Medusa In Greek Mythology ll

Medusa in Greek Mythology ll
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 the
temple 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

grown from her blood. They were the winged horse Pegasus (Poseidon was a great horse lover) and a giant war Chrysaord Chrysaor. As Perseus transported the head, blood dripping onto the Sahara Desert and created poisonous serpents.

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