Medusa is seen by some today as the first example of victim blaming. Now, Perseus took advantage of the treasures he had gotten in the garden. He also exists in Germanic mythology as Woden (in Old English), Wodan (in Old . Nymphs who fled the gods were cursed or turned into trees and flowers. A woman. The gis (Greek ), already attested in the Iliad, is the shield or buckler of Zeus, which according to Homer was fashioned for him by Hephaestus, furnished with golden tassels and bearing the Gorgoneion (the Gorgon Medusa's head) in the central boss. The practice was so widespread that it is seen on the famous mural that depicts Alexander the Greats battle against the Persians. In sculpture, mosaics, and painting, the Gorgon began to lose her more beastly attributes. The earliest stories of Medusa said that she always had a terrible, inhuman form. -Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. This was in contrast to English liberty, which had been depicted as wise and powerful Athena. The creatures would remain common in North Africa forever after. To them, the scene was a vivid illustration of the triumph of human ingenuity and heroism. While the tale of her death at the hands of Perseus is one of the most famous moments in Greek mythology, it was not the end of Medusas story. Using the winged sandals, he was able to speed out of the cavern and avoid the angry monsters. It was said that anyone who looked directly at her was immediately turned to stone. There are Many Norse and Greek Gods. In A Tale of Two Cities , for example, Charles Dickens compares the exploitative French aristocracy to "the Gorgon" even devoting an entire chapter to . Later writers would identify this as Libya, and in the Roman era Virgil said that it was at the gates of the Underworld. While she always retains the power to petrify her enemies, now she scratches, poisons, and grapples as well. Like her immortal sisters, she had snakes for hair, and one look at her face could turn any . According to various sources, Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal, so she was able to be beheaded by the Greek hero, Perseus. Myths often relate the creation of the world and sometimes its future destruction as well. The Medusa in D&D 5e. King Polydictes wished to marry Danae but Perseus, by then an adult, opposed the union of his mother and the untrustworthy king. Some stories say that there was one more unnamed Gorgon who was older than the others. But, here we are! Blood of Zeus follows the coming of age of a man named Heron who, like most fabled Greek myth heroes, is an illegitimate love child of a . The final treasure of the Hesperides was the winged sandals of Hermes. Early writers, for example, did not mention whether or not Medusa looked any different than her sisters. In these, Poseidon not only took Medusa by force, but did so in a temple of Athena. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. 21-year-old Axl Johnson discovers that he's the reincarnation of Odin, one of the most prominent and revered gods of Norse myths, and the . The pointed tusks and extended tongue disappeared. Medusa, the daughter of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, was the most feared of the Gorgons. There are various versions of the Legend of the White Snake, which has evolved over the centuries from a horror story, in which Fahai heroically battles the evil snake demon, to a romance, focusing on the thwarted but genuine love between Xu and Bai. We strive for accuracy and fairness. After Bai falls in love with and marries a mortal man, Xu Xian, a Buddhist monk, Fahai, reveals her true identity to her husband. Carved stones depicting a seven-headed cobra are commonly found near the sluices of the ancient irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka; these are believed to have been placed as guardians of the water. After creating Medusa herself, the goddess seemed especially eager to aid the hero in the monsters destruction. The cunning snake convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge, telling her that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When God learned of Adam and Eves transgression, he banished both of them from Eden and cursed the snake for its role, saying You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. Debate has long raged over whether the serpent in Genesis was a literal reptile, an allegory for sexual desire or temptation or even Satan himself. Despite her family connection to monsters, she fit the mould of many beautiful young human women in mythology. Odin and the runes of power. All Rights Reserved. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? While Perseus beheaded Medusa, however, he still left two Gorgons alive. The Curse of Medusa From Greek Mythology. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) Although Homer and Hesiod lived at roughly the same time, they were from different parts of the Greek world. During this transformation, the snake hides in a tree. Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three sisters, who was cursed by Athena and became a monster. Explore. But the Medusa is a unique symbol, something strong." - Donatella Versace. Around the globe, the serpent carries potent symbolism. Unlike Perseus, the protagonists in these stories actually have to fight her. In Norse mythology, few stories are as dramatic as that of Jormungand, the powerful sea serpent. snakes symbolized the umbilical cord, joining all humans to Mother Earth. Medusas severed head provided the shock factor of gore and violence. The Gorgon sisters were born to Ceto, goddess of sea monsters, and Phorcys, a primodial sea god with a fish's tail and crab claws. Gorgons, especially Medusa, have become a common image and symbol in Western culture since their origins in Greek mythology, appearing in art, literature, and elsewhere throughout history. Her powers are expanded in modern media. Friday is named for her. [11][12][13], In the Sumerian culture snakes were also very important as a healing symbol. Perseus and Medusa. In Hammurabis Law Code (c. 1700 BC) the god Ninazu is identified as the patron of healing, and his son, Ningishzida, is depicted with a serpent and staff symbol (Bunn 1967:618), Snakes were a common feature of many creation myths, for example many people in California and Australia had myths about the Rainbow Snake, which was either Mother Earth herself giving birth to all animals or a water-god whose writhing created rivers, creeks and oceans. Medusa - Greek Mythology -Medusa was one of 3 Gorgon sisters, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of . This meant that, particularly in a time when legends were passed through oral tradition instead of writing, the two authors likely heard different versions of the stories. It was more rare for a victimised woman to be helped and avenged than it was for her to be punished. The Great Goddess often had snakes as her familiarssometimes twining around her sacred staff, as in ancient Creteand they were worshipped as guardians of her mysteries of birth and regeneration. In these, Medusa is said to be the only one of the Gorgon sisters who is mortal. Today the word myth is often used to describe something that is not true. The religion went into decline around a thousand years ago when Christianity swept through the north of Europe. Mythology medusa forearm piece Insta: @leigh . The Gorgons of Greek myth were snake-women (a common hybrid) whose gaze would turn flesh into stone, the most famous of them being Medusa. The earliest versions of the Gorgons connected them to sharp reefs and the storms that could drive ships onto them. "The snake dance is a prayer to the spirits of the clouds, the thunder and lightning, that the rain may fall on the growing crops.."[26] In the northwestern Indian city, Banaras, a festival called Naga Pancami is celebrated during the rainy season of Sravana (July/August) to pay homage to the supernatural snakes or deities. Today. In Egyptian myth, the state of existence before creation was symbolized as Amduat; a many-coiled serpent from which Ra the Sun and all of creation arose, returning each night and being reborn every morning. The good guy sometimes doesn't win and innocent people are sometimes harmed. . The blood could be used to destroy or restore and enabled him to bring people back from the dead. As a result, God banishes Adam and Eve from the garden and curses the snake. According to Edith Hamilton's Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, the Aegis is Zeus' breastplate, and was "awful to behold." Medusa is remembered, more than anything else, for a face that was so hideous that one look at it would literally turn men to stone. In games and books, however, she actively attacks her enemies or lures them in with her sexuality. The ancient Greeks saw Medusa as a particularly terrifying monster of legend. With the help of the gods, the hero was able to kill one of the most terrifying monsters in the world. Dear Colleagues, Much of the Western world has a rising problem with white nationalists. In these versions of her story, Medusas beauty would end up being her undoing. Perseus stuffed the head of Medusa in the bag and made his escape. 15. In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa is the most famous of three monstrous sisters known as the Gorgons. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Judeo-Christian belief had always seen snakes as part of mankinds fall from perfection and her serpentine hair made Medusa more recognizably evil than ever. You say my hair is like the serpent locks of Medusa, that . Some versions of the character emphasize her feminine features, while she is given more attributes of a snake at times when shes shown as particularly monstrous. The Mayan sky-goddess was a common attribute. (Lyons Press, 2017), which chronicles some of history's most famous disappearances. [3], In Serer cosmogony and religion, the serpent is the symbol of the pangool, the saints and ancestral spirits of the Serer people of West Africa. Little is known of Chrysaor, as he did not play a major role in later myths, except that he was later the father of a giant with three heads. In Nordic myth, evil was symbolized by the serpent (actually a dragon) Nidhogg (the 'Dread Biter') who coiled around one of the three roots of Yggdrasil the Tree of Life, and tried to choke or gnaw the life from it. In other cultures[which?] Snakes taken from stories of mythology are expressed throughout the use of language. Also, in Norse mythology, the snake biting its tail (Ouroboros) symbolized the sea as the eternal ring which enclosed the world. the secrets of herself). Classic Mythology IV trading card set scheduled to release in early Summer 2023. If you think you know the whole story of Medusa, think again heres everything you never knew about the mythical Gorgon. But Norse mythology, with its compelling stories . As in modern . While Poseidon walked free, Medusa was villainized for the crime of attracting his attention.