The Biblical story of the fall of man tells of how Adam and Eve were deceived into disobeying God by a snake (identified as Satan by both Paul and John in II Corinthians and Revelation, respectively). Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images. -Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. They are stories about how the world was created and why certain things happen. As shown in the images there are images of the sky serpent with its tail in its mouth, it is believed to be a reverence to the sun, for which Quetzalcoatl was also closely linked. As the story goes, St. Patrick, a fifth-century Christian missionary, was fasting for 40 days atop a hill when he was attacked by snakes. Hod. The myth of Medusa forces readers to confront an ugly truth the victim isnt always avenged. The affairs and children of Zeus. In Greek mythology, Medusa (Ancient Greek: ), meaning "guardian", "protectress" was a Gorgon, a chthonic female monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. There was a lot more to the Gorgon than just the snakes in her hair! The Mayan sky-goddess was a common attribute. 14 Blood Of Zeus (2020) One of the latest additions to the pantheon of Greek mythology shows was Netflix's Blood of Zeus. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. In some cultures, eels (which spend their early lives in freshwater before returning to the sea as adults) were regarded as magical creatures. snakes symbolized the umbilical cord, joining all humans to Mother Earth. The earliest version of the story describes Poseidons seduction of the Gorgon as taking place in a meadow filled with flowers. She loved carnage and chilling with her brother, God of War, Ares. [22] This creature, known in Akkadian as the muuu, meaning "furious serpent", was used as a symbol for particular deities and also as a general protective emblem. Perseus stuffed the head of Medusa in the bag and made his escape. According to him, as the only mortal Gorgon, Medusa was also the only one not born a monster. Perseus then travels to the Graiae (the three Gray sisters who share only one eye), and he steals their eye until they . Medusas last scream in death woke the sleeping Gorgons, and the two sisters chased after the man who had killed her. In fact, some writers did not seem to agree that there were three Gorgons at all. Medusas head, the gorgoneion, appeared constantly in Greek art. The Aztec underworld, Mictlan was protected by python-trees, a gigantic alligator and a snake, all of which spirits had to evade by physical ducking and weaving or cunning, before they could start the journey towards immortality. His actions were described as a forceful violation. Her powers are expanded in modern media. The religion went into decline around a thousand years ago when Christianity swept through the north of Europe. In the broadest terms myths are traditional stories about gods, kings, and heroes. She ended up mounting it on her shield, granting her the power to turn people to stone. Many myths date back to ancient times. In Norse mythology, few stories are as dramatic as that of Jormungand, the . The first was a strong bag in which to hold his trophy, the head of the Gorgon. Unlike Medusa, Sthenno and Euryale could not be killed. Later writers would make Sthenno and Euryale resemble their sister more, even as Medusa took on a more human appearance in art. Medusas punishment was more explicit and harsh than most victims in the Greek myths, but it was not entirely out of place. Gorgon Medusa. Many depictions of Athena show the fearsome head of the Gorgon on her aegis. Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. The final treasure of the Hesperides was the winged sandals of Hermes. The myth of Medusa forces readers to confront an ugly truth - the victim isn't always avenged. He does not recount the entire story, but instead mentions it as though most people were already familiar with the details of the myth. It was shown with three heads, each of a different animal, growing along the length of its body. Her large head and thick legs gave her a notably inhuman appearance that contrasted with the perfect forms of the gods and heroes. Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating 882,061 ratings. Medusa is seen by some today as the first example of victim blaming. 36 42 (trans. The ouroboros, the ancient symbol of eternity that was famously depicted on King Tuts tomb in the 14th century B.C., is a serpent devouring its own tail. The serpent plays an active role in Dogon religion and cosmogony. Aldrich). In Greek mythology, Pegasus is primarily known for one tale which sees the winged horse used by the hero Bellerophon. Medusa Caravaggio, Medusa, 1595 Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Jormungand, the Viking sea serpent. When Heracles was sent there, all the souls of Hades fled from him. Poseidon and Athena were often at odds in the myths, and the disrespect of raping Medusa within her temple infuriated the goddess. In ancient Indian myth, the drought-serpent Ahi or Vritra swallowed the primordial ocean and did not release all created beings until Indra split the serpent's stomach with a thunderbolt. It was said that anyone who looked directly at her was immediately turned to stone. Tiresias gained a dual male-female nature and an insight into the supernatural world when he killed two snakes which were coupling in the woods. As a virgin goddess, the act was particularly loathsome. Perseus made a deal with the monsters. For instance, after slaying Medusa, he severs her head and carries it with him, using its gaze to petrify enemies. Being punished for her own victim hood made Medusa an emblem of the discrimination and violence faced by real women. Medusa did nothing wrong. It was just a trick so the king could get closer to Perseus' mother, Danae. In these, Medusa is said to be the only one of the Gorgon sisters who is mortal. In their traditional African religious belief, they say that the Serpent Lebe guided the Dogon people from Mand to the Bandiagara Escarpment (their current home) when they decided to migrate to flee Islamization and persecution. Healing and snakes were associated in ancient Greek myth with Asclepius, whose snake-familiars would crawl across the bodies of sick people asleep at night in his shrines and lick them back to health. Its been suggested that Behemoth could have been a hippopotamus, an elephant or even a dinosaur, while Leviathan may have been an ancient species of crocodile. The favorite daughter of Zeus. But in other cultures, as far-flung as ancient Greece and Egypt and indigenous North America, snakes symbolize fertility, rebirth, renewal and even immortality. Even in the stories that came before descriptions of her beauty, Medusas tale was bound to the god Poseidon. Although Homer and Hesiod lived at roughly the same time, they were from different parts of the Greek world. In the Norse era, Kratos abandons his chained blades in favor of his late wife's Leviathan Axe, which was forged by the dwarves Sindri and Brok. From the eddic poem The Sayings of the High One ( Hvaml ), he is said to have hanged himself in a sacrificial ritual on a tree. Homer mentioned only one, while other authors said that a single Gorgon was born from Gaia to fight alongside the Gigantes. The menacing face of the monster became a totem of protection. Before the soul can reach Jaaniiw in order to reincarnate (cii in Serer[4]), it must transform into a black snake. [2], The West African kingdom of Dahomey regarded snakes as immortal because they appeared to be reincarnated from themselves when they sloughed their skins. Thor battling the Midgard Serpent. She birthed 14 children, including a son named Strife. Although those details arent always included in Perseuss legend, the writers do agree on what he did when he returned to his home in Greece. Agamemnon has a similar shield that shows the image of the Gorgon to inspire fear and dread. It had the power to make its wearer invisible. Greek cosmological myths tell of how Ophion the snake incubated the primordial egg from which all created things were born. The underworld was part of a mythical world tree. Also, in Norse mythology, the snake biting its tail symbolized the sea as the eternal ring which enclosed the world. Odin lost his eye upon visiting a Norse god named Mimir.Mimir was known as an extremely wise god, and he had also possessed a well called Mmisbrunnr.The waters in the well contained substantial wisdom and knowledge, and if someone drank from the well they would also gain wisdom. In North America, the Brule Sioux people told of three brothers transformed into rattlesnakes which permanently helped and guided their human relatives. Feminists reinterpreted Medusa as a woman who used her anger to avenge herself on the male gaze. Medusa in Greek Mythology. Ragnarok is a major event in the legends of the Norse. The Aztec spirit of intelligence and the wind, Quetzalcoatl ("Plumed Serpent"). In that usage, the image of Medusa as a woman who can petrify men takes a more negative connotation than it does in feminist circles. Carved stones depicting a seven-headed cobra are commonly found near the sluices of the ancient irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka; these are believed to have been placed as guardians of the water. In Egypt the snake has healing abilities. Since only one of the Gorgons plays a particularly important role in the story, it seems likely that the legend of the three sisters was an addition to the myth rather than the original version of the story. Despite her family connection to monsters, she fit the mould of many beautiful young human women in mythology. Like many pretty young women in Greek legend, she attracted the attention of a god. The Odyssey - loyalty & vengeance. 13). Italian fashion company Versace took a completely different view of Medusa when they made her their logo. The earliest stories of Medusa said that she always had a terrible, inhuman form. The Head of Medusa, painted by Peter Paul Rubens. It is thought to depict inn, rr and Freyr. Additionally, the famous snakes on her head gave the artists a chance to display their skills with shape and texture. Perseus, therefore, with Athena guiding his hand, kept his eyes on the reflection in a bronze shield as he stood over the sleeping Gorgones, and when he saw the image of Medousa, he beheaded her. Snakes were associated with wisdom in many mythologies, perhaps due to the appearance of pondering their actions as they prepare to strike, which was copied by medicine men in the build-up to prophecy in parts of West Africa. In the Iliad, Homer says that the head of the Gorgon is prominently displayed on Athenas aegis. During the dance, live snakes were handled and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. The vast majority of stories about the gods in Norse mythology focus on the likes of king Odin, invincible Thor and trickster Loki. He turned his mothers duplicitous suitor, Polydictes, to stone. These were Medusas sisters, who were dangerous monsters in their own right. He challenged the young man to kill Medusa and bring back her head. The Medusa in Greek Mythology. She made humans one at a time with clay. Medusas famously beautiful hair was transformed into a writhing mass of snakes. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Other tales say that Medusas head was used to destroy the great sea monster that threatened to devour Andromeda. Perseus holding Medusa's head. Gaia, Rhea, and Demeter, for example, are often seen as three closely-bound earth goddesses. Day in and day out Nw amused herself making mud figures and watching them come to life.[15]. The serpent grew until his body encircled all of Midgard (or Earth), and he was able to grasp his own tail in his mouth. Norse mythology holds there to be nine realms. In an unusual and macabre turn of events, Medusas death was only the beginning of her adventures. Odin and the runes of power. When Odysseus travels to the Underworld, he fears that Persephone will send the head of the Gorgon out of the house of Hades to attack him. They were created by Gaia to help the giants in their war against Zeus and the Olympians. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes; unlike the Gorgons, she was sometimes represented as very beautiful. Only they knew the location of the Hesperides and their garden. From a vicious monster to a symbol of justified rage, the changing interpretations of Medusas nature reflect the changing morals and views of culture itself. This myth, a later addition to the story of Atlas, explained the creation of the Atlas Mountain range in North Africa. While her sisters Stheno and Euryale were immortals Medusa was a mortal being. Even this was not the end of the story for Medusas head, however. The Gorgon was mentioned again in the Odyssey. While the tale of her death at the hands of Perseus is one of the most famous moments in Greek mythology, it was not the end of Medusas story. Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three sisters, who was cursed by Athena and became a monster. In A Tale of Two Cities , for example, Charles Dickens compares the exploitative French aristocracy to "the Gorgon" even devoting an entire chapter to . The Yeti in D&D 5e. In Greek mythology, the Gorgons were snake-women whose gazes would turn people to stone; they had serpents for hair, long claws, sharp teeth and scales covering their bodies. Hod is a son of Odin. Donatella Versace. Medusa. The creatures would remain common in North Africa forever after. They also shared a single tooth, taking turns to eat their meals. The Hopi people of North America viewed snakes as symbols of healing, transformation, and fertility. This story only appears in one source, however. The Hesperides, a sisterhood of nymphs, were guardians of a wondrous garden at the edge of the world. As the Celtic god of fire, he was worshiped primarily in Gaul and Britain. According to various sources, Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal, so she was able to be beheaded by the Greek hero, Perseus. In ancient Mesopotamia, Nirah, the messenger god of Itaran, was represented as a serpent on kudurrus, or boundary stones. In Nordic myth, evil was symbolized by the serpent (actually a dragon) Nidhogg (the 'Dread Biter') who coiled around one of the three roots of Yggdrasil the Tree of Life, and tried to choke or gnaw the life from it. While they didnt have the power of the Gorgons head, they served as a frightening reminder of Athenas curse. About Mythology. It is possible that the Gorgon, one of the most terrifying monsters of Greek mythology, was imagined by some to be an evil counterpart to a three-part goddess. Fighting the Ethiopian king Phineus, Perseus used the head against his enemies. The loops and curves of a snakes body have always been a favorite subject in art for this reason, and the figure of Medusa provided many of them for the artist to show off their skill. [1] Although not entirely a snake, the plumed serpent, Quetzalcoatl, in Mesoamerican culture, particularly Mayan and Aztec, held a multitude of roles as a deity. Examples include they decided to migrate to flee Islamization and persecution, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snakes_in_mythology&oldid=1144534248, This page was last edited on 14 March 2023, at 07:17. While a few tellings say that Pegasus helped Perseus escape, most agree that the mythical horse would not be tamed until Bellerophon fought the Chimera. Zeuss lovers were harassed by his jealous wife. But Pegasus, the winged horse, became a figure in many legends. Athena also gave Heracles a bronze snake cut from Medusas head in a jar. The Mannarasala Shri Nagaraja Temple is one of the main centers of worship. the secrets of herself). She vowed to be celibate her entire life as a priestess of Athena until she fell in love with Poseidon. The connection to the French Revolution and a famous story of beheading is obvious, but Medusa had also begun to be portrayed more sympathetically. The blood and gore that dripped from her neck were portrayed in graphic detail. As Perseus used the sandals to fly over the sands of Libya, the droplets of blood that fell to the ground created enormous vipers. The most famous story of Medusa is that of her death at the hands of the great hero Perseus. In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa is a Gorgon, one of three hideous sisters whose appearance turns men to stone. Snakes taken from stories of mythology are expressed throughout the use of language. In Buddhism, naga were often depicted as protectors of Siddhrtha Gautama, the Buddha, and the dharma (Buddhist teachings), but they were also seen as powerful, and potentially dangerous when angered. It is believed that Nagaraja left his earthly life and took Samadhi but still resides in a chamber of the temple. One of the most popular monsters of Greek Mythology is Medusa. The ancient Greeks saw Medusa as a particularly terrifying monster of legend. In the story, the snake convinces Eve to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which she then convinces Adam to do as well. Medusa - Greek Mythology -Medusa was one of 3 Gorgon sisters, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of . In this case Athena punished the sisters as well, although they had no involvement in the desecration of her temple. Director: Desmond Davis | Stars: Laurence Olivier, Harry Hamlin, Claire Bloom, Maggie Smith. To them, the initial punishment and the subsequent death were both justified. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. He is like the Greek god Apollo because they are both gods of poetry, and worshiped by poets. In the Old Testament Book of Genesis, a serpent memorably appears in the Garden of Eden, the earthly paradise God created for the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Hymns and offerings were made to it since it was believed that the Goddess could manifest through the snake. His petrification was slow and painful. A snake. It was after the French Revolution that the Gorgon herself began to take on more heroic connotations. . Watch. After the god Zeus liberated the Cyclops , who had been held as prisoners of Tartarus, the giants wanted to return the favor. Snakes were often also associated with immortality because they were observed biting their tails to form a circle and when they coiled they formed spirals. "In a hymn to the goddess Mertseger, a workman on the Necropolis of Thebes relates how the goddess came to him in the form of a snake to heal his illness (Bunn1967:617). Now, Perseus took advantage of the treasures he had gotten in the garden. Throughout many Greek myths, it reappeared. Athena gave some of the Gorgons blood to the legendary surgeon Aesclepius. It was a helmet used by the goddess Athena, the gods Hermes and Hades , and the hero Perseus whenever they wanted or needed to become invisible. Two hundred soldiers were turned to stone, including at least one of his own men who accidentally looked at the artefact. Hesiod would write the story that would become well-known. He was the God of thunder and the sky. It was often placed at the entrance to buildings, either in a relief carving or a floor mosaic, to prevent malicious spirits from entering. Ariadne, the wife of Dionysus, is said by a 5th-century writer to have been turned to stone in the war between her husband and Perseus. This created the first coral. Concept art: Medusa, Assassin's Creed. Unfortunately, as was often the case in the ancient world, the victim bore the brunt of the punishment. Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. It is more likely, however, that the legends of the Gorgons came from two separate traditions. From the Aztec god of wind, rain and creation to the semi-divine human-snake creatures that guarded the Buddha, here are nine snakes or serpents that have emerged, through history or myth, to play important roles in the cultures they represent. The blood that spilled from Medusas severed head gave birth to two children Chrysaor and Pegasus. 16. "In mythology, the Medusa can petrify people with a look, which is a good thing, I think. SHARES. At the start of Ragnarok, the final battle that would end in the earths destruction, Jormungand left the sea and rolled across the land wreaking havoc. Perseus was the real bad guy. When the feminist movement reexamined the legend, they came to a much different interpretation of Medusa than the Greeks subscribed to. This symbol has many interpretations, one of which is the snake representing cyclical nature of life and death, life feeding on itself in the act of creation. Medusa. Horrified, the Graeae demanded the return of their sight. Early Greek and English authors also said that Athena was the help Perseus had to behead Medusa. The Wolf, the Witch, and the Giant by Kit Kat Kata. Though outsiders (notably Theodore Roosevelt) have been able to witness some aspects of the Snake Dance, much of the lengthy ceremony takes place in underground chambers called kivas, allowing its most sacred aspects to remain mysterious. Seeking a way to get her grown son out of the way, sent Perseus on a seemingly impossible quest. The Norns of Norse mythology, the Morrigan and Brigid in Ireland, and the Hindu Tridevi are examples of this motif. The nymphs gladly lent Perseus the treasures Athena had sent him for. Early accounts placed the Gorgons in a faraway place on the edge of night. Acrisius threw Danae and Perseus into the sea in a wooden chest. In Egyptian myth, every morning the serpent Aapep (symbolising chaos) attacked the Sunship (symbolizing order). I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. But later depictions tell a much darker tale. Many Greek goddesses are not explicitly named as a single being in three parts, but are often interpreted within this archetype. Medusa was one of three Gorgon sisters born from ancient marine gods Phorcys and Ceto, the offspring of Oceanus and Gaia. The Gorgons are mentioned in some of the earliest works of Greek literature. [22] A dragon-like creature with horns, the body and neck of a snake, the forelegs of a lion, and the hind-legs of a bird appears in Mesopotamian art from the Akkadian Period until the Hellenistic Period (323 BC31 BC). But there is much more to the legend of Medusa than just her beheading, and her legacy is far more complicated than that of any other ancient monster. It tied the Macedonian kind directly to Greek heritage. In games and books, however, she actively attacks her enemies or lures them in with her sexuality. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. Their union was unprecedented and was to shape the course of history forever. Gazing directly upon her would turn men to stone. Pegasus (Greek: , translit. Medusa is one of the more unusual divine figures of ancient Greece mythology. With monstrous features and snakes in place of her hair, she was a frightful creature that the Greeks believed could scare off even the most potent evil. As a more sensual villain, Medusas snakes are, once again, linked to Biblical notions of sin and evil. Aapep would try to engulf the ship and the sky was drenched red at dawn and dusk with its blood as the Sun defeated it.[18]. The world of fantasy is packed full of amazing mythical creatures such as Elves, Dwarfs and Giants. Despite reinterpretation by feminists and revolutionaries, Medusas name retains its connotations of monotonousness and deformity. The Gorgons of Greek myth were snake-women (a common hybrid) whose gaze would turn flesh into stone, the most famous of them being Medusa. A great degree of respect is afforded to snakes in Serer culture, as they are the very embodiment and symbol of their saints and ancestral spirits. Greek writers never specified why only one Gorgon sister was mortal. They had in their possession other items belonging to the gods that would help Perseus survive an encounter with the monster and her sisters. While the tradition of there being three Gorgon sisters was established early on, they and their abilities were not fully explained until much later. French liberty was not heroic, but it was not content to resign itself to victim hood. Even a piece of Medusas head, like the one Heracles gave to Sterope, was enough to repel enemies and cause uneasiness even if it didnt have the power to petrify. They continued to believe this even after the development of the story that told of her punishment by Athena. As a result, God banishes Adam and Eve from the garden and curses the snake. A man. One of a trio of Gorgon sisters, Medusa was the only sister who was not immortal. Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Did Archaeologists Find the Minotaurs Labyrinth? They could also account for the different legends of their parentage. Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. However, in her case, the snakes leaned into her ears and whispered the secrets of the universe (i.e. The story of Medusa and the power of facing your fears. Frigg is the Norse patron of marriage and motherhood, and the goddess of love and fertility. Top section of a runestone found at Sanda, Gotland, Sweden, dating to the Viking Age (793-1066 CE). When Perseus ran from the surviving Gorgons, he took their sisters head with him as proof of his deeds. As art interpretation focused on the ways in which art represented the female body for the view of men, Medusas ability to punish men for looking at her became a powerful symbol. The mythology of the Dogon's primordial ancestor Lebe, it based almost entirely on a serpent mythology. In East Asia snake-dragons watched over good harvests, rain, fertility and the cycle of the seasons, whilst in ancient Greece and India, snakes were considered to be lucky and snake-amulets were used as talismans against evil. Only two humans and a few gods survive. 15. The aegis (/ i d s / EE-jis; Ancient Greek: aigs), as stated in the Iliad, is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the head of a Gorgon.There may be a connection with a deity named Aex or Aix, a daughter of Helios and a nurse of Zeus or alternatively a mistress of Zeus (Hyginus, Astronomica 2. Though the earliest depictions of Quetzalcoatl show him clearly as a snake with a plume of feathers, later cultures represented him in human form.
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