why is medusa the only mortal gorgon

Seelig BJ. Once she is dead, they kind of disappear. When Athena found out, she was enraged by what had occurred within her hallowed temple. Terracotta pilike (jar), Attic period, ca. Was King Polydectes the last petrified by Medusa? He also received gifts from several gods to aid in his quest. Cixous calls writing "an act which will not only 'realize' the decensored relation of woman to her sexuality, to her womanly being, giving her access to her native strength; it will give her back her goods, her pleasures, her organs, her immense bodily territories which have been kept under seal." [10] In a similar manner, the corals of the Red Sea were said to have been formed of Medusa's blood spilled onto seaweed when Perseus laid down the petrifying head beside the shore during his short stay in Ethiopia where he saved and wed his future wife, the lovely princess Andromeda, who was the most beautiful woman in the world at that time. Int J Psychoanal. . Relieved that his mother would be left alone, Perseus agreed. Medusa is a dimorphic character in the popular imagination; either a tragic feminist hero or a terrifying monstrous villain. Its hard not to see it as a bit unfair that Athena blamed the rape of a woman by a god on the woman herself! 7 Animal Gods and Goddesses in Egyptian Mythology: Who Are They? Analysis of the original text might be valuable here, but I am unequipped to provide it. The Three Gorgons are sisters: Medusa (the Ruler) is a mortal, her immortal sisters are Stheno (the Strong) and Euryale (the Far-Springer). Phorcys and Ceto, the primordial god and goddess of the sea, were the parents of Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. And she's not deadly. Perseus the hero slayed Medusa, the only mortal of the Gorgon sisters, by viewing her in the reflection of the mirrored shield of Athena. While the veracity of this is debatable, it makes for an excellent way to bring the story into a more comfortable place for modern sensibilities. Athena gifted him a polished, shiny shield. Athena was Zeuss favorite, and very often, she acted only as she was expected to which often meant directing her rage elsewhere. Accordingly, Ovid relates that the once beautiful mortal was punished by Athena with a hideous appearance and loathsome snakes for hair for having been raped in Athena's temple by Poseidon. In later myths (mainly in Ovid) Medusa was the only Gorgon to possess snake locks, because they were a punishment from Athena. Athena gave him a mirrored shield, Hephaestus, the god of fire, gave him a sword, and Hades, the god of the dead, gave him his Helm of Darkness. Then Perseus gave the Gorgon's head to Athena, who placed it on her shield, the Aegis.[11]. Furthermore, when Perseus met the Titan Atlas, he asked him for a place to rest, but the Titan refused. Medusa was a Living Queen her name even translate to "Queen". Athena blamed Medusa for the act and turned her into a monstrous being. Counterexamples to differentiation under integral sign, revisited. Medusa used to be most beautiful as well, which is the reason Poseidon noticed her. Most of Polydectes friends brought him horses, but Perseus could not get any due to his poverty. Why does my stock Samsung Galaxy phone/tablet lack some features compared to other Samsung Galaxy models? This crossword clue Only mortal Gorgon in Greek myth was discovered last seen in the April 19 2022 at the New York Times Crossword. Author Sibylle Baumbach described Medusa as a multimodal image of intoxication, petrifaction, and luring attractiveness," citing her seductive contemporary representation, as well as her dimensionality, as the reason for her longevity.[25]. When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant carrying a golden sword, sprang from her body. She was eventually slain by the hero, Perseus. MEDUSA. "Medusa: The Ancient Greek Myth of the Snake-Haired Gorgon." Perseus then beheaded her. (Pythian Ode 12). "[22][incomplete short citation] Griselda Pollock analyses the passage from horrorism to compassion in the figure of the Medusa through Adriana Cavarero's philosophy and Bracha Ettinger's art and Matrixial theory. The Graeae led Perseus to the Hesperides, who were nymphs of the sunset and evening. How to connect 2 VMware instance running on same Linux host machine via emulated ethernet cable (accessible via mac address)? To get into the story of Medusa, we must begin with Gorgons myth. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Greek Mythology Picture Gallery: Images of Medusa, The Twelve Olympian Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology, The 10 Greatest Heroes of Greek Mythology, The Story of Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory. What is Medusa the god of? Myths / Creatures / Medusa. . She claims "we must kill the false woman who is preventing the live one from breathing. Thanks for contributing an answer to Mythology & Folklore Stack Exchange! Hades and Dionysus: What is their Relationship. Now Medusa alone was mortal; for that reason Perseus was sent to fetch her head. One of the oldest versions of Medusa's origins is written by the poet Hesiod (c. 700 BCE). A beautiful mortal, Medusa was the exception in the family, until she incurred the wrath of Athena, either due to her boastfulness or because of an ill-fated love affair . After killing her, Perseus made use of Medusas head as a weapon because it was still potent. [13][9], The legend of Perseus beheading Medusa means, specifically, that "the Hellenes overran the goddess's chief shrines" and "stripped her priestesses of their Gorgon masks", the latter being apotropaic faces worn to frighten away the profane. Unlike the other two Gorgons, Medusa was occasionally depicted as both beautiful and terrifying. Answer (1 of 4): Very True just many people neglect the facts! In 1940, Sigmund Freud's "Das Medusenhaupt (Medusa's Head)" was published posthumously. In one myth reported by the Greek poet Pindar (517438 BCE), Medusa was a beautiful mortal woman who one day went to Athena's temple to worship. Why was Medusa the only mortal of the Gorgons? Later, she aided Perseus in his quest to slay Medusa, who by then had gained a reputation as a murderous monster. It is immediately obvious that the Gorgons are not really three but one + two. Sthenno and Euryale are immortal but Medusa was mortal and ruthlessly killed by the son of Zeus, Perseus. She was born from Zeuss forehead, and with Zeus and Hades, Poseidon was one of the three king gods. This meant she had a profoundly complicated relationship with all of the other gods, especially the eleven other Olympians. ONLY MORTAL GORGON IN GREEK MYTH NYT Crossword Clue Answer. While most people know Medusa as a terrifying monster, only a few know her thrilling, even tragic, backstory. Etruscan, from Italy, 6th century BC. Medusa Head at Yerebatan Sarayi Cistern in Istanbul. From them, he received a knapsack to carry Medusas head. Let's find out! Since Medusa was the only one of the three Gorgons who was mortal, Perseus was able to slay her while looking at the reflection from the mirrored shield he received from Athena. K. Kris Hirst is an archaeologist with 30 years of field experience. While she was asleep, Perseus cut off Medusas head with his sword. Early Greek and English authors also said this Athens It was the help Perseus had to behead Medusa. Unlike her sister, she is mortal and thus able to be killed by Perseus. Should teachers encourage good students to help weaker ones? The Medusa head is a symbolic element in Roman and ancient Arabic kingdoms (Nabataean, Hatran, and Palmyrene cultures). Although there are many different types of Gorgons, the term most frequently refers to those three sisters who are said to have hair composed of living, poisonous snakes and frightening faces. According to the Latin author Hyginus, Polydectes plotted to murder Perseus because he feared his bravery, but Perseus arrived just in time to display Medusas head before him. Medusa was pregnant at the time by Poseidon. From the blood that spurted from her neck sprang Chrysaor and Pegasus, her sons by way of Poseidon. To the Greeks, Medusa is the leader of an ancient, older matriarchal religion that had to be obliterated; in modern culture, she represents vital sensuality and a power that is threatening to males. - Archibald MacLeish. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. So, all three sisters get a punishment, but Medusa's is worse in that she can be killed. . Her mother, Metis, was swallowed by Zeus before Athena was even born. Like many of the Olympians, Athenas fatal flaws were jealousy and pride. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. rev2022.12.9.43105. Man, awake, is compelled to seek a perpetual escape into Hope, Belief, Fable, Art, God, Socialism, Immortality, Alcohol, Love. He then stormed into the throne room, where Polydectes and other nobles were meeting. That turn of phrase seems interesting to me. This is a really good question! Neither of these offers any explanation of the phenomenon. Medusa was always a Gorgon just like her other two sisters who are twins. The 2nd-century BC novelist Dionysios Skytobrachion puts her somewhere in Libya, where Herodotus had said the Berbers originated her myth as part of their religion. The other group of sisters is the Graiai, the "old women," Pemphredoo, Enyo, and Deino or Perso, who share one tooth and one eye which they pass between them; the Graiai play a role in Medusa's myth. "[28] Cixous wants to destroy the phallogocentric system, and to empower women's bodies and language. Remember, it was supposedly Perseus (Ruler of Mycenae, around 1300 BCE) that ended her life. Another story states that each drop of blood that dripped from Medusas head onto the Libyan plains instantly transformed into venomous snakes. When Perseus arrived back at Seriphos and found out, he was enraged. So, he took out the Gorgons head and displayed it before him, which caused the Titan to transform into a mountain. It only takes a minute to sign up. She was the progeny of the sky and weather godZeus, who served as the chief deity of the pantheon. doi: 10.1516/00207570260172975. World Register of Marine Species. Archetypal literary criticism continues to find psychoanalysis useful. Obtain closed paths using Tikz random decoration on circles. Andromeda was a beautiful princess, the daughter of Cepheus, the King of Ethiopia, and Cassiopeia, his wife. Caput medusae is a name given to an engorgement of the veins, which often occurs during childbearing and is said to resemble her head. At what point in the prequels is it revealed that Palpatine is Darth Sidious? The snake-haired Medusa does not come to be giant till the first century B.C. Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. Furthermore, the venomous vipers of the Sahara, in the Argonautica 4.1515, Ovid's Metamorphoses 4.770 and Lucan's Pharsalia 9.820, were said to have grown from spilt drops of her blood. The snake-like head is a symbol of her cunning, a perversion of the matrifocal ancient goddess who the Greeks must destroy. 7 Evil and Dangerous Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, 25 Greek Mythology Books You Should Totally Read. Perseus stole their eye and forced them to help him learn where he could fetch the objects that would successfully slay Medusa. However, things were not as easy. Roman writers often wrote about the mortal Gorgon, and Ovid has helped create the popular image of the female monster. Her snaky locks led to the use of Medusa's name to refer to jellyfish. Their frightful aspect turns men to stone. The king, sensing that Perseus was an obstacle to pursuing Danae, sends him on the impossible mission to bring back the head of Medusa. Why did Medusa have a head of snakes? Such a sacrilege attracted the goddess' wrath, and she punished Medusa by turning her hair to snakes. According to Hesiod and Aeschylus, she lived and died on Sarpedon, somewhere near Cisthene. "Medusa's Head". Most sources describe her as the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto,[2] although the author Hyginus makes her the daughter of Gorgon and Ceto.[3]. Several works of art feature Medusa as the subject, such as Leonardo da Vincis Medusa (oil on canvas). "And she's not deadly. Due to its implications, it is utilised in various aspects of life. The story of Medusa is such a famous Greek myth told in today's world, both to kids and adults alike. Is Medusa the youngest gorgon? However, their sister Medusa was not; she was beheaded by the demigod Perseus. Regardless of the exact reason, Athena directed her rage at Medusa. He also gave him his gold-winged boots so that he could fly securely to Medusas cave. 4. The scientific clade Medusozoa, known as Medusa in their jellyfish stage, is named for her due to their beauty and near immortality as well as their thousands of snake-like tentacles! According to the Greek poet Hesiod, writing in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C.E., Medusa was one of three sisters known as the Gorgons born to the primeval gods Ceto and Phorcys, who were mother and son. ThoughtCo. From Hades should send up an awful monster's grisly head. Is it correct to say "The glue on the back of the sticker is dying down so I can not stick the sticker to the wall"? Through many of her iterations, Medusa pushes back against a story that seeks to place the male, Perseus, at its center, blameless and heroic. As to how Medusa could be the only mortal daughter born to immortal beings is hard to comprehend but we must simply take it as a fact. One day, she was in one of Athenas temples when Poseidon appeared to her and had sex with her. Once he completed his task, he returned his gifts and presented the head as a gift to the Goddess Athena, who placed it on the shield. When she cried out, she could destroy men and objects with the sound. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Several early classics scholars interpreted the myth of Medusa as a quasi-historical "based on or reconstructed from an event, custom, style, etc., in the past",[12] or "sublimated" memory of an actual invasion. From the blood of her neck wound, Pegasus and Chrysaor were born. Who turned Medusa into a Gorgon and why? he flew to the ocean and caught the Gorgons asleep. According to Hesiod's "Theogony" and other sources, the father of the three Gorgon sisters was the sea god "Porcys", and the mother was Porcys' sister "Keto". According to Ovid, in northwest Africa, Perseus flew past the Titan Atlas, who stood holding the sky aloft, and transformed Atlas into a stone when Atlas tried to attack him. (2021, February 14). In order to defend the town of Tegea from attack, he gave it to Sterope, the daughter of Cepheus. In the end, Athena turned Medusa into a figure of horror, a Gorgon with venomous snakes instead of hair. [23], Elana Dykewomon's 1976 collection of lesbian stories and poems, They Will Know Me by My Teeth, features a drawing of a Gorgon on its cover. Since Medusa was the only one of the three Gorgons who was mortal, Perseus was able to slay her while looking at the reflection from the mirrored shield he received from Athena. In his work, Theogony, he describes the Gorgon sisters as monsters born from the blood that spurted out when the castrated Uranus was chopped up and tossed into the sea. Now Medusa alone was mortal; for that reason Perseus was sent to fetch her head. They were Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. A story of victim blaming, one that she says sounds all too familiar in a current American context. Perseus, born to Zeus and Dana, is a legendary figure and a great hero in Greek mythology. Other children of Phorkys and Keto, and therefore sisters of the Gorgons, are the Hesperides and the Graiae. Was Cadmus the only mortal whose wedding was attended by Olympians? Medusa was one of the three Gorgons, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, sisters of the Graeae, Echidna, and Ladon - all dreadful and fearsome beasts. Cant remember why, though it was probably Clash of the Titans fault. Their genealogy is shared with other sisters, the Graeae, as in Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound, which places both trios of sisters far off "on Kisthene's dreadful plain": Near them their sisters three, the Gorgons, winged Why this difference between the three of them? The Medusa head is part of fashion designer Gianni Versace's symbol. He had a powerful weapon, but he only used it once. Medusa turned into the only Gorgon who become mortal; subsequently her slayer, Perseus, turned into able to kill her with the aid of cutting off her head. The blood of Medusa also spawned the Amphisbaena (a horned dragon-like creature with a snake-headed tail). Looking at the forbidden mother (in her hair-covered genitals, so to speak) stiffens the subject in illicit desire and freezes him in terror of the Father's retribution. The sisters were a later addition to a myth that had been around for centuries. Could all three Gorgons turn people to stone, or just Medusa? But why? Athena displayed similar behavior during the events of the Trojan War, when she, Aphrodite, and Hera competed for Pariss golden apple. Sorry, that won't be the answer you are probably hoping to hear but it IS the correct answer :). Still, instead of being angry at Poseidon her uncle and the king of the sea she turned her wrath upon Medusa. That is probably what the Roman emperor Justinian (527565 CE) had in mind when he included older sculptures of Medusa's head turned on its side or upside down as plinths at the base of two columns in the underground Christian cistern/basilica of Yerebatan Sarayi in Constantinople. He carried Medusas head as a trophy for a while, using it to turn several of his enemies to stone. Jane Ellen Harrison argues that "her potency only begins when her head is severed, and that potency resides in the head; she is in a word a mask with a body later appended the basis of the Gorgoneion is a cultus object, a ritual mask misunderstood. According to most other stories, this was a power Medusa's two Gorgon sisters already had, so together the three became a terrifying trio (although Medusa remained the only Gorgon who was mortal). Athena's punishment - While both of the quotes sources refer to Medusa having offspring with Poseidon, the first mention I can find of Athena's (more accurately Minerva's) punishment is Ovid's Metamorphosies, Book 4, in response to the question of "why Medusa, alone among her sisters, had snakes twining in her hair." In general, the appearance and death of Medusa are thought to be the symbolic repression of an older matriarchal religion. "Beauty is that Medusa's head which men go armed to seek and sever, and dead will starve and sting forever.". According to historian Joseph Campbell (19041987), the Greeks used the Medusa story to justify the destruction of idols and temples of an ancient goddess mother wherever they found them. Hermes let Perseus borrow his winged sandals, which gave speed and flight. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company. PS- Welcome to Mythology! This clue was last seen on NYTimes April 19 2022 Puzzle. This relief of Medusa was part of a temple at Ephesus, Turkey, built by P. Quintilius before 128 CE, and dedicated to the Emperor Hadrian. The truth was somewhere between those and is still continually reinterpreted. He managed to slay her by gazing at his reflection in the mirrored shield Athena gave him to avoid looking directly at Medusa and turning into stone. 5. CGAC2022 Day 10: Help Santa sort presents! Why is Singapore considered to be a dictatorial regime and a multi-party democracy at the same time? Two of the Gorgons were immortal, and one was mortal, and that was Medusa. Through the lens of theology, film, art, and feminist literature, my students and I map how her meaning has shifted over time and across cultures. She responded by turning the lovely young woman into a terrible beast who could turn men to stone with a glance. Greek mythology features a . I believe there is simply no clear explanation offered for this. Another example is the coat of arms of Dohalice village in the Czech Republic. Why was Medusa turned into a gorgon? Medusa's fate was "a sad one," wrote Hesiod, because she was mortal while her sisters Sthenno and Euryale were ageless and lived . You came here to get. Those who gazed into her eyes would turn to stone. Apart from their mere existence, the Gorgons are hardly . When the latters two immortal sisters tried to protest on her behalf, Athena transformed them into monsters, as well. Medusa's sisters were immortal but she was mortal. His life is a perpetual evasion. Then, using the shield surface as a mirror so that her powers would not affect him, he approached her safely and removed her head using the harp. Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three sisters, who was cursed by Athena and became a monster. In modern culture, Medusa is seen as a powerful symbol of female intelligence and wisdom, related to the goddess Metis, who was a wife of Zeus. How did Perseus kill Medusa in Greek mythology? Today, Medusa is remembered in several areas of science, including biology, chemistry, astronomy, and many others. He ordered Perseus to get it and warned him that he couldnt return without it. All three of the Gorgon sisters have glaring eyes, huge teeth (sometimes boar's tusks), a protruding tongue, brazen claws, and serpent or octopus locks. He attempted to claim her at the marriage ceremony. In Freud's interpretation: "To decapitate = to castrate. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. ConnollyCove is an award winning travel blog of the best places to visit, experiences & things to do in Ireland, Asia, United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, America, Australia and more. [29] "You only have to look at the Medusa straight on to see her," writes Cixous. The three Gorgon sistersMedusa, Stheno, and Euryalewere all children of the ancient marine deities Phorcys (or "Phorkys") and his sister Ceto (or "Keto"), chthonic monsters from an archaic world. Stheno and Euryale stood by their sister, and they also ended up transformed. To get into the story of Medusa, we must begin with Gorgon's myth. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. ThoughtCo, Feb. 14, 2021, thoughtco.com/medusa-4766578. Despite being tarnished and used by a powerful male, Medusa took power back in her own form. She transformed her into a hideous monster with snakes sprouting from her head and a deadly stare that would instantly turn anyone who gazes into her eyes into stone. She also gives her name to Atractus Medusa, a ground snake, and Phallomedusa, a group of land snails. Some classical references refer to three Gorgons; Harrison considered that the tripling of Medusa into a trio of sisters was a secondary feature in the myth: The triple form is not primitive, it is merely an instance of a general tendency which makes of each woman goddess a trinity, which has given us the Horae, the Charites, the Semnai, and a host of other triple groups. ads. The Graeae were relatives of the Gorgon and the only ones who knew where Medusa resided. Said he: "The profoundest instinct in man is to war against the truth; that is, against the Real. From a very early age in Britain, I was known to sit at the breakfast table reading encyclopedias about many of the major world mythologies. Still, feminist scholars and philosophers find Medusa interesting as a personification of female rage. Polydectes couldnt believe Perseus had completed the challenge and was shocked that he was still alive. The reason being, it is like all myths that have been adapted, changed, added to, corrupted and retold over a long period of time - the story becomes incoherent and cannot be reconciled in a manner which would make a sensible narrative. Does Medusa's head turn one's clothing to stone together with its wearer? How to smoothen the round border of a created buffer to make it look more natural? Beth Seelig chooses to interpret Medusa's punishment as resulting from rape rather than the common interpretation of having willingly consented in Athena's temple, as an outcome of the goddess' unresolved conflicts with her own father Zeus. According to the Greek poet Hesiod, writing in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C.E., Medusa was one of three sisters known as the Gorgons born to the primeval gods Ceto and Phorcys, who were mother and son. So once again, goddess Athena helps him, indicating the way to the three Graeae. The idea that, by some chance of fate, she was born mortal seems more in line with my impression from the phrasing used in translations of Hesiod, with phrases like "suffered a woeful fate" or "suffered grievously", in the two translation I've seen. It seems strange that Athena, goddess of wisdom, could make an unfair judgment, but its important to note that the gods were all very flawed. Poseidons act was a clear insult, especially as Athena herself was a sworn virgin who was born without ever having a childhood or any romantic or sexual experiences. After that, Perseus gave Dictys, Polydectess brother, the throne of Seriphos. Athenas fury extended beyond Medusa. However, the original Medusa myths predate the construction of the Parthenon by centuries. Medusa was the only mortal out of her two other sisters who were the monstrous goddesses, Stheno and Euryale. In this famed myth, Perseus, a demigod, had been sent to slay the . According to the Attic tradition, Gaea, the goddess-personification of the Earth in Greek mythology, created the Gorgon to help her sons fight thegods. 450440 BCE, attributed to Polygnotos of Thasos. Help us identify new roles for community members. There are no recorded instances of Medusa turning a woman to stone. Medusa's fate was "a sad one," wrote Hesiod, because she was mortal while her sisters Sthenno and Euryale were ageless and lived forever . In classical antiquity, the image of the head of Medusa appeared in the evil-averting device known as the Gorgoneion. Danae is the object of desire of Polydectes, the king of the Cycladic island of Seriphos. When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant wielding a golden sword, sprang from her body. In an ode written in 490 BC, Pindar already speaks of "fair-cheeked Medusa".[6]. The Medusa story has also been interpreted in contemporary art as a classic case of rape-victim blaming, by the Goddess Athena. In these contexts, it protects the dead, guards buildings or tombs, and wards off evil spirits. Zeus gave him an adamantine harp (a mythological sword). The name Medusa prompts terrifying images in the minds of many - of an evil monster that can turn one to stone with a single look, with writhing serpents for hair. Medusa: The Ancient Greek Myth of the Snake-Haired Gorgon. The cover featured the image of the Gorgon Medusa by Froggi Lupton, which the editors on the inside cover explained "can be a map to guide us through our terrors, through the depths of our anger into the sources of our power as women. Then, part of Medusa's punishment from Athena may have been that she would be mortal, unlike the rest of her family. Being Zeus favourite child, Athena possessed enormous strength. Polydectes consequently devised a scheme to get him out of his way. With snakes for hairhatred of mortal man[5], While ancient Greek vase-painters and relief carvers imagined Medusa and her sisters as having monstrous form, sculptors and vase-painters of the fifth century BC began to envisage her as being beautiful as well as terrifying. As far as I understood the myth of Medusa, she was punished by Athena (either for letting herself being raped by Poseidon or for succumbing to Poseidon's woes). Possible explanations: Athena's punishment - While both of the quotes sources refer to Medusa having offspring with Poseidon, the first mention I can find of Athena's (more accurately Minerva's) punishment . She was also the mother of Pegasus by the sea-god, Poseidon, along with Pegasuss twin brother Chrysaor. However, one day she was raped by Poseidon inside Athena's temple. Which is somewhat difficult to reconcile with the quoted Apollodorus myth, in which all three are described as similarly monstrous: But the Gorgons had heads twined about with the scales of dragons, and great tusks like swine's, and brazen hands, and golden wings, by which they flew; and they turned to stone such as beheld them. Suddenly Athena appeared in the bronze doors that Medusa was staring at, and told her what a vain and foolish girl she was. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/medusa-4766578. Medusa is the Gorgon who was decapitated by Perseus in the famous legend. Why did the Council of Elrond debate hiding or sending the Ring away, if Sauron wins eventually in that scenario? Snake symbolism can be traced back to the Greco-Roman god of medicine, Asklepios's "single serpent-intwined staff" 1.According to Edelstein & Edelstein, the inspiration behind said staff was Asklepios's encounter with two . Athena, enraged at the desecration of her temple, turned her into a mortal Gorgon. She's beautiful and she's laughing.". A common telling of the Medusa myth begins with Medusa being originally a beautiful lady but cursed by the goddess Athena who turned her into a monster. Each sister was given snake hair and a gaze that transformed people into stone. The rape of Medusa in the temple of Athena: aspects of triangulation in the girl. While she was there, Poseidon saw her and either seduced her or raped her, and she became pregnant. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Miracle, chimera and to-morrow keep him alive. In Greek mythology, there were three monsters known as the Gorgons. When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant wielding a golden sword, sprang from her body.[8]. Mythology & Folklore Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for enthusiasts and scholars of mythology and folklore. Why Did Athena Take Out Her Anger on Medusa? She is the only one with the power to turn her victims into stone, being the envy of Euryale. Medusa has been depicted in several works of art, including: Medusa remained a common theme in art in the nineteenth century, when her myth was retold in Thomas Bulfinch's Mythology. He believes that one reason for her longevity may be her role as a protector, fearsome and enraged. In retaliation, Poseidon sent a sea monster to destroy Cepheus kingdom. In one interview after another we were told that Medusa is 'the most horrific woman in the world' [though] none of the women we interviewed could remember the details of the myth. The only mortal Gorgon (6) Free pack of tutorial cryptic crosswords so you can learn step-by-step. Better way to check if an element only exists in one array. [9], An ancient Roman carving of the Medusa, now spolia in use as a column base in the Basilica Cistern, Coins of the reign of Seleucus I Nicator of Syria (312280 BC), The Medusa's head central to a mosaic floor in a tepidarium of the Roman era. "Medusa has since haunted Western imagination, materializing whenever male authority feels threatened by female agency," writes Johnston. Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three sisters, who was cursed by Athena and became a monster. This page was last edited on 16 November 2022, at 08:38. How do I tell if this single climbing rope is still safe for use? The daughters were known as Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, who was the most well-known of them. Her sisters, Euryale and Stheno (all daughters of Phorcys and Ceto) stood with Medusa, and Athena transformed all of them in gorgons. He was highly protective of his mother and stopped Polydectes from coming close to her. Strangely, Medusa was also thought to be the daughter of Phorcys, the sea god, and Ceto, his sister-wife, rather than Echidna and Typhon. Medusa is considered a Gorgon and according to Hesiod's Theogony, the Gorgons were the sisters of the Graiai or Graeae. Medusa was the only mortal one of the three sisters, while . . Somewhere in Greece, a cursed creature has remained hidden. I have always been interested in mythology. Poseidon was the mighty god of the sea (or water, in general), storms, and horses. Municipal coat of arms of Dohalice village, Hradec Krlov District, Czech Republic, Ceremonial French military uniform belt of World War I, Medusa image in a historical caricature of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, Medusa is honored in the following scientific names:[35], Probably the feminine present participle of. Clash of the Titans is a 2010 action fantasy film and remake of the 1981 film of the same name produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (the rights to which had been acquired by Warner Bros. in 1996 through its purchase of Turner).The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Perseus flies to Sarpedon, and looking at Medusa's reflection in his shieldto avoid the vision that would turn him to stone, cuts off her head, puts it in the satchel and flies back to Seriphos. "[22][incomplete short citation], Medusa's visage has since been adopted by many women as a symbol of female rage; one of the first publications to express this idea was a feminist journal called Women: A Journal of Liberation in their issue one, volume six for 1978. That is to say, there occurred in the early thirteenth century B.C. It might be because Poseidon was the potent god of the sea, meaning that Zeus was the only god with authority to punish him for his crime. Greek mythology features a figure called a Gorgon, a monster-like character. These actions would lead to the Trojan War. Medusa is widely known as a monstrous creature with snakes in her hair whose gaze turns men to stone. Even to kill his human enemies, he relied on the power of the Gorgon's head, the very trophy . Interestingly, Medusas myth does not conclude with her death. Accordingly, Ovid relates that the once beautiful mortal was punished by Athena with a hideous appearance and loathsome snakes for hair for having been raped in Athena's temple by . Inscribe the breath of the whole woman. For some reason, Athena chose not to punish Poseidon for his deed. Once Polydectes and his nobles caught sight of the head, they were turned to stone. According to various sources, Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal, so she was able to be beheaded by the Greek hero, Perseus. Medusa was the star of the show. All three of the Gorgon sisters have glaring eyes, huge teeth (sometimes boar's tusks), a protruding tongue, brazen claws, and serpent or octopus locks. He was a son of Zeus and sometimes also a tamer of Pegasus. Medusa represents philosophy, beauty and art. Far as I'm concerned, you shouldn't feel pressured to accept at all if you aren't yet satisfied. She was eventually slain by the hero, Perseus. "Medusa", p. 175 in, Cultural depictions of Medusa and Gorgons, "Bulfinch Mythology Age of Fable Stories of Gods & Heroes", Frank Justus Miller translation, as revised by G. P. Goold, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, "The Rape of Medusa in the Temple of Athena: Aspects of Triangulation", "Endless the Medusa: a feminist reading of Medusan imagery and the myth of the hero in Eudora Welty's novels. Medusa was beheaded by the Greek hero Perseus, who then used her head, which retained its ability to turn onlookers to stone, as a weapon[4] until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield. They were the daughters of Typhon and Echidna, who were the father and mother of all monsters, respectively. Some depictions portray them as beautiful and seductive women beyond those traits. Athena, who was a sworn virgin but still vain about her beauty, was jealous of how lovely Medusa was in her original form. Why does looking at Medusa with a mirror work? On: July 7, 2022. Perseus then flew to Seriphos, where his mother was being forced into marriage with the king, Polydectes, who was turned into stone by the head. - Celebrity.tn - N 1 Official S . You'll likely get more upvotes if you provide some supporting links (academic links and peer-review sources are preferred, but Wikipedia can be sufficient, so long as the articles have citations for the material utilized.) This answers first letter of which starts with M and can be found at the end of A. ", "The Timeless Myth of Medusa, a Rape Victim Turned Into a Monster", Online version at the Perseus Digital Library, Online version at Harvard University Press, "Medusa in Myth and Literary History" English.uiuc.edu, Faceted Application of Subject Terminology, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Medusa&oldid=1122187435, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles having different image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Articles with incomplete citations from October 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. They are forced to tell him where he can find weapons to help him kill Medusa: winged sandals to carry him to the Gorgons' island, the cap of Hades to render him invisible, and a metallic satchel (kibisis) to hold her head once it is cut off. Certainly won't hurt my feelings, at any rate. The Gorgon was later killed by Athena. Perseus, riding the winged horse Pegasus, flew by and met Andromeda. Phorcys and his sister Ceto, ancient maritime deities, had them. Should I give a brutally honest feedback on course evaluations? "Medusa: The Ancient Greek Myth of the Snake-Haired Gorgon." Stheno and Euryale were traditionally thought to be immortal. Stephen Wilk, author of Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon, questioned Medusa's enduring status among the feminist movement. "[22][incomplete short citation], In issue three, Fall 1986 for the magazine Woman of Power an article called Gorgons: A Face for Contemporary Women's Rage, appeared, written by Emily Erwin Culpepper, who wrote that "The Amazon Gorgon face is female fury personified. Andromedas uncle Phineus, to whom she had already been promised, was enraged. Together they live either at the western end of the world or on the island of Sarpedon, in the middle of Poseidon's Great Ocean. Appropriate translation of "puer territus pedes nudos aspicit"? "[28], Medusa has sometimes appeared as representing notions of scientific determinism and nihilism, especially in contrast with romantic idealism. Perhaps it just works out that way sometimes. It is also possible that Athena was jealous of Medusas beauty and mens attraction to her. Answer (1 of 3): No. Perseus gained assistance from the gods because they were aware of this. The story of Medusa starts with her as a woman and servant of Athena. The Beginning of Medusa's Story. "[15] In this perspective the "ravishingly beautiful" Medusa (see above) is the mother remembered in innocence; before the mythic truth of castration dawns on the subject. Stheno and Euryale wailed in anger and chased Perseus, but he escaped with the aid of the sandals and the helm. Whether she is a classic villain or a feminist pioneer, Medusas story and legend are unlikely to be forgotten in any version of the future. Medusa, the snake-headed Gorgon, is a prevalent figure from Greek myth, but why is she important? He gave the orders for all the men in Seriphos to give Hippodamia, the queen of Pisa, the appropriate gifts under the pretence that he was about to marry her. He received a mirrored shield from Athena, sandals with gold wings from Hermes, a sword from Hephaestus and Hades's helm of invisibility. He shuns facts from his infancy. In later myths (mainly in Ovid) Medusa was the only Gorgon to possess snake locks, because they were a punishment from Athena. She is killed by the hero Perseus, who cuts off her head. The two unslain sisters are mere appendages due to custom; the real Gorgon is Medusa. Be it Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse, Chinese, Japanese, Aztec, Mayan, you name it. The Roman author Ovid describes the mortal Medusa as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a temple of Athena. Jack London uses Medusa in this way in his novel The Mutiny of the Elsinore:[32], I cannot help remembering a remark of De Casseres. She was typically portrayed as a winged female figure with a snake-covered head of hair. Sulieman and Draco wound Medusa and turn to stone, making the ultimate sacrifice. Moreover, Athena always carried Medusas head on her aegis whenever she fought in battle. Its purpose was to act as a guardian for female power, keeping the book solely in the hands of women. In one version of the story, Ladon was killed by Heracles, in pursuit of the Apples of the Hesperides (his 11th labor). How did Medusa become a gorgon for kids? Cassiopeia offended the Nereids by boasting that her daughter was more beautiful than they were. Why did Athena turn Medusa to a snake? Does the cap of Hades keep one's accessories hidden? "[9] In the Odyssey xi, Homer does not specifically mention the Gorgon Medusa: Lest for my daring Persephone the dread, In a late version of the Medusa myth, by the Roman poet Ovid (Metamorphoses 4.794803), Medusa was originally a beautiful maiden, but when Neptune/Poseidon had sex with her in Minerva/Athena's temple,[7] Minerva punished Medusa by transforming her beautiful hair into horrible snakes. It is said that Medusa was not a monster when she was born, but rather the three Gorgon sisters, including Medusa, were originally beautiful women. The inclusion of Medusa in the center implies the protection of the goddess Athena, who wore the Gorgon's likeness on her aegis, as said above. 2002 Aug;83(Pt 4):895911. He urged him to polish his shield so he could see her without looking directly at her. Such a sacrilege attracted the goddess' wrath, . The other sisters have only minor roles in Greek mythology, while the Medusa story is told many times by many different Greek and Roman writers. . 6. They all share Medusa's snake-like locks, and her powers to turn men to stone. She killed more men than her sisters combined. Therefore, let us now delve deeper into the Medusa Greek myth to discover what eventuated and why she was cursed. Johnston goes on to say that as Medusa has been repeatedly compared to Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, she proves her merit as an icon, finding relevance even in modern politics. Elizabeth Johnston's November 2016 Atlantic essay called Medusa the original 'Nasty Woman.' This is, however, pure speculation - I haven't found an authoritative source on this (thus why it's a comment, not an answer). [17][18][19][20] The name "Medusa" itself is often used in ways not directly connected to the mythological figure but to suggest the gorgon's abilities or to connote malevolence; despite her origins as a beauty, the name in common usage "came to mean monster. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Myth Nerd is our place for all things related to world mythology. In the Hellenistic period, the myths relate that there were three Gorgons. [26] Beyond that, Medusa's story is, Johnston argues, a rape narrative. The story of Medusa Numerous analyses have made us familiar with the occasion for this: it occurs when a boy, who has hitherto been unwilling to believe the threat of castration, catches sight of the female genitals, probably those of an adult, surrounded by hair, and essentially those of his mother. Three old women who had a tragicomic element . Site design / logo 2022 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Echidna was killed by Argus Panoptes, as related in pseudo-Apollodorus Library. Athena Turned Medusa Into A Gorgon. Before I started really looking into Greek mythology, I always assumed that Medusa was a mortal unrelated to any gods that just happened to catch Poseidons eye, unfortunately. Edward Burne-Jones' Perseus Cycle of paintings and a drawing by Aubrey Beardsley gave way to the twentieth-century works of Paul Klee, John Singer Sargent, Pablo Picasso, Pierre et Gilles, and Auguste Rodin's bronze sculpture The Gates of Hell. In front of each clue we have added its number and . If you are done solving this clue take a look below to the other clues found on today's puzzle in case you may need help with any of them. . Trying to get rid of Perseus, Polydectes declared that all he wanted was the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Thanks, is a good answer. The badly wounded Medusa is beheaded by Perseus, who takes her head. Early Greek and English authors also said that Athena was the help Perseus had to behead Medusa. An Australian-American production directed by Louis Leterrier from a screenplay by Travis Beacham, Phil Hay, and . Or for any reason they were different in spite of being daughters of the same father and mother? The idea is that Medusas curse prevented men from defiling her ever again. The snake-haired Medusa does not become widespread until the first century B.C. Medusa: the Mortal Gorgon. How does Philomela get the tapestry to Procne? The Roman author Ovid describes the mortal Medusa as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a temple of Athena. The Gorgons are one of two groups of sisters born of Phorkys (the "old man of the sea") and his sister Keto (a sea-monster). Some national symbols feature the head of Medusa, such as the flag and emblem of. Anyone who looked into their eyes would instantaneously be turned to stone. [24][incomplete short citation], Even in contemporary pop culture, Medusa has become largely synonymous with feminine rage. Athena was furious at her temples defiling. Medusa is one of the most notable figures in Greek mythology. Noted by Marjorie J. Milne in discussing a. Freud, Sigmund (Summer 2017). Two sources I'm aware of make reference to the mortality of Medusa. Feminism reexamined Medusas depictions in literature and modern culture in the twentieth century, notably the fashion brand Versaces usage of Medusa as its logo. "From Gorgon and Ceto, Sthenno, Euryale, Medusa". Perseus was ordered to bring home the head of Medusa by a king who plotted to be rid of him, and he appealed to Athena for help. He knew that brute force alone couldnt defeat the Titan. Finally, Euryale gained a new power. When Paris chose Aphrodite, the other two acted in retaliation. "The Laugh of the Medusa" is largely a call to arms, urging women to reclaim their identity through writing as she rejects the patriarchal society of Western culture. Medusa was also fatal, and her rage at her curse resulted in swathes of men meeting their deaths. Why Medusa Became a Monster. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1945 (public domain). The head of Medusa is featured on some regional symbols. Hirst, K. Kris. Other versions had them become entirely monstrous; scales, red eyes, bronze claws, metallic wings, and tusks were some common associations. Prisha Jain 51649077 the depictions of the gorgon in Ovidian and Hesiodic literature and iconography to inadvertently explore why Medusa is connected to snakes. Athenas shield was patterned with a gorgons head in the center; many stories claim this was Medusas actual head. The daughters names meant forceful, far-roaming, and female guardian, in that order. Perseus beheading the sleeping Medusa. +1 for now, I'll let some time to see if some else comes with another answer and then I'll mark one of the answers as accepted. The Gorgon/Medusa image has been rapidly adopted by large numbers of feminists who recognize her as one face of our own rage. Does integrating PDOS give total charge of a system? They all had fangs, they all had claws and hands made of bronze. In the principle myth, Medusa is killed by the Greek hero Perseus, the son of Danae and Zeus. Hermes gives him an adamantine (unbreakable) sickle, and he also carries a polished bronze shield. [34][incomplete short citation]. Medusa is a dimorphic character in the popular imagination; either a tragic feminist hero or a terrifying monstrous villain. Another story reported by the British classicist Robert Graves is that Medusa was the name of a fierce Libyan queen who took her troops into battle and was beheaded when she lost. Their frightful aspect turns men to stone. In Perseuss absence, Polydectes threatened and mistreated his mother, which forced her to escape and seek protection in a temple. Perseus killed Medusa while her sisters were supposedly asleep. In her kingdom she built many. Though she also had the stone glare, her real strength was in her wails. Medusa is one of three daughters born to Phorcys and Ceto. Athena was the goddess of war as well as wisdom. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. In addition,Hermes, a son of Zeus, warned him of Medusa. The crossword clue possible answer is available in 6 letters. The Six Medusa art, Sculpture warriors Ancient Greece Reloaded Beautiful Drawings Of Medusa Related Keywords & Suggestions medusa snakehead beautiful 317903324046201 by @luucyhutch95 Guido (@G_Horus) (@Draculasswife) Twitter Poseidon was drawn to Medusas beauty and set about seducing her at Athenas shrine. In Greek mythology, Medusa (/mdjuz, -s/; Ancient Greek: "guardian, protectress"),[1] also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. King Polydectes, the ruler of the Greek island of Seriphos, fell in love with Dana, an Argive princess. Is something that is attributable to Athena when transforming the sisters? Gorgon City - Take it All ft. The animal, awake, has no fictional escape from the Real because he has no imagination. Medusa Greek Myth: the Story of the Snake-Haired Gorgon. Of the three, Stheno was the deadliest. The only thing left now is to learn the residence of the mortal Medusa - Gorgon. Though a few stories portray this as consensual, it was almost always rape. Asked by: Cordia Sawayn. He slayed the monster and rescued her from being sacrificed. While Stheno and Euryale were both immortal, Medusa was not, though all three were equally beautiful. The other sisters have only minor roles in Greek mythology, while the Medusa story is told many times by many different Greek and Roman writers. Neither of these offers any explanation of the phenomenon. However, for some, Medusa is more than just a monster; her narrative has such significance that they even choose to immortalize her likeness on their skin. He also fell in love with her, and they were to get married. In short, Medusas legacy spreads far beyond her original story in Greek mythology. The terror of Medusa is thus a terror of castration that is linked to the sight of something. From Medusa-Truth he makes an appeal to Maya-Lie.". In so doing, we unravel a familiar narrative thread: In Western culture, strong women have historically been imagined as threats requiring male conquest and control, and Medusa herself has long been the go-to figure for those seeking to demonize female authority. [30][31] In this interpretation of Medusa, attempts to avoid looking into her eyes represent avoiding the ostensibly depressing reality that the universe is meaningless. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. Because Andromedas sacrifice was the only thing that could appease the gods, she was tied to a rock and left for the monster to devour. "Only the Gorgon has the savage, threatening appearance to serve as an immediately recognized symbol of rage and a protector of women's secrets," wrote Wilk. After learning what had happened in her shrine, Athena punished Medusa by subjecting her to life as the monster we remember her as now. Medusa was the only mortal Gorgon. Hades gifted him the helm of darkness, which granted invisibility. Her perceived crimes and punishment have long been a subject of much debate to scholars and philosophers. Medusa kills Solon, (who was shot and falls into the fire), Eusebius and Ixas (who have turned to stone), and wounds the shot Draco. Has Poseidon ever won a dispute with another Olympian? Medusa's severed head, upside down or on one cheek, is featured as the base of several columns in the large underground cistern built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527565 CE). [27], Feminist theorist Hlne Cixous famously tackled the myth in her essay "The Laugh of the Medusa." Medusa was the only mortal of the three sisters who made up the Gorgon family, including Stheno and Euryale. Nevertheless, solid commentary. She's beautiful and she's laughing. Athena sent him to the Graeae, an immortal trio who shared one eye and were sisters to the Gorgons. With her lay the Dark-haired One in a soft meadow amid spring flowers. In Greek mythology, Gorgons or Gorgones (from the ancient Greek word gorgs, which means "grim, dreadful") were described as three pow. Its easy to see from these stories how Medusa can star as both a villain and a tragic victim in her stories. "You only have to look at the Medusa straight on to see her. 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