Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. As Perseus used the sandals to fly over the sands of Libya, the droplets of blood that fell to the ground created enormous vipers. She was a beautiful maiden with golden hair. Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. Norse Mythology Thesis Odin, Thor, Freya, Loki, Frigg Do these names ring a bell to you? Still portrayed as a human woman, albeit with an increasingly thick nest of snakes on her hair, Medusa became a symbol of the Jacobin faction. Pegasus (Greek: , translit. Medusa - Jane Manalo by Pernastudios on DeviantArt As the Celtic god of fire, he was worshiped primarily in Gaul and Britain. She has been a frequent contributor to History.com since 2005, and is the author of Breaking History: Vanished! Medusa is seen by some today as the first example of victim blaming. score: 22,174 , and 227 people voted. From a monster to a passive victim, Medusa evolved into an example of the femme fatale archetype. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images. Hesiod only said that the Gorgon sisters had jagged teeth and snakes hanging at their belts, even saying that they were indescribable. The infamous snake hair of Medusa did not appear in his description. Valhalla is depicted as a splendid palace, roofed with shields, where the warriors feast on the flesh of a boar slaughtered daily and made whole again each evening. Either way, the Graeae had shown him the way to the hidden garden of the Hesperides. Many myths date back to ancient times. Norse mythology - including the stories of Odin, Thor and Loki - was the basis of the religion of the Viking warriors that plundered Europe from the 8 th to the 11 th centuries. While Medusa was one of the most iconic and memorable monsters in Greek mythology, Sthenno and Euryale played only a minor role in the story and were never as well-developed. The Medusa in D&D 5e. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The story of Medusa from Greek mythology is perhaps less well known than Medusa herself. She frequently appears as a villain in comic foods, video games, and fantasy movies. Likewise, the Korean snake goddess Eobshin was portrayed as a black snake that had human ears. Snakes are a common occurrence in myths for a multitude of cultures. Hod is a son of Odin. In sculpture, mosaics, and painting, the Gorgon began to lose her more beastly attributes. They continued to believe this even after the development of the story that told of her punishment by Athena. Theres debate over whether the passages in Job about Leviathan and another giant Biblical creature, Behemoth, describe mythological beastsor actual animals that existed at the time but later may have gone extinct. Odin Facts & Mythology about the Norse god of Creation and Wisdom As Perseus fled the cave, however, he and the Gorgons were no longer alone. mythology - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help To them, the initial punishment and the subsequent death were both justified. Greek Mythology and Norse Mythology Crossover | FanFiction Hesiod would write the story that would become well-known. She and her sisters, Sthenno and Euryale, were daughters of the sea gods Phorcys and Keto. The myth of Medusa forces readers to confront an ugly truth the victim isnt always avenged. Usually the wisdom of snakes was regarded as ancient and beneficial towards humans but sometimes it could be directed against humans. Before the soul can reach Jaaniiw in order to reincarnate (cii in Serer[4]), it must transform into a black snake. The aegis (/ i d s / EE-jis; Ancient Greek: aigs), as stated in the Iliad, is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the head of a Gorgon.There may be a connection with a deity named Aex or Aix, a daughter of Helios and a nurse of Zeus or alternatively a mistress of Zeus (Hyginus, Astronomica 2. Medusa and the Gorgons are used as characters in stories with direct links to Greek mythology, but also in general fantasy and horror settings. In ancient Mesopotamia, Nirah, the messenger god of Itaran, was represented as a serpent on kudurrus, or boundary stones. As the Roman world embraced Christianity and its texts, Medusas evil status was furthered. Its been suggested that Behemoth could have been a hippopotamus, an elephant or even a dinosaur, while Leviathan may have been an ancient species of crocodile. In their traditional African religious belief, they say that the Serpent Lebe guided the Dogon people from Mand to the Bandiagara Escarpment (their current home) when they decided to migrate to flee Islamization and persecution. Medusas last scream in death woke the sleeping Gorgons, and the two sisters chased after the man who had killed her. Donatella Versace. Ancient Greek Myth in Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Medusa, The Minotaur In some accounts she is Odin's wife, making her foremost among the Aesir goddesses. If you think you know the whole story of Medusa, think again heres everything you never knew about the mythical Gorgon. Lost in the telling are Medusas tragic origins and the unbelievable fate of her famous head. Hymns and offerings were made to it since it was believed that the Goddess could manifest through the snake. [24][25], The Hopi people of North America performed an annual snake dance to celebrate the union of Snake Youth (a Sky spirit) and Snake Girl (an Underworld spirit), and to renew fertility of Nature. Worshippers bathe in and jump from the ledges into the pools as a way to honor them and ensure that they provide things like fertility of the land and its people, and protection from the poisons (wrath) of its bite. Belenus Mythology, Cult & Facts | The Celtic God of Fire As a more sensual villain, Medusas snakes are, once again, linked to Biblical notions of sin and evil. Medusa is seen by some today as the first example of victim blaming. He locked up Danae in a bronze chamber. The good guy sometimes doesn't win and innocent people are sometimes harmed. Magical Cap Of Invisibility Worn By Athena, Hades, Hermes, And Perseus Medusa - a woman cursed by Athena to become a snake woman , and people who . As a virgin goddess, the act was particularly loathsome. Homosexuality in the Greek myth. Kratos also acquires the wax wings of Icarus and the Golden Fleece. Perseus: Perseus was a demi-God in the Greek mythology who rescued Andromeda from a sea-monster. The loops and curves of a snakes body have always been a favorite subject in art for this reason, and the figure of Medusa provided many of them for the artist to show off their skill. Completely devoid of monstrous connotations, they explained the use of the Gorgons head by praising its classical beauty. This was where Athenas bronze shield became invaluable. Snakes were regularly regarded as guardians of the Underworld or messengers between the Upper and Lower worlds, because they lived in cracks and holes in the ground. This trio of sisters may have been intended as a dark version of a tripartite goddess. [11][12][13], In the Sumerian culture snakes were also very important as a healing symbol. She made humans one at a time with clay. Many later versions of the myth claimed that she was once a beautiful maiden loved by . When a person dies, the Serer believe that their soul must make its way to Jaaniiw (a place where good souls go). Medusa is the most famous Gorgon in Greek mythology, but did you know she was not alone? Medusas severed head provided the shock factor of gore and violence. Her powers are expanded in modern media. The Hopi people of North America viewed snakes as symbols of healing, transformation, and fertility. Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating 882,061 ratings. Ovid, however, makes it very clear that Poseidons actions were not romantic. Medusa is one of the more unusual divine figures of ancient Greece mythology. Medusas body was often shown as abnormally large and disproportionate. With so many great entries, even that limitation only made it slightly easier! Day in and day out Nw amused herself making mud figures and watching them come to life.[15]. With the help of the gods, the hero was able to kill one of the most terrifying monsters in the world. The most basic similarity between Norse and Greek mythologies is that they are polytheistic, meaning their respective followers believe in more than one god.. The most common type of flute in ancient Greece had two bodies, a reflection of the two surviving Gorgons. Soldiers used Medusas head on their shields and armor, emulating the image of Athena, in an attempt to ward off death itself. The ouroboros, the ancient symbol of eternity that was famously depicted on King Tuts tomb in the 14th century B.C., is a serpent devouring its own tail. The earliest version of the story describes Poseidons seduction of the Gorgon as taking place in a meadow filled with flowers. The Mythology In God Of War Explained - Looper.com While Greco-Roman writers rationalized this singular Gorgon as a separate creature, it is more likely that Homer and Hesiod recounted stories from slightly different traditions. Her features softened. The Aztec spirit of intelligence and the wind, Quetzalcoatl ("Plumed Serpent"). Nor did ancient writers specify what powers or abilities the Gorgon sisters possessed. [9][10] The Dogon believe that Lebe is the very reincarnation of the Dogon's first ancestorwho was resurrected in the form of a snake. Egyptian myth has had several snake-gods, from the 'coiled one' Mehen who assisted Ra in fighting Aapep every day to the two-headed Nehebkau who guarded the underworld. The snakes are painstakingly gathered and washed before the ceremony, which also involves members of the Antelope Clan. In some myths, the Gorgons were the daughters of the primordial sea deities Phorkys and Keto, who were imagined as . The first was a strong bag in which to hold his trophy, the head of the Gorgon. The reborn gods meet once again, and Sunna, the daughter of Sol, now even outshines her mother. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), DEA / C. BALOSSINI / Contributor / Getty Images, Godong/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images, Sepia Times/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images, protectors of Siddhrtha Gautama, the Buddha, various versions of the Legend of the White Snake, https://www.history.com/news/snake-symbol-history-mythology, 9 Powerful Snakes from History and Mythology. There are also stories about Balder, Freyr and Heimdall.But just like the world of men, the realm of the gods was populated by both men and women. 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. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. Perseus killed the monster and later married the princess. 9 Powerful Snakes from History and Mythology Best Books About Mythology (1233 books) - Goodreads The pointed tusks and extended tongue disappeared. In these, Medusa is said to be the only one of the Gorgon sisters who is mortal. Exceptions to this were the Fijian creator-god Ndengei, the dozen creator-gods of the Solomon Islands (each with different responsibilities), the Aztec Mother Goddess Coatlicue, and the Voodoo snake-spirits Damballa, Simbi and Petro. During this transformation, the snake hides in a tree. Delighted, she made another figure, and another and another, and each came to life in the same way. While Poseidon walked free, Medusa was villainized for the crime of attracting his attention. Medusa in Greek Mythology: Story & Role | Who Killed Medusa? Medusa is a woman with impenetrable scales and snakes for hair, and anyone who looks at her turns to stone - killing her should be an impossible feat. Her name is even used in politics, being invoked in unfavorable descriptions of female politicians. She turned the young woman into a terrible monster. After creating Medusa herself, the goddess seemed especially eager to aid the hero in the monsters destruction. Medusa | Myth & Story | Britannica In popular culture, Medusa has retained the duality between a sympathetic female figure and a dangerous monster. The subject of Perseuss quest, she is one of the most iconic monsters in Greek lore. The power of Medusas head was so potent that it could petrify even the largest and strongest of the Titans. The underworld was part of a mythical world tree. 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. Later writers would make Sthenno and Euryale resemble their sister more, even as Medusa took on a more human appearance in art. Pegasus - Wikipedia As art interpretation focused on the ways in which art represented the female body for the view of men, Medusas ability to punish men for looking at her became a powerful symbol. 10. The ancient Greeks saw Medusa as a particularly terrifying monster of legend. In Buddhism, naga were often depicted as protectors of Siddhrtha Gautama, the Buddha, and the dharma (Buddhist teachings), but they were also seen as powerful, and potentially dangerous when angered. Behemoth and Leviathan, by William Blake. More than ever before, the popular view of Medusa is a complex one. The serpent grew until his body encircled all of Midgard (or Earth), and he was able to grasp his own tail in his mouth. Even in the stories that came before descriptions of her beauty, Medusas tale was bound to the god Poseidon. His roles took the form of everything from bringer of morning winds and bright daylight for healthy crops, to a sea god capable of bringing on great floods. Ever since Eves transgression in the Garden of Eden, snakes in Christian tradition have been associated with lies, evil and temptation. Perseus hid, waiting in the dark until two of the Graeae were passing the eye between each other. The fairest of the three Gorgons became the most hideous of them all. A great degree of respect is afforded to snakes in Serer culture, as they are the very embodiment and symbol of their saints and ancestral spirits. Seeking a way to get her grown son out of the way, sent Perseus on a seemingly impossible quest. While Poseidon walked free, Medusa was villainized for the crime of attracting his attention. Friday is named for her. To do this, Perseus received help from the gods. The vision of Medusa as a victim of tyranny continues today. In fact, some writers did not seem to agree that there were three Gorgons at all. Family. Even after this terrible punishment, Athena had not finished the punishment Medusa. Odin lost his eye upon visiting a Norse god named Mimir.Mimir was known as an extremely wise god, and he had also possessed a well called Mmisbrunnr.The waters in the well contained substantial wisdom and knowledge, and if someone drank from the well they would also gain wisdom. By the time of Ovid, she was one of the worlds great beauties. These white supremacists often co-opt fields like Classics, medievalism, and Norse mythology to support their racist ideologiestwisting these disciplines and repressing or ignoring evidence for the multicultural and multiracial realities of the ancient and medieval world. Tiresias gained a dual male-female nature and an insight into the supernatural world when he killed two snakes which were coupling in the woods. Medusa | Myths and Folklore Wiki | Fandom Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. Keto was synonymous with sea monsters that her name was later used for the great serpents Poseidon conjured from the deep. The Medusa in Greek Mythology. [5][6][7][8] Like their Serer counterparts, the Dogon people of Mali also have great reverence for the serpent. Her continued portrayal as a more feminine and human figure furthers this difference in interpretation. In another myth, the protector Vishnu slept on the coils of the world-serpent Shesha (or "Ananta the endless";). From the eddic poem The Sayings of the High One ( Hvaml ), he is said to have hanged himself in a sacrificial ritual on a tree. "Here there is an evil dragon named Nidhogg that gnaws constantly at the root, striving to destroy Yggdrasil" [19] The Curse of Medusa From Greek Mythology. snakes symbolized the umbilical cord, joining all humans to Mother Earth. Medusa wasnt just mentioned again on earth. In the case of Norse mythology, the pantheon of major gods consists of no less than ten deities of noteworthy stature. The Mannarasala Shri Nagaraja Temple is one of the main centers of worship. The circle was particularly important to Dahomeyan myth where the snake-god Danh circled the world like a belt, corseting it and preventing it from flying apart in splinters. Pinterest. The Chariot Hall or Royal Funerary Chariot Hall at the Wat Xieng Thong in the UNESCO world heritage town of Luang Prabang in Central Laos contains King Sisavang Vong's gilded, carved wooden funeral carriage, decorated with large Naga snakes at the front. Men handling poisonous rattlesnakes, one even holding a snake between his teeth, for the snake dance of the Native American Hopi tribe. In East Asia snake-dragons watched over good harvests, rain, fertility and the cycle of the seasons, whilst in ancient Greece and India, snakes were considered to be lucky and snake-amulets were used as talismans against evil. 100 Greek Mythology Baby Names (Gods & Goddesses) - MomJunction Medusas head was still treated as a frightening object, even when it was shown as being almost entirely human. Rape was often a feature of Greek mythology, as much as the stories hide it in terms of seduction and marriage. In ancient Indian myth, the drought-serpent Ahi or Vritra swallowed the primordial ocean and did not release all created beings until Indra split the serpent's stomach with a thunderbolt. In Indian myth, Shiva had a cobra coiled on his head and another at rest on his shoulder, ready to strike his enemies. Phineus himself was the last of his army to be killed in this way. Throughout many Greek myths, it reappeared. Major Gods and Goddesses in Norse Mythology - ThoughtCo Appearance. The tradition of the three Gorgon sisters appears to not be the only one in Greek mythology. Snakes have been associated with Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic and the lower world.[20]. It is possible that the Gorgon, one of the most terrifying monsters of Greek mythology, was imagined by some to be an evil counterpart to a three-part goddess. But in other cultures, as far-flung as ancient Greece and Egypt and indigenous North America, snakes symbolize fertility, rebirth, renewal and even immortality. 13). Hod is the blind god of winter who kills his brother Balder and is in turn killed by his brother Vali. Frigg is similar to Hera as the patron of marriage and motherhood. Hesiod said they flicked their tongues, much like snakes. Some images gave them wings, others a thick black beard. In these she takes two forms. The presiding deity here is Nagaraja - a five-headed snake god born to human parents as a blessing for their caretaking of snakes during a fire. About Mythology - CliffsNotes Aegis - Wikipedia Top section of a runestone found at Sanda, Gotland, Sweden, dating to the Viking Age (793-1066 CE). In this case Athena punished the sisters as well, although they had no involvement in the desecration of her temple. From a vicious monster to a symbol of justified rage, the changing interpretations of Medusas nature reflect the changing morals and views of culture itself. Ragnarok is a major event in the legends of the Norse. In the state of Kerala, India, snake shrines occupy most households. 12. The Chimera was a fire-breathing monster from Greek mythology. Medusa, the daughter of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, was the most feared of the Gorgons. Snakes in mythology - Wikipedia Outstanding Greek Mythology Essay Topics. Later, the word leviathan would be applied more generally to mean a giant whale (most memorably the great white whale in Moby Dick) or other massive sea creature. [22] The horned viper (Cerastes cerastes) appears in Kassite and Neo-Assyrian kudurrus[22] and is invoked in Assyrian texts as a magical protective entity. ; At the same time, their Greek counterparts number an even dozen (even more . The Mayan sky-goddess was a common attribute. When Odysseus travels to the Underworld, he fears that Persephone will send the head of the Gorgon out of the house of Hades to attack him. Perseus made a deal with the monsters. These were Medusas sisters, who were dangerous monsters in their own right. Norse gods and their similar greek counter part by Jessica Helmers - Prezi The menacing face of the monster became a totem of protection. Humanities | Special Issue : Greek Mythology & Modern Culture 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. Gorgon Medusa. Danae's father, Acrisius, King of Argos was told that he would be murdered by Danae's son. 36 42 (trans. But, here we are! Please like and share this article if you found it useful. She was killed by Zeus before he fought his father and the Titans for power. SHARES. A demigod, the son of Zeus and Danae, Perseus is one of the greatest heroes of Greek mythology. [23] Details vary among tribes, with many of the stories associating the mystical figure with water, rain, lightning and thunder. Being punished for her own victim hood made Medusa an emblem of the discrimination and violence faced by real women. Mythology medusa forearm piece Insta: @leigh . 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. Although men may have found her name synonymous with monotonousness, in Medusa women could find a reflection of their own fury. They were created by Gaia to help the giants in their war against Zeus and the Olympians. The Curse of Medusa From Greek Mythology - ThoughtCo In Greek mythology, Pegasus is primarily known for one tale which sees the winged horse used by the hero Bellerophon. Also, in Norse mythology, the snake biting its tail (Ouroboros) symbolized the sea as the eternal ring which enclosed the world. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Belenus, also known as Belinos or Belenos, is one of the most important Celtic deities. Medusa Legendary Snake Haired Gorgon of Greek Mythology They could also account for the different legends of their parentage. Frigg is a Norse goddess of love and fertility. In A Tale of Two Cities , for example, Charles Dickens compares the exploitative French aristocracy to "the Gorgon" even devoting an entire chapter to . One of a trio of Gorgon sisters, Medusa was the only sister who was not immortal. Snakes were often also associated with immortality because they were observed biting their tails to form a circle and when they coiled they formed spirals. Kincaid. 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. The first humans of hers became high-class, but second ones became low-class. Norse Goddesses in Norse Mythology - Norse and Viking Mythology The Gorgon was mentioned again in the Odyssey. While a few tellings say that Pegasus helped Perseus escape, most agree that the mythical horse would not be tamed until Bellerophon fought the Chimera. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? The Horned Serpent appears in the mythologies of many Native Americans. It was after the French Revolution that the Gorgon herself began to take on more heroic connotations. Sarah Pruitt is a writer and editor based in seacoast New Hampshire. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology. They are stories about how the world was created and why certain things happen. Greek writers never specified why only one Gorgon sister was mortal. He waved his staff, driving all Irelands snakes into the sea. Perseus stuffed the head of Medusa in the bag and made his escape. Both circles and spirals were seen as symbols of eternity. The Graeae represented sea foam, while the other children of Phorcys and Keto were monsters of the ocean. 14. While Medusa was the only one whose gaze petrified men, her sisters killed and mutilated many. Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Did Archaeologists Find the Minotaurs Labyrinth? Three-part deities are a common theme in ancient mythology, particularly in Indo-European tradition. It is more likely, however, that the legends of the Gorgons came from two separate traditions. They had in their possession other items belonging to the gods that would help Perseus survive an encounter with the monster and her sisters.
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