In Greek mythology - the Hydra is a Swamp snake with nine heads. One head is immortal. Until the immortal head is cut off – any other head decapitated would sprout two more heads from the wound.
Hera created the Hydra to kill Hercules. King Eurystheus assigned twelve labors to Hercules for his penance – one of which is to kill the Hydra.
AI asserts that in mythology the Hydra symbolizes relentless challenges, the difficulty of overcoming seemingly insurmountable problems, and the potential for problems to resurface after being seemingly vanquished.
(this may be synonymous to the saying “one must cut off the head of the snake – or deal with the ‘root’ of the problem to achieve complete resolution.)
Ancient symbolism: The hydra’s image and story have been used as a symbol of the forces of darkness to be conquered by the light.
Modern Usage: The term “hydra-headed” is used in modern English to describe a problem that is difficult to solve because it has many aspects or causes.
Hercules and his nephew devised a strategy to defeat the Hydra:
First – the decapitation strategy where Hercules would cut off each mortal head while his nephew cauterized the wounds to prevent regeneration. Then, Hercules had to defeat the immortal head – sever it and bury it beneath a heavy rock. [in the myth – there are consequences for Hercules…but again, just a focus on this particular aspect of the story – the symbol of the Hydra – and how mythology can represent aspects of current political events/situations. ]
For example, some have asserted that America/Trump have a hydra problem in the middle east. If you are interested, here is an article from Foreign Policy in Focus that has this assertion:
https://fpif.org/americas-hydra-problem-in-the-middle-east/
Others may view the Hydra as a symbol for the very swamp DC has become.
It is relative to what YOU, yourself, think and believe. Sometimes it is just an exercise for the brain and for entertainment. 😊
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