WebMedusa was a Libyan Goddess who was worshiped by The Amazons. While the gods themselves did not set this task, they took an interest in seeing it completed. It can be used to destroy or overwhelm any other power. Coral, anything serpentine, menstrual blood stained pads or garments. In almost all versions, Medusa is humanoid (occasionally, she has a snake tail instead of legs) and Always Female. For Apollonius in speech declares that the seductress is "one of the empousai, which most other people would call lamiai and mormolykeia". Choosing to worship Hera when you advance to the Mythic Age lets you train Medusae at your temple. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : 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. Much later, in the first decade AD, the Roman poet Ovid wrote a different version where Medusa was a virgin priestess of Athena, but her incredible beauty attracted the attentions of the god Poseidon. Reading example essays works the same way! Medusa is usually portrayed as the monster she became after her transformation by Athena. Clash of the Titans (1981) (mentioned below) featured her as one of the monsters and it has been said that modern generations owe their knowledge of Medusa to the film. She may be Athenas mother, a closely related spirit, or possibly even the identity Athena left behind when she moved from North Africa to Greece. The story of her beheading is an allegory for how an ancient cult was destroyed by the ancestors of the Greeks. Pegasus, the winged horse, emerged from Medusas severed head, apparently conceived during her tryst with Poseidon, who often manifests as a stallion. : Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. Either way, Athena was furious. Let us know! These monsters had a woman's torso, the lower extremities of a snake, and beastly hands. The poets stated that she In the fifth addition, medusae look like humans with snakes for hair, have males with identical powers and are cursed to turn into medusae on an individual basis. And either way, she can still become Berber any time. Ancient Greek names are normally built out of meaningful Greek words. [38] The last statement has led to the surmise that this lamia/empusa was a sort of blood-sucking vampiress. She was imported into Greece as one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and his sister Ceto. No. Medusa if she was inspired by a goddess culture" could be a trace memory of Minoan goddess worship and the importance of snakes in the culture WebIn Greek mythology, Poseidon was the god of the sea, floods, droughts, earthquakes and horses. Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld, Nadeko imbibing the remnants of a snake oddity and transforming into a Snake Goddess, long hair that could be used as tentacles to grab people, using a piece of the snake-mane to squirt acidic venom into her own eyes, demanding certain kinds of people not be let into the Watch, regret her decision to turn her into a monster, a giant snake's body in lieu of humanoid legs, many monsters are immune or highly resistant to, she was turned into a monster as punishment, Brothel for the Slaking of Intellectual Lusts, the monster she eventually became at the end of her life at the cost of her sanity, giant monster made of snakes that can shoot lasers from its single eye, that at least he can still move this time, One of the first major villains faced by the heroes of, The little known 1978 anime film Metamorphoses, which is based on, One that deserves particular mention is the, Gorgons have a particular presence on Theros, a plane directly inspired by, Several runs earlier Diana faced a much-less intelligent (but only slightly less deadly) Medusa imitation during a tournament to choose a new Wonder Woman. After Empusa is equated with Hecate in a fragment of Aristophanes's lost play, Keats made a note to this effect at the end of the first page in the fair copy he made: see William E. Harrold, "Keats' 'Lamia' and Peacock's 'Rhododaphne'". Aristotle says there is a shark called "lamia". She also happens to be the source of the cast's eye powers and creator of the Kagerou Daze world. Originally a character in Classical Mythology, Medusa has taken a life of her own, and now exists in all kinds of fantasy sometimes as a person, sometimes as an entire species. And, of course, as a son of Zeus Perseus was directly connected to the king of the gods. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) . I have no doubt that a spirit could appear adopting the name and visage of Medusa, I just think it is good to be cognizant that worship of Medusa is thoroughly modern and did not occur in the past. Her features are common of Greek monsters. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. [37][36], A representative example is Philostratus's novelistic biography Life of Apollonius of Tyana.[37]. [13][12], According to one myth, Hera deprived Lamia of the ability to sleep, making her constantly grieve over the loss of her children, and Zeus provided relief by endowing her with removable eyes. In fourth edition, medusae are a species in the usual sense, with both males and females. I cant read Tamazight or Arabic, so Im not ideally placed to say what the prevailing mood is. And then there are some that offer a compromise and state that she was both beautiful and terrible at the same time. iv. While Medusa could be killed, her sisters could not. Fittingly, a great hero was dispatched to kill her. A single glimpse of Medusas face was enough to kill a man instantly. There are also people who worship people from the Arthurian legends. In the very earliest sources, she lived on an island in the Atlantic. In Greek: " , ", Cupid refers to Psyche's sisters as Lamiae, Apul. Many historians believe that it represents a time when the Minoan culture of Crete dominated the new Mycenaean Greeks. Perseus beheaded Medusa while she slept, but her severed head retained its power to paralyze and turn viewers to stone. She was one of three sisters, all known as creatures named Gorgons. Snakes are traditionally associated with menstruation. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-views-on-medusa-goddess-in-mythology-u4hTw2Vu, ("The Views on Medusa Goddess in Mythology. [11], Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (vii.5) refers to the lore of some beastly lifeform in the shape of a woman, which tears the bellies of pregnant mothers and devours their fetuses. [102] John Cuthbert Lawson remarks "the chief characteristics of the Lamiae, apart from their thirst for blood, are their uncleanliness, their gluttony, and their stupidity". Because of her cruel acts, her physical appearance changed to become ugly and monstrous. Well, in an important sense it doesnt matter. [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". Libya is a very misunderstood name. (Apollon. Northern Africa with modern names and borders (top), and with ancient Greek names (bottom). 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. The story surrounds the tragedy of the daughter of King Crotopus of Argos named Psamathe, whose child by Apollo dies and she is executed for suspected promiscuity. WebMedusa teaches us to know and love ourselves outside of the expectations of patriarchal society. Horace makes a related joke, referring to the aforementioned Lucius Aelius Lamia the praetor as "Lamus", in this instance regarded as the founding figure of the city of the Laestrygonians. Thank you for the reference in the "further reading" section!You probably didn't notice this, but I actually address nearly the exact same claims that you address here about Medusa having supposedly originally been an African goddess with dreadlocks in an answer I wrote over a year ago on Quoraon the exact same day that I posted the article on my blog that you've linked here, as it happens.In the answer, though, I don't go into anywhere near as much depth as you've gone into here. [1.2] ATHENE, PALLAS (by Triton) (reconstructed from Apollodorus 3.144) Like other myths, such as that of the Minotaur, the story of Medusa and the Gorgons could be based in pre-Mycenaean Greek history. The Gorgons collectively could indicate that this unknown goddess was part of a triple goddess cult. 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. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) Myths and stories with background for Medusa were added later. 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. iv. Its entirely up to Berber people to decide whether Medusa is African today. [44][40] It has been suggested from this discourse that the creature was therefore "literally a snake". Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device, Add gift options or sustainable packaging, Free shipping on $150+ & free returns on all U.S. orders. They are depicted as female creatures with 'snake-like' bodies and seduce the protagonist Rael in an attempt to devour him, but as soon as they 'taste' Rael's body, the blood that enters the lamias' body causes their death. FEBRUARY MYSTERY BOX, GET IT BEFORE IT'S GONE ON MARCH 1ST, LAST CHANCE | BUY THE FEBRUARY MYSTERY BOX, Discover your goddess | Take the quiz & get 10% off, Most recognizable for her locks of snakes, Medusa was the daughter of ancient chthonic deities of the sea. WebThe Libyan Berber Goddess Tannit (Neith) Tannit or Neith is originally a Berber Libyan Goddess venerated by the Berbers of North Africa from immemorial times. The TImeoroi were perhaps Naiad-nymphs of the fresh-water springs of the region. Poets and scholars of all ages knew Her as the Goddess Neith. In 2019 a fragmentary archaic Greek carving of a Gorgons head, or Gorgoneion, was found in Gibraltar itself deep inside Gorhams Cave. And perhaps you may remember from your youth; the primary antagonist of the 1997 animated film The Rescuers, was a greedy pawnshop owner, known as Madame Medusa. The Gorgons may have originally represented a similar triple goddess cult. The loss of her children drove Lamia insane, and in vengeance and despair, Lamia snatched up any children she could find and devoured them. The queen, as related by Diodorus, was born in a cave. They saw parallels between the punishment and isolation the Gorgon faced for her own assault and the way women are so often maligned for the mistreatment they endure. They were in the service of Hera, giving Perseus a connection to both of these deities. edd., Strabo. ", Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. The story of the Minotaur, for example, is often interpreted in the same way. ((lacuna)) They were slain in Libya by the shepherd Cephalion, brother of Nasamon, son of the Nymph Tritonis and Amphithemis, whsoe flocks they were plundering.. 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. This is given in the concluding paragraph of the chapter. Medusa is not just a minor sea spirit. Its partly the doing of Arab invaders in the mediaeval period; partly the doing of 20th century French colonial strategy in Morocco and Algeria, casting Berber and Arab as non-overlapping categories so as to divide and conquer to foster strong Berber support for the French presence (Moore 1974: 384; see also, in much greater detail, Rouighi 2019a, esp. From Greek mythology, Medusa is the only mortal of the Gorgons. Other packaging types available at checkout. Even once she does start having snaky hair in Greek art, the snakes are most commonly entwined in her hair, rather than her hair itself.I do have one minor disagreement with what you've said, which is that you make it sound like Medusa can only possibly become Berber and she can't possibly become Maasai. To learn more, read our. Herodotus gives us valuable data, but hes no authority in interpreting the data. Such is their tale. WebMedusa. The Makhlyes wear their hair long behind, the Auseans in front. Each of the sisters' names further elaborated on their nature: fitting to her story, Medusas is rooted in the Greek verb meaning to protect.. Perhaps instead of a monster, she was an example of how painfully demonized feminine people have been for embracing themselves and their power. Medusa in Libya Medusa is a powerful symbol today, as powerful as ever whether you imagine her as the monstrous demon of early Greek art, the beautiful The oldest story known to feature Medusa is the adventures of Perseus. Sometimes, however, she is portrayed as a living woman. Since this is a trope about a mythological creature, see the trope description above for the most common versions of the mythology. The Gorgons were in the far west. In Keats's version, the student Lycius replaces Menippus the Lycian. He also gifted her with a shapeshifting ability in the process. Lamia appears as an antagonist in Rick Riordan's The Demigod Diaries, appearing in its fourth short story The Son of Magic. Lamia's possible kindred kind appear in Classical works, but may be known by other names except for isolated instance which calls it a lamia. Both girls cultivated the military life, which once led them into contentious dispute. 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. [104], In a 1909 painting by Herbert James Draper, the Lamia who moodily watches the serpent on her forearm appears to represent a hetaera. So don't look at that illustration. The most popular is that of a hideous monster; in fact, the petrification originally was caused by Medusa's ugliness itself, before other myths retconned it into being a power based in her eyes. Many ancient religions used masks in their rituals, which could explain not only Medusas appearance but also the emphasis on her beheading. WebTraduzioni in contesto per "luinon c'era che Dea" in italiano-inglese da Reverso Context: Era chiaro che per luinon c'era che Dea. Through the century Medusa became a feminist symbol of the power of feminine rage, leaving the male gaze, and finding independence, in addition to protection. It makes us look like a bunch of judging Christians. [14][27], Numerous sources attest to the Lamia being a "child-devourer", one of them being Horace. Kibin does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of the essays in the library; essay content should not be construed as advice. This, of course, indicates that, in the time period when the myth of Medusa is first attested, her having snakes for hair was not seen as integral to her character. Medusa Medusa was a Libyan Goddess who was worshiped by The Amazons. But it does seem to me that it isnt Berber people who want to claim Medusa. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Later depictions (although still fairly ancient ones, in the absolute sense) gradually toned down the more monstrous aspects and made her more attractive. Engraged, Athena, unable to punish Poseidon. She was a beautiful maiden with golden hair. ", Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4. ", Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 14 (trans. The Gorgon sisters as a whole are the Trope Namer to Gorgeous Gorgon. Poseidon courted her. Whats the historical low-down? Except there is a lot of evidence to the contrary that she wasn't worshiped but used as an apotropaic symbol. They're not intended to be submitted as your own work, so we don't waste time removing every error. A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page. And those analogues that exhibit a serpentine form or nature have been especially noted. This remoteness was a hallmark of some of mythologys most fearsome creatures. Where does the myth of Medusa come from?, Moore, C. H. 1974. . : Hes entirely wrong about Greek gods names, for example: we know now that theyre mostly Indo-European. Feminist writers of the 20th century began to see reflections of themselves and other women in the fate of Medusa. The basis of this identification is the variant maternities of scylla, sometimes ascribed to Lamia (as already mentioned), and sometimes to Hecate. Medusa's main characteristics are snakes for hair and that people turn to stone just by seeing her face. The Traditional Story of Medusa. It's nice to know that you have read my article. There exists a genus of horned dinosaur named after Medusa called. Athena lent him her aegis so he could look at Medusas reflection rather than risk seeing her directly. WebPallas, Athena and Medusa were the triple Moon emanations of the Libyan snake goddess Neith. [72], By the Early Middle Ages, lamia (pl. Medusa was originally an aspect of the goddess Athene from Libya where she was the Serpent-Goddess of the Libyan Amazons. noteAll bets are off, though, if she is of the Gorgeous Gorgon resp. "He [Amphithemis son of Apollon and Akakallis (Acacallis)] married the Nymphe Tritonis and she gave him two sons, Nasamon and the powerful Kaphauros (Caphaurus). [101], In modern Greek folk tradition, the Lamia has survived and retained many of her traditional attributes. "The Views on Medusa Goddess in Mythology." Check out our Privacy and Content Sharing policies for more information.). Perseus used it as a weapon before surrendering it to Athena. In the earliest stories, Lamia was a beautiful queen of Ancient Libya who had an affair with Zeus. Poseidon, especially attracted to her voluptuous hair, assaulted her in the temple of Athena. Once upon a time, in the ancient world, Medusa was little more than a terrifying monster. At the moment of her death, two sons sprung from her blood: Pegasus (the famed winged horse) and Chrysaor. Medusa embodies menstruations protective powers. Another double of the Libyan Lamia may be Lamia, daughter of Poseidon. You know how looking at a math problem similar to the one you're stuck on can help you get unstuck? Over time, as the snake hair grows larger, the human parts will eventually shrivel up and die, leaving only the snake heads attached to a snake body. Here are some ways our essay examples library can help you with your assignment: Read our Academic Honor Code for more information on how to use (and how not to use) our library. In some versions, her hair-snakes are venomous. Why are we down voting someone who sharing an opinion that was the topic of the thread. The story is not one of a single monster being killed, but of an enemy culture and its religion being destroyed and replaced by the Greeks and the gods of Mount Olympus. Her hideousness, deadliness, and removal from the civilized word all made Medusa a monstrous figure. Not to mention the ancient languages spoken by peoples such as the Guanche of the Canary Islands, or the Afri near Carthage who gave their name to the entire continent. 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. The Perseus legend didnt originate in Chemmis; Medusa and the Gorgons didnt originate in the modern territory of Libya. ", Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. Medusas normally have entirely human bodies, snake hair aside, but medusas who mate with powerful humanoids give birth to brazen medusas, who have the lower bodies of giant, bronze-scaled snakes. It's founded on a distortion, but as you say, myths are malleable. [11], The Vulgate used "lamia" in Isaiah xxxiv:14 to translate "Lilith" of the Hebrew Bible. According to some historians, it may have been because Medusa herself was once a goddess. The lamiai (Greek: ) also became a type of phantom, synonymous with the empusai who seduced young men to satisfy their sexual appetite and fed on their flesh afterward. She was imported into Greece as one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and his sister Ceto. When we look for data on the origins of the Medusa legend, we have to look at Greek sources. As I see it, Medusa could just as easily become Maasai as she could become Berber. 1st century BC), for instance, describes Lamia of Libya as having nothing more than a beastly appearance. [18][26] Such practices are recorded by the 1st century Diodorus,[9] and other sources in antiquity. Nowadays Siwa is mostly Berber. As for Athena, they say that she was daughter of Poseidon and Lake Tritonis, and that, being for some reason angry at her father, she gave herself to Zeus, who made her his own daughter. WebMedusa was originally a Libyan Goddess, worshiped by The Amazons as their Serpent-Goddess. Her symbols were a shield that frequently appeared above her head in Medusa, to me, is the monstrous version of a heroic mortal. Send your order with a custom message. Priests and priestesses would wear images of their deities or monsters from their myths to take on the spirit of the deity. What hooks you? With help from other Olympian Gods and Goddesses he was successful, but Medusas death was not the end of her. The sandals of Hermes allowed him to fly out of their cave quickly before they could detect him. [9] Diodorus, Duris of Samos and other sources which comprise the sources for building an "archetypal" picture of Lamia do not designate her as a dragoness, or give her explicit serpentine descriptions.[82]. Because they were immortal, Perseus had to flee from them instead of fight. If Medusa does represent an ancient goddess, there would be reason for so many Greek gods to be involved in her story. The story of Medusa seems to obviously be one of a terrible monster. 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