Early Greek and English authors also said that Athena was the help Perseus had to behead Medusa. Finally, shes a triple goddess. Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art draws on around 60 works from the Manhattan museums collections to explore the transformation of Medusa and other classical female hybrid creatures, from sphinxes to sirens to Scylla, a sailor-eating sea creature with twelve legs and six necks who makes an appearance in Homers Odyssey. She is astute in the ways of protection and lends her guardianship to those who need her most. Different regions and cultures . Medusa was trending on Twitter in June because of an incredible statue image of Medusa sitting on her throne in all her glory. The tattoo design is empowering for women and can also be seductive. Still no matter her form or decapitation her gaze is never averted, looking directly at the viewer as an assertion of her horrifying power that cannot be completely subverted by beauty. The earliest portrayals of Medusa show a grotesque part human, part animal creature with wings and boar-like tusks. Up to that point that was Medusa was known for a monster that had the ability to turn her victims into stone. Some believed that Medusa was the Libyan Goddess, Neith, who was the Goddess of Hunting and War. While there have been myths about Medusa in the past, the most famous myth is her being the monster that Persuses had killed. She keeps evil far away from her. When she's not reading at one of D.C's many coffeeshops she can also be found taking pictures of the different monuments. If women venture to claim control over their heads, then they become a threat to the phallic, male-dominated structure. She wants you to deliberately watch the things you say. Just like movies like clash of the titans, she is a powerful spiritual entity that exists in ancient greek mythology. She represented the sexuality of men and the ancient Greeks views towards women. Her symbols were a shield that frequently appeared above her head in ancient hieroglyphics which was why she was killed with a reflective shield in Greek mythology. The masculine part is the rigid, convinced, and hard-hearted aspect of us, while the feminine side is the tender, emotional, loving, and caring part of us. Moreover, the Gorgon was also seen as a symbol of protection to ward off the evils and negativity of life. In some cases, Medusa was even considered to be a symbol of fertility. In Greek mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three monstrous sisters comprised of Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale. The symbol appeared on ships and pharaohs entombed in the pyramids wore an Eye of Horus amulet around their neck. When the artist Luciano Garbati made his sculpture . Now, many are claiming that Medusa is not an evil figure, but a strong person who had to overcome enormous pain and trauma. In Greek mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three monstrous sisters comprised of Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale. The phoenix is an important symbol of life, death, and rebirth and is a popular image to get tattooed because of its incredible meaning. It was this sort of power dangerous, beautiful, and connected to women that both ancients and more modern people felt needed curtailing, oftentimes at the end of a sword. Which Hand to Wear Evil Eye Bracelet & Ring for Good Luck? Protection symbols are the specific signs that people use to safeguard against evil and negative energies, especially to have a strong spiritual and ritual impression in mind. In the Artemis temple of Corfu, Medusa is depicted in archaic form as a symbol of fertility with a belt of intertwined snakes on her body. While she may be known for her monstrosity, her beauty remains just as dangerous. Terracotta two-handled funnel vase with Medusa head (Greek, South Italian, Apulian, Canosan, Early Hellenistic, late 4thearly 3rd century BCE), terracotta, height: 30 3/4 inches; diameter: 17 5/16 inches (courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1906). The Gorgon as a symbol of protection TW: Mention of r*pe. It also tells you to be confident in your physical looks. Her energy can be channeled for spiritual activities like spells, rituals, and prayers. Many dont know this because Medusa is a monster but her name actually means to protect. ), 7 Eye of Horus Spiritual Meanings: The Egyptian Third Eye. Image Courtesy: pixabay.com. Worth looking into it, if youre curious. At this point, Medusas head became a desired trophy for many warriors who wanted to brave her fierce monster-like powers. Renee Gladmans drawings convey that idea in a more visceral, less cerebral way. Indian artist Diptej Vernekar attached puppets of Hindu avatars to exercise equipment that anyone could activate and engage with. Keeping an image of medusa in front of your door wards off evil spirits. Just like any other figure in Greek mythology, Medusa had her own symbols that represented things in the culture of Greece. Anyone that believes in her will enjoy this protection continually. A writer of all things gender, culture, and travel. She becomes a priestess to her sister Athena and vows to her sister to remain pure. According to Freud, it is for this reason that Perseus must decapitate her. Ideally, Medusa's face is so repulsive and terrifying that it will repel evil entities. "In a male-centered society, the feminization of monsters served to demonize women," she said. There are numerous images of Medusa in an almost angel-like state, or even once she had been cursed, images where the snakes in her hair function as more of an accessory rather than something fearsome. Hellenism (Greek: Ellinisms, Latin: Hellenismus), also less frequently called Olympianism (Greek: Olympianisms, Latin: Olympianismus) or Dodekatheism (Greek: Dodekathesms, Latin: Duodecimdeismus), is the traditional polytheistic and animistic orthopraxic religion, lifestyle, aesthetics, and ethos of the ancient Graeco-Roman world, and is the indigenous religion of the common Greek and Latin cultural sphere. On a chariot-pole finial from 1st-2nd century Rome, Medusa is almost angelic with her flowing hair (and a pair of snakes peeking through her tresses), yet her penetrating eyes of inlaid silver recall her petrifying gaze. While there have been myths about Medusa in the past, the most famous myth is her being the monster that Persuses had killed. In a later version, as told by the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa is a beautiful human woman, who is turned into a monster by Athena as punishment after she is raped by Poseidon (woe to mortal women in mythology). This helps you to be more tender and caring towards other people. All three are originally described as having tusks, wings, and the infamously iconic snake hair. Medusa is a symbol of female power and a popular tattoo design that celebrates the womanhood of women. The consequence led to a lifetime of living beneath her powers. Business, Economics, and Finance. To make this obvious, add a medusa pendant to your necklace. 20. Because I want to look into pendants that I can wear as protective talismans, and I think a Medusa one would be a good fit, but Im worried about drawing the attention of a vengeful monster. Press J to jump to the feed. How might womens stories actually be centered around women? To this moment, her beautiful face remains even with the snake on her head. Throughout the essay she encourages women to come closer in relation to her sexuality, to her womanly being, giving her access to her native strength. She goes on to say that in doing so she will get back her goods, her pleasure, her organs, her immense bodily territories. Cixous continues on, saying that for too long women's bodies have been occupied and deemed guilty guilty of everything, guilty at every turn: for having desire, for not having any; for being frigid, for being too hot; for not being both at once, perhaps even from being both woman and angry. What does it mean when Animals Come to You? It was said that she protected those who were at war and during the hunt. Here we discuss Medusa as a goddess, gorgon, and icon AND we teach you 8 ways to work with her fierce energy. The meaning of Medusa is powerful. The 11 spiritual messages of the medusa goddess can help you understand more about your life and the virtues you carry. She is an advocate of the exaltation of femininity. However, seeing her in your dream changes the narrative. You only need to maintain a positive approach towards life and have a little faith. The word means "protect, rule over" with Medusa meaning "guardian" or "protectress." Perseverance Some will get tattoos of Medusa's severed head, or Perseus holding it, as a representation of perseverance. She vowed to be celibate her entire life as a priestess of Athena until she fell in love with Poseidon. All of this points to one thing, which is Intellectual power. However, Poseidon fell in love with her and slept with her. She is transformed from a seeing subject to merely seen object, a demeaned and faceless body. Even into the 19th century, as the romanticization continued, her eyes did not close. However, the Greek evil eye talisman is believed to specifically protect against a malevolent glare - the "evil eye" - given to an unsuspecting person. There have been all kinds of well-known feminist attempts over the last fifty years or more to reclaim Medusa for female power (Laugh with Medusa, as the title of one recent collection of essays almost put it) not to mention the use of her as the Versace logo but its made not a blind bit of difference to the way she has been used in attacks on female politicians, writes Beard. Unfortunately, the Goddess Athena didnt see it that way and punished her because she couldnt punish the God for his defilement. She was a beautiful goddess and was desired by many. Protection Symbol #9 The Eye of Horus. Medusa, in effect, became the archetypal femme fatale: a conflation of femininity, erotic desire, violence, and death, writesKiki Karoglou, associate curator in the Mets Department of Greek and Roman Art and organizer of Dangerous Beauty, in an issue of theMets quarterly Bulletinon the show. Throughout all of her work, Cixous decries phallocentric storytelling and histories in which men and the psychoanalytic lens of phallic imagery are centered in womens stories. As a result, she symbolizes both death and rebirth. Due to the apotropaic (protective) function of her image, the hydra Medusa motif has been widespread since the Hellenistic period. Even after the curse was initiated, medusa still carries that energy for wisdom and deep understanding. Thank you so much for the response! This is why she has been made into many ceramics, golden, bronze, and silver sculptures unlike other goddesses. Dot-work Medusa tattoos might symbolize the connection to the religious part of Athena's story. The fair fosters a welcoming environment for all those with an appreciation for art, regardless of background or technical know-how. Her representationthe Medusa Tattoohas long served as a symbol of protection from evil. Although Athena had the power to prevent this, she chooses not to. mustache stubble was replaced by smooth cheeks, and fangs concealed by shapely lips, a male-centered society, the feminization of monsters served to demonize women, represents a conflicting view of femininity, one that is seemingly alluring but with a threatening or sinister underside. Men are trash even in ancient greece, we been knew. In the original tale, Poseidon . We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. But she forsook her vows to consummate the reciprocated love of Poseidon - God of the Sea. Protection Symbol #9 The Eye of Horus. Medusa is often seen as a strong and powerful woman, who has the ability to destroy her enemies. These later images may have lost the gaping mouth, sharp teeth, and beard, but they preserve the most striking quality of the Gorgon: the piercing and unflinching outward gaze.. women in power (or fighting for power) have been compared to Medusa, from Marie Antoinette to the suffragettes. The clinical material cited in the above papers refers to male patients, except one case cited by Flugel. Some stories say that there was one more unnamed Gorgon who was older than the others. The mythologically beheaded woman is seen (or at least partially seen) does not see; she is blinded and those who have beheaded her are blinded to her real nature. Your email address will not be published. Her decapitation is in direct result of male anxiety about maintaining power and control. The phallocentric understanding of Medusa that attempts to claim her as an erotic object denies her of her full power of speech, thought, and importance. If men have Medusa in their dreams, according to Freud and Ferencai, it is the terrifying mother syndrome with a castration Freud considered that as a result, she became the unapproachable woman who repels all sexual desire by carrying (symbolically) the genitals of the mother. I do remember exactly, but as far as I remember, it was explained as she was born mortal, then died, and gave birth through this (the rebirth portion). She was also a powerful representation of facing ones inner demons and how self-reflection can make you into a better person. All content found on Angelical Balance is for informational purposes only.Made with lots of love, hard work, and energy! This is especially true with the character of Medusa, because while the feminist reclaimed version is the one many of us have come to know, it wasnt always the way Medusa was written. She is assuring you that God will fight your battles, and help you to become victorious over your enemies. (image: Public Domain/Medusa by Caravaggio). Therefore, anytime you see this image around (during a confusing situation), it is a sign that you should pay close attention to. The reason for this is that the origin of philosophy and science is traceable to her. You will see this in movies like clash of the titans. 7 Spiritual Meanings of Slugs in the House: Is it Good Luck? She was cold, calculated, and terrifying. The original Hamsa amulet was shaped like a hand with 3 fingers in the middle and the thumb and small finger in a curved shape on either side of the hand. Therefore, this secret behind medusa is the reason for many movies that portrayed her as a head full of snakes. Medusa - whose name probably comes from the Ancient Greek word for "guardian" - was one of the three Gorgons, daughters of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, and sisters of the Graeae, Echidna, and Ladon. When Athena discovers that Posidon has raped Medusa, she chooses to blame her rather than him. This was what attracted Poseidon to her. One of the powers of medusa is protection. This week, a Black Southern quilt collection is donated to a Mississippi museum, the fascinating AI-generated ceramic glazes, a map of Italian Fascist monuments, and can clothing ever truly be recycled? Originally born in Weirton West Virginia she spent most of her life in Pittsburgh PA. This should be a lesson to learn. Medusa is the perfect symbol of this". Luciano Garbati's sculpture "Medusa With the Head of Perseus" was unveiled Tuesday in Lower Manhattan. Within this context, it seems as if both the male genitalia and female head are their respective centers of power. She represented the beauty of the female gender and advocated for it. Crypto Love this, I decided half an hour before seeing this post to get or make one myself, as an apotropaic symbol. You can keep medusas image with you to remind you of the danger of unfaithfulness. Several stories fly around concerning medusa, but we will attempt to extract messages from those stories. The goddess's shield has a gorgon head in the center. She also aided Perseus in later killing Medusa once and for all. To the Egyptians, it was a symbol of protection and royal power. Did the monstrous Gorgon bear any children that 13 Frequently Asked Questions About Medusa. She and Mars are Cupid's parents. Whether you see her as a monster or more of that, the fact is that Medusa slithering her way into being more than meets the eye. You should never joke with what you say because forces are paying attention to every utterance of yours. She is currently studying CLEG and her pronouns are she/her/hers. This is exactly why the story of Medusa continues to captivate us because she is a character that demands to be reimagined, she pushes back against the story that places Perseus at its center, who claims him to be blameless and heroic. Meaning of Medusa Tattoo: While there were some hints at Medusa once being a beautiful woman, that narrative didnt really get popular until the Roman poet Ovid wrote Metamorphoses, which contained 15 books and over 250 myths, including his version of the Medusa story. In the myths, any mortal who set eyes upon it was immediately turned to stone. She went against her vow and married him. Medusa was the only one of the three who could ever be killed. Following the moment her head was removed, a Pegasus flew out of her body, representing the birth of beauty. This experimental and multidisciplinary solo exhibition in New York City exploring the sweetness of doing nothing closes on March 12. The rebooted TV series Charmed just did an episode touching on this, and it was really powerful because of all the work done to reclaim the character by pop culture. She has the power to make you spiritually active and sensitive again. Google any famous womans name, perhaps Angela Merkel, Nancy Pelosi, or Hillary Clinton along with the word Medusa. For centuries women in power (or fighting for power) have been compared to Medusa, from Marie Antoinette to the suffragettes.Its clear in our society the sexually and intellectually independent woman is a fearsome sight to behold. After all, we are in a post #MeToo moment, when we can clearly recognize Medusas myth as a rape narrative one in which the victim is blamed and cast out by her community for crimes perpetrated against her. Medusa was a beautiful woman who was raped, killed and beheaded by various gods. Athena is one of Poseidons sworn enemies, and through raping her sister, he is able to take power from her. What does this mean? Emailus. Statues of Medusa were used to guard Pagan Greek temples. In Greek mythology, she is one of the Gorgon sisters (derived from the Greek gorgs for dreadful), and Perseus uses a reflective bronze shield to defeat her. In other words, symbolic decapitation, is a symptom of the real dangers that women face in a culture that is anxious about the powers of masculinity. Cixous demonstrates these points by claiming Freud himself is reductive and neglects to address the female experience in the Medusa myth, thereby erasing her experience, or, symbolically decapitating her as well. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Medusa Greek Mythology Quotes. While not the best source, Wikipedia seems to support your claim - it has images of her head used in gorgoneions. For more often than not, shes depicted just as a severed head a visual that even has its own name,the Gorgoneion sculpted, painted, or carved being held aloft by her slayer Perseus. I would be super interested in reading your source materials if youre willing (I think I can get around the paywall by using my universitys library so its worth a shot) or I would also like to read your paper whenever youre dont with it if thats easier! In fact, the name Medusa is derived from the Greek verb that means "to guard" or "to protect." And at the end of the story, Athena takes Medusa's severed head and uses it as her own protection in future battle (a symbol for these dual aspects of a woman becoming integrated.) For women in ancient times, this motif had a specific function and was of great importance. We dont have many of her temples around today, but she was once worshipped as a goddess in the past. After Perseus removed Medusa's head, some stories claim that he gifted it to Athena. The jazz drummers polymathic experimentation also spanned visual art, botany, and even an improvisational martial art he invented called Yara. This reminded me of how her story, despite it being one where she gets decapitated, has been reclaimed as of late by feminist scholars. In a more modern sense, her image can be used as a warning to keep others at a distance. One of the versions of Medusa has 3 different interpretations. Medusa embodies menstruation's protective powers. In Greece, Medusa was often seen as an apotropaic symbol to ward off evils and negativity as well. In Ovids story, Medusa is no longer the same monster that had tusks and wings. 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She is telling you that you will never have to suffer what she endured. Medusa in Jewelry. wildfirepunch / Instagram. As Elizabeth Johnston claims in her 2016 Atlantic essay, Medusa may be the original Nasty Woman. In 2020, it might be easy to chastise the women in the 90s who called Medusa the most horrific woman, but perhaps we would be better suited to remind ourselves just how recently things have begun to change. One day Neptune Found her and raped her, in Minervas temple, And the goddess turned away, and hid her eyes Behind her shield, and, punishing the outrage As it deserved, she changed her hair to serpents, And even now, to frighten evil doers, She carries on her breastplate metal vipers To serve as awful warning of her vengeance.. The myths and stories about medusa are true. What medusa suffered is enough to make her insignificant in the world of spirituality. She was also a ward of sorts for the Greeks to protect themselves against the negativity in life. 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