of solitude. Instead, she was pursued by would-be heroes who came to see if they could slay her. They all died as soon as they gazed upon her face. She spent years wandering through a stone garden, filled with the frozen figures of all the men who had failed to kill her, until the hero Perseus, aided by the gods, finally cut her down. After he killed her he presented her severed head to Athena, who placed the head on her shield. Raped, cursed, and finally murdered, Medusa finds no peace even in death, her head forever adorning the shield of the goddess who chose to punish a victim by turning her into a murderer.
I. How You Remember - Azure Ray
and you tread on the water when you know you can touch the bottom now
‘it’s the southern way,’ said your mother
‘stay in shallow, shallow water, don’t touch the ground’
but then a slithering, sliding form catches you before you reach the shore
and as he strikes full of venom you reach out towards the trouble
II. Spanish Sahara - Foals
black rocks and shoreline sand
still that summer I cannot bear
now the waves they drag you down
carry you to broken ground
forget the horror here
leave it all down here
it's future rust and then it's future dust
III. Knives, Snakes & Mesquite - Bowerbirds
and I am a peach down in the forest
of knives and snakes and mesquite
where all is a dream all eyes on me
and I bite my nails ‘til they bleed
IV. Stab City - As Tall As Lions
this skeleton town with snakes in the grass
where every single breath you take might be your last
and even when you find the love it's fake
and everything you try to touch will break
V. Monster - Charlotte Martin
I'm so uncertain of what's growing in my head
that's how it goes when there are ghosts to put to bed
what does it want from me certificates of certainty?
there must be help around the bend
did I just have to live the chapter on regrets?
should I just tell myself it's easy to forget?
I cannot face my pain the same familiar way again
the monster I have hidden in my mouth it has to scream
all at once I give into it's sound, remembering
the monster I have hidden in my mouth
it has to sing, it has to sing, it has to sing
VI. Bones and Skin - Mirah
if you live inside the old graveyard
your skin and bones get kind of hard
you blame it on all of the ones who've left you
but it's in the mouth, it's in the blood
it's sweet with taste, the spit of love
will I be this way when I'm dead?
VII. Old Mary - The Dead Weather
old Mary full of grease
your heart stops within you
scary are the fruits of your tomb
and harsh are the terms of your sentence.
old Mary, sister of mine
mother to the world
carry this burden now
until the moment of your last breath
now till the moment of your last breath
VIII. When It Flows - Great Lake Swimmers
for a second I saw you so clearly
for a moment I knew you so dearly
I looked into your eyes and into your mind
you were laughing like a statue come to life
IX. Tristan - Patrick Wolf
I am the victim
and the murderer
you speak of love
but I've never heard of her
Feedback is love!