The death of Medusa had another immediate impact. The hero drew his sword, prepared to fight, but realized she was nothing more than a hollow wraith. Although Perseus is sent to kill her, her sisters cannot die so he instead has to avoid them. Combining two traditionally popular images, that of a beautiful womans face and that of coiling snakes, she is chosen to represent both her modern power and her ancient demonism. Gaia, Rhea, and Demeter, for example, are often seen as three closely-bound earth goddesses. The story of Medusa is such a famous Greek myth told in today's world, both to kids and adults alike. Even a piece of Medusas head, like the one Heracles gave to Sterope, was enough to repel enemies and cause uneasiness even if it didnt have the power to petrify. "In mythology, the Medusa can petrify people with a look, which is a good thing, I think. [22] Representations of two intertwined serpents are common in Sumerian art and Neo-Sumerian artwork[22] and still appear sporadically on cylinder seals and amulets until as late as the thirteenth century BC. The god of the sea, like many of his peers, had frequent affairs with mortal women and minor goddesses. For thousands of years, members of the Hopi Native American tribe of northern Arizona have performed the ritual known as the Snake Dance. The Yeti in Himalayan Mythology. She was killed by Zeus before he fought his father and the Titans for power. Snake-gods were more often portrayed as hybrids or shape-shifters; for example, North American snake-spirits could change between human and serpentine forms whilst keeping the characteristics of both. Phorcys and Keto were also the parents of three other monstrous sisters the Graeae. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. Their parents were early sea gods, predating the Olympians. There are also stories about Balder, Freyr and Heimdall.But just like the world of men, the realm of the gods was populated by both men and women. As a more sensual villain, Medusas snakes are, once again, linked to Biblical notions of sin and evil. These were: Muspelheim, the realm of the fire giants. Also, in Norse mythology, the snake biting its tail symbolized the sea as the eternal ring which enclosed the world. Unlike Perseus, the protagonists in these stories actually have to fight her. In Buddhism, naga were often depicted as protectors of Siddhrtha Gautama, the Buddha, and the dharma (Buddhist teachings), but they were also seen as powerful, and potentially dangerous when angered. Snakes were also commonly associated with water especially myths about the primordial ocean being formed of a huge coiled snake as in Ahi/Vritra in early Indian myth and Jormungand in Nordic myth. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? The mythology of the Dogon's primordial ancestor Lebe, it based almost entirely on a serpent mythology. She had many suitors and was especially known for her beautiful long hair. 125 Copy quote. -Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. While some later writers claimed that Sthenno had a scream that was as deadly as Medusas gaze, this does not seem to fit the legend of how Perseus escaped by becoming invisible. A great degree of respect is afforded to snakes in Serer culture, as they are the very embodiment and symbol of their saints and ancestral spirits. But the Medusa is a unique symbol - something strong. Some stories say that Perseus first used the Gorgons head while travelling back to his homeland. Perseus could not look at Medusa or he would be turned to stone. However, Zeus turned into a gold shower and got Danae pregnant. Medusa was often depicted as a terrifying winged female with snakes instead of hair. The story of Medusa from Greek mythology is perhaps less well known than Medusa herself. But later depictions tell a much darker tale. Medusas last scream in death woke the sleeping Gorgons, and the two sisters chased after the man who had killed her. As the next item in our list of mythical creatures, Medusa is another addition from Greek mythology. The aegis (/ i d s / EE-jis; Ancient Greek: aigs), as stated in the Iliad, is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the head of a Gorgon.There may be a connection with a deity named Aex or Aix, a daughter of Helios and a nurse of Zeus or alternatively a mistress of Zeus (Hyginus, Astronomica 2. While Perseus beheaded Medusa, however, he still left two Gorgons alive. In other cultures[which?] [27] Thousands of people gather around snake pools called Naga kuan that are said to lead to Nagaloka, the lavish underwater world of these snake deities or Nagas. The story of Perseus's defeat of the Gorgon is one of the most legendary in Greek mythology. To them, the initial punishment and the subsequent death were both justified. In Indian myth, Shiva had a cobra coiled on his head and another at rest on his shoulder, ready to strike his enemies. Hesiod said they flicked their tongues, much like snakes. Nymphs who fled the gods were cursed or turned into trees and flowers. In sculpture, mosaics, and painting, the Gorgon began to lose her more beastly attributes. It's Norse mythology time! The Hesperides, a sisterhood of nymphs, were guardians of a wondrous garden at the edge of the world. The roots of this tree (usually growing in water) were guarded by Veles (Volos) the serpent god. Danae's father, Acrisius, King of Argos was told that he would be murdered by Danae's son. Radicals saw the Gorgon herself as a type of revolutionary, taking power from the monstrousness that made her vulnerable. They tell how gods created men. While Greco-Roman writers rationalized this singular Gorgon as a separate creature, it is more likely that Homer and Hesiod recounted stories from slightly different traditions. Behemoth and Leviathan, by William Blake. When Perseus laid the head on a bed of seaweed, its magic caused the plants to harden. score: 22,174 , and 227 people voted. While Medusa was the only one whose gaze petrified men, her sisters killed and mutilated many. Medusa began to look more like the woman she was described as in the texts. Snakes were associated with wisdom in many mythologies, perhaps due to the appearance of pondering their actions as they prepare to strike, which was copied by medicine men in the build-up to prophecy in parts of West Africa. Medusa is one of the spirits often said to lurk at the gates of the underworld, lifeless but unable to fully pass into the next realm. In the underworld, too, she appeared. The Aztec underworld, Mictlan was protected by python-trees, a gigantic alligator and a snake, all of which spirits had to evade by physical ducking and weaving or cunning, before they could start the journey towards immortality. Athena furthered her connection to Medusa by placing rows of snakes around her robes. Top section of a runestone found at Sanda, Gotland, Sweden, dating to the Viking Age (793-1066 CE). The Pomo people told of a woman who married a rattlesnake-prince and gave birth to four snake-children who freely moved between the two worlds of their parents. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Odin lost his eye upon visiting a Norse god named Mimir.Mimir was known as an extremely wise god, and he had also possessed a well called Mmisbrunnr.The waters in the well contained substantial wisdom and knowledge, and if someone drank from the well they would also gain wisdom. Medusa wasnt just mentioned again on earth. Perseus was the child of Zeus and the human woman Danae. Others claim he threw the eye into the depths of Lake Tritonis. French liberty was not heroic, but it was not content to resign itself to victim hood. Medusa was one of three Gorgon sisters born from ancient marine gods Phorcys and Ceto, the offspring of Oceanus and Gaia. Quickly and deftly, he snatched the eye from their grasp. According to Hesiod, the Gorgon sisters made their home on the farthest side of the western sea. From Odin's mighty horse to a world-circling serpent, Norse Mythology has a cacophony of crazy creatures! Perseus used the same stealth he had practiced with the Graeae to sneak close. She is the mother of Balder. Examples include they decided to migrate to flee Islamization and persecution, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snakes_in_mythology&oldid=1144534248, This page was last edited on 14 March 2023, at 07:17. While Perseus beheaded Medusa, however, he still left two Gorgons alive. (Lyons Press, 2017), which chronicles some of history's most famous disappearances. ( Assassin's Creed Wiki ) Perseus kills Medusa after Seriphus' king, Polydectes, sends the legendary Greek hero on a quest to bring him Medusa's head. Classic Mythology IV trading card set scheduled to release in early Summer 2023. Norse mythology - including the stories of Odin, Thor and Loki - was the basis of the religion of the Viking warriors that plundered Europe from the 8 th to the 11 th centuries. In an unusual and macabre turn of events, Medusas death was only the beginning of her adventures. He locked up Danae in a bronze chamber. In Greek mythology, Pegasus is primarily known for one tale which sees the winged horse used by the hero Bellerophon. Many depictions of Athena show the fearsome head of the Gorgon on her aegis. Family. 13). Paris was famous for for marrying Helen of Troy, which led to the Trojan War. Italian fashion company Versace took a completely different view of Medusa when they made her their logo. In both ancient Greek and Norse mythology, too, there are supernatural horses. Her face took a more traditionally human appearance. Passing their eye back and forth, one could be watchful at all times. By the time of Ovid, she was one of the worlds great beauties. Read on to find out! Snakes taken from stories of mythology are expressed throughout the use of language. The world of fantasy is packed full of amazing mythical creatures such as Elves, Dwarfs and Giants. The Gorgon was mentioned again in the Odyssey. Horrified, the Graeae demanded the return of their sight. An actress plays the role of the White Snake in Baishe Zhuan (The Legend of White Snake) in a Chinese opera, 2000. She loved carnage and chilling with her brother, God of War, Ares. He, in turn, gave the jar to Sterope to protect her city from invasion. Keto was synonymous with sea monsters that her name was later used for the great serpents Poseidon conjured from the deep. Today the word myth is often used to describe something that is not true. It is more likely, however, that the legends of the Gorgons came from two separate traditions. [1] Although not entirely a snake, the plumed serpent, Quetzalcoatl, in Mesoamerican culture, particularly Mayan and Aztec, held a multitude of roles as a deity. Athena later helped the hero Perseus slay Medusa, giving him a shiny bronze shield that he used to watch the Gorgons reflection rather than looking directly at her. It is believed that Nagaraja left his earthly life and took Samadhi but still resides in a chamber of the temple. She birthed 14 children, including a son named Strife. Her continued portrayal as a more feminine and human figure furthers this difference in interpretation. Medusa is seen by some today as the first example of victim blaming. According to some myths, Medusa, the most famous of the Gorgons, was originally a beautiful woman. In turning men to stone, however, Medusas anger reflected the rage women felt about these experiences. The simplest and most direct way to approach mythology is to look at its subject matter. The blood that spilled from Medusas severed head gave birth to two children Chrysaor and Pegasus. The reborn gods meet once again, and Sunna, the daughter of Sol, now even outshines her mother. Exceptions to this were the Fijian creator-god Ndengei, the dozen creator-gods of the Solomon Islands (each with different responsibilities), the Aztec Mother Goddess Coatlicue, and the Voodoo snake-spirits Damballa, Simbi and Petro. Perseus and Medusa. Usually the wisdom of snakes was regarded as ancient and beneficial towards humans but sometimes it could be directed against humans. He would return their eye when they revealed to him the location of the Hesperides. Apollo and Artemis. Bellerophon knew that the task would be much easier if he could attack the Chimera from the air and the hero . Nor were the sisters ever described as fully as Medusa. They drink liquor that flows from the udders of a goat, and their sport is to fight one . As a result, God banishes Adam and Eve from the garden and curses the snake. It was said that anyone who looked directly at her was immediately turned to stone. Explore. As shown in the images there are images of the sky serpent with its tail in its mouth, it is believed to be a reverence to the sun, for which Quetzalcoatl was also closely linked. As the Celtic god of fire, he was worshiped primarily in Gaul and Britain. It was just a trick so the king could get closer to Perseus' mother, Danae. The Norns of Norse mythology, the Morrigan and Brigid in Ireland, and the Hindu Tridevi are examples of this motif. In the Iliad, Homer says that the head of the Gorgon is prominently displayed on Athenas aegis. This was the last mention of Sthenno and Euryale in mythology. The Gorgons are mentioned in some of the earliest works of Greek literature. In Egyptian myth, the state of existence before creation was symbolized as Amduat; a many-coiled serpent from which Ra the Sun and all of creation arose, returning each night and being reborn every morning. In the case of Norse mythology, the pantheon of major gods consists of no less than ten deities of noteworthy stature. After the god Zeus liberated the Cyclops , who had been held as prisoners of Tartarus, the giants wanted to return the favor. Barely surviving this ordeal, Odin gains arcane knowledge, including the use . SHARES. Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Did Archaeologists Find the Minotaurs Labyrinth? Once a renowned beauty, Medusa was now so horrifying that any man who looked upon her would be turned to stone. [22] It seems to have originally been the attendant of the Underworld god Ninazu,[22] but later became the attendant to the Hurrian storm-god Tishpak, as well as, later, Ninazu's son Ningishzida, the Babylonian national god Marduk, the scribal god Nabu, and the Assyrian national god Ashur.[22]. The power of Medusas head was so potent that it could petrify even the largest and strongest of the Titans. 14. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), DEA / C. BALOSSINI / Contributor / Getty Images, Godong/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images, Sepia Times/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images, protectors of Siddhrtha Gautama, the Buddha, various versions of the Legend of the White Snake, https://www.history.com/news/snake-symbol-history-mythology, 9 Powerful Snakes from History and Mythology. The vast majority of stories about the gods in Norse mythology focus on the likes of king Odin, invincible Thor and trickster Loki. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Medusas famously beautiful hair was transformed into a writhing mass of snakes. Odin and the runes of power. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Her features softened. According to him, as the only mortal Gorgon, Medusa was also the only one not born a monster. But it didnt take long for that to change. In popular culture, Medusa has retained the duality between a sympathetic female figure and a dangerous monster. In the original story she was killed in her sleep with no chance of fighting back, and most of the deaths caused by her powers were when she was used as a weapon by someone else. Phineus himself was the last of his army to be killed in this way. Carved stones depicting a seven-headed cobra are commonly found near the sluices of the ancient irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka; these are believed to have been placed as guardians of the water. So let's check out some classic monsters from world mythology and see how accurately they're portrayed in D&D! Medusas spirit stayed and faced him down. Hesiod only said that the Gorgon sisters had jagged teeth and snakes hanging at their belts, even saying that they were indescribable. The infamous snake hair of Medusa did not appear in his description. Since only one of the Gorgons plays a particularly important role in the story, it seems likely that the legend of the three sisters was an addition to the myth rather than the original version of the story. This trio of sisters may have been intended as a dark version of a tripartite goddess. Perseus killed the monster and later married the princess. With monstrous features and snakes in place of her hair, she was a frightful creature that the Greeks believed could scare off even the most potent evil. The circle was particularly important to Dahomeyan myth where the snake-god Danh circled the world like a belt, corseting it and preventing it from flying apart in splinters. They are stories about how the world was created and why certain things happen. A demigod, the son of Zeus and Danae, Perseus is one of the greatest heroes of Greek mythology. The Chariot Hall or Royal Funerary Chariot Hall at the Wat Xieng Thong in the UNESCO world heritage town of Luang Prabang in Central Laos contains King Sisavang Vong's gilded, carved wooden funeral carriage, decorated with large Naga snakes at the front.  Men handling poisonous rattlesnakes, one even holding a snake between his teeth, for the snake dance of the Native American Hopi tribe. Myths often relate the creation of the world and sometimes its future destruction as well. In ancient Slavic paganism a deity by the name of Veles presided over the underworld. Greek Mythology is known for its many fearsome beasts such Mantikhoras and Cyclopes. Medusa in Greek Mythology. Of the many naga mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures, one particularly famous one was Mucalinda, a naga king who spread his great cobra hood to shelter the Buddha from a storm that arrived while the prophet was deep in meditation. 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 . Medusa is remembered, more than anything else, for a face that was so hideous that one look at it would literally turn men to stone. Some later writers would say that Sthennos scream could kill a man, but this seems at odds with the story of Perseus and his escape from their lair. Medusa is the most famous Gorgon in Greek mythology, but did you know she was not alone? The Horned Serpent appears in the mythologies of many Native Americans. Top 10 Greek Mythology Movies by caspian1978 | created - 20 Jan 2014 | updated - 20 Jan 2014 | Public . A man. Fighting the Ethiopian king Phineus, Perseus used the head against his enemies. It tied the Macedonian kind directly to Greek heritage. The head of Medusa was the single most frequently used symbol in ancient Greek art. According to various sources, Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal, so she was able to be beheaded by the Greek hero, Perseus. The good guy sometimes doesnt win and innocent people are sometimes harmed. Agamemnon has a similar shield that shows the image of the Gorgon to inspire fear and dread. The only difference between Medusa and a human, or even a goddess, was the snakes that crowned her head. . And very often in mythology, as in life, the victim paid the price. Even after this terrible punishment, Athena had not finished the punishment Medusa. The story of the monster Medusas death at the hands of the great hero Perseus is one of the most widely told myths from the Greek world. Using the winged sandals, he was able to speed out of the cavern and avoid the angry monsters. Perseus stuffed the head of Medusa in the bag and made his escape. After Bai falls in love with and marries a mortal man, Xu Xian, a Buddhist monk, Fahai, reveals her true identity to her husband. Seeking a way to get her grown son out of the way, sent Perseus on a seemingly impossible quest. Homer mentioned only one, while other authors said that a single Gorgon was born from Gaia to fight alongside the Gigantes. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. Judeo-Christian belief had always seen snakes as part of mankinds fall from perfection and her serpentine hair made Medusa more recognizably evil than ever. Though the earliest depictions of Quetzalcoatl show him clearly as a snake with a plume of feathers, later cultures represented him in human form. It is possible that the Gorgon, one of the most terrifying monsters of Greek mythology, was imagined by some to be an evil counterpart to a three-part goddess. . Greek cosmological myths tell of how Ophion the snake incubated the primordial egg from which all created things were born. The creatures would remain common in North Africa forever after. Medusa. Perseus: Perseus was a demi-God in the Greek mythology who rescued Andromeda from a sea-monster. Norse mythology is a source of inspiration for many art enthusiasts, particularly when it comes to tattoos. Even this was not the end of the story for Medusas head, however. In these versions of her story, Medusas beauty would end up being her undoing.

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