Less powerful ones, such as Hitomi Ishigamimust first "bite" an opponent with one of her snake-like appendages. This is one of the first instances that Medusa’s powers have been used to show the protective nature of the Gorgons. Lastly – but perhaps most interestingly – the blood of the famous Gorgon is thought to have been the reason that the corals of the Red Sea were formed. This is likely due in part to Zeus and Athena, who were both known to wear a Gorgoneion. Medusa heads were traditionally carved as coral cameos for an extremely powerful protective amulet. Powers and Abilities. While Medusa was wrongfully punished by Athena and forced to live the rest of her life as a terrible monster, she experiences some redemption in death. The word Mythology itself is derived from the Greek word “mythos”, meaning story of people, and “logos” which means speech. Medusa has been depicted in several works of art, including: Medusa remained a common theme in art in the nineteenth century, when her myth was retold in Thomas Bulfinch's Mythology. She and her sister Euryale were both immortal, and the third sister, Medusa, was mortal even though her image was immortalized in its hideousness by Athena. Though Medusa was known to be a desirable young maiden, she decided to pledge herself to Athena – the goddess she considered to be the most powerful of all those who resided on Mount Olympus. Johnston goes on to say that as Medusa has been repeatedly compared to Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, she proves her merit as an icon, finding relevance even in modern politics. Modern day feminists have also taken a stance on the symbolism that surrounds Medusa. Herculesclaimed to have fought Medusa as part of his Twelve Labours. As years go by, she becomes more and more vicious and vengeful. She doesn’t know what to do – she had planned on devoting the rest of her life to Athena. She remained a priestess to Athena after her death and was risen with fresh hair. "The Laugh of the Medusa" is largely a call to arms, urging women to reclaim their identity through writing as she rejects the patriarchal society of Western culture. In Greek mythology, Medusa (/mɪˈdjuːzə, -sə/; Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress")[1] also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. One example is that of the flag and emblem of Sicily, together with the three legged trinacria. When Perseus finally returns from his quest, King Polydectes is astonished to see the young hero alive. Teleportation: The ability to instantly teleport from one location to another. The cover featured the image of the Gorgon Medusa by Froggi Lupton, which the editors on the inside cover explained "can be a map to guide us through our terrors, through the depths of our anger into the sources of our power as women. As Perseus traveled throughout the land significant changes began to happen as the drops of blood from Medusa’s head began to fall. The model was one Harryhausen’s most complex and in 2020 it was voted third favourite among his many creations. He uses these gifts to help him conqueror Medusa. [24], Even in contemporary pop culture, Medusa has become largely synonymous with feminine rage. While flying through Ethiopia, Perseus spies the young Princess Andromeda tied to a rock as a sacrifice to the sea monster Cetus. A Gorgon is a type of monster generally described as a “winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair”. Despite the death of Medusa, it is said that her head still had magical properties. Using these gifts he travels and gathers information that is vital to his quest. The first is that Medusa is no longer a virgin – though she was deflowered against her will. Medusa was a major character in Legend Quest and primary antagonist of the episode "Ghost of Medusa".She was a member of the Gorgon race who had the unique ability to turn all those who gazed into her eyes into stone. Perseus knew that he would be unable to fight of Atlas on his own, but with quick thinking realizes that he can use Medusa’s head to his advantage. "[29] Cixous wants to destroy the phallogocentric system, and to empower women's bodies and language. (Pythian Ode 12). The Medusa Minosaur, like all Minosaurs, is unintelligible and can only speak one word, which is "Look"(見ろ, Miro). Super Strength - Gorgons … A story of victim blaming, one that she says sounds all too familiar in a current American context. Freud compared Medusa as a fair maiden to the image of a mother in the eyes of the innocent before a young boy had seen adult female genitals. Her fondness of Athena was reciprocated for a time. Only a few heroes ever escaped Cerberus's guard. She was born on an island named Sarpedon – which is thought to be somewhere in the general area of Cisthene – and was known to have been one of the Gorgon sisters. However, Medusa would not serve as a priestess for long. Powers and Abilities Edit. Medusa was one of the Gorgon sisters, though unlike Euryale and Stheno she was a mortal. Then Perseus gave the Gorgon's head to Athena, who placed it on her shield, the Aegis.[10]. Similarly to the above powers, one drop of blood had the cure to any disease or poison, while the other drop of blood was the most deadly power in the world. It is their thought that people keep their eyes down to avoid facing reality (Medusa) so that they are not frozen by the realization that life means nothing. This power is likely enabled by Pegasus’ lineage (as he is a son of Poseidon). Even though it is implied otherwise, Medusa's power is that of a regular Gorgon. It is also known that two drops of her blood were placed in a vial. Through her passing, she gives the world important contributions to mythology and medicine while also providing the public with a new form of protection. Stephen Wilk, author of Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon, questioned Medusa's enduring status among the feminist movement. The terror of Medusa is thus a terror of castration that is linked to the sight of something. In both Greek and Roman mythology, Perseus, attempting to rescue his mother Danae from the coercive King Polydectes, needed to embark on the dangerous venture of retrieving Medusa's head. When Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant wielding a golden sword, sprang from her body.[7]. Throughout time, the story of Medusa has gone on to inspire many great thinkers and artists. Powers of the Greek Gods: ... strategic warfare had magical weapons and a shield called an aegis that depicted the head of Medusa, representing its great protective power. ... she didnt have any super powers....but she was the greek queen of gods in the greek mythology ... Uranus is in Roman mythology, not Greek. "[31], Medusa has sometimes appeared as representing notions of scientific determinism and nihilism, especially in contrast with romantic idealism. Eventually, Medusa was known to have been transformed into a beast that would be feared by all because she was considered responsible for the desecration of Athena’s temple. Petrification: Medusa is cursed to be a Gorgon and has the ability to turn beings into stone by just looking at them. Archetypal literary criticism continues to find psychoanalysis useful. There are some variations - some versions of the myth say that it was eye contact that turned you to stone, others say that it was any part of her, others still say it was her snake hair (which is the only other supernatural thing about her). Updated March 7, 2020. As soon as Perseus cuts off Medusa’s head, her two children are born. "[8] In the Odyssey xi, Homer does not specifically mention the Gorgon Medusa: Lest for my daring Persephone the dread, Interestingly enough, Medusa’s story has also been adopted by Nihilists (one who believes that life is meaningless). Inspired by the #metoo movement, contemporary figurative artist Judy Takács returns Medusa's beauty along with a hashtag stigmata in her portrait, #Me(dusa)too. Ceto and Phorcys’ offspring included Echidna (mother of all monsters), the Gorgons, the Graeae (‘the grey withes’ – three sisters best known for sharing one eye amongst themselves), and Ladon (a dragon that guarded the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides). Freud hypothesized that the myth could symbolize the reaction of a young boy who has, up until a certain point in time, refused to entertain the idea of castration as a real possibility. Glamouring: The ability to change one's appearance. "[22], Medusa's visage has since been adopted by many women as a symbol of female rage; one of the first publications to express this idea was a feminist journal called Women: A Journal of Liberation in their issue one, volume six for 1978. Elizabeth Johnston's November 2016 Atlantic essay called Medusa the original 'Nasty Woman.' Petrification: The Medusa Beastmate can turn anyone into stone by using the eyes on its chest. Krisgon Blade: The Medusa Beastmate wields a kris-style blade for combat. Coral is allegedly Medusa’s blood, which spilled into the sea and was petrified. Though her life itself may not have been given much consideration in ancient records, the many things that came from her death would go on to impact ancient mythology in countless ways. Medusa was a monster from Greek mythology that was one of the three sisters including Euryale and Stheno.. She appeals to her goddess and asks for help in moving forward. Her mother, Ceto, was also a primordial sea goddess. Medusa was an enemy of the Amazons, she was killed by Wonder Woman. Her father, Phorcys, was known to be a primordial sea god who had a fish tail, crab-like forearms, and red, spiky skin. Medusa’s family is known for their fierce features and impressive power. In an ode written in 490 BC, Pindar already speaks of "fair-cheeked Medusa".[5]. She is killed by the hero Perseus, who cuts off her head.To the Greeks, Medusa is the leader of an ancient, older matriarchal religion that had to be obliterated; in modern culture, she represents vital sensuality and a power that is threatening to males. Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound describes them thus: 1. Her father, Phorcys, was known to be a primordial sea god who had a fish tail, crab-like forearms, and red, spiky skin. He is able to escape unseen thanks to his helm of invisibility. 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. Because of this, Libya is still full of poisonous vipers to this day. Medusa possesses the same Stonegaze ability as King Basilisk, allowing her to turn people and Titansinto stone. According to Ovid, in northwest Africa, Perseus flew past the Titan Atlas, who stood holding the sky aloft, and transformed him into stone when he tried to attack him. It was after the Gorgon sisters were wrongfully punished by Athena that their horrific transformation really began. Medusa is one of the more unusual divine figures of ancient Greece mythology.. One of a trio of Gorgon sisters, Medusa was the only sister who was not immortal. It was a great compliment for Medusa to pledge her loyalty to Athena because of her great beauty – especially since one of the requirements to be a temple priestess was to remain a virgin. The Gorgoneion was an amulet that bore the head of a Gorgon. Because the gods showed favor on him, he was given Hades' Helm of Invisibility, Winged Sandals from Hermes, a magnificent sword made by Hephaestus, and a shield from Athena which would later become the Aegis. Those who gazed into her eyes would turn to stone. They argue that any woman who has recognizable power – especially power over men – is immediately criminalized and turned into a monster. Medusa is a mythological gorgon that existed at some point in the past. Most sources describe her as the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, although the author Hyginus makes her the daughter of Gorgon and Ceto. "[22] Griselda Pollock analyses the passage from horrorism to compassion in the figure of the Medusa through Adriana Cavarero's philosophy and Bracha Ettinger's art and Matrixial theory. While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, common features include hair of living, venomous snakes and ability to petrify other beings. From Hermes he receives winged sandals. Finally, a lock of her hair was cut off and put in a jar. Medusa embodies menstruation’s protective powers. [32][33] In this interpretation of Medusa, attempts to avoid looking into her eyes represent avoiding the ostensibly depressing reality that the universe is meaningless. Powers and Abilities. However, her time as a beautiful maiden was not to last forever. With snakes for hair—hatred of mortal man—, While ancient Greek vase-painters and relief carvers imagined Medusa and her sisters as having monstrous form, sculptors and vase-painters of the fifth century began to envisage her as being beautiful as well as terrifying. She is famed for her snake-like hair and her gaze, which turns those who look at her to stone. However, she is also reclusive and does not leave her island often. Now that she has been transformed, there are many men that come to the island – no longer as suitors, but as hunters looking to behead her. There are many different men that try – and fail – to hunt Medusa, until Perseus is contracted to bring back her head to King Polydectes. 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. Although Medusa was a devout priestess to Athena, she was not protected from being violated by Poseidon and is unjustly punished for a situation she had no control over. From Hephaestus (the god of blacksmiths and metal workers) he receives a sword. As well has having snakes for hair, she was given a serpent-like body and rattlesnake-like tail. In Freud's interpretation: "To decapitate = to castrate. This poison is so potent that it can even affect a Seraphim. Her hair held the same powers as her head so that when it was exposed it caused a storm which chased away the foes. It is said that the blood that came from the left side of her head had the power to take life, while the blood from the right side of her head had the power to resurrect the dead. Athena is enraged that her temple has been desecrated – especially because it had been defiled by her rival, Poseidon. 1 Background Information 2 Powers and Abilities 2.1 Super Powers 3 Medusa's Temple 4 Episode Appearance 5 External Links In Greek mythology, Medusa, one of the three Gorgons, was the daughter of the ancient marine deities Phorcys and his sister Ceto. She claims "we must kill the false woman who is preventing the live one from breathing. Many authors claim that the corals were created when drops of blood spilled onto seaweed in the waters below. Last, though certainly not least, many see the story of Medusa as a reminder of the many dynamics that come into play when the greater forces of the world (in this case, the gods of Mount Olympus) are at work. After all the trouble that has been caused by Athena’s betrayal of Medusa, the two are finally symbolically reunited when Perseus gives Medusa’s head to Athena after he has completed his journey. Medusa becomes pregnant and is both angered and confused. Perseus was told to kill Medusa by Polydectes. Classic Medusa, in contrast, is an Oedipal/libidinous symptom. In 1940, Sigmund Freud's "Das Medusenhaupt (Medusa's Head)" was published posthumously. Athena also makes use of the remaining blood that still comes forth from Medusa’s severed head. While Medusa is known to be one of the most famous monsters in Greek mythology, there is relatively little that is recorded of her existence before she was beheaded by Perseus. Perseus then flew to Seriphos, where his mother was being forced into marriage with the king, Polydectes, who was turned into stone by the head. Medusa also has very sharp claws and move attack very swiftly and aggressively. This is when Poseidon decides to ravage Medusa in Athena’s temple. Beth Seelig analyzes Medusa's punishment from the aspect of the crime of having been raped rather than having willingly consented in Athena's temple as an outcome of the goddess' unresolved conflicts with her own father, Zeus. [30] "You only have to look at the Medusa straight on to see her," writes Cixous. Together, they were known to have birthed some of the most fearsome creatures in Greek mythology. [17][18][19][20] The name "Medusa" itself is often used in ways not directly connected to the mythological figure but to suggest the gorgon's abilities or to connote malevolence; despite her origins as a beauty, the name in common usage "came to mean monster. Others claim that she remained steadfast in her devotion to Athena. Many versions claim that the sisters were transformed because they defend Medusa and undermine the will of Athena. Through many of her iterations, Medusa pushes back against a story that seeks to place the male, Perseus, at its center, blameless and heroic. "And she's not deadly. She has difficulty reconciling with her new identity, but eventually comes to embrace her role and begins to take her vengeance on men as this is one of the only ways that she can attempt to get even with Poseidon. Feminists also like to point to the conditions of Medusa’s descent into the monster world as a criminalization of rape victims that is also typical of modern society. Athena’s) temple,[6] Athena punished Medusa by transforming her beautiful hair into horrible snakes. Lastly, from Hades he receives a helm of invisibility. As he flies over Libya, each drop of blood that falls to the ground transforms into a venomous viper. Active Powers. He is said to have been born with a golden sword in his hand and is known to have gone on to marry Callirrhoe and father Geryon. The character of Medusa changes greatly after Athena punishes her unjustly. Pegasus was a winged stallion that was pure white and powerful in nature. What are Medusa's powers in Greek mythology? They fly out of her neck, fully grown. The sisters are enraged, but unable to do anything but mourn. He tries to sneak off the island, but Medusa’s body is discovered by her sisters before he can leave. Among the many historical figures to become fascinated with Medusa’s story was Sigmund Freud. Inscribe the breath of the whole woman. Medusa’s family is known for their fierce features and impressive power. In most versions of the story, she was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who was sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphus because Polydectes wanted to marry Perseus's mother. [26] Beyond that, Medusa's story is, Johnston argues, a rape narrative. The three Gorgon sisters; Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale, were children of the ancient marine deities Phorcys and his sister Ceto, (the spelling vary based on accounts), chthonic monsters from an ancient world. Together, they … They use the symbolism of being unable to look into Medusa’s eyes as a symbol of how many people navigate the modern world. Fact 1: In Greek mythology, Medusa was a fearsome Gorgon. In one myth reported by the Greek poet Pindar (517–438 BCE), Medusa was a beautiful mortal woman who one day went to Athena's temple to worship. To understand Medusa’s transformation, it is important to first understand where she came from. After being violated by Poseidon, Medusa is devastated. 1 Power and Abilities 2 Weaknesses 3 Appearances 4 Lore 5 Trivia Paralyzing Poison - Gorgons possess a powerful paralyzing poison, the source of the myth about Medusa and gorgons in general being able to turn people into stone. The first to emerge is Pegasus – one of the most famous creatures in all of mythology. Through the lens of theology, film, art, and feminist literature, my students and I map how her meaning has shifted over time and across cultures. However, unlike her other sisters (Sthenno and Euryale), Medusa was a mortal and therefore vulnerable to the perils of the human world. The Minotaur in Greek Mythology; The Head of Medusa. In Greek mythology, Medusa also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Soon after Medusa became a priestess for Athena, she caught the eye of Poseidon. In ancient Greece on Earth, there were myths about Medusa, indicating she may have visited Earth at some point, or another incarnation of her existed there. World Register of Marine Species. Upon his birth from the beheading of Medusa, he is said to have ascended to the heavens where he was greeted by Zeus. In classical antiquity the image of the head of Medusa appeared in the evil-averting device known as the Gorgoneion. There are no recorded instances of Medusa turning a woman to stone. Noted by Marjorie J. Milne in discussing a, WoRMS Editorial Board (2017). Gorgons are capable of turning their foes to stone, although how they go about this has been shown to vary to some extent. Those who gazed into her eyes would turn to stone. In one interview after another we were told that Medusa is 'the most horrific woman in the world' ... [though] none of the women we interviewed could remember the details of the myth. While living on Shanazar, Medusa would terrorize cities by turning their populations into statues, including Death-Trap. There are several variations with what happened next. Athena then turned Medusa into a gorgon. He was also known to have ruled as king of Iberia. Medusa could change between her gorgon and human appearance. Numerous analyses have made us familiar with the occasion for this: it occurs when a boy, who has hitherto been unwilling to believe the threat of castration, catches sight of the female genitals, probably those of an adult, surrounded by hair, and essentially those of his mother. "[22], In issue three, Fall 1986 for the magazine Woman of Power an article called Gorgons: A Face for Contemporary Women's Rage, appeared, written by Emily Erwin Culpepper, who wrote that "The Amazon Gorgon face is female fury personified. Make sure you keep on reading to learn 50 facts about the mysterious Gorgon, Medusa. Medusa was the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto (though some sources claim Gorgon is her father). Another example is the coat of arms of Dohalice village in the Czech Republic. Particularly powerful gorgons, like The Medusa of ancient Greek legend have been known to petrify victims with a single glance. Heracles (Hercules) is said to have obtained a lock of Medusa’s hair (which possessed the same powers as the head) from Athena and given it to Sterope, the daughter of Cepheus, as a protection for the town of Tegea against attack; when exposed to view, the lock was supposed to bring on a storm, which put the enemy to flight.. These sisters comprised a race of monsters known as Gorgons and Medusa was the only one of them that could be killed, she was said to be able to turn people to stone with a glance: her hair was said to be made of snakes and she has become one of the most iconic Grecian monsters of all time. According to Hesiod and Aeschylus, she lived and died on an island named Sarpedon, somewhere near Cisthene. Medusa was beheaded by the Greek hero Perseus, who thereafter used her head, which retained its ability to turn onlookers to stone, as a weapon[4] until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield. Edward Burne-Jones' Perseus Cycle of paintings and a drawing by Aubrey Beardsley gave way to the twentieth century works of Paul Klee, John Singer Sargent, Pablo Picasso, Pierre et Gilles, and Auguste Rodin's bronze sculpture The Gates of Hell.[36]. The inclusion of Medusa in the center implies the protection of the goddess Athena, who wore the Gorgon's likeness on her aegis, as said above. The head of Medusa is featured on some regional symbols. From this point on, the sisters are known to be vicious monsters that take their vengeance on any man that sets foot on their island. Petrification: The ability to turn living beings into stone. The following explains the origin story and the meaning of Medusa, the terrifying gorgon in Greek mythology: The head of Medusa. The story of Medusa and her sister’s transformation into the dreaded Gorgons is both tragic and insightful. This symbol was thought to keep evil away from those who invoked its protection by wearing it as a pendant. A false story about her told that she was defeated by the hero Jasonby reflecting her image back at herself. Energy Slash: The Medusa Beastmate can generate energy slashes from the Krisgon Blade. Furthermore, the poisonous vipers of the Sahara, in the Argonautica 4.1515, Ovid's Metamorphoses 4.770 and Lucan's Pharsalia 9.820, were said to have grown from spilt drops of her blood. Perseus complies and goes to the gods to help him on his journey. Medusa’s only real “power” was that if you looked directly at her, you would be turned into stone. It is depicted mainly as a female with many poisionous snakes in place of hair. Because she had allowed herself to be defiled in Athena’s temple, Athena transformed her into the most hideous of all the Gorgons and made her features so terrible to behold that she could instantly turn a man into stone if he were to gaze at her directly. ", "The Timeless Myth of Medusa, a Rape Victim Turned Into a Monster", Online version at the Perseus Digital Library, Online version at Harvard University Press, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, "Medusa in Myth and Literary History" – English.uiuc.edu, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Medusa&oldid=996284647, Articles having different image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2020, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 25 December 2020, at 16:58. Medusa is a creature in Greek mythology, and one of the three Gorgon sisters, and was the only one that was mortal, of which any who gaze into its eyes will turn to stone. Author Sibylle Baumbach described Medusa as a “multimodal image of intoxication, petrifaction, and luring attractiveness," citing her seductive contemporary representation, as well as her dimensionality, as the reason for her longevity.[25]. The gods were well aware of this, and Perseus received help. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon. They also have the power to turn anyone who gazes upon their faces to stone. Some classical references refer to three Gorgons; Harrison considered that the tripling of Medusa into a trio of sisters was a secondary feature in the myth: A number of early classics scholars interpreted the myth of Medusa as a quasi-historical – "based on or reconstructed from an event, custom, style, etc., in the past",[11] or "sublimated" memory of an actual invasion.[12][13]. However, she is slightly less vulnerable and thus more hits from the Blades of Chaos are needed to kill her. Perseus is able to overcome the monster with the powerful head of Medusa and is able to save Andromeda (who later becomes his wife). Its purpose was to act as a guardian for female power, keeping the book solely in the hands of women. Regardless of which version is told, Medusa decides not to leave Athena’s temple because of her devotion. "Medusa has since haunted Western imagination, materializing whenever male authority feels threatened by female agency," writes Johnston. She appeals to Athena and asks that the goddess give her wisdom and advice in how to move forward. Perhaps then, Medusa is a tale of the great injustice that suffered by those who have done no wrong, and the unimportance of these injustices to the greater powers of this world. Anyone who looks into her eyes to stone come forth from Medusa ’ s temple. Is Chrysaor Medusa becomes pregnant and is both tragic and insightful about the mysterious Gorgon Medusa. 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