Therefore, this secret behind medusa is the reason for many movies that portrayed her as a head full of snakes. Overall, yes it is okay, and I think I wish to work with her, too. In Greek mythology, she is one of the Gorgon sisters (derived from the Greek gorgs for dreadful), and Perseus uses a reflective bronze shield to defeat her. If the sexualization of the female head causes subjectivity of the woman, then I argue that Freuds analysis (i.e. Its Medusas fault for being so beautiful. It wasnt until the Roman poet Ovid made her a more complex character than her original myth wrote her out to be. The eye of Horus is an ancient symbol embued with magickal power and meaning. Answer (1 of 6): The functional identity of human vital functions with the functions of the primitive organial forms of movement reaches much more behind and beyond the jellyfish known as Medousa [1] [2] These two photographs clearly show that the ancient Greek mythologists probably knew ana. Love this, I decided half an hour before seeing this post to get or make one myself, as an apotropaic symbol. Without the support of the gods, he would have been petrified like every other warrior. It is believed that she became a goddess after the curse was pronounced. Medusa Tattoo Designs 1. To become confident in your feminine gender, you should try keeping medusas image with you. American Traditional Medusa Tattoos She argues that decapitation is not a symbol of castration anxiety, but rather a result of it. As a symbol I don't see a problem with it. 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. Modern feminism often uses Medusa as a symbol of their rage against the stigmatization of female sexuality. She was cold, calculated, and terrifying. . Because of the origin of medusa, she is an emblem of deep spirituality. According to Ferenczi,1 the head of the Medusa is a terrible symbol of the female genital region displaced from below upwards. 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? The image of her severed head remains a powerful protective amulet. However, she found a way to remain relevant. Medusa was a worshiper of Athena and a guardian of her temple. We dont have many of her temples around today, but she was once worshipped as a goddess in the past. Due to the apotropaic (protective) function of her image, the hydra Medusa motif has been widespread since the Hellenistic period. Therefore, seeing her should remind us of the power of faithfulness. Another reminder that Minerva/Athena is not your feminist queen. Business, Economics, and Finance. The labrys also appears in African religious symbolism and mythology (see Shango). (The Etruscans especially used to put her symbol on homes and temples to ward off evil spirits.) 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. Medusa is the only one who is mortal and that is why the hero Perseus is sent to slay her. Horus was the son of the goddess Isis. 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. Many people have heard about Medusa and her tragic tale but not much is known about the Gorgon herself. This should be a lesson to learn. Medusa thread which will be full of debate on this. She represented the beauty of the female gender and advocated for it. You can either pray to her or keep her image with you. She is telling you that you will never have to suffer what she endured. You should be fine if you worry about attracting her attention. 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. Medusa is a symbol of female power and a popular tattoo design that celebrates the womanhood of women. The archive, belonging to lawyer Linda Coffee, contains nearly 150 documents and letters related to the historic case. Nowadays Medusas can be seen as a symbol of revenge against the male gaze. The symbol of her snakes is closely related to life itself as well as the cycle of rebirth. Medusa is seen as a powerful symbol of female intelligence and wisdom, related to the goddess Metis . In Greece, Medusa was often seen as an apotropaic symbol to ward off evils and negativity as well. 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. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Athena holds her head and Hades her soul. Can you now see the reason for her plight? It was said that she protected those who were at war and during the hunt. However, what people dont know is that medusas bracelet carries the same power. wildfirepunch / Instagram. 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. Luciano Garbati's sculpture "Medusa With the Head of Perseus" was unveiled Tuesday in Lower Manhattan. In Greek mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three monstrous sisters comprised of Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale. Medusa was trending on Twitter in June because of an incredible statue image of Medusa sitting on her throne in all her glory. However even in the face of tragedy and disgrace, the Medusa was portrayed as meaningful. 1. What medusa suffered is enough to make her insignificant in the world of spirituality. Medusa was one of three daughters born with extraordinary beauty and stunning hair. Medusa has become an ubiquitous symbol of female empowerment and for good reason. At this point, Medusas head became a desired trophy for many warriors who wanted to brave her fierce monster-like powers. The gorgons have some interesting lore, well beyond what you see in pop culture. That the only reason that Medusa is the way that she is is because of a curse that was placed on her. When it comes to relationships, medusa is a lesson to learn. The reason for medusas plight was her unfaithfulness to the vow she made. Your email address will not be published. Since Ancient Greece, the snake-haired Gorgon has been a sexualized symbol of womens rage. I know it has a name but I can't think of it. Read the best quotes from Greek mythology about Medusa. She turned anyone unlucky enough to stare directly at her face into stone. On funerary urns or armor, she was a talisman of protection, those eyes symbolically warding off evil. The earliest portrayals of Medusa show a grotesque part human, part animal creature with wings and boar-like tusks. Modern women and pagans realize just how powerful Medusa's story is and what it means to women, trans women, the downtrodden and oppressed today. Furthermore, she is a goddess that helps young ladies to overcome a lack of confidence. Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of Medusas story is that she was pregnant with Poseidons child when she was killed. She was also a powerful representation of facing ones inner demons and how self-reflection can make you into a better person. The 42nd edition of the fair showcases contemporary, modern, and 19th century images from 44 photography galleries. Press J to jump to the feed. Even into the 19th century, as the romanticization continued, her eyes did not close. However, it also became a symbol of protection and safety. Snakes shed their skin regularly, which symbolizes the death of their previous self and grow into their new skins during their rebirth. On funerary urns or armor, she was a talisman of protection, those eyes symbolically warding off evil. Venus had many lovers both mortal and immortal. 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. The Gorgon was also a representation of protection and had symbols. Hence, Medusa's tale has served as a metaphor for power and bravery, particularly for women who have experienced s*xual harassment. There is an alluring nature to Medusa, as she is both siren and saint she is the complicated woman we all understand and fear. Medusa represents feminine power. The man was caught carrying Juanita in a food delivery backpack. Her energy can be channeled for spiritual activities like spells, rituals, and prayers. Jeenah Moon for The New York Times. Well Medusa's dead, she was the only mortal gorgons. 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. Whenever you see an image of medusa, or dream of her, it encourages you to embrace the feminine side of yourself. Up to that point that was Medusa was known for a monster that had the ability to turn her victims into stone. The phallocentric understanding of Medusa that attempts to claim her as an erotic object denies her of her full power of speech, thought, and importance. In the myths, any mortal who set eyes upon it was immediately turned to stone. Which Hand to Wear Evil Eye Bracelet & Ring for Good Luck? 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgoneion. During my free time, I love reading and researching history. As a result, she symbolizes both death and rebirth. Throughout the essay she encourages women to come closer in relation to her sexuality, to her womanly being, giving her access to her native strength. She goes on to say that in doing so she will get back her goods, her pleasure, her organs, her immense bodily territories. Cixous continues on, saying that for too long women's bodies have been occupied and deemed guilty guilty of everything, guilty at every turn: for having desire, for not having any; for being frigid, for being too hot; for not being both at once, perhaps even from being both woman and angry. The myth tells us that the only way to defeat Medusa is by looking at our reflections through a mirror and this tells us that we should reflect upon ourselves to defeat our darkest demons. Her expression is one of surprised, but unblinking, sorrow. Her face looked like a monster, and venomous snakes made up her hair. Though there is much to say about the tragedy of Medusa's story, she became a formidable foe. Lets go ! 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. Worth looking into it, if youre curious. "When Medusa looks in the mirror, she sees the Lady of Sorrows." - Mason Cooley. For example, a sun and moon tattoo, which you can view as a coming together of opposites and a representation of two opposing forces. Medusa, the most famous of the Gorgon sisters, represented an array of things to the Greeks. Open March 31 through April 2. Simi is a sophomore at American University and the events director for HerCampusAu. Medusa was a monster in Greek mythology but she represented some real-world problems for the Greeks and the rest of the world. This was to ensure that no man will ever be able to look at her anymore. One of the most popular monsters of Greek Mythology is Medusa. To ensure your safety from spiritual attacks, try to keep a medusa symbol in front of your home. This experimental and multidisciplinary solo exhibition in New York City exploring the sweetness of doing nothing closes on March 12. She also aided Perseus in later killing Medusa once and for all. Medusa slept with Poseidon in Athena's temple knowing the consequences, but did it anyways therefore Athena was right about punishing her. In 1976, Hlne Cixous, a noteworthy French feminist theorist, wrote an essay called The Laugh of the Medusa, in which she unpacks this myth. Listed below are the top 11 most important Symbols of Female Strength: Table of Contents [ show] 1. Medusa was r*ped by Poseidon in Athena's temple and Athena was wrong for punishing her. as an almost comically hideous figure, with a lolling tongue, full beard, and bulging eyes. a protection against . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She has been used as an image of great learning and wisdom for years. What are your opinions on Medusa as a symbol of protection? Through these renditions of her visage, Medusa is painted into a half-human, half-animal monster. Historically, the figure of Medusa has been used to ward off evil. This message is meant to keep you alert at all times. From ancient greek mythology, medusa is a goddess of art. and rebirth and can be inked as a symbol of protection, warding off evil and keeping the wearer safe from harm. This reminded me of how her story, despite it being one where she gets decapitated, has been reclaimed as of late by feminist scholars. Cal Poly State University - San Luis Obispo, California State University - Los Angeles, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, California State University, Channel Islands, Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Federal University Of Agriculture Abeokuta, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Interamerican University of Puerto Rico San German campus, Keiser University - Latin American Campus, London School of Economics and Political Science, California State University of Sacramento, Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, University of North Carolina - Wilmington, University of South Florida - St. Petersburg, William Paterson University of New Jersey. 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). 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. Here we discuss Medusa as a goddess, gorgon, and icon AND we teach you 8 ways to work with her fierce energy. She was the child of Ceto and Phorcys. Gaia Symbol of fertility, power, and creation. In ancient history, females pray to her for confidence and strength especially in a world where men treat females as weak and helpless. Like the evil eye, the Medusa is an apotropaic symbol that protects from evil. AirplaneMode - BONES. How might womens stories actually be centered around women? People with great academic achievements are believed to be possessed with medusa. Dark tones enhance her hideous features and present the visage of Medusa as a frightening monster. If women venture to claim control over their heads, then they become a threat to the phallic, male-dominated structure. She was also a ward of sorts for the Greeks to protect themselves against the negativity in life. To prove her loyalty, she swore an oath of celibacy to be committed to the temple of Athena for the rest of her life. Even into the 19th century, as the romanticization continued, her eyes did not close. This is another caution sign from medusa. Our image of Medusa is one of pure evil, but in reality, she is raped and impregnated by her rapist. They were described as being "winged With snakes for hair" and having a . Her representationthe Medusa Tattoohas long served as a symbol of protection from evil. Venus was born from seafoam. Although design houses like Versace (and some might say even comedian Kathy Griffin) have tried to reclaim the myth of Medusa for women, it has largely not been effective. She is the opposite of what Michael Foucault called, docile bodies. A concept in which women are expected to conform and submit to the enforced codes and structures of a patriarchal society. From a feminist perspective, Medusas story seems a cautionary tale of the symbolic decapitation of women and a loss of ones power. Zeus represented power, Hades represented fairness in death, but what did a mortal who turned into a monster, like Medusa, represent? 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. [emailprotected]. 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. She has a stern stare that prevents evil people from glancing at you with their jealous stare. People often come to secure their lives with some supernatural rituals and symbols when they do not feel secure with physical protection. As a result, women with Medusa Tattoos can show their fierce determination and may also reflect their unpredictable and impulsive nature. 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.) "In a male-centered society, the feminization of monsters served to demonize women," she said. 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. Keeping an image of medusa in front of your door wards off evil spirits. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. Every situation you go through will turn around for your good. In ancient greek mythology, medusa was a beautiful priestess of Athena. The story has always been heavily discussed by classics scholars because of the very gendered image of Perseus cutting Medusas head off and the castration anxiety that became very popular around any type of chopping in psychoanalysis, especially after Sigmund Freuds Das Medusenhaupt (Medusas Head) was published in 1940 after his death. She is also seen as a protective figure, and her head is often used as a symbol of strength and power. 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. Within this context, it seems as if both the male genitalia and female head are their respective centers of power. The most common interpretation of Medusa suggests she is an apotropaic symbol used to protect from and ward off the negative, much like the modern evil eye. Whether you see her as a monster or more of that, the fact is that Medusa slithering her way into being more than meets the eye. Small Medusa Tattoo . In ancient Greek society, which was a male-centered society, the feminization of monsters served to demonize women. Medusa is, in other words, the ultimate femme fatale. Throughout all of her work, Cixous decries phallocentric storytelling and histories in which men and the psychoanalytic lens of phallic imagery are centered in womens stories. Doniger claims that beheading equals the release or termination of sexuality, male or female. Doniger submits that through the sexualization of the female head, (i.e. Still lives in Brooklyn with her over 500 Pokmon that she has Eevee trained into a mighty army. According to ancient history, it is recorded that medusa was one of the prettiest goddesses in the universe. The Gorgon as a symbol of protection TW: Mention of r*pe. It keeps your spiritual atmosphere thick enough to repel every negative force. I heard somewhere (that is not a very reliable source I know) that the story of Medusa is actually a story ancient Greek women would look to for empowerment. Image Courtesy: pixabay.com. Two solo photography exhibitions at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, expose the obscured, silenced, and unacknowledged histories of the slave trade. The complexity lies in how to represent her hair by art. It is said that medusa protects people from suffering what she suffered at the hands of Athena. According to various sources, Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal, so she was able to be beheaded by the Greek hero, Perseus. 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). 22. Evil Eye.
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