In the myth, Medusa lost her head by Perseus's sword. He was able to see where she was standing by looking in the back of his mirror-polished shield. Her gaze apparently did not petrify in reflection, so she would not have petrified herself even if she glanced in a mirror.
For this offence, the enraged Athena transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone. Seeing herself transformed into such a repulsive creature, Medusa fled her home, never to return.
Unfortunately, Medusa was very proud of her beauty and thought or spoke of little else. Each day she boasted of how pretty she was and each day her boasts became more outrageous. On Sunday, Medusa bragged to the miller that her skin was more beautiful than fresh fallen snow.
Medusa was killed by seeing her own reflection in the shield of Persius #shorts - YouTube.
In Greek mythology, Medusa was viewed as a monster, and gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers into stone. Inspired by this myth, the artists in Medusa's Mirror address the able-bodied gaze upon the disabled subject – often viewed with fear, curiosity or wonder – by turning the gaze upon the viewer.
The snake-haired Medusa does not become widespread until the first century B.C. The Roman author Ovid describes the mortal Medusa as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a temple of Athena. Such a sacrilege attracted the goddess' wrath, and she punished Medusa by turning her hair to snakes.
Today Medusa, with her snake hair and stare that turns people to stone, endures as an allegorical figure of fatal beauty, or a ready image for superimposing the face of a detested woman in power.
Medusa even boasted that she was prettier than Athena, goddess of wisdom, who watched over Athens.
Medusa was a beautiful woman who was raped, killed and beheaded by various gods. However even in the face of tragedy and disgrace, the Medusa was portrayed as meaningful. Following the moment her head was removed, a Pegasus flew out of her body, representing the birth of beauty.
As one of the Gorgon sisters, she was originally a golden-haired, fair maiden, beautiful and kind-natured. Medusa devoted herself to a life of celibacy in the name of her goddess, Athena. However, despite her origins of beauty, Medusa's name quickly became synonymous with malevolence, hatred, and monstrosity.
Medusa's story has always been one of strength and power. That we know for sure. And what I believe today, as we experience a renaissance of Medusa, is her legacy now can teach us more. She can teach us that our power is not determined by what others have done to us.
The Moral of Medusa
This myth is actually a warning to mortals. Don't believe yourself to be equal to the gods.
Throughout history, Medusa got the bad reputation as a scornful, evil woman who turns people into stone with a mere glance. However, much like most women of ancient mythology, she was a victim of patriarchal societal norms.
After her curse, Medusa is often described as having huge fanged teeth, a snake-like tongue, clawed hands, a hideous face, and hair made of writhing snakes. In some stories Medusa incurred Athena's wrath by bragging about her beauty but, either way, it was a steep price for Medusa to pay.
Author Sibylle Baumbach described Medusa as a “multimodal image of intoxication, petrifaction, and luring attractiveness," citing her seductive contemporary representation, as well as her dimensionality, as the reason for her longevity.
She was lovely, according to the poem—until she was raped in Athena's temple by Poseidon. Athena then punished her for this violation, by turning her into the monstrous, stony-glanced creature that we know.
What does the Medusa tattoo mean? “The Medusa tattoo can mean many things, but it's generally a symbol of survival, strength, and overcoming assault,” says tattoo artist Ruby Rose. “Medusa has become a figure of protection to women who have experienced sexual assault or assault on some level, particularly by men.”
Medusa and Poseidon engaged in a love affair and would have two children together, but not before Athena discovered the illicit affair. When Athena discovered the affair, she was enraged and immediately cursed Medusa by taking away her beauty.
In fact, Athena was jealous of Medusa's beauty and lustrous hair. Poseidon ravaged her and took what she held dearly, her purity. Athena, outraged by this incident, cursed Medusa and turned her wonderful hair into venomous snakes, her beautiful face turned so ugly that any man who gazed upon would turn to stone.
Unfortunately, Medusa was very proud of her beauty and thought or spoke of little else. Each day she boasted of how pretty she was, and each day her boasts became more outrageous.
History. Medusa was a daughter of Phorcys and Keto, and was once a priestess of Athena. Poseidon was bitter at Athena for recently turning his beloved Koroneis into a raven, so he decided to get back at her by becoming obsessed with the beautiful girl.
While a seemingly straightforward tale, Medusa's story explores female dynamics, female power against patriarchal forces, and the ultimate defense against the male gaze. Medusa was the emblem of female power back in Ancient Greece and a symbol of both protection and aggression.
She's worried that her husband is cheating on her. The poem begins: 'A suspicion, a doubt, a jealousy'; it is this jealousy which has turned the woman into a monster. Now, everything she looks at turns to stone.
She used to lure in her enemies, being the seductress that she was, and anyone who looked into her eyes immediately turned to stone. That's what you'll find in almost every popular website or book of Greek mythology if you look up 'Medusa. '
Eventually, Medusa was beheaded whilst pregnant (carrying Poseidon's offspring, Pegasus and Chrysaor) by Perseus, who took her head and continued to use it as a weapon, turning enemies who looked upon it to stone — until he eventually returned the head to Athena, and went on to marry the princess Andromeda, who just so ...