In fact, the name Medusa is derived from the Greek verb that means "to guard" or "to protect." And at the end of the story, Athena takes Medusa's severed head and uses it as her own protection in future battle (a symbol for these dual aspects of a woman becoming integrated.) Medusa, A Character In Greek Mythology: What Does it Symbolize? This will also encourage you to always keep to your words. People with great academic achievements are believed to be possessed with medusa. 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. Here we discuss Medusa as a goddess, gorgon, and icon AND we teach you 8 ways to work with her fierce energy. It keeps your spiritual atmosphere thick enough to repel every negative force. The god of the sea and of earthquakes, Poseidon had also some animals sacred to him. Medusa Tattoos: The Ancient Greek Myth And Current Symbolism (image: Public Domain/Medusa by Caravaggio). The Gorgon, Medusa, was said to have been raped by the God of the Sea, Poseidon, but were there any children that were a product of this animosity? It might come as a surprise but the name Medusa actually means to protect and this actually reflects in the mythology. What Do Medusa Tattoos Mean? - Myth & Symbolism - Beauty Mag If you purchase something through our links, The Mary Sue may earn an affiliate commission., Have a tip we should know? 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. In addition to this, seeing the image of medusa speaks of the intellectual ability of an artist to draw her perfectly. Installation view of Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (photo by the author for Hyperallergic), Terracotta pelike (jar) with Perseus beheading the sleeping Medusa, attributed to Polygnotos (Greek, 450440 BCE), terracotta, height: 18 13/16 inches, diameter: 13 1/2 inches (courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1945), Madeleine Glennonin a 2017 essay on Medusa in Ancient Greek Artfor the Met notes thatClassical and Hellenistic images of Medusa are more human, but she retains a sense of the unknown through specific supernatural details such as wings and snakes. [5] Protection [ edit] 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. When Athena discovers that Posidon has raped Medusa, she chooses to blame her rather than him. Medusa - whose name probably comes from the Ancient Greek word for "guardian" - was one of the three Gorgons, daughters of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, and sisters of the Graeae, Echidna, and Ladon. Without the support of the gods, he would have been petrified like every other warrior. When medusa was cursed, no god was there to help her or fight her battles. Feel free to correct me if Im wrong about anything! You can keep medusas image with you to remind you of the danger of unfaithfulness. The name Medusa means 'sovereign female wisdom,' 'guardian / protrectress,' 'the one who knows' or 'the one who rules.' It derives from the same Indo-European root as the Sanskrit Medha and the Greek Metis, meaning 'wisdom' and 'intelligence.' (1) Metis, 'the clever one', is Athena's mother. As this article from the Atlantic puts it: "In Western culture, strong women have historically been imagined as threats requiring male conquest and control. She is an advocate of the exaltation of femininity. 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. No doubt to be the most commonly linked symbol of Medusa, the snake is a symbol of the Gorgon that represented many things. 9 Spiritual Meanings, 11 Ankh Spiritual Meanings: Egyptian Cross Symbol, Triangle Spiritual Meaning: 11 Symbolisms (Its Good or Bad? Her luscious hair was her most defining feature and she wasnt shy of flaunting herself to others either. Victim in Stone Benvenuto Cellini , Perseus with the Head of Medusa, 1545-1554, Florence. ), 7 Eye of Horus Spiritual Meanings: The Egyptian Third Eye. Medusa as a symbol for women's empowerment - Kelly Erin The image of her severed head remains a powerful protective amulet. wildfirepunch / Instagram. Several stories fly around concerning medusa, but we will attempt to extract messages from those stories. Bronze greave (shin guard) for the left leg with Medusa head (Greek, 4th century BCE), bronze, width: 4 7/8 inches; length: 15 3/4inches (courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan P. Rosen, 1991). Many writers will tell you that writing is a physical activity. As Karoglou points out, the majority of hybrids (half-human, half-animal monsters like sirens or Gorgons) in ancient Greece were female. The Gorgon as a symbol of protection TW: Mention of r*pe 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 went against her vow and married him. Ancient Greek artists originally portrayed Medusa as an almost comically hideous figure, with a lolling tongue, full beard, and bulging eyes. This image of Medusa began to shift when mustache stubble was replaced by smooth cheeks, and fangs concealed by shapely lips, as Classical artists began to feminize her once again. What does this mean? She is a woman who represents a conflicting view of femininity, one that is seemingly alluring but with a threatening or sinister underside. The femme fatale archetype has found permanence in our storytelling, and confirms to us that: to be both beautiful and fearsome to be a woman who has bodily autonomy and anger is not at all normative and that those women must be cast aside or have power taken from them. severed head, capable of transfixion even in death, is carted away to help him defeat the villain of his story. As a result, women with Medusa Tattoos can show their fierce determination and may also reflect their unpredictable and impulsive nature. Medusas beheading is the ultimate offense because it involves a complete dismemberment, a permanence within the male gaze, and a double darkness. According to Hlne Cixous article The Laugh of Medusa, she claims that. In myth Medusa was the granddaughter of the earth (Gaia) and the ocean (Oceanus), a beautiful mortal Gorgon maiden sworn to celibacy to fulfill her duties as an attendant to Athena. [emailprotected]. 11 Spiritual Meanings, Medusa Spiritual Meaning: 11 Spiritual Messages, 10) Everything is turning out to your good. In Medusas story, the Gorgon was born a beautiful mortal among her hideous immortal siblings which people saw as a blessing for her. Seems a little ironic that a monster like Medusa would be used as a way to keep family protected against the evils of the world. Statues of Medusa were used to guard Pagan Greek temples. Your email address will not be published. Evil Eye. She represented the sexuality of men and the ancient Greeks views towards women. 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). If we go back to Greek antiquity, Medusa was a mighty force endowed with the power to both kill and redeem. Her energy can be channeled for spiritual activities like spells, rituals, and prayers. Press J to jump to the feed. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. In this version of the story, it is said that Medusa was in the temple of Minvera and that one day Neptune, the god of the sea, found her and sexually assaulted her. According to various sources, Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal, so she was able to be beheaded by the Greek hero, Perseus. Snakes shed their skin regularly, which symbolizes the death of their previous self and grow into their new skins during their rebirth. 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. Ultimately Freud and Ferencais conclusions are that women have anxieties because they do not have penises. Including floral details in the tattoo gives it a softer, more feminine finish. 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? Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of Medusas story is that she was pregnant with Poseidons child when she was killed. 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. The stories of ancient Greek and Roman mythology have, over the years, been rediscovered, repurposed, and reinterpreted in more modern contexts. a protection against . 20. In Greek mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon - a creature with snakes for hair and the ability to turn anyone who looked at her into stone. I Need To Know What 'Very Bland' Opinion Got J.K. 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was medusa a symbol of protection for women