Although other greek mythology claimed that she was a priestess and one of the 3 monstrous gorgons, which are known as 3 winged females. I aim to share everything I know about history on this blog, hope you enjoy reading too! Feel free to correct me if Im wrong about anything! 7 Spiritual Meanings of Slugs in the House: Is it Good Luck? We dont have proof of this, but it was said that medusa was one of the 5 goddesses that advocated for feminine equality. 1. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. As Elizabeth Johnston says in her 2016 piece The Original Nasty Woman on Medusa: In Western culture, strong women have historically been imagined as threats requiring male conquest and control, and Medusa herself has long been the go-to figure for those seeking to demonize female authority.. As Karoglou points out, the majority of hybrids (half-human, half-animal monsters like sirens or Gorgons) in ancient Greece were female. As a result, she symbolizes both death and rebirth. Many dont know this because Medusa is a monster but her name actually means to protect. When it comes to medusa, we have several mixed stories; however, both stories affirm the fact that medusa was very beautiful. If it's something you want, I don't see a problem with it. The Gorgon as a symbol of protection TW: Mention of r*pe. Its Medusas fault for being so beautiful. 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. 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. In order to unpack the feminist implication of the mythology, lets begin with the narrative of her story. I Need To Know What 'Very Bland' Opinion Got J.K. Rowling Kicked Out of a Harry Potter Forum, Disney Found a Way To Make Us Care About Peter Pan Again, 'The Mandalorian' Makes It Pretty Clear Where Gina Carano's Cara Dune Went, 'Quantumania' Writer Shares Painful Thoughts on All the Negative Reviews, 14 Dead By Daylight Characters We Want to See in the Dead by Daylight Movie, The Mary Sue Book Club, March 2023: Powerful Magic, Sensational Secrets, & Public Policy, Was Ellie Gay in The Last of Us Game? Her gaze became an omen of protection, the snake on her hair became an omen of wisdom, and she is revered all over the world. It bears worth mentioning that Im very new to Hellenism, so Im a little confused as to how this all works. Listed below are the top 11 most important Symbols of Female Strength: Table of Contents [ show] 1. Lotus Flower (Asia) Red lotus flower. The complexity lies in how to represent her hair by art. Her existence reflected on the behavior of men during ancient times in Greece and shows how much have we advanced since then. They were described as being "winged With snakes for hair" and having a . Medusa was a worshiper of Athena and a guardian of her temple. ), 7 Eye of Horus Spiritual Meanings: The Egyptian Third Eye. One of the most complex drawings is medusa. What are your opinions on Medusa as a symbol of protection? "Pegasus, poetry, was born of Medusa when her head was cut off." - Joseph Campbell. Hence, Medusa's tale has served as a metaphor for power and bravery, particularly for women who have experienced s*xual harassment. The first depiction of Medusa can be dated back from a poem by Homer as being part of the three gorgon sisters, Stheno and Euryale. Medusa was a monster in Greek mythology but she represented some real-world problems for the Greeks and the rest of the world. He then employs her head and its stony glare as a weapon, a tool he subsequently gives to the goddess Athena who wore it on her armor. Texas Zero Property Tax Bill Has Extreme, Discriminatory Catches, Eurovision 2023 Tickets Announced on Ticketmaster, Celebrating Womens History With Qiu Jin, Chinese Revolutionary, The Penguin Tells a Batverse Scarface Story. Medusa was r*ped by Poseidon in Athena's temple and Athena was wrong for punishing her. In addition to this, seeing the image of medusa speaks of the intellectual ability of an artist to draw her perfectly. Before she was cursed for sleeping the Poseidon, medusa was a beautiful goddess and queen. Medusa has 11 spiritual meanings, which we look at in this article. Zeus represented power, Hades represented fairness in death, but what did a mortal who turned into a monster, like Medusa, represent? "In a male-centered society, the feminization of monsters served to demonize women," she said. 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. Every situation you go through will turn around for your good. People often turn into stone when faced with their own difficulties and inner demons. She represents a dangerous threat meant to deter other dangerous threats, an image of evil to repel evil. 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! 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. She was one of the three Gorgons, or literally "the terrible ones.". Her expression is one of surprised, but unblinking, sorrow. All three are originally described as having tusks, wings, and the infamously iconic snake hair. All of this points to one thing, which is Intellectual power. the mouth becoming the vagina) the woman, in essence, loses her voice, or rather she is denied of her voice. 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. Because of the origin of medusa, she is an emblem of deep spirituality. He poses the idea that to decapitate = to castrate. Through this framework, Freud posits that the female head is akin to her genitalia keeping in mind that Medusa did in fact give birth to her child from her severed neck. The closest alternative to the evil eye bracelet is the medusas bracelet. If we go back to Greek antiquity, Medusa was a mighty force endowed with the power to both kill and redeem. It has the divine power to protect you from harm. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. . Among them, the most prominent was the horse, a symbol of valor and beauty since he himself fathered many horses, the best-known being the winged horse Pegasus by the Gorgon Medusa. Medusa remains the. According to Ferenczi,1 the head of the Medusa is a terrible symbol of the female genital region displaced from below upwards. An early 1800s plaster cast from the studio of Antonio Canova showspreparation for the marble statue that now presides over the Mets European Sculpture Court. Several stories fly around concerning medusa, but we will attempt to extract messages from those stories. Best Greek Mythology Tattoos And Their Meanings. It also speaks of the power to generate new ideas for accomplishing a given task. This seems odd as she was originally a very beautiful mortal. She has been used as an image of great learning and wisdom for years. The earliest portrayals of Medusa show a grotesque part human, part animal creature with wings and boar-like tusks. Only to be stalked and haunted constantly by status-seeking men, and inevitably, murdered by Perseus. Princess (she/her-bisexual) is a Brooklyn born Megan Fox truther, who loves Sailor Moon, mythology, and diversity within sci-fi/fantasy. Meanwhile, a rotation of 1990s Versace fashions presents Medusa as a modern luxury logo. A soundscape in the exhibition composed by Austin Fisher (which you can also hear on the Mets site) is alternately serene and cacophonous, reflecting how Medusa is pulled back and forth between these seemingly opposed forms. The symbol offers protection from harm caused by the evil eye. Medusa embodies menstruation's protective powers. She is assuring you that God will fight your battles, and help you to become victorious over your enemies. Medusa Greek Mythology Quotes. 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. In Greece, Medusa was often seen as an apotropaic symbol to ward off evils and negativity as well. She keeps evil far away from her. She also aided Perseus in later killing Medusa once and for all. She was no longer depicted as a monster like it was written in the stories about her. Sculptors and painters would use the Medusa head as an apotropaic symbol to ward. However, the Greek evil eye talisman is believed to specifically protect against a malevolent glare - the "evil eye" - given to an unsuspecting person. Athena's curse was not a punishment for Medusa, but a punishment for the gods and men who intended to harm her. pic.twitter.com/u61VAuxhJ8. This is why it is a sign of creativity to dream of yourself drawing medusas head. The lotus flower is largely symbolic and has implied different concepts through history, such as purity, detachment, enlightenment, and spirituality. In 1950 his uncompleted essay, Medusas Head, was posthumously published. Medusa is a female character that is present in Greek mythology. From her severed neck, her child Pegasus is born. Her writhing hair of serpents became wild curls, with maybe a couple of serpents beneath her chin to hint at her more bestial origins. It speaks about the ability to handle complex situations, and deal with hard tasks. Want more stories like this? Yes, Medusa is a protection symbol. Before we talk about the different messages of medusa, let us discuss medusas symbolism. Black And Gray Tattoos. Then her severed head, capable of transfixion even in death, is carted away to help him defeat the villain of his story. There is a painful recognition in the fact that Medusas head the center of her knowledge and power is taken from her in order to empower a man and to fight his battles for him. She becomes a priestess to her sister Athena and vows to her sister to remain pure. severed head, capable of transfixion even in death, is carted away to help him defeat the villain of his story. However, seeing her in your dream changes the narrative. 22. Flower tattoos are associated with beauty . This is a powerful combo to enjoy protection from the evil eye. When the artist Luciano Garbati made his sculpture . Dangerous Beauty boldly mingles objects from across centuries in the compact exhibition. To ensure your safety from spiritual attacks, try to keep a medusa symbol in front of your home. Pastimes include playing with words, using my passport, and eating croissants. 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. Founded in 2009, Hyperallergic is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. In Greece, Medusa was often seen as an apotropaic symbol to ward off evils and negativity as well. Horus was the son of the goddess Isis. She was a monster in her story but her symbols were often used for the good of mankind however ironic it is to hear. Within this context, it seems as if both the male genitalia and female head are their respective centers of power. Even into the 19th century, as the romanticization continued, her eyes did not close. 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. Gorgon Medusa. 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. Fortunately, the times have changed and people have started to realize the flaw in their reasoning. To understand the impact of medusa, the following spiritual messages are important. 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. Chariot pole finial with the head of Medusa (detail) (Roman, Imperial, 1st2nd century CE), bronze, silver, and copper, height: 7 1/4 inches, width: 7 inches; diameter: 4 1/4 inches (courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Rogers Fund, 1918). She is transformed from a seeing subject to merely seen object, a demeaned and faceless body. Keeping an image of medusa in front of your door wards off evil spirits. In the new and annotated edition of Metamorphoses (highly recommend), it becomes clear that in the eyes of the Romans, Minervas wrath against a rape victim is seen as just, same as with Atalantas rape punishment (getting turned into a lion). Athena did not only curse Medusa but also her sisters. Two solo photography exhibitions at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, expose the obscured, silenced, and unacknowledged histories of the slave trade. It looks particularly sexy on the back or thigh area, where the tattoo will draw attention to feminine body parts. Stepping on a Crack Superstition and Meaning: Its a Bad Omen? Medusa remains of temporal importance because she is the symbol of what female power looks like in the face of threatened male authority. After Perseus removed Medusa's head, some stories claim that he gifted it to Athena. Phoenix Tattoos. In ancient greek mythology, medusa was a beautiful priestess of Athena. This is another caution sign from medusa. Medusa was protective of her chastity and rejected Poseidons advances when the God tried to seduce her. This reminded me of how her story, despite it being one where she gets decapitated, has been reclaimed as of late by feminist scholars. Up to that point that was Medusa was known for a monster that had the ability to turn her victims into stone. The myth of Medusa lies at the nexus of conversations about symbolism, feminity, rage, and the ways women are symbols of generativity, desire, and power. 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. Angered by this, Athena placed a curse on her by turning her hair into snakes and making her gaze dangerous. Medusas story showed us the representation of women in ancient Greek society and how people viewed them. Well, let me tell you a secret. Image Courtesy: pixabay.com. I remember finding out one day that the name Medusa means protectress, and it makes me wish that someone had been able to protect her. She is an advocate of the exaltation of femininity. Furthermore, she is a goddess that helps young ladies to overcome a lack of confidence. Her image was used in Byzantine Greece to protect pregnant women and newborns. The incomplete essay becomes far more phallocentric as it continues explaining how the sight of female genitalia instills fear of castration, how Medusas snake-like hair is (of course) a phallic symbol, and finally that Medusas ability to cause onlookers to become stiff, is a representation of an erection and therefore a confirmation of their manhood and of still having a penis it is in essence, their final confirmation of manhood. image of intoxication, petrifaction, and luring attractiveness. 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. Which Hand to Wear Evil Eye Bracelet & Ring for Good Luck? What does this mean? Cixous emphasizes the importance of the female voice, of womens story, she urges women to urgently learn to speak; because after all a woman without a body, dumb, blind, cant possibly be a good fighter. Herein, we see Medusas head, cut from her body, being held up by Perseus, she is reduced to being the servant of the militant male, his shadow. In what insidious ways are women made to be in a mans shadow? Originally from Oklahoma, she has been covering visual culture and overlooked history for print It is believed that she became a goddess after the curse was pronounced. She was likened to the modern evil eye and people believed that they needed an image of evil to ward off other evils that could affect them. In 1976, Hlne Cixous, a noteworthy French feminist theorist, wrote an essay called The Laugh of the Medusa, in which she unpacks this myth. In it, a nude Perseus proudly presents the dead Gorgons head in one hand, grasping some of the hair that writhes with a few subtle serpents. Her beauty and wisdom were her confidence and she was respected in the greek world of gods. She was killed by Zeusbefore he fought his father and the Titans for power. What does the Medusa symbolize? You should be fine if you worry about attracting her attention. All three are originally described as having tusks, wings, and the infamously iconic snake hair. She is revered for this power and grants wisdom to everyone that asks for it. The stories of ancient Greek and Roman mythology have, over the years, been rediscovered, repurposed, and reinterpreted in more modern contexts. Read the best quotes from Greek mythology about Medusa. Medusa in Jewelry. It is only with help from all of the gods that Perseus is able to not only kill but fully decapitate her. In her book Put A Bag Over Her Head: Beheading Mythological Women, Wendy Doniger posits that if men fear castration of the penis, then women fear decapitation of the head; therefore the penis and the head become the locus of power within the man and woman respectively. [emailprotected]. You can keep medusas image with you to remind you of the danger of unfaithfulness. In her 2017 book Women & Power: A Manifesto, classicist Mary Beard explores how the image of Medusa is used to skewer women in contemporary politics, from Angela Merkel to Hillary Clinton (with Trump as Perseus in a popular manifestation). Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art continues through January 6, 2019 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan). The clinical material cited in the above papers refers to male patients, except one case cited by Flugel. She is the symbol of what female power looks like in the face of threatened male authority. Furthermore, she is a goddess that helps young ladies to overcome a lack of confidence. (The Etruscans especially used to put her symbol on homes and temples to ward off evil spirits.) The 11 spiritual messages of the medusa goddess can help you understand more about your life and the virtues you carry. Luciano Garbati's sculpture "Medusa With the Head of Perseus" was unveiled Tuesday in Lower Manhattan. Medusa represents feminine power. I know it has a name but I can't think of it. This gorgeous black and gray tattoo is of Athena, the Greek Goddess. Today it is sometimes used as a symbol of Hellenic Neopaganism. Passionate about spirituality, numerology and spiritual accounts. As an ancient protection symbol, the Medusa in this way also symbolizes aspects of the mother goddess, especially as a child of Gaia, the creator. Therefore, anytime you see this image around (during a confusing situation), it is a sign that you should pay close attention to. Freuds analysis of the Medusa myth is that she was decapitated because she represents castration anxiety through phallic symbolism. Protection Symbol #9 The Eye of Horus. 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). Including floral details in the tattoo gives it a softer, more feminine finish. Modern feminism often uses Medusa as a symbol of their rage against the stigmatization of female sexuality. When she's not reading at one of D.C's many coffeeshops she can also be found taking pictures of the different monuments. It is also given to help you keep your secrets to yourself, thereby avoiding betrayal. In the original tale, Poseidon . Instead of being seen as a monster, she is now depicted as a feminine Fatale. As this article from the Atlantic puts it: "In Western culture, strong women have historically been imagined as threats requiring male conquest and control. 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. As a symbol I don't see a problem with it. How Long Will Joe Goldbergs Rampage Be Left Unchecked? A new intersectional publication, geared towards voices, values, and identities! We dont have many of her temples around today, but she was once worshipped as a goddess in the past. If you ever find yourself in Sicily, you will see the Trinacria being sold in all forms: magnets, key chains, pins, postcards and most stunning of all: ceramic Trinacria plaques that are hand-crafted by local artisans. Not only that, but Medusa is often used as a symbol of rage in feminism. 59 Likes, TikTok video from Sasha Melendez (@sashamelendez15): ""Medusa and her story have been reclaimed as a symbol of strength and power, with her image also being used as a mark of protection against evils." #viral #medusa #saawareness #9thgenaccord". Beauty, like monstrosity, enthralls, and female beauty in particular was perceived and, to a certain extent, is still perceived to be both enchanting and dangerous, or even fatal.. The labrys symbolism is found in Minoan, Thracian, Greek, and Byzantine religion, mythology, and art, dating from the Middle Bronze Age onwards. What does this mean? You might have asked questions about the reason behind medusas plight. The Gorgon's head (or the head of Medusa) is a symbol of terror, death and divine magical power, in Greek mythology. I know for a fact Romans wore this as an apotropaic symbol, to avert evil (sorry not as knowledgable about Greek practices yet) . Statues of Medusa were used to guard Pagan Greek temples. GameStop Moderna Pfizer Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Walgreens Best Buy Novavax SpaceX Tesla. Dot-work Medusa tattoos might symbolize the connection to the religious part of Athena's story. Allison C. Meier is a former staff writer for Hyperallergic. Indian artist Diptej Vernekar attached puppets of Hindu avatars to exercise equipment that anyone could activate and engage with. 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The symbol appeared on ships and pharaohs entombed in the pyramids wore an Eye of Horus amulet around their neck. The labrys also appears in African religious symbolism and mythology (see Shango). This should be a lesson to learn. She was the child of Ceto and Phorcys. The ability to be confident and proud of your gender stems from medusa. 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. Born of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, it is often forgotten that Medusa herself is a goddess of the sea. She helps females to attain their primes and become who they choose to be. And rightly so. I know you wrote this comment nearly a year ago, but Im actually writing a paper on this (which got me into Hellenism, but thats a whole other thing). Medusa is a symbol of female power and a popular tattoo design that celebrates the womanhood of women. 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. This began with the greeks and later flowed down to every other culture. For this Athena punished her hideously. If women venture to claim control over their heads, then they become a threat to the phallic, male-dominated structure. The story of Medusa shifted over time along with her visage. People often come to secure their lives with some supernatural rituals and symbols when they do not feel secure with physical protection. Freud considered that as a result, she became the unapproachable woman who repels all sexual desire by carrying (symbolically) the genitals of the mother. Venus had many lovers both mortal and immortal. Can Brain Science Explain Why We Like Certain Artworks? According to The Met Museum, Medusa is portrayed in most Greek art as an "apotropaic symbol used to protect and ward off the negative," representing a "dangerous threat meant to deter other. Your email address will not be published. I almost got a Medusa pendent myself but I just never ended up getting one. It appears on numerous objects of applied art, such as earrings, cameo rings, and medallion necklaces, etc. It means that we all can stay relevant even if all odds are against us. Men back in the day didnt have the same level of respect for women as they do today because each gender had a different role in society. Since Ancient Greece, the snake-haired Gorgon has been a sexualized symbol of womens rage. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. That the only reason that Medusa is the way that she is is because of a curse that was placed on her. Ancient Egyptians used the Eye of Horus to provide protection. The snake-like strands of hair also represent the cunning ability of snakes, which gives additional wisdom. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. While not the best source, Wikipedia seems to support your claim - it has images of her head used in gorgoneions. (image: Public Domain/Medusa by Caravaggio). The eye of Horus is an ancient symbol embued with magickal power and meaning. Nowadays Medusas can be seen as a symbol of revenge against the male gaze. If the sexualization of the female head causes subjectivity of the woman, then I argue that Freuds analysis (i.e. Medusa was a beautiful woman who was raped, killed and beheaded by various gods. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It means that medusa can encourage men to embrace their feminine selves.
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