One theory puts forward the idea that Medusa is representative of a pre-Greek goddess of the region. [45] Philostratus's tale was reworked by Keats in his poem Lamia,[83] where it is made clear she bears the guise of a snake, which she wants to relinquish in return for human appearance. Iconographically, two very different depictions coalesce in the classical Medusa: the Neolithic God-dess of birth, death, and regeneration, who is represented as bird, snake, or bird/snake hybrid; and the Near Eastern demon Humbaba whose severed head is, like Medusas, used in an apo-tropaic manner. When Medusa is used in fiction as a unique being rather than as a species, she is typically given either one of these two origins, or no origin at all. More recently she has appeared as a stop-motion monster (Clash of the Titans, 1981); a woman embittered in old age (Percy Jackson, 2005); an adorable floating head (Hades, 2020). Essays may be lightly modified for readability or to protect the anonymity of contributors, but we do not edit essay examples prior to publication. In Statius' version, the monster had a woman's face and breasts, and a hissing snake protruding from the cleft of her rusty-colored forehead, and it would slide into children's bedrooms to snatch them. Medusa and her family are no exception. For more information on choosing credible sources for your paper, check out this blog post. While Medusa could be killed, her sisters could not. [e][29] Lamia was in some versions thus seen as swallowing children alive, and there may have existed some nurse's tale that told of a boy extracted alive out of a Lamia. Her image was used in Byzantine Greece to protect pregnant women and newborns. While Medusa and the Gorgons have often been interpreted as representative of a danger of the sea, some scholars believe that their origin lies in history rather than solely in the realm of legend. 6 (trans. Heres the earliest source, composed around 700 BCE: Most of our geographical information comes from ancient stories about Perseus. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair Strands of her snake hair went on to protect whole cities. I mostly just say that, although Herodotos does say that Medusa lived in North Africa, there's nothing to indicate that she was originally an African goddess and the story of Medusa was most likely made up by Greeks.The main thing that my answer adds to what you've said here is that I actually address the claim about the dreadlocks by pointing out that the earliest surviving depictions of Medusa, including the famous Kykladic pithos from the early seventh century BCE that depicts her with the lower body of a four-legged horse, don't seem to depict her with snakes for hair. Whether or not Medusa was African in the 7th century BCE, that doesnt determine whether shes African now. Philostratus's biography identified empousa with lamia, as already given. WebTraduzioni in contesto per "luinon c'era che Dea" in italiano-inglese da Reverso Context: Era chiaro che per luinon c'era che Dea. She was imported into Greece as one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and his sister Ceto. [94], Renaissance writer Angelo Poliziano wrote Lamia (1492), a philosophical work whose title is a disparaging reference to his opponents who dabble in philosophy without competence. To learn more, read our. For Apollonius in speech declares that the seductress is "one of the empousai, which most other people would call lamiai and mormolykeia". Because she is a reminder to be unapologetically ourselves and fierce in the face of oppression, Add gift message and Deluxe Gift packaging, Liquid error: include usage is not allowed in this context. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology. This framework slots all European and African people into either black or white pigeonholes. [72], By the Early Middle Ages, lamia (pl. Let us know! [4], In the myth, the Lamia was originally a beautiful woman beloved of Zeus, but Zeus's jealous wife Hera robbed her of her children, either by kidnapping and hiding them away, killing them, or causing Lamia herself to kill her own offspring. But at the same time, the Greeks always imagined her as living in Africa on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. In the movie, Lamia is described as "the most feared of all Demons" and having the head and hooves of a goat. By Sarah Crocker / Aug. 24, 2021 12:30 am EST. "He [Amphithemis son of Apollon and Akakallis (Acacallis)] married the Nymphe Tritonis and she gave him two sons, Nasamon and the powerful Kaphauros (Caphaurus). In southern Asia, theres an ancient belief that menstruation indicates possession by snake spirits. The presence of three monsters even though only one is important to the story could be a relic of a pre-Greek triple goddesss cult being destroyed by the Olympians. [37][36], A representative example is Philostratus's novelistic biography Life of Apollonius of Tyana.[37]. In Greek mythology, Medusa bears many of the hallmarks of a monster. The males have different powers, in that they're bald (so no snake-hair attacks) and they can poison with their gaze rather than petrify, rather like certain mythological depictions of the basilisk. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. The story of Medusa is one of the most well-known in Greek mythology. We'll take a look right away. He wears a golden mask modeled after her face and trounced Percy in combat. [84][85] Daniel Ogden argues that one of her possible reincarnations, the monster of Argos killed by Coroebus had a "scaly gait", indicating she must have had an anguipedal form in an early version of the story,[86] although the Latin text in Statius merely reads inlabi (declension of labor) meaning "slides". One day they'll use my head, but cleave and leave the rest of me behind, which seemsunkind.". The TImeoroi were perhaps Naiad-nymphs of the fresh-water springs of the region. Like his brother Zeus, Poseidon fathered The Makhlyes wear their hair long behind, the Auseans in front. Hes entirely wrong about Greek gods names, for example: we know now that theyre mostly Indo-European. They're not intended to be submitted as your own work, so we don't waste time removing every error. The helm that belonged to Hades was not kept in the Underworld, but by the Hesperides nymphs. ", "Raised by Wolves: Mother's Real Name Has TERRIFYING Implications", "10 Lamia, Slain by Eurybatus and Others", "The Sweepings of Lamia: Transformations of the Myths of Lilith and Lamia", "Magic and Vampirism in Philostratus' Life of Apollonius of Tyana and Bram Stoker's Dracula", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lamia&oldid=1138177380, Articles with Latin-language sources (la), Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2007, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 12:19. A single glimpse of Medusas face was enough to kill a man instantly. WebOne of the most popular monsters of Greek Mythology is Medusa. Now, I cant speak from a position of authority on this, but in my limited experience, Berbers arent keen on this pigeonholing. Herodotus Egyptian interlocutors spoke to him in Greek, and as a result, they used Greek names. Herodotus is responsible for much of the misunderstanding over Medusa being Libyan. 5. Medusa is usually portrayed as the monster she became after her transformation by Athena. And that is why we have the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and Algeria. In Libya, Medusa was worshiped as a serpent-goddess that represented female [98] August Enna wrote an opera called Lamia.[36]. [3] Modern scholarship reconstructs a Proto-Indo-European stem *lem-, "nocturnal spirit", whence also comes lemures. He carries a Medusa head that he similarly uses to petrify enemy units. Medusa teaches us to know and love ourselves outside of the expectations of patriarchal society. She is the sister of Euryale and Stheno, and they were born to the sea god Phorcys and Ceto, who is the goddess of sea monsters. It alludes to Plutarch's use of the term in De curiositate, where the Greek writer suggests that the term Lamia is emblematic of meddlesome busybodies in society. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : Athena is a goddess of crafts but not just any crafts. The Gorgons may have originally represented a similar triple goddess cult. Pegasus, the winged horse, emerged from Medusas severed head, apparently conceived during her tryst with Poseidon, who often manifests as a stallion. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. She was born far across the ocean from Greece; Later contributing authors to Medusas myth placed her homeland as Libya. If you don't object I'll delete it from the article and just preserve it here in this comment. Raised by Wolves features a character named Lamia, an android mother, who has removable eyes and the ability to shapeshift. Thanks for the comment and the Quora link. WebMedusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. And then, there's the 2021 Amazon Prime commercial in which Medusa buys sunglasses, and becomes the life of the party (but doesn't hesitate to petrify someone who is annoying her and her new friends). There is an ancient metaphysical belief that menstrual blood is the single most spiritually and magically powerful substance on Earth. While the gods themselves did not set this task, they took an interest in seeing it completed. Classic Medusa, in contrast, is an Oedipal/libidinous symptom. Looking at 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. There are no recorded instances of Medusa turning a woman to stone. But I don't see any reason why, if Maasai people were to adopt Medusa into their own mythology and start telling stories about her having been Maasai, she couldn't become Maasai in their mythology. It can be used to destroy or overwhelm any other power. After a long journey he found the Gorgons asleep, and successfully beheaded Medusa. Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. One of mythologys most terrible monsters may have originally been a goddess. There exists a genus of horned dinosaur named after Medusa called. [87][88] It is noted that this character terrorized Delphi, just as the dragon Python had. Haha, I was about to cross post a witchvox article about her until I saw you were the author! Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4. Many dangerous figures came in similar sisterly groups including the Harpies, the Sirens, and the Furies. The views on medusa goddess in mythology. Unlikely, it is possible that the character of Medusa may have derived from some form of early snake goddess worship, with possible relations to an Lamia appears as an antagonist in Rick Riordan's The Demigod Diaries, appearing in its fourth short story The Son of Magic. [7] She became disfigured from the torment, transforming into a terrifying being who hunted and killed the children of others. But once Apollonius reveals her false identity at the wedding, the illusion fails her and vanishes. Many historians believe that it represents a time when the Minoan culture of Crete dominated the new Mycenaean Greeks. [89], Some commentators have also equated Lamia with Hecate. This prompted Henderson (1998) to "humorlessly infer" that the Lamia must have been a. Keats's reworking makes this Lamia have serpent form for certain, which she wants to lose. 490 BCE (British Museum, McDaniel, S. 2020. Athena wore Medusas head on her aegis and shield. She resides in the Petrified Temple in the middle of a petrified forest on Lesbos. 144 (trans. Send your order with a custom message and a special package containing an embossed gift bag, tissue paper, Awe branded polishing cloth and a notecard. Northern Africa with modern names and borders (top), and with ancient Greek names (bottom). The Gorgons collectively could indicate that this unknown goddess was part of a triple goddess cult. And sometimes she has also become an afrocentrist symbol. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Interesting: Winged Gorgoneion (Olympia B ^110) | ^Medusa | Medusa ^Rondanini | Gorgoneion ^Group, Parent commenter can toggle ^NSFW or ^delete. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) Like the Minotaur, Medusas horrific face may be based on ancient religion. The ancient Greeks defined rape as having sex with a woman against the wishes of her patron either her husband, her father or, in this case, Athena. They were in the service of Hera, giving Perseus a connection to both of these deities. The Traditional Story of Medusa. Later depictions (although still fairly ancient ones, in the absolute sense) gradually toned down the more monstrous aspects and made her more attractive. Other myths say that Medusa retained her mortal beauty, as a cruel Irony. To protect Perseus from this danger, the gods gave him special items to help him on his quest to kill the monster. Yes. Many of the myths in Ancient Greece and Rome were inspired by people of African descent and deities who were venerated in places where African If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) Short answer: no. Long answer:Medusa is part of Greek mythology which has existed longer than the current misinformation of her being an African Go Judika Isles has her as a living Goddess in her Encyclopedia of spirits. Statues of Medusa were used to guard Pagan Greek temples. In fourth edition, medusae are a species in the usual sense, with both males and females. Her hair forms long curls that, according to Mattel, foretell the serpents that will become her hair. Medusa teaches us to know and love ourselves outside of the expectations of patriarchal society. Either way, Athena was furious. Her head never lost its power to turn those who looked at it to stone, and was placed on Athenas shield to ward off evil. WebPerseus, in Greek mythology, the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa and the rescuer of Andromeda from a sea monster. Her face is a Gorgons mask, but her body is that of a woman dressed and girded for battle. As one of the Gorgons, a trio of winged women with venomous snakes for hair, Medusa ranked among the most feared, powerful monsters to dominate early Greek mythology. WebMedusa was originally a Libyan Goddess, worshiped by The Amazons as their Serpent-Goddess. 1st century BC) gave a de-mythologized account of Lamia as a queen of Libya who ordered her soldiers to snatch children from their mothers and kill them, and whose beauty gave way to bestial appearance due to her savageness. In this story she is a powerful monster whom Perseus defeats by decapitating her (and later using her head to petrify enemies) without looking at her he sticks to looking at her shadow or looking through a mirrored shield, depending on the version. You know how looking at a math problem similar to the one you're stuck on can help you get unstuck? Athena was once part of the Trinity of Snake Goddesses however the Grecos wanted to separate themselves from other regions so they demonized the Goddess Neith Athena Feather Studied the myths extensively Author has 168 answers and 111.6K answer views 2 y Im not sure what answer you want. Kibin, 2023. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-views-on-medusa-goddess-in-mythology-u4hTw2Vu. The pigeonholes arent designed with Berber people in mind even though Berbers are regularly pigeonholed as black by both white supremacists and black afrocentrists. The woman's decision is entirely inconsequential. WebMedusa was one of the three Gorgons ("the Terrible Ones"), the daughters of Keto ("Whale," daughter of Gaea and Pontos, the outer sea) and her brother Phorkys (also a She was doing nothing wrong, living on an island and defending herself after being cursed by the gods, but even then still got killed by some do-gooder hero with a hard on for rulership. Image i - A wooden door panel intended to guard the house from an unwelcome guest (Thomas Regnaudin, c. 1660). [45][h] The empousa admits in the end to fattening up her victim (Menippus of Lycia) to be consumed, as she was in the habit of targeting young men for food "because their blood was fresh and pure". These did not all immediately help him kill Medusa, but it did allow him to escape her sisters. In the anime Monster Musume, the character Miia is a lamia. She is a goddess of menstrual power and hence female power. There are traditions built around Avalon and Arthurian literature. Algol, usually considered a star of ill-fortune, is traditionally perceived as representing Medusas eye. What hooks you? She was considered the destroyer aspect of the Great Triple Goddess also From her deadly power to her hideous face, she has all the hallmarks of an enemy of humanity and the gods. She was one of three sisters, all known as creatures named Gorgons. So if Berber people want Medusa to be Berber, then yes, shes Berber. [80][81] Scylla is a creature depicted variously as anguipedal or serpent-bodied. It is covered with scales all over. Some believed that Africa became the home to many varieties of snakes as Medusa wandered the continent and shed them from her hair. Medusa, to me, is the monstrous version of a heroic mortal. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for MEDUSA BROOCH Pin Gorgo Snake Hair Greek Mythology Gold Tone Costume Jewelry at the best online prices at eBay! Medusa (Metis) was the destroyer aspect of the Great Triple Goddess also called Neith, Anath, Athene or Ath-enna in North Africa and Athana in 1400 c. BC Minoan Crete. Extremely saddened by what had happened to Pallas, Athene fashioned a wooden likeness of her, and round its breast tied the aegis which had frightened her, and set the statue beside Zeus and paid it honour. A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page. Medusa Medusa was a Libyan Goddess who was worshiped by The Amazons. Lamia (/lemi/; Greek: ), in ancient Greek mythology, was a child-eating monster and, in later tradition, was regarded as a type of night-haunting spirit (daemon). [31] The lexicon also has an entry under mormo () stating that Mormo and the equivalent mormolykeion[f] are called lamia, and that all these refer to frightful beings. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Ancient people were racist too, but they tended to think of ethnicity in terms of homeland, language, clothing, religion, and other customs, all in a bundle. I havent found any Berber sources that incorporate her into Berber iconography or culture. Because they were immortal, Perseus had to flee from them instead of fight. Before the girls are set fighting, the whole people choose the fairest maid, and arm her with a Korinthian (Corinthian) helmet and Greek panoply, to be then mounted on a chariot and drawn all along the lake shore. The oldest story known to feature Medusa is the adventures of Perseus. WebAlso known as the Libyan Goddess Neith. Translating names in this way is called interpretatio graeca. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 14 (trans. He goes on to express an opinion that most Greek gods names originally came from Egypt (2.50). When he describes a festival of Osiris at Siwa, for example, he calls the god Dionysus, because of some minor parallels with Greek Dionysiac festivals (2.4749). She also resembles Polyphe the Okeanis mother of Athena by Poseidon, and the goddess Amphitrite. [39] An apparition (phasma [40][g]) which in the assumed guise of a woman seduced one of Apollonius's young pupils. The female are the classic medusa, pretty much the same as in the previous edition except that she can now un-petrify her victims by applying a drop of her own blood. Kibin, 2023. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-views-on-medusa-goddess-in-mythology-u4hTw2Vu. These monsters had a woman's torso, the lower extremities of a snake, and beastly hands. Heres a run-down of where ancient sources placed the Gorgons. All three were so hideous, that the shock of seeing them would turn anyone into stone, which Lamia are featured in the progressive rock album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis on the track "The Lamia." Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Athenas participation in the destruction of Medusa may be interpreted as the goddess destroying her own past. Reading example essays works the same way! [73] Pope Gregory I (d. 604)'s exegesis on the Book of Job explains that the lamia represented either heresy or hypocrisy. [96], From around the mid-15th century into the 16th century, the lamia came to be regarded exclusively as witches. In Africa on the edge of the translations quoted on this page carries a Medusa head that similarly! Your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations a man instantly menstrual and... He similarly uses to petrify enemy units the Amazons as their Serpent-Goddess removable... 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C. 1660 ) in time magazine protect Perseus from this danger, Auseans. Her until I saw you were the author is usually portrayed as the monster her and.... Menstrual power and hence female power become an afrocentrist symbol that belonged to was! May have originally represented a similar triple goddess cult Medusas eye, whence also comes lemures Morocco Algeria... By the Amazons Mattel, foretell the serpents that will become her hair love ourselves of...