Today we look at one of the most misunderstood characters in greek mythology, medusa. Unique artwork for posting words of wisdom or decorating your wall, fridge or office. Come in and get treated to superior food and friendly 5 star service. The greek poet hesiod wrote that medusa lived close to the hesperides in the western ocean near sarpedon. According to this ancient author, the three sisters, sthenno, euryale.
Some scholars believe that the greek and roman medusa myth, as told by ovid, expresses the vanquishing of the great goddess religions as the male gods. According to this ancient author, the three sisters. Medusa greek inspired craft greek crafts, art, craft. This week were going greek as asha recounts the tale of medusa.
Medusa is one of the more unusual divine figures of ancient greece mythology. Nov 29, 2018 the story of medusa greek mythology medusa is one of the most well known and talked about beings from ancient greek mythology that we have ever heard of. If you are looking for the best succulent lamb or other wonderful delicious vegetable and meat dishes, then medusa greek taverna is a must destination. I was caught up in the love story of medusa and ariston, and the clever machinations of the gods and goddesses of olympus. In later myths mainly in ovid medusa was the only gorgon. Hunted by many warriors that wished to claim the prize of her head, many tried, and many have failed. Later authors such as herodotus and pausanias place the gorgons abode in libya. It is the name of an epic poem by hesiod, a greek poet who is believed to have lived between 750 and 650 bc. Daulaires book of greek myths has introduced generations to greek mythologyand continues to enthrall young readers. He was thus a contemporary of homer, the author of the iliad and the. Medusa was one of three sisters born to phorcys and ceto known as the gorgons. Hercules was a greek god, the son of zeus and alcmene, and one of the bestknown heroes in greek and roman mythology. Most sources describe her as the daughter of phorcys and ceto.
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. Her superpower was simple gazers upon her face would turn to stone. Medusa was the daughter of phorcys and ceto though some sources claim gorgon is her father. The earliest known record about the myth of medusa and the gorgons can be found in hesiods theogony. Yet, when her head was given to athena by perseus, athena used her image on armor and a shield. Herstory, a riveting, adventurous tale seeped in the long forgotten history of greek mythology.
However this would have likely derived from the indoeuropean roots from whic. Daulaires book of greek myths, by edgar and ingri daulaire. Myths include king midas, perseus, medusa, persephone, the minotaur, theseus, odysseus, ariadne, with ancient greek. Most sources describe her as the daughter of phorcys and ceto, though the author. The beauty and horror of medusa, an enduring symbol of. Her face, whether fierce and grotesque or feminine and composed, appears in virtually all media in varying contexts. Until the sixth book, medusa was only described as a creature or monster. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone. Medusa is an instantly recognizable figure from ancient greek art.
Jul 22, 2019 it provides a complete history of greek myth, telling the story of each of the great families of heroic mythology, and the various adventures associated with the main heroes and heroines, from jason and perseus to heracles and helen of troy. We are reminded of the tantalizing power of magic, desire, hope. Whispers ran through all the people in the temple who quickly began to leave for everyone knew that athena enjoyed watching over the people of athens and feared what might happen if the goddess had overheard medusas rash remarks. Provides a brief history of greek mythology, describes the gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines contained within it, and presents several myths. In this story, i told the tale of perseus and the snakehaired medusa. Greek poet hesiod wrote that medusa lived close to the hesperides in the western ocean near sarpedon. The earliest known record about the story of medusa and the gorgons can be found in hesiods theogony. She is famed for her snakelike hair and her gaze, which turns those who look at her to.
Medusa was turned into a hideous monster who took all lives that merely gazed upon her face. Perseus might be the most famous greek hero aside from hercules, so he had to be in my story book. The story of medusa greek mythology medusa is one of the most well known and talked about beings from ancient greek mythology that we have ever heard of. A tale of the minotaur, and discovering just how accessible classical greek mythology could become with a skilled modern writer, i knew i would give the second book in the heroines of classical greece series, medusa, a try. Perseus, in greek mythology, the slayer of the gorgon medusa and the rescuer of andromeda from a sea monster. The story of medusa greek mythology explained youtube. Apr 18, 2019 although medusa is commonly regarded as a monster, her head is often seen as a protective amulet that would keep evil away. This online medusa paper discusses the libyan and near eastern conceptions of medusa. The story of medusa in greek mythology continued briefly after her decapitation. Theogony literally means the birth or genealogy of the gods. May 23, 2018 medusa was one of the ugliest creatures that greek mythology created. Character profile for medusa from the greek myths page 1. Devils gate by thea harrison, sweet venom by tera lynn childs, medusa, a love story by sasha summers, the deep end of the sea b.
Key stage 2 history teaching resources with ancient greek myths and legends. Her end fate was to be beheaded by perseus in order to save his mother from an unwanted marriage. Perseus was the son of zeus and danae, the daughter of acrisius of argos. Medusa becomes a survivor and the author of her own story verses a victim of tragedy and disaster. Medusa greek mythology the only mortal of the three gorgon sisters.
The story of medusa was created by greek society to demonize black women, specifically those involved in traditionally african spiritual practices, with the hopes of discouraging race mixing with the genetically dominant melanated masses and maintain white genetic survival. Apr 22, 2012 medusa, a love story quickly rose to the top of my alltime favorite books. Medusa greek taverna traditional mediterranean greek. Medusa s name means to protect this is the irony of it all. Medusa cursed by athena and killed by perseus ancient. The myth continues that simply chancing a glance at her turned men to stone.
They would put small medusa heads on buildings and doors as a way to try to keep scary things away. I was riveted from the very beginning of the story as the author took me on an incredibly joyous and tragic ride. High quality medusa inspired postcards by independent artists and designers from around the world. The death of medusa edward burnejones 18331898 pdart100.
Icarus, medusa and artemis as their fates are revealed through bloody. Unlikely, it is possible that the character of medusa may have derived from some form of early snake goddess worship, with possible relations to an early form of athena. Medusa was one of the three gorgons, daughters of phorcys and ceto, sisters of the graeae, echidna, and ladon all dreadful and fearsome beasts. In the parthenon was the goddess of wisdom and that was athena. Greek mythology is explicitly embodied in a large collection of narratives, and implicitly in greek representational arts, such as vasepaintings and votive gifts. The goddess became angry, and changed medusa into a monster with snakes for hair. What can the myth of medusa tell us about classical myth, perceptions of female power and sexism from antiquity to today. Medusa was a monster from greek mythology that was one of the three sisters including euryale and stheno these sisters comprised a race of monsters known as gorgons and medusa was the only one of them that could be killed, she was said to be able to turn people to stone with a glance. Greek and roman mythology greek gods greek history ancient history medusa snake tapestry of grace greek crafts greek week my fathers world greek mythology unit resources and activities january 2014 poppins book nook theme of greek mythology through the use of unit studies and activities based on rick riordans percy jackson and the random.
Mar 20, 2018 madeleine glennon in a 2017 essay on medusa in ancient greek art for the met notes that classical and hellenistic images of medusa are more human, but she retains a sense of the unknown. The marble head of medusa discovered at antiochia ad cragum in turkey. The latin poet ovid writes in book iv of his metamorphoses that poseidon had raped medusa in the temple of athena. She was a monster, described as a winged female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Athena, in a fit of rage, turns medusa s hair into a nest of writhing, wriggling snakes. One requirement to be a priestess for athena is that the young woman must be a virgin and give her life to the goddess. Medusa in ancient greek art essay the metropolitan. A beautiful mortal, medusa was the exception in the family, until she incurred the wrath of athena, either due to her boastfulness or because of an illfated love affair with poseidon.
She is generally considered unmarried, though she did lie with poseidon. The hunt for medusas head a greek myth graphic myths and legends by paul d. Until one day medusa and her friends went to the parthenon. She was used, against her will, to turn the literary armys enemies to stone. Medusa medusalith amaquelinboltagon is a fictional character appearing in american comic books published by marvel comics. Most sources describe her as the daughter of phorcys and ceto, although the author hyginus makes her the daughter of gorgon and ceto. Medusa was a formidable foe, since her hideous appearance was able to render any onlooker into stone. The hunt for medusa s head a greek myth graphic myths and legends by paul d.
She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes. Aug 20, 20 medusa was a formidable foe, since her hideous appearance was able to render any onlooker into stone. Madeleine glennon in a 2017 essay on medusa in ancient greek art for the met notes that classical and hellenistic images of medusa are more human, but she retains a sense of the unknown. Medusa, hydra, and other monsters from greek mythology. Her name in ancient greek means guardian, protectress. Medusa simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
One of a trio of gorgon sisters, medusa was the only sister who was not immortal. According to hesiods theogony, the gorgons were the sisters of the graiai and lived in the utmost place towards the night by the hesperides beyond oceanus. Oct 28, 2016 welcome back to another fairy tale friday. The goddess was outraged, and changed medusa into a monster with snakes for hair. Medusa is a creature from greek mythology, known for turning all who look at her eyes to stone.
Medusa s face was used to protect those who used that image when defending their country. Medusa, in greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as gorgons. Medusa in ancient greek art essay the metropolitan museum. Archaeologists unearth marble head of medusa at roman ruins in turkey. In greek mythology, medusa also called gorgo, was one of the three monstrous gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. She was beheaded by the hero perseus, using the sword harpe, who thereafter used her head as a weapon until he gave it to the goddess athena to place on her shield the aegis. He was thus a contemporary of homer, the author of the iliad and the odyssey.
In one of the most compelling tales from classical greece since mary renaults bull from the sea and fire from heaven, author scot hines retells the legend of medusa in a way that makes her feel like a contemporary millennial girl with very special problems. She was born on an island named sarpedon which is thought to be somewhere in the general area of cisthene and was known to have been one of the gorgon sisters. Years pass and young perseus decides to go forth and kill medusa. According to hesiod and aeschylus, she lived and died on an island named sarpedon, somewhere near cisthene. One day, poseidon, the god of the sea and rival to athena, saw medusa and decided to humiliate athena by raping the priestess on the steps. However, unlike her other sisters sthenno and euryale, medusa was a mortal and. She was taken to the land of stories from her myth by the literary army, via portal potion. Today, the name medusa conjures the famous image of the greek demon lady with snakes for hair.
The latin poet ovid writes in book iv of his metamorphoses that poseidon attacked medusa in the temple of athena. The beauty and horror of medusa, an enduring symbol of women. Ancient greece, the birthplace of democracy, was the source of some of the greatest literature, architecture, science and philosophy in western civilization, and home to stunning historical sites. The story of medusa is about european fear of african. Michael hoff, hixsonlied professor of art history, university of nebraskalincoln. Perseus return journey to seriphos was a long one, and stopping off in aethiopia perseus discovered that andromeda was to be sacrificed to a sea. Detraci regula is a freelance writer who has specialized in greek travel and tours for 18 years.
Nov 23, 2017 what can the myth of medusa tell us about classical myth, perceptions of female power and sexism from antiquity to today. Traces the story of medusa using the ancient sources writing and art and then through the centuries to modern times. I pretty much retold the story wordforword from the original but i deleted the detailed part about the three sisters and how they have to share an eye. She was a monster, a gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Medusa was a priestess to the goddess athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom and battle. She is so horrifying, that as she flees into the forest, animals turn to stone.
In some variations of the myth, medusa was born a monster like her sisters, described as girded with serpents, vibrating tongues, gnashing their teeth, having wings, brazen claws, and enormous teeth. A series of essays on the history of art, 2010, isbn, page 201. Medusa greek taverna is one of the best traditional greek food restaurants in beautiful sydney. Her name and aspects of her character are derived from greek mythology as her hair has prehensile attributes like that of medusa the gorgons hair. In fact, the name medusa comes from an ancient greek verb meaning to guard or protect. Greek myth attempts to explain the origins of the world, and details the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines and mythological creatures. Learn more about the traditional story of perseus in this article. Her story has been told and retold by ancient and modern storytellers, writers, and artists. Medusa was a character that fascinated the ancient greeks, and then later the romans.
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