Oracle of Delphi's Curse (2024)

The Oracle of Delphi's Curse is a curse that Hades placed on the Oracle of Delphi in revenge for Zeus killing Maria di Angelo after the Great Prophecy.

Description[]

The curse traps the spirit of the Oracle of Delphi in the body of the mortal host that it had at the time that the curse was placed. As a result, when the host eventually dies, the curse leaves the Oracle trapped in the form of a mummy that only briefly animates to give prophecies.

During an attempt to transfer the Oracle to May Castellan, the curse caused the transfer to fail and drive May insane, although she appeared to get enough of the Oracle's power to constantly predict her son's death.

After the curse's conditions were finally met at the end of the Second Titan War, it was finally broken, and the Oracle's spirit was able to be transferred into Rachel Elizabeth Dare without any problems with the Oracle's former host body crumbling into dust.

History[]

Right before the start of World War II, the Oracle of Delphi gave the first Great Prophecy. As a result of the Great Prophecy and the destruction caused by the demigod children of the Big Three during the war, Zeus initiated the Pact of the Big Three where he, Poseidon and Hades swore to never have demigod children again. Not wanting to take any chances, Zeus ordered Hades' children, Bianca and Nico di Angelo, taken to Camp Half-Blood immediately to be trained, but most likely intended to kill them instead. The Oracle warned Hades to hide his children after hearing of this. When Hades ignored the deadline, Zeus attacked, killing Maria di Angelo, but failed to kill Bianca and Nico. Blaming the Oracle and her prophecy for these events and unable to kill her because of the Oracle's power protecting its host, Hades instead cursed her.^[1]

As a result of the curse, when the Oracle's host died, the Oracle's spirit remained trapped in her form and the Oracle became a mummy that would only come to life to give prophecies. The curse's existence apparently remained unknown with it being believed instead only that humanity had lost the ability to host the Oracle's spirit.

Twenty years after the Oracle's death, May Castellan attempted to take on the spirit of the Oracle of Delphi. While Chiron encouraged her, her lover Hermes protested against it as it seemed humanity had lost the power to hold the spirit. May however wanted to host the Oracle and pushed for it knowing the risks. The process didn't work however, and May was cursed with horrible visions of the future about her son and small occasions where she would talk about his fate in a crazed manner.

The body of the Oracle continued to remain in the attic and no one else was allowed to try and take on the spirit.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians[]

The Last Olympian[]

While retrieving the Great Prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi, Percy Jackson questions why the Oracle is a mummy and Annabeth Chase tells him how she used to be a beautiful maiden with the Oracle transferring hosts until fifty years before.

While attempting to contact his mother's spirit, Nico di Angelo sees a vision of Maria's death and his father Hades cursing the Oracle, something that is also witnessed by Percy through a demigod dream.

Percy later has a dream in which he witnesses May Castellan's failed attempt to transfer the Oracle's spirit into herself. Having learned of the curse already, the dream causes Percy to finally understand what had happened to May.

At the end of the Second Titan War, Percy uses his wish to get Hades the recognition that he deserves with the other Olympians as well as a cabin at Camp Half-Blood. With the Great Prophecy fulfilled, the Big Three released from their pact and Hades' children no longer considered to be outcasts, the curse was finally broken. Shortly thereafter, Rachel Elizabeth Dare was successfully able to take on the Oracle of Delphi's spirit and the old host's body crumbled to dust.

References[]