Medusa

From TinWiki.org

Medusa

Medusa, in Greek Mythology, was a monster, a chthonic (underworld deity) female, a once beautiful woman who was turned into a hideous figure with snakes for hair. If one gazed at her, had eye contact, saw her face, they would turn into stone.

Medusa was born a Gorgon and had two sisters.

Medusa was born both beautiful and terrifying. After being raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple, the goddess transformed her hair to snakes and her beautiful face into something so horrible, the sight of it would turn a man into stone.

She came to her end by Perseus, who beheaded her. After doing so, two offspring came to be: the winged horse Pegasus and the giant Chrysaor. He used her head as a weapon before giving it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield.

In classical art and in modern art, the image of Medusa can be found in the evil-averting Gorgoneion, or the evil eye. It is said to protect the wearer from evil, curses, and evil spirits.

1 The Gorgon
2 Family Tree
3 Life and Death
4 Also on Tin Wiki
5 External Links
6 Relevant discussion threads on AboveTopSecret.com

[edit]

The Gorgon

In Greek Mythology, a gorgon was a vicious female with sharp fangs, a protective deity from early religious concepts. Her power was so strong that anyone looking upon her would turn to stone. The Gorgon image was put on items from temples to wine casks for protection. They wore belts of serpents that twined as a clasp. There were three, all immortal except Medusa.

The Gorgon held the primary location at the pediment of the temple at Corfu; it is the oldest stone pediment in Greece.

[edit]

Classical Tradition

Gorgons are sometimes depicted as having golden wings, large claws, and tusks, but most classical interpretations show them with fangs and the skin of a serpent. Lionesses or sphinxes are associated with the Gorgon as well.

The image of the Gorgon is also represented in the classic images and myths of Zeus and Athena, being worn as a continuation of more ancient imagery.

[edit]

Protective Powers

In ancient Greece, the drawing of a Gorgon face was used as a protective symbol, placed on doors, walls, floors, coins, shields, and tombstones in the hopes of warding off evil.

In Greek mythology, the blood taken from the right side of a Gorgon could bring the dead back to life, but the blood taken from the left side was a fatal poison.

[edit]

Origins

The Gorgon concept is as old in mythology as Perseus and Zeus. The name is Greek, translating as terrible. Their large eyes are a symbol representing divine eyes, depicted by spirals, wheels, concentric circles, and firewheels. The fangs of the Gorgons are those of snakes, derived from the guardians closely associated with early Greek religious concepts at the centers of oracles.

[edit]

Family Tree

There were three Gorgon sisters, daughters of chthonic monsters from an archaic world. Their genealogy is shared with the Graeae.

[edit]

Parentage

There are two different versions of the parentage of the Gorgon:

Phorcys: the father of the Gorgon; known in Greek mythology as the Old Man (or One) of the Sea, the primeval sea god

Ceto: the mother of the Gorgon; known in Greek mythology as a hideous sea monster; she was the personification of the dangers of the sea, unknown terrors, and bizarre creatures

Or:

Typhon: the father of the Gorgon; known in Greek mythology as the final son of Gaia; god of the wind; described as the largest and most grotesque of all creatures who have ever lived; had a hundred serpent heads

Echidna: the mother of the Gorgon; known in the most ancient Greek mythology the Mother of All Monsters; name means she viper; described as a female monster spawned in a cave who mothered every major horrible monster in the Greek myths

[edit]

Siblings

Stheno: sister of Medusa; immortal; born in the caverns beneath Mount Olympus; of the three Gorgons, she was the most independent and ferocious, killing more men than both of her sisters combined; when she died, her head was put on display for the gods to mock

Euryale: sister of Medusa; immortal; is noted for her bellowing cries

[edit]

The Graeae

The Graeae, in Greek mythology, were old women, gray ones, or gray witches, a trio of sisters with one eye and one tooth shared among them, also sisters of the Gorgon, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto.

They took the form of three grey-haired old women, their age so great that childhood for them was inconceivable.

They had one eye and one tooth that they shared, and the sisters took turns using them. By stealing their eye while they were passing it between them, Perseus forced them to tell the whereabouts of their sisters, the Gorgon, ransoming the seeing eye for the information.

[edit]

Life and Death

Perseus with the head of Medusa

Medusa and her sisters, the Gorgon, were born in caverns beneath Mount Olympus. While Medusa was mortal, her sisters were born immortal, all three being born beautiful. But, as beautiful as they were, they also had the power to turn men to stone if their faces were looked upon.

One version of the myth has Medusa as a beautiful maiden and a priestess in Athena's temple. But, she was raped by Poseidon in the temple. An enraged Athena transformed her beauty, turning her beautiful hair into serpents and making her face terrible to behold. But, Medusa retained her power to turn men to stone, beauty or no.

Another version has Medusa as beautiful, living in the north where the sun didn't visit. She was curious and asked the goddess Athena for permission to visit the south. Athena refused, enraging Medusa, declaring that Athena was jealous of her beauty, thus refusing her permission. Athena, angry, punished her by transforming Medusa's beauty into a head crowned with snakes and making her terrible to look upon.

Medusa, pregnant by Poseidon, was beheaded in her sleep by Perseus, who was sent to get her head by Kind Polydectes. With help from Athena and Hermes, who gave him winged sandals, Hades' cap of invisibility, a sword, and a mirrored shield. He killed Medusa by looking at her reflection in the mirrored shield instead of directly at her to prevent being turned into stone.

When her head was severed, her offspring came forth: Pegasus, the winged horse, and Chrysaor, the giant who later became the hero wielding the golden sword.

Perseus used Medusa's head as a weapon before giving it to Athena to place on her shield.

[edit]