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TEXT

English

Joey Wimplinger and Hubert Lepka,
based on Michael Köhlmeier´s Novel “Sagen des klassischen Altertums”.

Translation by Zoe Knights.

PROLOGUE

In Greece - where the story takes place - there were once, a long time ago, gods: Zeus and his wife Hera, Pallas Athena and Aphrodite, and many others that are known to us, as gods who ruled the heavens - but who blamed the things that plagued them on humans.

Once, when Pelias, a king in Thessaly, desecrated the temple of Hera the goddess, Hera raged and sought revenge. And sought a hero to take this revenge. She advertised a job position for revenge. She should have been more selective.

It was Jason, of all people, that the goddess came up with! Jason, a graduate of the technical school for woodwork and heroes. A graduate of a class that was famous everywhere for its well-known heroic deeds. That alone should have warned Hera. And why Jason, of all people, since he had a tendency to show off and wasn't so particular about the truth? Hera thought he was handsome. And he had charm.

Hera sent Jason to kill Pelias, the hated desecrator of the temple. In return he may himself reign. When Jason confronted Pelias, Pelias tricked him. pretending; “It’s good that you've finally come, this ruling is just a burden to me. Please take over the office! And you already know that, according to protocol, you need the fleece for me to hand it over.” Jason was taken aback. “What fleece?” Pelias tells him; “The golden fleece.”

The Golden Fleece was a sacred fur. An art object from heaven. King Aietes, from the east coast of the Black Sea and the worst of all rulers, possessed it.

When Jason's comrades heard about it, they started working like mad. Some of them even volunteered after their classes and at weekends and worked on the “ARGO”, a sea cruiser for fast raids and forays. They wanted to be exclusively “THE ARGONAUTS”, the fastest of all. They set sail and Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom and the military, ensured that the Argonauts glided across the seas with a fair wind. (With navigation from the father “ZEUS”, who prowled around as a typhoon to whirl his latest lover, the lioness Agusta, into hiding).

Jason and the Argonauts roared merrily along, enjoying their ship, forgetting their destination. If you have a tailwind, you don’t question your fitness. Discovering foreign cultures from the sea: the dream of a freedom that didn't exist - and a greed that was dangerous: on a cruise full of fantasies that even a superhero (like Hercules!) almost seemed to succumb to ...

Oh, Aphrodite and her love arrow. Yes, she's also involved, but more on that later.

2. KOLCHIS

Young people do not want to bow to providence. Which is why, once again, it is the gods who steer the ship of dreams into the harbor it needs under a thick fog: Kolchis, this legendary land where the fierce Aietes lived and the fleece was to be gotten. The golden fleece!

Jason would use his charm and persuade the implacable Aietes peacefully. And if Aietes wanted this fleece, if he didn't just want to give it to Jason? One will probably still be allowed to “ask”.

Unfortunately, Aietes is cruel and merciless. Empathy, attentiveness: he lacks everything.

His daughter is quite different, yet Medea stands by her father.

The gods become impatient. Jason will not achieve his goal. Only an arrow from the goddess Aphrodite can turn the tide. An arrow fired at Medea, as a kind of double inoculation with a love and desire serum. Medea is in love with Jason at the drop of a hat.

3. MEDEA

Now, suddenly changing her tune, Medea wants to prevent her father from killing Jason on the spot by any means necessary. With her terrible sorceress power, Medea now fights her own family, defending the Argonauts.

Speaking directly to Aietes; “To let the fire bulls loose on the strangers..” (she lies and charms her father)“…a hopeless battle for Jason.” Aietes speculates. The bulls had still crushed everyone. And the metal dragonflies, what a spectacle when they took to the sky, with their labial masks, unpredictable and treacherous! She continues: “And wait! This Jason, who has insulted me to the utmost, you leave him to me.” That very night she sneaks off to Jason.

“Listen,” says Medea, ”I'll be brief. I've fallen in love with you. Eternally. Even if I don't know why. But if I want to save you and your friends, you'll must do only one thing in return: swear to love me forever.” “Anything you want!” replies Jason. And he sings: “All You Need Is Love”.

4. BULLS AND DRAGONFLIES

The battle had begun, the fire-breathing bulls - Medea knew how to tame them. A snake monster reached for the “ARGO”. Metal dragonflies rise from the swamps. Medea will have to halt the large insects with a barrage fire so that they cannot cross the line.

5. THE GOLDEN VLEECE

And the wonderful fur, the “fleece”? Medea has to get into the cockpit and try it herself. She grabs the piece of gold and pulls it through the air like a kite. Dragonflies try to snatch it from her. She throws the fur to Jason.

6. ESCAPE

The fleece must be recovered quickly, as the cruel Aietes is approaching. Hercules, who is helping after all, has a talking snake with him. This snake, a Sandviper, is to guide Jason and Medea home safely from the crisis area.

“Come here,” says the snake, “there's no one here anyway - except me.”

EPILOGUE

Back home again. “Here it is, the Golden Fleece!” Unfortunately, Pelias doesn't know what Jason is talking about. Jason finally suspects what is being played here. Medea will have to “neutralize” Pelias. And the fleece? Unfortunately worthless. Jason's love for Medea? Unfortunately withered.

Medea suggests a trip to the city of Thebes to cheer up Jason's gloomy mood, and Jason does indeed blossom there. What makes Thebes so pleasant? Its citizens live in freedom. Its army protects the city. Jason is invited to an air show, and what happens? He falls in love with Glauke, the king's daughter there.

And you, Medea? Will you accept that?

She sends a dress to Jason and Glauke's wedding. A nettle dress, soaked by the blood of a fighting dragonfly. When Glauke, the naive one, slips into the dress, she burns.

And you, Medea? You who believed, loved and trusted? Zeus has mercy and takes her home on a celestial hook.

Images

© Magdalena Lepka, Bernhard Müller