THE Jellyfish she was a gorgon, a monster of myths greeks. She had two sisters, also Gorgons, who, unlike her, were immortal. Medusa had the power to turn those who looked directly at her to stone. Still, some versions of mythology claim that she would have been a woman cursed by Athena and turned into a gorgon.
As Medusa was a mortal gorgon, she became the target of Perseus, a hero who received help from the gods to kill her. Perseus found her sleeping in her cave, killed and decapitated her. Medusa's head was still used by him as a weapon and later given to Athena, who used it as an adornment on her shield.
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Medusa summary
- Medusa was a gorgon, a monster in Greek mythology.
- Her appearance featured large, sharp teeth and claws.
- She had two sisters, also Gorgons, Stheno and Euryale.
- One version of the legend claimed that she was a beautiful mortal turned into a gorgon as punishment by Athena.
- She was killed by the hero Perseus, having her head cut off.
Who was Medusa?
Medusa was a gorgon, that is, a monstrous being present in Greek myths. She had two sisters, steno and Euriale, both also Gorgons. These monstrous beings were scarred by turn to stone all who looked straight into their faces.
Medusa was characterized by having snakes instead of hair and, in general, a appearancehorrendous. Among her attributes were huge, sharp claws and teeth, a grotesque face, wings, and some interpretations portrayed her with the body of a serpent. Gorgons were represented as female.
The Medusa myth, like many myths in Greek mythology, had different versions, and one of them presented her as a beautiful mortal woman who had been punishedperAthena, which had turned her into a gorgon, giving her the hideous appearance she was known for.
This would have happened because Athena was bothered by Medusa's beauty, who boasted of her. Another version pointed out that the punishment was because Medusa, priestess of the temple of Athena, would have desecrated the place by having sexual relations with Poseidon.
Unlike her sisters, Medusa was deadly. There were versions about where she lived, and one of them spoke of Cistene, but Greek writers also pointed out that she could live in Libya, in North Africa.
In Greek culture, Medusa's head took on a meaning ofprotection and it became an amulet to ward off evil spirits and omens. There were temples in Greece who had her head as an article to guarantee that protection. This amulet was known as gorgonian.
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Perseus and the death of Medusa
Medusa's most relevant myth is the one that brings her death. The one who killed her was Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae (daughter of King Acrisius who had been imprisoned in a chest and thrown into the sea because his father feared that his daughter's son would kill him, as had been announced in a prophecy).
Danae and Perseus arrived on the island of Serifos being rescued by Dictys. Perseus was also raised by Dictys as an adopted son. The island was ruled by Polydect, who requested that Perseus go on a mission against Medusa. There were versions about the reasons for this request.
One of them pointed out that Polydecto wanted a free way to relate to Danae, mother of Perseus. The best way to get rid of the hero, recognized for his great strength, was to send him on an impossible mission. Perseus' mission, however, was made easier because he enlisted the help of the Greek gods.
hades gave Perseus a helmet that would grant him invisibility; Hermes gave him winged sandals that would ensure better movement; Athena gave him a shield that would reflect images. Finally, Zeus granted Perseus a sharp sword so that he could cut off the gorgon's head.
Perseus arrived at the cave that housed the gorgon and found her sleeping. He used his shield to get close to her, and then threw the blow that tore off your head. From Medusa's blood, which began to flow, were born Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant, both her and Poseidon's children.
Later, Perseus even used the gorgon's head as a weapon on a few occasions, including turning Polydect into stone. Finally, he gave Medusa's head to Athena so that with it the goddess might adorn her shield.
Video lesson on Ancient Greece: religion
image credit
[1] shutterstock |Dmitry Chulov
by Daniel Neves
History teacher
