Medusa was a beautiful young maiden who had a magnificent head of long enticing
hair in her time; she was desired and courted by many
suitors . Yet before she could be betrothed to a husband, Poseidon
found her worshiping in thetemple of Athena and ravished [basically raped her].
The Goddesses Athena was outraged at that her sacred temple
had being violated, so she punished poor Medusa who was actually violated inside the sacred temple of Athena... So when the Goddesses Athena punished Medusa by turning her beautiful tresses into snakes and giving her the destructive power to turn anyone who
would look upon her directly would turn into stone.
One wonders why did she punished Medusa so harshly when it was Poseidon that was the one that did the violation on her sacred temple... there are many different views to this story in the Greek Gods.
Story
of Medusa in Greek MythologyThe
stories of Medusa are often contradictory. Was she a victim or a
villain? Was she always ugly or once beautiful? How did someone with
the body of a dragon and a head of a snake become known as thy
"guardian or protectorates"? Just was her role in the early
Greek myths?The name Medusa first appears in early religious history, when the goddesses represented birth and earth. It was a time before the advent of male gods. There are references to a Medusa among the Libyan Amazons. She was know then as the "Serpent goddess"
Those
who study Greek mythology believe the goddess was transplanted into
Greek
tales at a later date. All tales seem to agree that she was a
gorgon-a -terrible monster. Some stories say she was born that way,
the only mortal of three gorgon sisters born to Echidne, a Echidne, a
half-women, half-Typhonand Typhon, the worst monster in the world.
Another story states she was very beautiful at one time; and she was
born beautiful to two earth people Phorcysed PhCetos and Ceto.
The
story of Medusa as a word renowned beauty says she offended Athena,
the beautiful goddess. One myth says Medusa lived in the far north
and had never seen the sun. She asked permission of Athena to come
south. When Athena denied her request, she angrily accused Athena of
being jealous of her (Medusa's) beauty. Enraged, Athena not only
removed her beauty, but even worse, made her so ugly people,
especially men, turned to stone just by looking at her (Medusa).
A
different story also reports that Medusa's beauty was so stunning
that many men courted her, but she became a priestess in Athena's
temple. Her golden hair and her beauty attracted the lustful eyes of
the sea god, Poseidon. They coupled in Athena's temple, a terrible
violation of a sacred place. Stories differ as to whether he raped
Medusa of she enticed him first. Either way, she got pregnant.
When Athena learned of what happened; she flew into a rage and cursed poor beautiful Medusa, even though it was not all her fault. The curse was snakes for hair, a body of a dragon and a face so ugly that no man would look upon her and if they did those would turn into stone.
Eventually,
a Greek hero name Perseus promised to kill her. He borrowed (some
stories say Hermes) Hermes winged sandals and Hades' cap of
invisibility. He carried a powerful scythe and a mirrored shield. His
speed and invisibility allowed him to get close to her. He used the
mirror to "see" her without becoming a stone and beheaded
her. Again, different versions tell that of different people or
objects from the gods assisted him.
It
turned out that the head continued, to be useful, at least for
awhile, to turn others
to stone. Perseus used it to kill some of his
enemies included Polydectes Polydectes who was Perseus Persephus'
mother to marry him.
The story continues that when her head left her neck, her offspring sprang full
When he laid the head down by the sea , the blood seeped onto the seaweed and created red coral. Afterwards this water was known as the "Red Sea" It is also Interesting to note that some species of coral are called Medusa today.
The
eventual disposition of the head of Medusa has varies tale to tale.
Some say Athena used it on her shield, The Aegis, for awhile, and
then gave it away.
O Persephus Persephus buried it in the marketplace of Argos. Images of Medusa were found in the temples of Artemis, who also sometimes wore a Medusa mask at some rites. Her image was also found on doors, flags and in cups It was used to care off evil spirits too.
There
were lessons to be learned from Medusa's stories. One is that beauty
can either be a gift or a curse, depending on how a beautiful woman
behaves. Her beauty certainly got Medusa into trouble. The second
lesson is that Medusa had more power as a gorgon than a woman. This
is how she became known as Guprotectores protectorates especially of
virgins. The curse of being able to turn men into stone proved to be
a warning to all men who force their unwanted attention on young
women. Finally, she continued to have power even after death.
Her
head continued to kill and her blood spawned her children as well as
snakes and coral. That power has continued even to modern times of
today!!! Women's rights and liberation has been brought to Medusa's story for women, along with her head as a symbol of rage and power. Perhaps
every women has a little of
Medusa in her both Beauty , Power & Rage.I brought this post up again because I remember
The first time I got so many different views on the subject.
And the fact that The Goddess Medusa is still today
Very much alive today.
I found that even besides the movies
Arties, Magazines, blogs etc. She is very much
A Beauty & Power Today. Even with her
Tragic story in the very brief happiness of
Her youth taken so violently . I hope
that I have honored the great Goddess Medusa.
She may have been a monster to many ,but to
me she was a victim and used her power
the only way she knew how under the
Circumstances.
To The Goddesses Medusa
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