When she found them together, Athena transformed her into a woman with serpents in her hair and a cold stare. Lucan: The epic Civil War (60s CE) describes how the venomous vipers of the Sahara were born from Medusas blood (9.624ff). According to author Jane Ellen Harrison, Medusas power came from her head and anyone who carried it gained that power. Th. Apollodorus, Library, book 1, chapter 1, section 1 In most versions of the story, she was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who was sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphus because Polydectes wanted to marry his mother. Medusa One such lock was sometimes said to protect the Greek city of Tegea. Medusa followed the goddess for many years before she met and fell in love with Poseidon. In 1782, Leonardo da Vincis biographer Luigi Lanzi discovered a depiction of Medusas head which he erroneously attributed to Leonardo, based on a description of Leonardos painting done by Giorgio Vasari. Andromedas mother boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids, so Poseidon sent the monster to attack the city. They believe that there were events the occurred and that the Greeks simply created a new version of the event. Perseus had been sent to fetch Medusas head by Polydectes, a cruel king who wished to have Perseus out of the way so he could marry his mother, Danae. From c. 200 B.C. Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. According to Pseudo-Apollodorus, the king of the gods became a golden rain and seeped into the cracks of the chamber. She was a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. In a strange little side-note, an interesting fact about Medusa and her sisters were integral to the invention of the flute. She claimed that they shamed her for sleeping with one of their members. Perseus is a godly Greek hero (he was a son of Zeus) whose ancient name just might have modern possibilities along with other so-old-they're-new-again names such as Atticus and Orion. She was also worshipped in many other cities, notably in Sparta. When a studio remade the film in 2010, she played a major role. Hermes, the messenger of the Greek gods, wore winged sandals that let him fly at supernatural speed around the world to pass messages between gods, and also bring warnings and prophesies to mortals. They lived together in a remote part of the world. Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. She was thought to have had neither consort nor offspring. From then on she roamed, shamed, shunned and loathed by everyone. Meaning: Destroyer. Though he used it to save his mother, Perseus then went to Argos and buried her head there. When Andromedas former fianc Phineus attacked him, Perseus killed him, too, using Medusas head. Perseus only succeeded by owning special armor and weapons from the gods and later took advantage of holding Medusas head when confronted with the Titan Atlas. Being the favourite child of Zeus, she had great power. Perseus flew into the air like an ancient superhero, drew his sword, and dived at the creature. A Summary and Analysis of the Myth of Perseus and the Gorgon Library This shows that the island has protection from Athena. Perseus was quite protective of his mother, with all they had been through, and was cautious about the King. In House of the Faun from 200 BC, she appears on the plate worn by Alexander the Great. Perseus It is said that the priestesses of Chorea, women who followed Dionysus, were slaughtered by Perseus and his followers and dumped into a communal grave. Her profile is engraved on coins of the reign of Seleceus I Nicator of Syria from 312-280 B.C. When Elana Dkyewomon released a series of poems and short stories written by and for lesbians, she chose the Gorgon for the cover. Detail. In most ancient sources, Medusa and the Gorgons were imbued with a terrifying appearance. A fellow child of Zeus, Perseus famously beheaded the snake-haired Medusa, fought a sea monster for Andromeda, and accidentally killed his grandfather while playing sport. The best-known story of Perseus and Dionysus comes from Nonnus, who wrote an entire biography of the bacchic god. Perseus - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity Modern linguists, however, dismiss this etymology as a coincidence. [19], According to Ovid, the corals of the Red Sea were formed when Perseus set Medusas head down in the seaweed after saving Andromeda. In most versions of the story, she was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who was sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphus because Polydectes wanted to marry his mother. Many later versions of the myth claimed that she was once a beautiful maiden loved by Poseidon. No human-made weapon could pierce the armor of the great blacksmith, and only a weapon he made himself had a chance the sword of Hephaestus. The stories about Medusa in Greece are unique because they changed quite a bit over the years. Elizabeth Johnston released an essay in 2016 where she talked about how men used the legend as a way to disparage Hillary Clinton as she ran for President. The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao came out the same year and told the traditional story of Medusa. Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. Interestingly, in all other cultures, including Hebrew and Arabic, it is a head (sometimes Ras Al-gol or demons head). More importantly, he was the grandson of Acrisius and Eurydice. Medusa also appears on television. Greek writers never specified why only one Gorgon sister was mortal. The qualities that lead to victory are found on the aegis, or breastplate, that Athena wears when she goes to war: fear, strife, defense, and assault. While it was Zeus that fathered Helen and Pollux by sleeping with Leda while in the form of a Swan, Tyndareus was considered their mortal father. WebPerseus Early Life Perseus was the demigod offspring of the unusual union between Zeus and Danae: the supreme god came to the imprisoned princess of Argos in the form of a golden shower through a crack in the roof of her chamber. For Perseus to take his place as King would be considered a good thing for many of the people of Argo. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. The name Medusa was likely derived from the Greek verb medein (to guard, protect). We love art history and writing about it. WebAthena appears in Homers Odyssey as the tutelary deity of Odysseus, and myths from later sources portray her similarly as helper of Perseus and Heracles (Hercules). Perseus was the son of Zeus, and the god of gods wanted to protect him on his quest. Many later versions of the myth claimed that she was once a beautiful She and her sisters were daughters of the primordial sea gods, Ceto and Phorcys. It came out in 2013 as part of a limited edition series.-Many people use an image of her head because they believe it will protect them from others. The nature and purpose of queer art is not something that can be answered with just one article. In order to keep Dana childless, Acrisius imprisoned her in a bronze chamber, open to the sky, in the courtyard of his palace: This mytheme is also connected to Ares, Oenopion, Eurystheus, and others. For this insult, Perseus showed the severed head of Medusa, and the old Titan turned to stone. Hesiod, Theogony 280ff; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.784ff, 6.119ff; Apollodorus, Library 2.4.2; Hyginus, Fabulae 151. His entire body, including his head and hair, became part of a mountain range. When Perseus found the Gorgons, he used the helmet of invisibility to sneak up on Medusa. 2023 Nameberry.com.Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. Polyidus, frag. She claimed that Medusa was the ultimate guardian and protectress of women. The Greek hero came to see her on the orders of King Polydectes who ruled over Seriphus. Of this, Ovid said, Now his hair and beard were changed into trees, his shoulders and hands into ridges. Corrections? Medusa wandered Africa for some time. Smith, William. Giovanni Versace loved the Medusa legend so much that he chose her as the mascot of his clothing brand. According to Greek mythology, Mycenaes story goes back to the hero Perseus, the demigod son of Zeus and Danae, who was said to have founded the city of Mycenae. [23], Medusas blood was sometimes thought to have magical or medicinal properties. The name Perseus is boy's name of Greek origin meaning "to destroy". One was the Giant Chrysaor, who became the father of the monster Geryon. After her death, Perseus immediately left to fight Atlas. Perseus was the child of Danae, a princess of Argos. According to Pausanias, they say that the god, having made war on Perseus, afterward laid aside his enmity, and received great honors at the hands of the Argives, including this precinct set specially apart for himself.. In the modern world, feminists use Medusa as an icon that represents female anger and rage. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius, King of Argos. Perseus. To make Athena look better, some stories claim that Perseus never gave her Medusas head. She personified, or represented, fairness, the laws of the gods, the laws of human nature, the laws made by man and customs (or tradition). [27] The antiquarian Diodorus of Sicily claimed that they were wiped out by Heracles when he traveled through Libya.[28]. While Medusa once had soft and supple white skin, it turned green. However, according to multiple sources, she was a particularly beautiful woman and did not go unnoticed by the gods. The French military created a special belt during World War I that had her face on it. Born centuries after the first appearance of Medusa, Freud later used her in his psychoanalysis. Perseus, realizing he had been tricked by Hera, changed his ways and supported the Dionysian mysteries. Medusa. Mythopedia, March 11, 2023. https://mythopedia.com/topics/medusa. WebIn one version of the Medusa story, she was a gorgeous young woman who agreed to become one of Athenas priestesses. Perseus is one of the few people besides Hermes to wear the winged sandals. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Johnston claimed that it showed men were still frightened of powerful women. This interpretation goes on to say that the Three Fates were actually born with Themis in the sea and that they traveled with her to Mount Olympus to meet Zeus. In Ovids telling, Perseus describes Medusas punishment by Minerva (Athena) as just and well earned. No source of mythology states that Poseidon was his father, although the sea god does play a role in Perseus story. Essentially urban and civilized, Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess later taken over by the Greeks. His mother was Danae (pronounced DAN-uh-ee), daughter Athenas association with the acropolises of various Greek cities probably stemmed from the location of the kings palaces there. Pindar wrote in 490 BC that she had fair cheeks. However, instead of it being in battle or any form of murder, death came only as an accident. And sometimes, shes holding a scale, a symbol for justice and balance. In post-Mycenaean times the city, especially its citadel, replaced the palace as Athenas domain. The two had three daughters, including Euryale and Stheno. It is from the Perseus Constellation that we also see the Perseid Meteor Shower, which has been documented since 36 AD. The Gorgon Sisters https://mythopedia.com/topics/medusa, Avi Kapach is a writer, scholar, and educator who received his PhD in Classics from Brown University. She believes that the story relates more to Athena than others do. 3 vols. Hold on to your broomstick as we fly through time to check out the delicious and diabolical witch in art history. It is also said that Perseus built the towns of Mideia and Mycenae, and fought to stop the Dionysian mysteries. It was said that anyone who looked directly at her was immediately turned to stone. Unlike other stories that claim she caught them in the throes of passion, this version says that she was upset that her priestess went against her rules. 5 Most Famous Medusa Sterope used the hair to defend the city and keep it safe. Her superiority also derives in part from the vastly greater variety and importance of her functions and from the patriotism of Homers predecessors, Ares being of foreign origin. It was interpreted both as a triumph of stoic reason over the foes of virtue and as the possibility of controlling passions and exercising stoical equanimity through implacable realism. 837; Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.653ff. The most famous story of Perseus is his quest to kill the famous monster, Medusa. Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 798800, trans. Medusa: In the Mirror of Time. The Roman version of her story is the same but changes the location to Minervas temple and her partner to Neptune. Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess and was later taken over by the Greeks. Medusa was said to have once been a lover of Poseidon. According to Athenaeus, a Greek author who lived during the late second and early third centuries CE, the Gorgons were long-haired beasts, so terrifying that all who looked upon them were paralyzed and killed. He explained that when a man saw something frightening such as a naked woman, he associated it with his mother because it was his first experience with the female form. The Medusa Reader. Andromeda had been left chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. Also known as Phorkys, he lay with his sister Ceto. Freud disregards any myths that claim she turned men to stone. Here are just three great ones for you to use. Medusa had promised to keep her chastity in honor of her deity, and took this vow seriously. Herodotus names Perseus as the son of Danae but points out that it is unknown who his father may have been this compared to Heracles, whose father was Amphitryon. Thank you for your help! By the fifth century BCE, however, Medusa and the Gorgons were increasingly depicted as beautiful women in the visual arts as in literature.[8]. The two goddesses were sort of entwined in their duties, which is why it made sense that they shared a temple in the ancient Greek city of Rhamnous. Today, many surviving bronze shields from ancient antiquity are carved with the Gorgons head as a warning for all who face the wielder. Themis was one of the first twelve Titans, direct descendants of Gaea (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Sky), the first beings to ever exist in the universe. But to be honest, her greatest accomplishment is being the owner of Pimpek the Cat. So maybe its a good time to say what Sigmund Freud in his Das Medusenhaupt (Medusas Head) thought of her. He would become a Greek, rather than be born one. That she ultimately became allegorized to personify wisdom and righteousness was a natural development of her patronage of skill. Updates? Herbert Weir Smyth. She vowed to be celibate her entire life as a priestess of Athena until she fell in love with Poseidon. And anyone who looked upon the head, even after it was removed, would turn to stone. Most legends claim that the hero Perseus killed her with help from Hermes and others. Medusa has made several appearances in modern pop culture. Unfortunately for the citys people, the celebrations did not last long. One of her works said that similar stories focused on sister trios and that authors likely added Medusas sisters. Though some point to the version of the story where Athena came across Medusa in her temple, others claim that the legend never says whether she willingly agreed to intercourse with Poseidon. Acrisius in Greek Mythology Now she is in heaven with the other great women, like Elektra, my mother Maia, and your mother Semele., Dionysus calmed and let Perseus live. The best-known star within the constellation is Algol, Horus, or Beta Persei. The messenger god stepped in. She was the daughter of Zeus, produced without a mother, so that she emerged full-grown from his forehead. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a terracotta jar created by Polygnotos that shows Perseus murdering her in her sleep. Her emergence there as city goddess, Athena Polias (Athena, Guardian of the City), accompanied the ancient city-states transition from monarchy to democracy. It featured a drawing of Medusa on the cover and a story inside about how women can grow when they learn how to use and control their rage. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order In the versions that name Perseus, the story is grim. A History of Witchcraft in Art, 10 Modernists Who Changed the Face of Indian Art. They claim that she spent most of her life in Sarpedon, which was close to Cisthene with her Gorgon sisters and also died there. Its hard to tell anything about this Medusa painting other than what you see. Eventsromagna. WebPerseus Baby girl name meaning, origin, and popularity IN THIS ARTICLE Perseus name popularity Popularity over time Similar names to Perseus Save to list See your list See She claimed that Medusa was the only real Gorgon and that her sisters were mere additions to her story. The two quickly fell in love and married.
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