was medusa a symbol of protection for women

She is the goddess of philosophy and blesses people with this wisdom. That the only reason that Medusa is the way that she is is because of a curse that was placed on her. She vowed to be celibate her entire life as a priestess of Athena until she fell in love with Poseidon. 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. She is revered for this power and grants wisdom to everyone that asks for it. The myths and stories about medusa are true. However, the spiritual world can communicate different messages to you. Her snakes are undoubtedly one of the better-known symbols in Greek mythology. feelings originating in powerful oral impulses, and, for women, a means for resolving in fantasy the resentment arising from the lack of a penis. This is a powerful combo to enjoy protection from the evil eye. Athena's curse was not a punishment for Medusa, but a punishment for the gods and men who intended to harm her. Open March 31 through April 2. Venus had many lovers both mortal and immortal. The tragedy of Medusa reflected how ancient Greece viewed women and their attitude towards them. What does a medusa symbolize? This began with the greeks and later flowed down to every other culture. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. I know for a fact Romans wore this as an apotropaic symbol, to avert evil (sorry not as knowledgable about Greek practices yet) . About US | Privacy Policy | Contact Information | Pinterest | Web Stories. In Medusas story, the Gorgon was born a beautiful mortal among her hideous immortal siblings which people saw as a blessing for her. 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 an advocate of the exaltation of femininity. Moreover, the Gorgon was also seen as a symbol of protection to ward off the evils and negativity of life. Reading Carol Ann Duffy's The World's Wife has got me thinking about historic women, particularly Medusa. Medusa can be given to you as a sign and message. It wasnt the most pleasant of behaviors but history does teach us its lessons and we should learn from them. In ancient Greece, women were usually accused of provoking men with their image or their personality and are usually blamed when anything happens to them. She works with birth, death, and rebirth. The meaning of Medusa is powerful. (1) The history behind the association is unclear. Two solo photography exhibitions at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, expose the obscured, silenced, and unacknowledged histories of the slave trade. Her petrifying gaze turns men into stone but only towards those who look at her hideous appearance. Without the support of the gods, he would have been petrified like every other warrior. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. In it, a nude Perseus proudly presents the dead Gorgons head in one hand, grasping some of the hair that writhes with a few subtle serpents. The moving image artist will discuss her investigative practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking place via livestream and in Philadelphia. One of the versions of Medusa has 3 different interpretations. Cixous emphasizes the importance of the female voice, of womens story, she urges women to urgently learn to speak; because after all a woman without a body, dumb, blind, cant possibly be a good fighter. Herein, we see Medusas head, cut from her body, being held up by Perseus, she is reduced to being the servant of the militant male, his shadow. In what insidious ways are women made to be in a mans shadow? In 1976, Hlne Cixous, a noteworthy French feminist theorist, wrote an essay called The Laugh of the Medusa, in which she unpacks this myth. Yes, Medusa is a protection symbol. As she became more and more attractive, Medusa's allure became a symbol of her power in the world, a might that was often distinctly feminine. "In a male-centered society, the feminization of monsters served to demonize women," she said. Medusa's head as a symbol of horror was classically worn upon her dress by the virgin goddess Athena. It appears on numerous objects of applied art, such as earrings, cameo rings, and medallion necklaces, etc. The Hamsa is a talisman from the ancient Middle East. On funerary urns or armor, she was a talisman of protection, those eyes symbolically warding off evil. Even after the curse was initiated, medusa still carries that energy for wisdom and deep understanding. According to ancient history, it is recorded that medusa was one of the prettiest goddesses in the universe. In order to unpack the feminist implication of the mythology, lets begin with the narrative of her story. Despite her origin story being one of purity and renowned beauty, Medusa has come to connote only malevolence and her role as a gorgon, or mythical monster. For more often than not, shes depicted just as a severed head a visual that even has its own name,the Gorgoneion sculpted, painted, or carved being held aloft by her slayer Perseus. Through these renditions of her visage, Medusa is painted into a half-human, half-animal monster. Medusa is the only one who is mortal and that is why the hero Perseus is sent to slay her. Now, the same generation has turned her into a feminist icon with a story too many can relate to; instead of being a symbol of fear, Medusa has become the symbol of justice for sexual assault victims. After Perseus removed Medusa's head, some stories claim that he gifted it to Athena. Her power is also associated with protection, as she was often depicted as a guardian of the temple. Thank you so much for the response! 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. 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. Because I want to look into pendants that I can wear as protective talismans, and I think a Medusa one would be a good fit, but Im worried about drawing the attention of a vengeful monster. Of course, one must never mention psychoanalysis and phallic imagery without then mentioning Sigmund Freud, who, during the 20th century, wrote prolifically about the intersection of sexuality and psychology. Every situation you go through will turn around for your good. 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. One such symbolisation is the famous Perseus myth. When the God of the Sea, Poseidon, was mesmerized by her beauty and forced himself onto her, she was clearly the victim here. He poses the idea that to decapitate = to castrate. Through this framework, Freud posits that the female head is akin to her genitalia keeping in mind that Medusa did in fact give birth to her child from her severed neck. 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. Well, let me tell you a secret. The clinical material cited in the above papers refers to male patients, except one case cited by Flugel. We dont have proof of this, but it was said that medusa was one of the 5 goddesses that advocated for feminine equality. I almost got a Medusa pendent myself but I just never ended up getting one. Horus was the son of the goddess Isis. Team Zutara forever. She was also originally a goddess, and I can try to send you all my research on that if you want (though some may be hidden by a paywall, Im not sure). 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. link to 13 Frequently Asked Questions About Medusa. If humans werent so tempting then maybe most of the male gods wouldnt be serial rapists. 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). Ancient Egyptians used the Eye of Horus to provide protection. Several stories fly around concerning medusa, but we will attempt to extract messages from those stories. Medusa was a monster in Greek mythology but she represented some real-world problems for the Greeks and the rest of the world. People with great academic achievements are believed to be possessed with medusa. She went against her vow and married him. She is transformed from a seeing subject to merely seen object, a demeaned and faceless body. An. Medusa's visage has since been adopted by many women as a symbol of female rage; one of the first publications to express this idea was a feminist journal called Women: . as an almost comically hideous figure, with a lolling tongue, full beard, and bulging eyes. Simi is a sophomore at American University and the events director for HerCampusAu. It was said that she protected those who were at war and during the hunt. The gorgons have some interesting lore, well beyond what you see in pop culture. Seventeen contemporary artists of the African Diaspora explore how movement and migration shape their artistic practices and lives. It also tells you to be confident in your physical looks. What does it mean when Animals Come to You? If men have Medusa in their dreams, according to Freud and Ferencai, it is the terrifying mother syndrome with a castration Within this context, it seems as if both the male genitalia and female head are their respective centers of power. The 42nd edition of the fair showcases contemporary, modern, and 19th century images from 44 photography galleries. This is another caution sign from medusa. The closest alternative to the evil eye bracelet is the medusas bracelet. While not the best source, Wikipedia seems to support your claim - it has images of her head used in gorgoneions. No doubt to be the most commonly linked symbol of Medusa, the snake is a symbol of the Gorgon that represented many things. Ultimately Freud and Ferencais conclusions are that women have anxieties because they do not have penises. One day Neptune Found her and raped her, in Minervas temple, And the goddess turned away, and hid her eyes Behind her shield, and, punishing the outrage As it deserved, she changed her hair to serpents, And even now, to frighten evil doers, She carries on her breastplate metal vipers To serve as awful warning of her vengeance.. Freud considered that as a result, she became the unapproachable woman who repels all sexual desire by carrying (symbolically) the genitals of the mother. Furthermore, she is a goddess that helps young ladies to overcome a lack of confidence. From Freuds telling, the entire story takes place through the perspective of the man in the story, reducing Medusa to something sub-human. It is said that medusa was known for her innate wisdom, and many earlier scientists drew their great intellects and discoveries from her. Some stories say that there was one more unnamed Gorgon who was older than the others. Be careful of this. This is exactly why the story of Medusa continues to captivate us because she is a character that demands to be reimagined, she pushes back against the story that places Perseus at its center, who claims him to be blameless and heroic. She is also seen as a protective figure, and her head is often used as a symbol of strength and power. 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. 9 Meanings, 9 Vertigo Spiritual Meanings: Random Dizziness. Different versions of a myth can grow in popularity, replacing others, and there ends up being no one singular original story. How Long Will Joe Goldbergs Rampage Be Left Unchecked? Other shades of history claimed that Poseidon raped her because he could not resist her beauty. Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art continues through January 6, 2019 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan). 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.) She was no longer depicted as a monster like it was written in the stories about her. 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. Medusa's name derives from an ancient Greek verb that means "to protect and guard," which may be a nod to Athena's attempt to guard and protect Medusa from further abuse at the hands of Poseidon and other men. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. You only need to maintain a positive approach towards life and have a little faith. Athena brandished Medusa's head on her shield similarly to why Ancient Greek soldiers brandished Phobos's face on their shields: to insight fear. As a symbol I don't see a problem with it. Medusa is a symbol of female power and a popular tattoo design that celebrates the womanhood of women. . Image Courtesy: pixabay.com. It was really interesting and I hadnt heard that she was a triple goddess before, so Im glad I was able to learn something new. This helps you to be more tender and caring towards other people. Even though the curse took away her beauty, she remains an emblem of feminine confidence. American Traditional Medusa Tattoos She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes; unlike the Gorgons, she was sometimes represented as very beautiful. 1. Eventually, Medusa attracts the attention of Poseidon, who subsequently rapes her. Princess (she/her-bisexual) is a Brooklyn born Megan Fox truther, who loves Sailor Moon, mythology, and diversity within sci-fi/fantasy. Today it is sometimes used as a symbol of Hellenic Neopaganism. Men are trash even in ancient greece, we been knew. She helps females to attain their primes and become who they choose to be. 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. Snakes shed their skin regularly, which symbolizes the death of their previous self and grow into their new skins during their rebirth. Thereby, to castrate a man is to severe his most vital organ; and to decapitate a woman is to take her most vital source of power. Therefore, to enhance your intellectual power, try keeping an image of medusa around you. Your email address will not be published. Athena did not only curse Medusa but also her sisters. 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Medusa remains of temporal importance because she is the symbol of what female power looks like in the face of threatened male authority. women in power (or fighting for power) have been compared to Medusa, from Marie Antoinette to the suffragettes. A 450440 BCE red figure pelike container is among the earliest depictions of Medusa as an innocent maiden, with Perseus creeping up on the sleeping Gorgon. Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. the mouth becoming the vagina) the woman, in essence, loses her voice, or rather she is denied of her voice. She represented the beauty of the female gender and advocated for it. Early accounts placed the Gorgons in a faraway place on the edge of night. Upon witnessing this act the goddess Minerva turned Medusa into the snake hair monster with the cold-stone stare that we all know her as. There is an alluring nature to Medusa, as she is both siren and saint she is the complicated woman we all understand and fear. Ancient Greek artists originally portrayed Medusa as an almost comically hideous figure, with a lolling tongue, full beard, and bulging eyes. This image of Medusa began to shift when mustache stubble was replaced by smooth cheeks, and fangs concealed by shapely lips, as Classical artists began to feminize her once again. For this Athena punished her hideously. Her snakes have also made her one of the most popular characters from Greek mythology, with her modern depictions being widely used in modern media. The reason for medusas plight was her unfaithfulness to the vow she made. Beyond the stories we have heard about this goddess, there are things to learn from her, which can be applied to our daily living. Her story always starts in these objects when her power is possessed, her head severed and turned into a weapon, whether shes a damsel in distress or a monster. ), 7 Eye of Horus Spiritual Meanings: The Egyptian Third Eye. This reminded me of how her story, despite it being one where she gets decapitated, has been reclaimed as of late by feminist scholars. Crypto Texas Zero Property Tax Bill Has Extreme, Discriminatory Catches, Eurovision 2023 Tickets Announced on Ticketmaster, Celebrating Womens History With Qiu Jin, Chinese Revolutionary, The Penguin Tells a Batverse Scarface Story. Medusa represents feminine power. Ideally, Medusa's face is so repulsive and terrifying that it will repel evil entities. The eye of Horus is an ancient symbol embued with magickal power and meaning. Athena holds her head and Hades her soul. Hellenism (Greek: Ellinisms, Latin: Hellenismus), also less frequently called Olympianism (Greek: Olympianisms, Latin: Olympianismus) or Dodekatheism (Greek: Dodekathesms, Latin: Duodecimdeismus), is the traditional polytheistic and animistic orthopraxic religion, lifestyle, aesthetics, and ethos of the ancient Graeco-Roman world, and is the indigenous religion of the common Greek and Latin cultural sphere. On a 570 BCE terracotta stand, Medusa is comically hideous, and fully bearded, sticking out her tongue between two tusks. If it's something you want, I don't see a problem with it. She represented the sexuality of men and the ancient Greeks views towards women. Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art, in a 2017 essay on Medusa in Ancient Greek Art, which you can also hear on the Mets site, From Ancient Egypt to Teotihuacn, Centuries-Old Palettes Illuminate the Role of the Painter, Tucked Away in LA For Decades, 2,000-Year-Old Roman Mosaic Returns to Italy, Manhattan DA to Seize Looted Hindu Artifact From Met Museum, Roe v. Wade Case Documents Fetch Over $600K at Auction, At the Outsider Art Fair, Passion Trumps Prestige, The Photography Show Presented by AIPAD Arrives in New York. Therefore, if you notice a dwindle in your spiritual consciousness, seek help from medusa. The Greeks loved to romanticize their culture in the form of Greek mythology and every character in it represented something about their culture. The Medusa symbol might have a vary Become a subscriber and support the site! Have a tip or story idea? And rightly so. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. He then employs her head and its stony glare as a weapon, a tool he subsequently gives to the goddess Athena who wore it on her armor. I was thinking of getting one for my home then I made a painted wood thing invoking Heracles for protection as mentioned in Greek Religion. Greek mythology has long fascinated me, but Im also intrigued by how the stories have changed and developed over time, as have interpretations of those stories. Medusa was one of three daughters born with extraordinary beauty and stunning hair. Pastimes include playing with words, using my passport, and eating croissants. wildfirepunch / Instagram. Statues of Medusa were used to guard Pagan Greek temples. Ironic how a woman seen as a monster to men is used as a symbol of protection for the same people who wrote about her story. Some people tend to connect Medusas story with self-reflection and link Medusa to the darkest parts of ones soul. The tattoo design is empowering for women and can also be seductive. "I believe the Medusa tattoo is the perfect visual depiction of a survivor's journey from pain to resilience, strength, empowerment and self-preservationa protective symbol, as she has the. Silencing Powerful Women - The beheading of Medusa can be seen as symbolic of silencing powerful women who voice their sentiments. To become confident in your feminine gender, you should try keeping medusas image with you. Pharaohs would often be entombed wearing Wadjet amulets, and it was intended to protect them in the afterlife and ward off evil forces. It also speaks of the power to generate new ideas for accomplishing a given task. In a new study, researchers propose that the mind creates an opinion of an artwork after dissecting it into discrete elements. 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. Including floral details in the tattoo gives it a softer, more feminine finish. In 1950 his uncompleted essay, Medusas Head, was posthumously published. As a result, she symbolizes both death and rebirth. (image: Public Domain/Medusa by Caravaggio). In Greek mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three monstrous sisters comprised of Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale. 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. 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. Venus was born from seafoam. As a result, women with Medusa Tattoos can show their fierce determination and may also reflect their unpredictable and impulsive nature. The beginning of the cycle represents an opportunity to bring in new life while the later parts represent the end of life. In the original tale, Poseidon . As this article from the Atlantic puts it: "In Western culture, strong women have historically been imagined as threats requiring male conquest and control. It looks particularly sexy on the back or thigh area, where the tattoo will draw attention to feminine body parts. She was the child of Ceto and Phorcys. She argues that decapitation is not a symbol of castration anxiety, but rather a result of it. Use this symbol to keep you safe on your travels as did ancient sailors who would paint it on the sides of their boats. She is then cast out and cursed by her own sister. To the Egyptians, it was a symbol of protection and royal power. Still lives in Brooklyn with her over 500 Pokmon that she has Eevee trained into a mighty army. As such she posed a great threat to the power of the Greek male-dominated sky gods. The lotus flower is largely symbolic and has implied different concepts through history, such as purity, detachment, enlightenment, and spirituality. Shes been found on houses, tombs, walls of cities, and temples (including the famous example, the Temple of Artemis in Corfu, which is what my paper circles around). 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.