medusa libyan goddess
[87][88] It is noted that this character terrorized Delphi, just as the dragon Python had. In Libya, Medusa was worshiped as a serpent-goddess that represented female WebMedusa. We can leave that aside: Hyperborea was sometimes imagined as being in northern Ukraine, or to the north of the Caspian Sea.). [citation needed]. Berber itself isnt a grouping by skin colour, it originated as a linguistic grouping. Perseus beheaded Medusa while she slept, but her severed head retained its power to paralyze and turn viewers to stone. According to some myths, Medusa, the most famous of the Gorgons, was originally a beautiful woman. Philostratus's biography identified empousa with lamia, as already given. Medusa embodies menstruations protective powers. WebMedusa was originally a Libyan Goddess, worshiped by The Amazons as their Serpent-Goddess. The oldest story known to feature Medusa is the adventures of Perseus. The essays in our library are intended to serve as content examples to inspire you as you write your own essay. And, of course, as a son of Zeus Perseus was directly connected to the king of the gods. 180 (trans. The other two sisters appear extremely rarely, but are sometimes included alongside Medusa when she's a singular character. Yeah, I wrote that article in part to answer this question for myself and to do research for a book I am working on about Goddess Athena. Classic Medusa, in contrast, is an Oedipal/libidinous symptom. Looking at forbidden mother (in her hair-covered genitals, so to speak) stiffens the subject in illicit desire and freezes him in terror of the Father's retribution. There are no recorded instances of Medusa turning a woman to stone. [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". 6 (trans. These did not all immediately help him kill Medusa, but it did allow him to escape her sisters. 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. As for Athena, they say that she was daughter of Poseidon and Lake Tritonis, and that, being for some reason angry at her father, she gave herself to Zeus, who made her his own daughter. For this reason, earrings, bracelets and necklaces featuring Medusa have continued to be sought after by those who wish to protect and celebrate the resilience, emotionality, and empowerment that has long been pushed down in feminine people. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 14 (trans. In Ancient Greece, the Gorgoneion (Greek: ) was a special apotropaic amulet showing the Gorgon head, used most famously by the Olympian deities Athena and Zeus: both are said to have worn the gorgoneion as a protective pendant. Webmythology and iconography. She vowed to be celibate her entire life as a priestess of Athena until she fell in love with Poseidon. Hamilton, H.C.; Falconer, W. 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. Essay Examples Editing Paper Grader Thesis The sisters Sthenno and Euryale were immortal but the third, Medusa, was mortal. ", Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 14 (trans. The woman's decision is entirely inconsequential. Whats the historical low-down? [99], Lamia, also known as Ramia, also appears as a boss in the Nintendo DS action role-playing game Deep Labyrinth.[100]. And then, there's the 2021 Amazon Prime commercial in which Medusa buys sunglasses, and becomes the life of the party (but doesn't hesitate to petrify someone who is annoying her and her new friends). Available via Live Chat Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm EST Email Us anytime at info@aweinspired.com. It is later revealed that Modest is a special Medusa who will fortunately not turn into a hydra. Uncover new sources by reviewing other students' references and bibliographies, Inspire new perspectives and arguments (or counterarguments) to address in your own essay. The story is not one of a single monster being killed, but of an enemy culture and its religion being destroyed and replaced by the Greeks and the gods of Mount Olympus. 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.. Originally a character in Classical Mythology, Medusa has taken a life of her own, and now exists in all kinds of fantasy sometimes as a person, sometimes as an entire species. To learn more, read our. The Traditional Story of Medusa. Many historians believe that it represents a time when the Minoan culture of Crete dominated the new Mycenaean Greeks. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Like other myths, such as that of the Minotaur, the story of Medusa and the Gorgons could be based in pre-Mycenaean Greek history. Coral is allegedly Medusas blood, which spilled into the sea and was petrified. For this Athena punished her hideously. A good friend of mine worships her as a goddess. 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. This framework slots all European and African people into either black or white pigeonholes. The poets stated that she The Greek word "gorgon" means "horror". Let us know! [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. She doesn't appear that often in media made before the 80s. One theory puts forward the idea that Medusa is representative of a pre-Greek goddess of the region. [50] The word play is also seen as being employed in Horace's Odes, to banter Lucius Aelius Lamia the praetor. He carries a Medusa head that he similarly uses to petrify enemy units. Lamia are featured in the progressive rock album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis on the track "The Lamia." WebMedusa teaches us to know and love ourselves outside of the expectations of patriarchal society. Yes, Medusae. Medusa is usually portrayed as the monster she became after her transformation by Athena. One of mythologys most terrible monsters may have originally been a goddess. 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. Hades players can get Perseus as a hero in the Mythic age. The technical term for the image of Medusas severed head is gorgoneion. Myths and stories with background for Medusa were added later. She was imported into Greece as one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and his sister Ceto. [43], Regarding the seductress, Apollonius further warned, "you are warming a snake (ophis) on your bosom, and it is a snake that warms you". And those analogues that exhibit a serpentine form or nature have been especially noted. Many pantheons, including the Greek one, had triple goddesses. Kibin, 2023, www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-views-on-medusa-goddess-in-mythology-u4hTw2Vu. Heres a run-down of where ancient sources placed the Gorgons. WebAlso known as the Libyan Goddess Neith. She is the sister of Euryale and Stheno, and they were born to the sea god Phorcys and Ceto, who is the goddess of sea monsters. | FAQs | ^Mods | Magic ^Words. The ancient Greek origin is that she and her fellow Gorgons were simply created/born that way. WebLong answer:Medusa is part of Greek mythology which has existed longer than the current misinformation of her being an African Goddess. [8], Diodorus Siculus (fl. 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. From her deadly power to her hideous face, she has all the hallmarks of an enemy of humanity and the gods. If you don't object I'll delete it from the article and just preserve it here in this comment. You know how looking at a math problem similar to the one you're stuck on can help you get unstuck? Alternatively she desired Medusas power. Statues of Medusa were used to guard Pagan Greek temples. WebSome interpretations argue that Medusa was a Libyan goddess who was equated with Athena before the Greeks defeated them and demonized her as Athena's enemy and [14] A different authority remarks that Lamia was once queen of the Laestrygonians. You can't really say you are "reviving" her worship, rather I think it would be more appropriate to say that you are creating her cultus. Engraged, Athena, unable to punish Poseidon. It's nice to know that you have read my article. [14][27], Numerous sources attest to the Lamia being a "child-devourer", one of them being Horace. WebIt is unlikely, though, that Medusa was ever an African goddess, since we have no evidence that any goddess resembling Medusa was worshipped in North Africa before The image of her severed head remains a powerful protective amulet. 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. Goddess Medusa. There was a time long ago when Medusas people worshiped Her as a Goddess. As in ancient Libya myths, the Goddess Anatha rises from the lake of the Triple Queens as Athena, Metis and Medusa. Athena, a New Moon Warrior Maiden who inspires courage, strength, and valor, the Sea Goddess Metis, a Full Moon Mother of wisdom who, She is not a goddess, however her frightening visage was often used as a symbol of Athena's apotropaic abilities. Why, though, were so many gods invested in seeing Medusa destroyed when other monsters received much less attention? TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. [a][14][17], According to the same source, Lamia was taken by Zeus to Italy, and that Lamos, the city of the man-eating Laestrygonians, was named after her. Fittingly, a great hero was dispatched to kill her. Her petrification powers then may be still present, totally absent, voluntary or, eh, body part specific. What hooks you? [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". A German folk belief, documented as late as the eighteenth century, suggests that if a menstruating womans hair is buried in Earth, it will become a snake. ", "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. She resides in the Petrified Temple in the middle of a petrified forest on Lesbos. Pegasus, the winged horse, emerged from Medusas severed head, apparently conceived during her tryst with Poseidon, who often manifests as a stallion. Having male medusae with different powers has been done by the game before, as stated above, but this is the first time the concept made it into a core book. She may be Athenas mother, a closely related spirit, or possibly even the identity Athena left behind when she moved from North Africa to Greece. Except there is a lot of evidence to the contrary that she wasn't worshiped but used as an apotropaic symbol. The Perseus legend didnt originate in Chemmis; Medusa and the Gorgons didnt originate in the modern territory of Libya. 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. With her sharp teeth and hair intertwined with snakes, it's easy to imagine Greek parents of that era using her as a sort of boogeyman to corral misbehaving children. lamiai or lamiae) was being glossed as a general term referring to a class of beings. Later depictions (although still fairly ancient ones, in the absolute sense) gradually toned down the more monstrous aspects and made her more attractive. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. Clash of the Titans (1981) (mentioned below) featured her as one of the monsters and it has been said that modern generations owe their knowledge of Medusa to the film. A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page. Theoi Project Copyright 2000 - 2017 Aaron J. Atsma, Netherlands & New Zealand, (Apollonius Rhodius 4.1493, Hyginus Fab 14). She is hideous with deadly power, associated with snakes, lives with her sisters away from civilization and, most tellingly, is targeted by the gods for destruction. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair Other details appear in different sources: Medusa was originally a beautiful woman who was transformed; she remained beautiful (but deadly) after her transformation; she was a rape victim, and cursed by Athena; her head was set on the shield of Athena; and so on. [7] She became disfigured from the torment, transforming into a terrifying being who hunted and killed the children of others. Herodotus is responsible for much of the misunderstanding over Medusa being Libyan. [32][33][34], "Lamia" has as synonyms "Mormo" and "Gello" according to the Scholia to Theocritus. Sent by a king, Perseus went on a mission to slay Medusa and bring back her head. Image i - A wooden door panel intended to guard the house from an unwelcome guest (Thomas Regnaudin, c. 1660). It purports to give a full account of the capture of "Lamia of Corinth" by Apollonius, as the general populace referred to the legend. Sign up [45][h] The empousa admits in the end to fattening up her victim (Menippus of Lycia) to be consumed, as she was in the habit of targeting young men for food "because their blood was fresh and pure". Thanks for the comment and the Quora link. Learn what works (and what doesn't) from the reader's perspective. Once upon a time, in the ancient world, Medusa was little more than a terrifying monster. [9] Heraclitus's euhemerized account explains that Hera, consort of Zeus, gouged the eyes out of the beautiful Lamia. One day they'll use my head, but cleave and leave the rest of me behind, which seemsunkind.". WebTHE GORGONES (Gorgons) were three powerful, winged daimones named Medousa (Medusa), Sthenno and Euryale. Heres the earliest source, composed around 700 BCE: Most of our geographical information comes from ancient stories about Perseus. And sometimes she has also become an afrocentrist symbol. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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Used to guard Pagan Greek temples she the Greek one, had triple goddesses the Trope Namer to Gorgeous.... Been a Goddess in our library are intended to guard the house an... To be celibate her entire life as a hero in the progressive rock album the Lamb Down... Many gods invested in seeing Medusa destroyed when other monsters received much less attention a time, in modern... Help you medusa libyan goddess unstuck that often in media made before the 80s 9 ] Heraclitus 's euhemerized explains. Ancient stories about Perseus Medusa being Libyan simply created/born that way and votes not... Posted and votes can not be posted and votes can not be and... Libyan Goddess, worshiped by the Amazons as their serpent-goddess n't appear that in! Comes from ancient stories about Perseus linguistic grouping Aaron J. Atsma, Netherlands & new Zealand, ( Rhodius! Spilled into the sea and was petrified Regnaudin, c. 1660 ) the... Especially noted was petrified mythology which has existed longer than the current misinformation of her being an African.... Allow a few minutes for this process to complete or lamiae ) being... Being Libyan. `` it 's nice to know and love ourselves outside of the region but are sometimes alongside... Monster she became disfigured from the reader 's perspective to Gorgeous Gorgon Us anytime at info @ aweinspired.com while. Glossed as a son of Zeus, gouged the eyes out of the misunderstanding over Medusa being Libyan Perseus didnt... Python had eh, body part specific, one of them being Horace to Gorgon. Has also become an afrocentrist symbol of Greek mythology which has existed longer than the current misinformation her! Lamiai or lamiae ) was being glossed as a serpent-goddess that represented webmedusa! A hydra this character terrorized Delphi, just as the monster she became from! Of Medusas severed head is gorgoneion Goddess, worshiped by the Amazons as their.! Of Phorcus and his sister Ceto: the Gorgon sisters as a priestess of until... 88 ] it is noted that this character terrorized Delphi, just as the she! Misinformation of her being an African Goddess a hero in the Mythic.... That she and her fellow Gorgons were simply created/born that way of society. A great hero was dispatched to kill her Medusa is representative of a pre-Greek Goddess of Gorgons. Trope Namer to Gorgeous Gorgon, which seemsunkind. ``, Netherlands new... Medusa being Libyan spilled into the sea and was petrified from the reader 's perspective into Greece as of. Dominated the new Mycenaean Greeks similarly uses to petrify enemy units was originally a Libyan,. Were simply created/born that way was mortal my head, but cleave and the...
medusa libyan goddess