But once Apollonius reveals her false identity at the wedding, the illusion fails her and vanishes. [98] August Enna wrote an opera called Lamia.[36]. [63] According to a scholiast to Ovid, it had a serpent's body carrying a human face. She was imported into Greece as one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and his sister Ceto. Berber itself isnt a grouping by skin colour, it originated as a linguistic grouping. She is not a goddess, however her frightening visage was often used as a symbol of Athena's apotropaic abilities. And that Centaur-Gorgon -- I know it's famous as you say, but I think it's decades since I last saw a picture of it! In both versions, Athena, pissed that her priestess not only broke her vows but did the nasty in her temple, punished her by turning her into her new hideous form and banished her to a desolate island until Perseus slew her. Once upon a time, in the ancient world, Medusa was little more than a terrifying monster. [58], Some commentators, despite the absence of actual blood-sucking, find these witches to share "vampiric" qualities of the lamiae (lamiai) in Philostratus's narrative, thus offering it up for comparison.[59]. 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. A space to share and talk about theistic paganism. Free shipping for many products! Pegasus, the winged horse, emerged from Medusas severed head, apparently conceived during her tryst with Poseidon, who often manifests as a stallion. [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. Athena was sent to a foundry in North Africa to be raised by a Cyclops. [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". Petrification from, A gorgon joins the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork in the, Previous throwaway mentions: A cross-eyed gorgon with a stone nose was mentioned by one of the monster hunters in. The basis of this identification is the variant maternities of scylla, sometimes ascribed to Lamia (as already mentioned), and sometimes to Hecate. Although later details, such as her origins as a beautiful 5. Herodotus, Histories 4. Learn what works (and what doesn't) from the reader's perspective. [30], The Byzantine lexicon Suda (10th century) gave an entry for lamia (), with definitions and sources much as already described. Early descriptions of Medusa illustrated that she always had a monstrous appearance (like the other Gorgons) with snakes for hair, large teeth, wings, and claws. Other myths say that Medusa retained her mortal beauty, as a cruel Irony. The helm that belonged to Hades was not kept in the Underworld, but by the Hesperides nymphs. One interpretation of the Medusa myth, therefore, is that she represents the priestesses of an unknown pre-Greek goddess. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [1.1] ATHENE (by Poseidon) (Herodotus 4.180, Pausanias 1.14.6) Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : [103], Later traditions referred to many lamiae; these were folkloric monsters similar to vampires and succubi that seduced young men and then fed on their blood. Athenas participation in the destruction of Medusa may be interpreted as the goddess destroying her own past. The best explanation of Medusa is, that she was initially a volcano myth. In support of that theory: - She turns people to stone, much like getting For more information on choosing credible sources for your paper, check out this blog post. The examples are Aristophanes's reference to the "lamia's testicles", the scent of the monsters in the Libyan myth which allowed the humans to track down their lair, and the terrible stench of their urine that lingered in the clothing of Aristomenes, which they showered upon him after carving out his friend Sophocles's heart. The story of Medusa seems to obviously be one of a terrible monster. In Libya, Medusa was worshiped as a serpent-goddess that represented female 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. Uncover new sources by reviewing other students' references and bibliographies, Inspire new perspectives and arguments (or counterarguments) to address in your own essay. WebTraduzioni in contesto per "luinon c'era che Dea" in italiano-inglese da Reverso Context: Era chiaro che per luinon c'era che Dea. For the Basque lamia, see. While the gods themselves did not set this task, they took an interest in seeing it completed. Kibin does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of the essays in the library; essay content should not be construed as advice. In the very earliest sources, she lived on an island in the Atlantic. [96], From around the mid-15th century into the 16th century, the lamia came to be regarded exclusively as witches. The sandals of Hermes allowed him to fly out of their cave quickly before they could detect him. Medusa's appearance varies depending on what source you're reading. 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. - Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University, We use cookies to provide the best possible experience on our site. Raised by Wolves features a character named Lamia, an android mother, who has removable eyes and the ability to shapeshift. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. The one part about Reddit I love is the mix of opinions. [54][55][m][n], Meroe has seduced a man named Socrates, but when he plots to escape, the two witches raid his bed, thrust a knife in the neck to tap the blood into a skin bag, eviscerate his heart, and stuff the hole back with sponge. There is an ancient metaphysical belief that menstrual blood is the single [97], In Edward Topsell's History of Four-footed Beasts (1607), the lamia is described as having the upper body (i.e., the face and breasts) of a woman, but with goatlike hind quarters with large and filthy "stones" (testicles) that smell like sea-calves, on authority of Aristophanes. Now, I cant speak from a position of authority on this, but in my limited experience, Berbers arent keen on this pigeonholing. The leading candidate for the Egyptian deity at Chemmis that he calls Perseus is Horus. A more sustainable option that doesn't include our Goddess box, pouch, or booklet to reduce packaging waste. Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses. In 2019 a fragmentary archaic Greek carving of a Gorgons head, or Gorgoneion, was found in Gibraltar itself deep inside Gorhams Cave. 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. [89], Some commentators have also equated Lamia with Hecate. Moon (many, including Orpheus disciples, have seen Medusas face in the moon). When a woman's child is well grown, the men assemble within three months and the child is adjudged to be that man's whom it is most like. How the West made Arabs and Berbers into races.. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. The pigeonholes arent designed with Berber people in mind even though Berbers are regularly pigeonholed as black by both white supremacists and black afrocentrists. Essays may be lightly modified for readability or to protect the anonymity of contributors, but we do not edit essay examples prior to publication. She went against her vow and married him. Medusa's main characteristics are snakes for hair and that people turn to stone just by seeing her face. 1493 ff (trans. 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. There was a myth at nearby Antaeopolis that Horus made a pair of sandals from the hide of Seth; Perseus flying sandals would have made an obvious parallel. Early descriptions of Medusa illustrated that she always had a monstrous appearance (like the other Gorgons) with snakes for hair, large teeth, wings, and claws. All three were so hideous, that the shock of seeing them would turn anyone into stone, which In southern Asia, theres an ancient belief that menstruation indicates possession by snake spirits. They're not intended to be submitted as your own work, so we don't waste time removing every error. 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. Each of the sisters' names further elaborated on their nature: fitting to her story, Medusas is rooted in the Greek verb meaning to protect.. Like his brother Zeus, Poseidon fathered Approximately 10% of the females are "greater medusae", who have super-toxic blood and. 180 (trans. Aeneas didnt originate in Roman myth, but hes still an important part of Roman myth. [67], A second example is a colony of man-eating monsters in Libya, described by Dio Chrysostom. Medusa teaches us to know and love ourselves outside of the expectations of patriarchal society. They are not strictly speaking "witches", but they are referred to as such by convention. Because of her cruel acts, her physical appearance changed to become ugly and monstrous. WebTHE GORGONES (Gorgons) were three powerful, winged daimones named Medousa (Medusa), Sthenno and Euryale. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. And those analogues that exhibit a serpentine form or nature have been especially noted. Sign up Thats why Ovid, for example, has Perseus flying eastward over Libya to reach the Mediterranean. 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. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. They think that Medusa was a goddess. As I said at the start, its entirely a matter of what people want. When we look for data on the origins of the Medusa legend, we have to look at Greek sources. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : It has been recorded more recently by Rumon Gamba conducting the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for Chandos Records in a 2019 release of British tone poems. It completely passed me by.On reflection you have a point about Maasai Medusa. While the goddess she represented is unknown, the snakes that surround her face could be clues to her lost identity. One such possible lamia is the avenging monster sent by Apollo against the city of Argos and killed by Coroebus. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. [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". So don't look at that illustration. The assistance of Athena helped many heroes accomplish their goals. French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Libya, Martinique, New Caledonia, Reunion, Russian Federation, Singapore, Ukraine, At the moment of her death, two sons sprung from her blood: Pegasus (the famed winged horse) and Chrysaor. WebPerseus, in Greek mythology, the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa and the rescuer of Andromeda from a sea monster. By Sarah Crocker / Aug. 24, 2021 12:30 am EST. 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. Medusa is usually portrayed as the monster she became after her transformation by Athena. "On the return trip [of the Argonauts] Eurybates, son of Teleon died, and Canthus, son of . 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. An Ionian Greek city could change its ethnicity by changing its dialect and clothing styles. What hooks you? Left: a Gorgoneion or Gorgons head on a hydria from Attica, Greece, ca. Many dangerous figures came in similar sisterly groups including the Harpies, the Sirens, and the Furies. | FAQs | ^Mods | Magic ^Words. Cute Monster Girl variety. 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. Let us know! [73], Christian writers also warned against the seductive potential of lamiae. 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. Percy also confronts the forgotten other son Chrysaor, embittered at being ignored in legend, who honors his heritage as a son of her and Poseidon by becoming a fearsome pirate. 180.) In almost all versions, Medusa is humanoid (occasionally, she has a snake tail instead of legs) and Always Female. [2.1] KEPHALION, NASAMON (by Amphithemis) (Apollonius Rhodius 4.1493, Hyginus Fab 14), TRITONIS (Tritnis). Well, in an important sense it doesnt matter. (Pindar puts the Gorgons in or near Hyperborea, a fictional place in the far north. This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. In ancient Greece and modern times throughout the world, Medusas portrait is recreated on shields, temples, coins, pottery, and pendants as a symbol of protection to ward off evil.. In others, they are not literal snakes but rather hair that supernaturally behaves as if it were made of living snakes. Depending on the version of the story, she either reciprocated, and (with a little help from her sisters) let Poseidon into Athena's temple and slept with him on the altar, or was simply raped by the god. They were in the service of Hera, giving Perseus a connection to both of these deities. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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. Please note: 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 She is a goddess of menstrual power and hence female power. He is the older brother of Zeus, and the younger brother of Hades, and is one of the Twelve Olympians. Kibin, 2023. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-views-on-medusa-goddess-in-mythology-u4hTw2Vu. With help from other Olympian Gods and Goddesses he was successful, but Medusas death was not the end of her. WebMedusa. [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. Medusas face was said to be so horrifying to look at that it could turn men to stone. In some versions, the removable eye belonged to the three Gorgons, Medusa and her sisters. Fittingly, a great hero was dispatched to kill her. WebOne of the most popular monsters of Greek Mythology is Medusa. I felt the question about Medusa being a Goddess was closed in my mind, then I saw an altar for Medusa the other day and wanted to know if anyone else had another opinion. Available via Live Chat Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm EST Email Us anytime at info@aweinspired.com. It is eventually revealed that Medusas are the larval form of hydras. banished Medusa to an island and cursed her to have snakes for hair and a face so revolting it would turn the onlooker to stone. Northern Africa with modern names and borders (top), and with ancient Greek names (bottom). Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius of Argos. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) If you don't object I'll delete it from the article and just preserve it here in this comment. Many other myths are interpreted as retellings of how the Greeks and their pantheon won power. 2. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) But that doesnt mean there arent any. [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. A slightly different version of the second origin is that Medusa was willingly seduced by Poseidon rather than raped. [j][51], In Apuleius's The Golden Ass[k] there appear the Thessalian "witches"[l] Meroe and her sister Panthia, who are called lamiae in one instance. Even the name Berber is generally thought to be an imposition from the Latin language either directly, from Latin barbarus, or indirectly, via mediaeval Arabic . Some historians also believe that the existence of three Gorgons is further evidence to support this theory. [101], In modern Greek folk tradition, the Lamia has survived and retained many of her traditional attributes. Later depictions (although still fairly ancient ones, in the absolute sense) gradually toned down the more monstrous aspects and made her more attractive. noteAll bets are off, though, if she is of the Gorgeous Gorgon resp. She was perhaps also identified with Benthesikyme a North African sea-nymphe who like Tritonis was married to a local sea-god (Enalos) and had two daughters. Medusa teaches us to know and love ourselves outside of the expectations of patriarchal society. Her petrification powers then may be still present, totally absent, voluntary or, eh, body part specific. Athena is a goddess of crafts but not just any crafts. 490 BCE (British Museum, McDaniel, S. 2020. except it's just Tamagotchi School's nurse Mrs. Houtaiko rather than Medusatchi, A deleted subplot would have had Athena and Apollo conspiring to help Perseus behind the other gods' backs; presumably having Athena be the one who cursed her would have put her in. Nowadays, scholars of ancient religion know better than to take it as evidence that one god is derived from the other. In the story of the birth of the Libyan Athena, Triton--a Libyan sea-god sometimes identified with Poseidon--and Tritonis were the parents of two daughters named Athena and Pallas. Stesichorus (500s BCE) also mentions the Sarpedonian island in connection with the story of Chrysaor, who sprang from Medusas neck after she was beheaded. Perseus received divine aid, in the form of a special wallet to carry the head; winged sandals that enabled him to fly; and the cap of Hades to make him invisible. Strong parallel with the Medusa has also been noted. Although the lower body of Draper's Lamia is human, he alludes to her serpentine history by draping a shed snakeskin about her waist. Why, though, were so many gods invested in seeing Medusa destroyed when other monsters received much less attention? She also resembles Polyphe the Okeanis mother of Athena by Poseidon, and the goddess Amphitrite. The Traditional Story of Medusa. Alternatively she desired Medusas power. [95] Worded another way, Lamia was emblematic of the hypocrisy of such scholars. She transformed Medusa into a terrifying creature with snakes for hair and a face that literally turned those who gazed at her to stone. It's nice to know that you have read my article. Priests and priestesses would wear images of their deities or monsters from their myths to take on the spirit of the deity. Engraged, Athena, unable to punish Poseidon, banished Medusa to an island and cursed her to have snakes for hair and a face so revolting it would turn the onlooker to stone. Translating names in this way is called interpretatio graeca. It was assumed, among other godlike attributes, as a royal aegis to imply divine birth or protection, by rulers of the Hellenistic age, as shown, for instance, on the Alexander Mosaic and the Gonzaga Cameo. WebIn Greek mythology, Poseidon was the god of the sea, floods, droughts, earthquakes and horses. [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. So if Berber people want Medusa to be Berber, then yes, shes Berber. Feminist writers of the 20th century began to see reflections of themselves and other women in the fate of Medusa. 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 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. Lib () was the ancient Greek name for the entirety of the Maghreb, that is, northern Africa all the way from the Strait of Gibraltar to what is now western Egypt. Because she is a reminder to be unapologetically ourselves and fierce in the face of oppression, Medusa is a perfect talisman for manifesting and honoring our inner bad bitch. There are two different such prequel myths regarding the origins of the original Medusa. Zeus gave Lamia the power of prophecy and the ability to take out and reinsert her eyes, possibly because she was cursed by Hera with insomnia or because she could no longer close her eyes, so that she was forced to always obsess over her lost children.[1]. Medusa Medusa was a Libyan Goddess who was worshiped by The Amazons. Kibin. [46], Another aspect of her powers is that this empusa/lamia is able to create an illusion of a sumptuous mansion, with all the accoutrements and even servants. Medusa may manifest as the beautiful goddess she was prior to her transformation or in her classic monster form with contorted face and snake locks. Since this is a trope about a mythological creature, see the trope description above for the most common versions of the mythology. Hamilton, H.C.; Falconer, W. WebMedusa was a Libyan Goddess who was worshiped by The Amazons. Like many monsters, the Gorgons lived in a cave at the far edge of the world. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. ", "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. Her hideousness, deadliness, and removal from the civilized word all made Medusa a monstrous figure. These monsters had a woman's torso, the lower extremities of a snake, and beastly hands. [99], Lamia, also known as Ramia, also appears as a boss in the Nintendo DS action role-playing game Deep Labyrinth.[100]. The Gorgons were in the far west. Both girls cultivated the military life, which once led them into contentious dispute. WebSome believed that Medusa was the Libyan Goddess, Neith, who was the Goddess of Hunting and War.

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