Legend states that Medusa was once a beautiful, avowed priestess of
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.
Before Medusa was known as a terrifying monster, she was a beautiful maiden who was very kind and pious. Medusa was the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. Phorcys was a sea god and Ceto was the goddess of sea monsters. Ceto gave birth to all three of the gorgons; Sthenno, Euryale, and Medusa.
According to the Roman poet Ovid's version of the myth, Medusa, as a mortal had taken an oath of chastity, however Poseidon, lusting after her, forced himself upon her and raped her inside the temple of Athena.
Generally speaking, earlier poets depicted Medusa as a monster from birth, alongside her immortal sisters, but later writers say she began as a beautiful maiden but was turned into a monster by Athena or Minerva.
'guardian, protectress'), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those who gazed into her eyes would turn to stone.
Meet Perseus, a demigod of Greek mythology who was famous for killing Medusa by cutting off her head, which he displays in one hand.
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.
Medusa and Poseidon engaged in a love affair and would have two children together, but not before Athena discovered the illicit affair.
Medusa was very proud of her beauty and thought or spoke only of herself. Each day she boasted of how pretty she was. Medusa even boasted that she was prettier than Athena, goddess of wisdom, who watched over Athens. Athena decided to punish Medusa for her pride.
The Medusa we know was raped by Poseidon in the goddess Athena's temple. Athena then punished her for desecrating her sacred space by cursing Medusa with a head full of snakes and a gaze that turns men to stone. Then, a heroic Perseus severed the serpent-headed Medusa, turning her into a trophy.
Medusa's Children · The Lament of the Gorgons
For Medusa was pregnant at the time of her death, and when Perseus severed her head, her two unborn children, Chrysaor and Pegasus, suddenly sprang from her neck.
Medusa is portrayed in most tattoo art as a “symbol used to protect and defend against dangerous elements” and “to ward off evil with one evil image after another. But for others, her reptilian skin and hair may also symbolize the cycle of life.
Anyone who looked upon Medusa would turn to stone from that point onward. Men came to her island only to chase her while trying to kill her. Eventually, her fear of her powers turned to anger, and she cursed the gods for ruining her life. In turn, Medusa took her revenge on all of the men that came to kill her.
Stheno and Euryale Were Immortal (Unlike Medusa)
Curiously, in many Greek myths Medusa is described as being mortal, while her two sisters Stheno and Euryale are immortal and entirely indestructible.
In Greek mythology, Chrysaor (Greek: Χρυσάωρ, Chrysáor, gen.: Χρυσάορος, Chrysáoros; English translation: "he who has a golden sword" [from χρυσός, "golden" and ἄορ, "sword"]), was the brother of the winged horse Pegasus, often depicted as a young man, the son of Poseidon and Medusa, born when Perseus decapitated the ...
From the blood that spurted from her neck sprang Chrysaor and Pegasus, her two sons by Poseidon.
Why are people getting Medusa tattoos? The Medusa tattoo has become popular among women who have experienced sexual assault. By reclaiming the Medusa identity, they are dispelling the belief that being victimized means they ought to be cursed or punished.
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.
The beauty of a medusa tattoo is that it looks awesome just about anywhere on the body. You could go big with a large medusa tattoo on your back or arm, or choose a more discreet placement like the inside of your wrist or ankle.
Poseidon was enamored by Medusa's beauty, and Medusa returned the same feelings. Medusa and Poseidon engaged in a love affair and would have two children together, but not before Athena discovered the illicit affair.
In this popular version the Medusa is a monster with hair of a thousand snakes. She is under a curse which causes everything she looks at to turn to stone.
So, when Poseidon raped Medusa she became pregnant. When her head was chopped off by Perseus, her children came to be. Pegasus and Chrysaor sprung from the severed neck of Medusa. Pegasus is also one of the most famous characters in Greek mythology, the winged white horse.
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.
Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty, she had a lot of relationships and had several children. Besides both of them being extremely popular and worshiped goddess' it seems like these two goddess' have nothing else in common. The Greek gods were a jealous lot, and even the great Athena was no exception.