The Hydra

Creator: Ray Harryhausen

Film: Jason and the Argonauts 1963

Hydra Video Clip

 

Jason and his crew of 40 men, in their ship the Argo, search on for the mysterious Golden Fleece, the powerful, legendary sheepskin that will help Jason gain his rightful place at the throne of Thessaly. As they embark on the final leg of their arduous journey, they first pass the treacherous and thunderous Clashing Rocks with the aid of the sea god Triton. After passing the rocks safely, they encounter the remains of a shipwreck. Jason rescues the beautiful Medea of Colchis, a high priestess of the goddess Hecate. At Colchis, Acastus has warned King Aeetes of Jason’s intent to take the Golden Fleece. An angered Aeetes imprisons Jason and the remaining crew. Medea risks life and limb in aiding their escape. The prison guards are drugged, and the crew is set free

 At the mouth of the dark cave, Jason at last locates the elusive Golden Fleece, found hanging from a sturdy branch. He stares at the glistening fleece in wonder, but his gaze is quickly shattered when a snarling, menacing creature emerges from the depths of the cave – with the thieving Acastus tightly wrapped in its slithery tail. This is the Hydra – a fierce reptilian monster with seven heads and a forked serpentine tail. Acastus gasps his last breath after the Hydra releases him to confront Jason. No man, Jason knows, has ever been able to destroy the Hydra.  Jason battles the Hydra with his sword, distracting it as Medea looks on. Jason slashes away in vain – nothing seems to detain the Hydra. As Jason reaches the fleece and proceeds to free it from the branch, he too becomes entwined in the Hydra’s tail. He hacks at the tail till the Hydra releases him, and then he is able to plunge his sword deep into the Hydra’s chest. It drops to the ground, lifeless. The Argonauts catch up with Jason, warning him that Aeetes and the Colchians are in pursuit. They deftly cut the fleece from its branch and begin to slip away as Aeetes arrives on the scene. Aeetes surveys the Hydra’s carnage, and appeals to Hecate that she deliver unto him the Children of the Hydra’s Teeth… which are ultimately reborn as the skeletons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hydra Facts

 

• It would take Mr. Harryhausen longer than a day to do one scene with the Hydra because of the complexity of its movement, he had to make notes to remember where each one of the heads was at certain point in the scene.

 

• The actual model of the Hydra was over three feet long which at the time was the largest model he had designed.

 

• In the film both Jason and Acastus get caught in the Hydra's tail, Mr. Harryhausen had to take multiple shots of the two actors at different angles to get the right color of their costumes and obtain a perfect likeness.

 

Credit: An Animated Life

By Tony Dalton