Gorgo, Gorgoneion in Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, Vol. Mason-Dixon Line Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. Medusa wandered Africa for some time. Medusa. Mythopedia, March 11, 2023. https://mythopedia.com/topics/medusa. Medusa grew wings, tusks, and long claws. But to be honest, her greatest accomplishment is being the owner of Pimpek the Cat. Other sources gave Ladon different parents. Themis was a Titaness (the female version of Titan), which was a generation of gods that came before the Olympians.This was the Golden Age, a time of peace when the Titan Kronos ruled over all others. 1. Many artists made Medusa into a work of art. While flying over the vast land, Perseus noticed a woman of astonishing beauty standing naked with her hands bound on a rock. This was the Golden Age, a time of peace when the Titan Kronos ruled over all others. If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content. She wanted to show the Gorgons head in a different way. Then he grew to an immense height in every part (so you gods determined) and the whole sky, with its many stars, rested on him.. Medusa by Michelangelo Caravaggio (159596). Unfortunately for Acrisius, the oracles prophesy eventually came true. In his work, he says that she was the queen of those around Lake Tritonis (modern-day Libya), and faced Perseus and his army in battle. In Homers Iliad, Athena, as a war goddess, inspires and fights alongside the Greek heroes; her aid is synonymous with military prowess. 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. The French military created a special belt during World War I that had her face on it. Medusa herself had a chilling face topped with serpents that sprang from her hair. This shows that the island has protection from Athena. The nature and purpose of queer art is not something that can be answered with just one article. Medusa was one of the three Gorgons, daughters of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto. Perseus stayed in Ethiopia where he met Andromeda, daughter of Cassiopeia. Medusa is one of the most famous characters of Greek mythology. 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. Medusas siblings awoke but could not find her killer as he wore the Helm of Hades. Medusa, the daughter of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, was the most feared of the Gorgons. London: Reaktion Books, 2013. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Herodotus found some evidence that she appeared in Berber mythology where she was a major part of their religion. Andromeda was said to be an Ethiopian princess. After killing Medusa, Perseus used her severed head as a weapon, turning many of his enemies to stone. Apollonius of Rhodes: The third-century CE epic Argonautica describes the venomous vipers of the Sahara as the offspring of Medusa (4.1505ff). Hesiod, Theogony 29597 (though the reading of these lines is disputed). When the king turned to the Gods, they agreed to help as they worried about what the creature could do. A History of Witchcraft in Art, 10 Modernists Who Changed the Face of Indian Art. One such lock was sometimes said to protect the Greek city of Tegea. In later times, Artists would paint quite detailed works of Perseus holding the head of Medusa, and they would inform similar beheadings, such as David and Goliath, or the beheading of John the Baptist. The terror of Medusa is thus a terror of castration that is linked to the sight of something. No source of mythology states that Poseidon was his father, although the sea god does play a role in Perseus story. In some stories, it was only then that he went and killed Proteus, but the chronology is different throughout history. She also appeared in the 2010 remake as a monster with a serpentine lower body. Sky was the first who ruled over the whole world. The full story of Medusa, taking into account the oldest myths and the younger poems and stories that survived through the Roman empire, is one of tragedy. Half,brother and great,grandfather of Heracles, son of Nestor and Eurydice (or Anaxibia) who appears in Homer's The Odyssey, main character in Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, and a main character in The Heroes of Olympus series, both by Rick Riordan. He would become a Greek, rather than be born one. It is from the Perseus Constellation that we also see the Perseid Meteor Shower, which has been documented since 36 AD. According to Ovid, as Perseus traveled back to Polydectes, he stopped in the lands of Atlas. 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. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. It was said that anyone who looked directly at her was immediately turned to stone. Gorgo. In A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Perseus, in Greek mythology, the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa and the rescuer of Andromeda from a sea monster. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius of Argos. As an infant he was cast into the sea in a chest with his mother by Acrisius, to whom it had been prophesied that he would be killed by his grandson. They all claimed that Medusa was a horrific creature but could not recall when they first heard the legend. WebIn one version of the Medusa story, she was a gorgeous young woman who agreed to become one of Athenas priestesses. This idea first appeared in a journal in 1978. By the fifth century BCE, however, Medusa and the Gorgons were increasingly depicted as beautiful women in the visual arts as in literature.[8]. It isnt one hundred percent clear if Perseus was against the worship of Dionysus; mythology texts say that the King of Argos was, but some versions mean Proteus. Nonnus: The myth of Medusa, her death, and her monstrous offspring are alluded to throughout the epic poem Dionysiaca (fifth century CE), which relates the travels of the young god Dionysus. One of her works said that similar stories focused on sister trios and that authors likely added Medusas sisters. A lot of focus is put on the Renaissance when learning art history. The Death of Medusa I by Edward Burne-Jones (1882). The most famous story of Perseus is his quest to kill the famous monster, Medusa. According to Ovid, this is what first got her into trouble: when Medusa slept with Poseidon in a temple of Athena, Athena turned her hair into snakes as a punishment. During the 20th century, many looked at the tale of Medusa and how it relates to feminism. Modern literary experts also point to the legend as one of the first times in history when men blamed a victim for her rape. [25], Not all ancient sources interpreted the myth of Medusa literally. Athena gave Perseus a shield with mirrors to deflect Medusas gaze, while Hades helped him remain invisible to her. Zurich: Artemis, 1988. The myths of Medusa are addressed in Book 3. Greek Mythology is known for its many fearsome beasts such Mantikhoras and Cyclopes. Whether it is Pausanius or Apollodorus you read, the story is remarkably the same. Dionysus could not be turned to stone, however. Medusa was often depicted as a terrifying winged female with snakes instead of hair. Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.21.6, 5.12.2. Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. 4, 288345. Medusa followed the goddess for many years before she met and fell in love with Poseidon. Leeming, David. DailyArt Magazine needs your support. According to another tale, Perseus lived to old age, founding the city of Tartus and teaching the magi of Persia. The two decided to marry, which infuriated the goddess. Homer never named Medusa in the Odyssey but did talk about a monsters head that Hades could send o Persephone. Perseus had been traveling home from slaying Medusa when he came across a beautiful woman by the sea. Perseus Uses Medusas Head as a Weapon. The History of Guns, Greek Mythology: Stories, Characters, Gods, and Culture, Aztec Mythology: Important Stories and Characters, Greek Gods and Goddesses: Family Tree and Fun Facts, Roman Gods and Goddesses: The Names and Stories of 29 Ancient Roman Gods. It's hard to imagine Zeus misplacing his thunderbolt, as he does as a crucial plot point in "The Lightning Thief", but stranger things have happened in Greek In Ovids telling, Perseus describes Medusas punishment by Minerva (Athena) as just and well earned. Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 798800, trans. In Homers Iliad, Athena, as a war goddess, inspires and fights alongside the Greek heroes; her aid is synonymous with military prowess. He is best known in Greek mythology as the slayer of Medusa, one of three female creatures, or Gorgons, London: Spottiswoode and Company, 1873. Rather than the father of Perseus, Poseidon is a lover of Medusa, a sea monster who Perseus slew. 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. In post-Mycenaean times the city, especially its citadel, replaced the palace as Athenas domain. The Origin of Hotdogs, The History of Boracay Island in The Philippines. Omissions? This he gave to Perseus, and it was only ever used once. He then used the mirrored shield to kill her, looking at Medusas reflection rather than directly at her so that he would not be turned to stone. However, other sources gave Scylla different parents. The two quarreled and Perseus angrily forced Atlas to look upon Medusas head. Ovids Metamorphoses tells the story of how Perseus, traveling back from killing the Gorgon, came across the beautiful Ethiopian, Andromeda, and saved her from a vicious sea monster (Cetus). [21], Perseus eventually gave Medusas head to Athena, who placed it on her breastplate or shield, called the aegis. Her pure white milky skin turned a scary green hue. When she found them together, Athena transformed her into a woman with serpents in her hair and a cold stare. There are many stories and interpretations of the Gorgon Medusa from Greek mythology and later years. She vowed to be celibate her entire life as a priestess of Athena until she fell in love with Poseidon. Hades gave Perseus the helmet of invisibility, Hermes his winged sandals, Hephaestus a mighty sword, and Athena a reflective bronze shield. And anyone who looked upon the head, even after it was removed, would turn to stone. Upon returning to Seriphos, Perseus showed the king Polydectes the head and turned him to stone, thus saving his mother. No men are allowed to enter the tower, and the bronze nature of the tower also ensures that its walls cannot be climbed. While Athena, the goddess of women and knowledge, was often portrayed as holding a shield, the story of Perseus is the only surviving account of it being used. In this way, no man would ever wish to look upon the woman again. Eventually, he turned the head of Medusa upon himself and turned to stone. The items brought by Perseus were integral to the killing of the Gorgon Medusa. As she traveled, some of the serpents in her hair fell to the ground and slid away. Perseus made a deal if he dealt with the monster, Andromeda would become his wife. This star is approximately 92 light years from earth. In addition to being snake-haired and winged, she was often pictured with fangs and a wide, menacing face. Freud disregards any myths that claim she turned men to stone. One was the Giant Chrysaor, who became the father of the monster Geryon. For standing by their sibling, she did the same to the other two gorgons. 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 Gorgon came out in 1964 and was a Hammer film that told a modern version of her story. According to Apollodorus, Asclepius received a phial of her blood from Athena and used it to cure the sick. This work is privately owned, signed, and now known as Murtola. When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant wielding a golden sword, sprang from her body. The snakes were likely executed by a specialist, Frans Snyders, but the idea was Rubens. WebPerseus was one of the oldest out of all of the Greek mythological heroes. Pegasus, the famous horse with wings, arose from her dead body. In the versions that name Perseus, the story is grim. 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. She went against her vow and married him. His entire body, including his head and hair, became part of a mountain range. Apollodorus, Library: A mythological handbook from the first century BCE or the first few centuries CE. Just as Andromeda had told Perseus her tale, the monster rose from the waters. A magazine from 1986 also used this idea and claimed that feminists could learn how to channel their rage through her story. [23], Medusas blood was sometimes thought to have magical or medicinal properties. This series is often compared to the British Harry Potter series, and the first book was adapted into a film in 2010. When Perseus found the Gorgons, he used the helmet of invisibility to sneak up on Medusa. She was able to see the future, and because of this, became one of many in a line of Oracles of Delphi (also known as Pythia). The flag and emblem of Sicily also features her head. In feminism Medusa is known as a symbol of rage even though she was originally exceedingly beautiful. However, according to multiple sources, she was a particularly beautiful woman and did not go unnoticed by the gods. By wearing the winged sandals, he could move in and out quickly. Medusas Head is a study released in 1940 after Freuds death. In later artwork, she appears as a more beautiful woman. 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 book 47 of the text, Perseus kills Ariadne by turning her into stone, while a disguised Hera warns the hero that, to win, he would also need to kill all the Satyrs. He made armor for Heracles and Achilles, arrows for Appolo and Artemis, and an Aigis (or goat-skin breastplate) for Zeus. Giovanni Versace loved the Medusa legend so much that he chose her as the mascot of his clothing brand. The two decided to marry, which infuriated the goddess. Also in more modern art, the subject of Medusas head became quite popular. Perseus was the child of Danae, a princess of Argos. Johnston claimed that it showed men were still frightened of powerful women. Seneca, Medea 828ff; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 44.198ff. In almost every version of the Medusa myth, King Polydectes of. There is no evidence that Poseidon was angry about this action, however, and the god appears to play no other role in the story of the Grecian hero. With the help of several gods, Perseus tracked Medusa down to her remote lair and beheaded her. Caravaggio painted two versions of Medusa, the first in 1596 and the other around 1597. Interestingly, in all other cultures, including Hebrew and Arabic, it is a head (sometimes Ras Al-gol or demons head). When Ovid wrote her story in Metamopheses, he claimed that she was born beautiful before becoming a snake-haired creature and retained her looks over the years. Zeus had intercourse with her in the shape of a stream of gold which poured through the roof into Danaes lap., Enraged that she was to fall pregnant, and believing that it was Proteus, not Zeus, that had gotten into the chamber, Acrisius dragged Danae back out of the chamber. 2023. https://mythopedia.com/topics/medusa. New York: Routledge, 2008. She was widely worshipped, but in modern times she is associated primarily with Athens, to which she gave her name. She also gave birth to Natura, a goddess of the forest. Perseus, upon saving his mother, returned to Argos. After Perseus had beheaded Medusa and put her head into his satchel, he used his winged sandals to quickly fly away from the other two vengeful Gorgons. Through Mortal Bloodlines, Perseus was the Great-Grandfather of Helen of Troy. Acrisius spoke to the Oracles, who prophesied that the son of Danae would be the cause of the old kings death. Yet the Greek economy, unlike that of the Minoans, was largely military, so that Athena, while retaining her earlier domestic functions, became a goddess of war. Rhianna chose to dress as the Greek mythological figure when she dressed like her on the cover of GQ in 2013. He claimed that the story of her decapitation shared much in common with castration. Legend claims the was a giant who carried a golden sword. Priestesses took a vow of chastity and devoted their lives to her. Herodotus points out that Assyrians believed Perseus to have been from Persia, hence the similar name. She was associated with birds, particularly the owl, which became famous as the citys own symbol, and with the snake. Subscribe to DailyArt Magazine newsletter, A Very Florentine Story: Perseus and the Head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini, Greek Mythological Creatures That Combine Female Beauty and Beastly Ugliness, scariest creatures that Greek mythology created, Proto-Renaissance 101: From Guilds to Giotto, Hags and Slags? In Greek mythology, Perseus was the heroic slayer of the Gorgon Medusa (pronounced meh-DOO-suh). Greek mythological hero; son of Zeus and slayer of Medusa. According to another tradition, however, the head was kept in the city of Athens, buried underneath a mound in the agora.[22]. Though she has a different name, she has the power to turn people to stone when they look into her eyes. Medusa: In the Mirror of Time. Athena removed a lock of the womans hair and gave it to Hercules. 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. While no longer as famous as Heracles or Odysseus, the Argive king and Greek hero Perseus has just an interesting story. Athena is associated with birds, particularly the owl, which became famous as the symbol of the city of Athens. She is not only immortalized in stories but also in history. Both Herodotus and Pausanias wrote passages about what they could discover about this king, including his possible connections in Egypt and Persia. Here are the five most famous paintings depicting Medusa. So Zeus and his brothers got together armor and weapons to help Perseus succeed against Medusa. She was thought to have had neither consort nor offspring. 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. There are three different ways you can cite this article. She was portrayed using stop motion animation in the 1981 film Clash of the Titans. Her birth and her contest with Poseidon, the sea god, for the suzerainty of the city were depicted on the pediments of the Parthenon, and the great festival of the Panathenaea, in July, was a celebration of her birthday. 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. But Perseus is, without a doubt, the son of the king of the gods, Zeus. Link will appear as Themis Goddess of Order and Justice: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, October 21, 2019, Greek Gods and Goddesses 2010 - 2023 | About | Contact | Sitemap | Privacy, Themis Goddess of Order and Justice: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net, Goddess of divine order, law, natural law and custom, oracles. The messenger god stepped in. Eventsromagna. London: Nutt, 189496. Polydectes had been abusing her. Medusas other child was Pegasus, the beautiful winged horse. In his eyes, Medusa was only scary because it linked castration to something that a man could see. Gorgophone, daughter of Perseus, was to give birth to Tyndareus. Some historians believe that the story of Medusa has some basis in fact. When Perseus sought a place to rest, Atlas refused him. Perseus, realizing he had been tricked by Hera, changed his ways and supported the Dionysian mysteries. An alternative story was that Zeus swallowed Metis, the goddess of counsel, while she was pregnant with Athena so that Athena finally emerged from Zeus. Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.828ff; Eustathius on Homers Odyssey 12.85; scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.828; scholia on Platos Republic 9, 588c. Unlike other creatures who were mortal, Medusa was mortal and capable of death. In a late version of the Medusa myth, related by the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa was originally a ravishingly beautiful maiden, the jealous aspiration of many suitors, but because Poseidon had raped her in Athenas temple, the enraged Athena transformed Medusas beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Dana, the daughter of Acrisius, King of Argos. When Perseus arrived, he forced her to look into the shield and see her reflection, which turned her to stone. Medusa was the only one of the three who was not immortal. 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. Strabo, Geography: A late first-century BCE geographical treatise and an important source for many local Greek myths, institutions, and religious practices from antiquity. Medusas sisters were immortal but she was mortal. Medusa also appeared in multiple pieces of art from the Renaissance and later. Medusa represents philosophy, beauty and art. Together with Zeus, Themis bore the Horae, or the goddesses of the seasons. The Helmet of Hades was one of the gifts of the Cyclopes to the young Olympian gods when they first fought the Titans in the Titanomachy. 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.. Wilk, Stephen R. Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon. The priestess was able to foretell divine prophecies once filled with the spirit of Apollo. When a studio remade the film in 2010, she played a major role. For this Athena punished her hideously. She and her sisters were daughters of the primordial sea gods, Ceto and Phorcys. The best-known story of Perseus and Dionysus comes from Nonnus, who wrote an entire biography of the bacchic god. Disappointed by his lack of luck in having a son, Acrisius consulted the Oracle at Delphi, who warned him that he would one day be killed by his daughter's son. 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 Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.47.4; Apollodorus, Library 2.7.3. Sign up and get your dose of art history delivered straight to your inbox! The Medusa Reader. Medusa is also a character in the first installment of Rick Riordans Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and is portrayed by Uma Thurman in the 2010 film adaptation. Hold on to your broomstick as we fly through time to check out the delicious and diabolical witch in art history. London: Routledge, 2003. Sicily uses both Medusa and the trinacria on its flag. WebAcrisius Grandfather of Perseus. 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. Essentially urban and civilized, Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess later taken over by the Greeks. Popularity: 2996. There, he married Andromeda, and she would live to old age, giving Perseus many children. The man who stole her mask then used the story to frighten others. Masar Group 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). What Happened When Perseus Returned With the Head of Medusa? Medusa is so popular that LEGO created a mini-figure of her. Indian modernists have been vanguards of shaping the narrative of Indian art in the modern world. Webchapter 6. chapter 7. chapter 8. chapter 9. book 3. Medusa With The Head of Perseus will be installed Monday and unveiled the following day in a park across from Manhattan Supreme Court, according to the group How is Perseus Otherwise Portrayed in Modern Culture? These children of Poseidon would go on to have their own stories in Greek mythology. Freud simply stated that the myth is part of the Odepial Complex. 3 vols. However, classical and renaissance artists loved depicting the creature being ridden by the better-known hero, so the two myths are often confused. Her emergence there as city goddess, Athena Polias (Athena, Guardian of the City), accompanied the ancient city-states transition from monarchy to democracy. Thence, by Athenas curse anyone she looked upon turned to stone. Since Medusa was the only one of the three Gorgons who was mortal, Perseus was able to slay her while looking at the reflection from the mirrored shield he received from Athena. Atlas immediately turned to stone, thus becoming the Atlas Mountains. Despite releasing the winged horse when he killed Medusa, no ancient mythology has Perseus ever riding Pegasus. Any man who saw her face would turn to stone, and it was considered a feat that Perseus could survive her presence, let alone kill her. To this day, the god can be seen as Mount Atlas. No female character, however, is perhaps as popular as Medusa, the monster who could turn men to stone with a single glance. In Freuds interpretation: To decapitate = to castrate. Medusa spent the rest of her days wandering the earth alone. Medusa. Mythopedia, 11 Mar. The chief characters in the Perseus legend, Perseus, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, and the sea monster (Cetus), all figure in the night sky as constellations. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn. [3] Other authors have proposed still more remote dwelling places, including the obscure Gorgonean Plains near Cisthene in Asia Minor[4] and the island of Sarpedon.[5]. While some myths suggest that Perseus volunteered to retrieve the head as a wedding gift, others say he was ordered to as a method of getting rid of the pesky young man. Much later, Geryon was killed by Heracles. Andromeda had been left chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. 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. The once lovely hair was morphed into poisonous, dangerous snakes. While much was written about the Perseus legend, modern historians and archeologists have been unable to uncover anything about the real Argive king. Classic Medusa, in contrast, is an Oedipal or libidinous symptom. Several regions also depict her on their flags and emblems. Born centuries after the first appearance of Medusa, Freud later used her in his psychoanalysis. In some traditions, Perseus also met Atlas, the Titan charged with holding up the heavens, during his travels. Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 3.55; Pliny, Natural History 4.31. Euryale could leap with ease, while Stheno was stronger than her sisters.