Medusa is often seen as a strong and powerful woman, who has the ability to destroy her enemies. Without the support of the gods, he would have been petrified like every other warrior. It is said that medusa protects people from suffering what she suffered at the hands of Athena. mustache stubble was replaced by smooth cheeks, and fangs concealed by shapely lips, a male-centered society, the feminization of monsters served to demonize women, represents a conflicting view of femininity, one that is seemingly alluring but with a threatening or sinister underside. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. People often come to secure their lives with some supernatural rituals and symbols when they do not feel secure with physical protection. In ancient greek mythology, medusa was a beautiful priestess of Athena. However, she found a way to remain relevant. Angered by this, Athena placed a curse on her by turning her hair into snakes and making her gaze dangerous. She keeps evil far away from her. She argues that decapitation is not a symbol of castration anxiety, but rather a result of it. As weve mentioned, the myth of Medusa can be interpreted in various ways, but I think perhaps the most fascinating analysis is done through a feminist perspective because it unveils just how swift we are to circumvent female rage. Greek mythology has long fascinated me, but Im also intrigued by how the stories have changed and developed over time, as have interpretations of those stories. Gorgon Medusa. Medusa is also seen as a symbol of freedom and liberation for women, as she was used as a symbol of French liberation during the French Revolution. She works with birth, death, and rebirth. Medusa remains the. The labrys was formerly a symbol of Greek fascism. No doubt to be the most commonly linked symbol of Medusa, the snake is a symbol of the Gorgon that represented many things. What does Medusa Represent? Still no matter her form or decapitation her gaze is never averted, looking directly at the viewer as an assertion of her horrifying power that cannot be completely subverted by beauty. Well Medusa's dead, she was the only mortal gorgons. Well, let me tell you a secret. Therefore, if you notice a dwindle in your spiritual consciousness, seek help from medusa. Nowadays Medusas can be seen as a symbol of revenge against the male gaze. 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. Due to the apotropaic (protective) function of her image, the hydra Medusa motif has been widespread since the Hellenistic period. 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. 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: . The ability to understand science and ancient myths is also given by the goddess medusa. Different versions of a myth can grow in popularity, replacing others, and there ends up being no one singular original story. What does this mean? 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). Her energy can be channeled for spiritual activities like spells, rituals, and prayers. Our image of Medusa is one of pure evil, but in reality, she is raped and impregnated by her rapist. What are your opinions on Medusa as a symbol of protection? Have a tip or story idea? 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. You should never joke with what you say because forces are paying attention to every utterance of yours. It takes a high level of creativity to achieve this feat. She wants you to deliberately watch the things you say. Medusa, who was once thought of as a boastful mortal who deserved to be turned into a monster, is now seen in a more sympathetic view by modern standards. Zeus represented power, Hades represented fairness in death, but what did a mortal who turned into a monster, like Medusa, represent? Founded in 2009, Hyperallergic is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. It speaks about the ability to handle complex situations, and deal with hard tasks. Not only that, but Medusa is often used as a symbol of rage in feminism. The Gorgon's head (or the head of Medusa) is a symbol of terror, death and divine magical power, in Greek mythology. As a result, women with Medusa Tattoos can show their fierce determination and may also reflect their unpredictable and impulsive nature. Medusas snakes were said to represent the cycle of life, rebirth, and death. Answered, One Piece Won a Different Award at the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Than I Expected, and Im Delighted, Randall Parks Upcoming Film is Everything Ive Ever Wanted. Medusa was a beautiful woman who was raped, killed and beheaded by various gods. While there have been myths about Medusa in the past, the most famous myth is her being the monster that Persuses had killed. The symbol appeared on ships and pharaohs entombed in the pyramids wore an Eye of Horus amulet around their neck. 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. If women venture to claim control over their heads, then they become a threat to the phallic, male-dominated structure. What does Medusa Symbolize? This message is meant to keep you alert at all times. 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). The complexity lies in how to represent her hair by art. Evil Eye. 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. There have been all kinds of well-known feminist attempts over the last fifty years or more to reclaim Medusa for female power (Laugh with Medusa, as the title of one recent collection of essays almost put it) not to mention the use of her as the Versace logo but its made not a blind bit of difference to the way she has been used in attacks on female politicians, writes Beard. Worth looking into it, if youre curious. She was very lovely once, the hope of many An envious suitor, and of all her beauties Her hair most beautifulat least I heard so From one who claimed he had seen her. "In a male-centered society, the feminization of monsters served to demonize women," she said. 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. Medusa was once a powerful feminine symbol, with control over the natural cycle and in harmony with the worlds of earth and sky. I almost got a Medusa pendent myself but I just never ended up getting one. So basically, Im wondering which is the most accurate? Use this symbol to keep you safe on your travels as did ancient sailors who would paint it on the sides of their boats. When it comes to medusa, we have several mixed stories; however, both stories affirm the fact that medusa was very beautiful. She is telling you that you will never have to suffer what she endured. Upon witnessing this act the goddess Minerva turned Medusa into the snake hair monster with the cold-stone stare that we all know her as. It was this sort of power dangerous, beautiful, and connected to women that both ancients and more modern people felt needed curtailing, oftentimes at the end of a sword. It is only with help from all of the gods that Perseus is able to not only kill but fully decapitate her. By the fifth century BCE, that figure from Greek myth began to morph into an alluring seductress, shaped by the idealization of the body in Greek art. The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling. Athena grows jealous, as many men flock to her, only to glance at Medusa instead. Therefore, seeing her should remind us of the power of faithfulness. When the God of the Sea, Poseidon, was mesmerized by her beauty and forced himself onto her, she was clearly the victim here. When she's not reading at one of D.C's many coffeeshops she can also be found taking pictures of the different monuments. Many in Greek culture also link snakes to a womans menstruation cycle which relates to the cycle of life and death as well. In a new show, Nicole Marroquins artworks are in dialogue with the documentary photographs of Mexican-born artist Diana Sols. Fortunately, the times have changed and people have started to realize the flaw in their reasoning. 9 Meanings, 9 Vertigo Spiritual Meanings: Random Dizziness. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. One of the most complex drawings is medusa. Indian artist Diptej Vernekar attached puppets of Hindu avatars to exercise equipment that anyone could activate and engage with. Of course, one must never mention psychoanalysis and phallic imagery without then mentioning Sigmund Freud, who, during the 20th century, wrote prolifically about the intersection of sexuality and psychology. 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 talks about inner strength. Required fields are marked *. 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. Several stories fly around concerning medusa, but we will attempt to extract messages from those stories. 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. Moreover, the Gorgon was also seen as a symbol of protection to ward off the evils and negativity of life.