A new intersectional publication, geared towards voices, values, and identities! On funerary urns or armor, she was a talisman of protection, those eyes symbolically warding off evil. Instead of being seen as a monster, she is now depicted as a feminine Fatale. GameStop Moderna Pfizer Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Walgreens Best Buy Novavax SpaceX Tesla. Eventually, Medusa attracts the attention of Poseidon, who subsequently rapes her. This is why it is a sign of creativity to dream of yourself drawing medusas head. Feel free to correct me if Im wrong about anything! Other sacred animals to Poseidon were the . In a new show, Nicole Marroquins artworks are in dialogue with the documentary photographs of Mexican-born artist Diana Sols. Become a subscriber and support the site! Whenever you see a medusa sign, it is believed to have a close alliance with ancient wisdom and philosophy. It should help us to remain true to our words. Peruvian Man Found With Mummy He Called a Spiritual Girlfriend, Picker Art Gallery Presents the Works of William Earle Williams and Nona Faustine, Hito Steyerl to Deliver 2023 Wolgin Lecture at Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Preserving an Archive of Chicana and Lesbian History, Internet Goes Wild Over Outdoor Gym of Hindu Puppets, Museum Under Fire for Showing AI Version of Vermeer Masterpiece, The Society Photographer of NYCs Downtown Underground, Affordable Art Fair Returns to NYC With Contemporary Art Under $12,000, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. According to some myths, this was the real head of Medusa. Medusa is so alluring to us, because she is the image of intoxication, petrifaction, and luring attractiveness. She is seductive to us in her contemporary application and dimensionality. When it comes to relationships, medusa is a lesson to learn. It is only with help from all of the gods that Perseus is able to not only kill but fully decapitate her. Venus was born from seafoam. 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 is assuring you that God will fight your battles, and help you to become victorious over your enemies. The Classical period of Greek art from 480 to 323 BCE further associated beauty with danger when Medusa, the sirens, sphinxes, and Scylla all got a little hotter, losing some scales and wings as their bodies were more and more humanized. the "old women," Pemphredoo, Enyo, and Deino or Perso, who share one tooth and one eye which they pass between them; the Graiai play a role in Medusa's myth. Furthermore, she advocates for the respect of the feminine gender. An. Ideally, Medusa's face is so repulsive and terrifying that it will repel evil entities. 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. This gorgeous black and gray tattoo is of Athena, the Greek Goddess. One of the most popular monsters of Greek Mythology is Medusa. Medusas snakes were said to represent the cycle of life, rebirth, and death. Well, let me tell you a secret. What are your opinions on Medusa as a symbol of protection? 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. As a symbol I don't see a problem with it. 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. In order to unpack the feminist implication of the mythology, lets begin with the narrative of her story. Business, Economics, and Finance. In 1976, Hlne Cixous, a noteworthy French feminist theorist, wrote an essay called The Laugh of the Medusa, in which she unpacks this myth. My name is Marlin Davis and I am passionate about history of all sorts. She represented the beauty of the female gender and advocated for it. Ive seen a lot of variations of her myths that paint her as a vengeful monster, a symbol of feminine rage, or a protective one. She is then cast out and cursed by her own sister. To make this obvious, add a medusa pendant to your necklace. Image Courtesy: pixabay.com. 21. However even in the face of tragedy and disgrace, the Medusa was portrayed as meaningful. On view in NYC. The Gorgon as a symbol of protection TW: Mention of r*pe. From Freuds telling, the entire story takes place through the perspective of the man in the story, reducing Medusa to something sub-human. These later images may have lost the gaping mouth, sharp teeth, and beard, but they preserve the most striking quality of the Gorgon: the piercing and unflinching outward gaze.. It takes a high level of creativity to achieve this feat. Medusas story showed us the representation of women in ancient Greek society and how people viewed them. The complexity lies in how to represent her hair by art. Princess (she/her-bisexual) is a Brooklyn born Megan Fox truther, who loves Sailor Moon, mythology, and diversity within sci-fi/fantasy. In 1950 his uncompleted essay, Medusas Head, was posthumously published. the hair as a phallic symbol) is also a sexualization of the female head. You should never joke with what you say because forces are paying attention to every utterance of yours. Because Medusa refuses a fate of silence and subjectivity, Perseus is left with no option but to decapitate Medusa for wielding her power. Medusa's head as a symbol of horror was classically worn upon her dress by the virgin goddess Athena. While the wild red locks of Edvard Munchs 1902 lithograph The Sin (Woman with Red Hair and Green Eyes), or Dante Gabriel Rossettis Lady Lilith (1867) with the Pre-Raphaelite subject brushing her long hair, are more of a stretch in the narrative, they reinforce the ongoing artistic portrayal of women as dangerous through their looks or power. as an almost comically hideous figure, with a lolling tongue, full beard, and bulging eyes. Originally from Oklahoma, she has been covering visual culture and overlooked history for print Early accounts placed the Gorgons in a faraway place on the edge of night. Medusa is the only one who is mortal and that is why the hero Perseus is sent to slay her. This was what attracted Poseidon to her. She was regarded as the patron and protector of various cities across Greece, especially Athens, from which she gets her name. We dont have many of her temples around today, but she was once worshipped as a goddess in the past. She was a beautiful maiden with golden hair. Medusa is seen as a powerful symbol of female intelligence and wisdom, related to the goddess Metis . Since Ancient Greece, the snake-haired Gorgon has been a sexualized symbol of womens rage. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If the sexualization of the female head causes subjectivity of the woman, then I argue that Freuds analysis (i.e. You can keep medusas image with you to remind you of the danger of unfaithfulness. Only to be stalked and haunted constantly by status-seeking men, and inevitably, murdered by Perseus. Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. Medusa was the only one of the three who could ever be killed. 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. It is believed that she became a goddess after the curse was pronounced. This will also encourage you to always keep to your words. Born of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, it is often forgotten that Medusa herself is a goddess of the sea. It is said that medusa protects people from suffering what she suffered at the hands of Athena. Stepping on a Crack Superstition and Meaning: Its a Bad Omen? Then her severed head, capable of transfixion even in death, is carted away to help him defeat the villain of his story. There is a painful recognition in the fact that Medusas head the center of her knowledge and power is taken from her in order to empower a man and to fight his battles for him. What does it mean when Animals Come to You? The earliest portrayals of Medusa show a grotesque part human, part animal creature with wings and boar-like tusks. Because Medusa refuses a fate of silence and subjectivity, Perseus is left with no option but to decapitate Medusa for wielding her power. Reading Carol Ann Duffy's The World's Wife has got me thinking about historic women, particularly Medusa. 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. Men back in the day didnt have the same level of respect for women as they do today because each gender had a different role in society. Her expression is one of surprised, but unblinking, sorrow. She works with birth, death, and rebirth. Her existence reflected on the behavior of men during ancient times in Greece and shows how much have we advanced since then. Meanwhile, a rotation of 1990s Versace fashions presents Medusa as a modern luxury logo. As Elizabeth Johnston says in her 2016 piece The Original Nasty Woman on Medusa: In Western culture, strong women have historically been imagined as threats requiring male conquest and control, and Medusa herself has long been the go-to figure for those seeking to demonize female authority.. While not the best source, Wikipedia seems to support your claim - it has images of her head used in gorgoneions. The moving image artist will discuss her investigative practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking place via livestream and in Philadelphia. and rebirth and can be inked as a symbol of protection, warding off evil and keeping the wearer safe from harm. Therefore, seeing medusa might be telling you to embrace your inner beauty. The answer you seek might just be around the corner. Medusa has become an ubiquitous symbol of female empowerment and for good reason. 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. This is a powerful combo to enjoy protection from the evil eye. From ancient greek mythology, medusa is a goddess of art. Although other greek mythology claimed that she was a priestess and one of the 3 monstrous gorgons, which are known as 3 winged females. One of the versions of Medusa has 3 different interpretations. In this version of the story, it is said that Medusa was in the temple of Minvera and that one day Neptune, the god of the sea, found her and sexually assaulted her. I know for a fact Romans wore this as an apotropaic symbol, to avert evil (sorry not as knowledgable about Greek practices yet) . She has a stern stare that prevents evil people from glancing at you with their jealous stare. The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling. 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. Protection Symbol #9 The Eye of Horus. However, it also became a symbol of protection and safety. Lets go ! the mouth becoming the vagina) the woman, in essence, loses her voice, or rather she is denied of her voice. They represent female power Medusa tattoos are a great way to express your feminine power and independence. 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. In this version of the myth, Medusa is instead a beautiful womxn. 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: . Within this context, it seems as if both the male genitalia and female head are their respective centers of power. 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. If it's something you want, I don't see a problem with it. The Gorgon's head (or the head of Medusa) is a symbol of terror, death and divine magical power, in Greek mythology. Even into the 19th century, as the romanticization continued, her eyes did not close. The archive, belonging to lawyer Linda Coffee, contains nearly 150 documents and letters related to the historic case. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. She represents a dangerous threat meant to deter other dangerous threats, an image of evil to repel evil. Horse, dolphin, the Cretan bull. She wants you to deliberately watch the things you say. Her Campus may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. In recent years, Medusa has been reformed into a tragic figure who was slut-shamed and victim blamed, simply because punishing a male god (Neptune/Poseidon) would have been considered unthinkable. 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. The man was caught carrying Juanita in a food delivery backpack. What does the Palm Tree Symbolize? 9 Meanings, 9 Vertigo Spiritual Meanings: Random Dizziness. Lotus Flower (Asia) Red lotus flower. severed head, capable of transfixion even in death, is carted away to help him defeat the villain of his story. The symbol of her snakes is closely related to life itself as well as the cycle of rebirth. All of this points to one thing, which is Intellectual power. Some believed that Medusa was the Libyan Goddess, Neith, who was the Goddess of Hunting and War. After all, we are in a post #MeToo moment, when we can clearly recognize Medusas myth as a rape narrative one in which the victim is blamed and cast out by her community for crimes perpetrated against her. The Gorgon was also a representation of protection and had symbols. In Greek mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three monstrous sisters comprised of Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale. She has the divine ability to keep your mind sane as a female. People with great academic achievements are believed to be possessed with medusa. The incomplete essay becomes far more phallocentric as it continues explaining how the sight of female genitalia instills fear of castration, how Medusas snake-like hair is (of course) a phallic symbol, and finally that Medusas ability to cause onlookers to become stiff, is a representation of an erection and therefore a confirmation of their manhood and of still having a penis it is in essence, their final confirmation of manhood. What does a medusa symbolize? The fair fosters a welcoming environment for all those with an appreciation for art, regardless of background or technical know-how. When the artist Luciano Garbati made his sculpture . I bought a Medusa pendant the minute Covid struck my area last March and have been wearing it since. More by Allison Meier. Snakes were often connected to deception as well which reflected on the trust men put in women back in those days. Finally, shes a triple goddess. 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. Her decapitation is in direct result of male anxiety about maintaining power and control. No doubt to be the most commonly linked symbol of Medusa, the snake is a symbol of the Gorgon that represented many things. Even after the curse was initiated, medusa still carries that energy for wisdom and deep understanding. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. To this moment, her beautiful face remains even with the snake on her head. Historically, the figure of Medusa has been used to ward off evil. She helps females to attain their primes and become who they choose to be. Medusa, who is often evil herself in these tellings, is used as a figure to repel other evil forces. Therefore, to enhance your intellectual power, try keeping an image of medusa around you. Evil Eye. In her 2017 book Women & Power: A Manifesto, classicist Mary Beard explores how the image of Medusa is used to skewer women in contemporary politics, from Angela Merkel to Hillary Clinton (with Trump as Perseus in a popular manifestation). She went against her vow and married him. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. It was this sort of power dangerous, beautiful, and connected to women that both ancients and more modern people felt needed curtailing, oftentimes at the end of a sword. Medusa was protective of her chastity and rejected Poseidons advances when the God tried to seduce her. Medusa has 11 spiritual meanings, which we look at in this article. Simi is very passionate about talking about women of color in media, politics, and the arts. She swore an oath of commitment but did not stay true to it. 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. Medusa is both a symbolic and cultural figure for many, as she was cursed by Greek deities and later became a protectress and warden for them as a former worshipper of Athena. Your email address will not be published. She was also a ward of sorts for the Greeks to protect themselves against the negativity in life. Medusa - whose name probably comes from the Ancient Greek word for "guardian" - was one of the three Gorgons, daughters of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, and sisters of the Graeae, Echidna, and Ladon. Athena is one of Poseidons sworn enemies, and through raping her sister, he is able to take power from her. wildfirepunch / Instagram. Pharaohs would often be entombed wearing Wadjet amulets, and it was intended to protect them in the afterlife and ward off evil forces. The lotus flower is largely symbolic and has implied different concepts through history, such as purity, detachment, enlightenment, and spirituality. Her power is also associated with protection, as she was often depicted as a guardian of the temple. I do remember exactly, but as far as I remember, it was explained as she was born mortal, then died, and gave birth through this (the rebirth portion). Have a tip or story idea? When medusa was cursed, no god was there to help her or fight her battles. She was killed by Zeusbefore he fought his father and the Titans for power. Medusa is a female character that is present in Greek mythology. 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. It was said that she protected those who were at war and during the hunt. In order to punish her, Athena curses Medusa by replacing her beautiful hair with a head of venomous snakes and making it so anyone who looks into her eyes will be turned to stone. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Beyond the stories we have heard about this goddess, there are things to learn from her, which can be applied to our daily living. women in power (or fighting for power) have been compared to Medusa, from Marie Antoinette to the suffragettes. From the blood that . Small Medusa Tattoo . Although Athena had the power to prevent this, she chooses not to. Well Medusa's dead, she was the only mortal gorgons. The phoenix is an important symbol of life, death, and rebirth and is a popular image to get tattooed because of its incredible meaning. As this article from the Atlantic puts it: "In Western culture, strong women have historically been imagined as threats requiring male conquest and control. This talks about inner strength. The mythologically beheaded woman is seen (or at least partially seen) does not see; she is blinded and those who have beheaded her are blinded to her real nature. This began with the greeks and later flowed down to every other culture. Medusa thread which will be full of debate on this. Its Medusas fault for being so beautiful. As an ancient protection symbol, the Medusa in this way also symbolizes aspects of the mother goddess, especially as a child of Gaia, the creator. To prove her loyalty, she swore an oath of celibacy to be committed to the temple of Athena for the rest of her life. The closest alternative to the evil eye bracelet is the medusas bracelet. She has the power to make you spiritually active and sensitive again. Phoenix Tattoos. In addition to this, seeing the image of medusa speaks of the intellectual ability of an artist to draw her perfectly. The labrys symbolism is found in Minoan, Thracian, Greek, and Byzantine religion, mythology, and art, dating from the Middle Bronze Age onwards. Therefore, the words you speak have consequences. What does this mean? According to Ferenczi,1 the head of the Medusa is a terrible symbol of the female genital region displaced from below upwards. Her petrifying gaze turns men into stone but only towards those who look at her hideous appearance. She was very lovely once, the hope of many An envious suitor, and of all her beauties Her hair most beautifulat least I heard so From one who claimed he had seen her. The Hamsa is a talisman from the ancient Middle East. This reminded me of how her story, despite it being one where she gets decapitated, has been reclaimed as of late by feminist scholars. AirplaneMode - BONES. One of the most complex drawings is medusa. The present ptient is a female. The consequence led to a lifetime of living beneath her powers. Protection Symbol #9 The Eye of Horus. Google any famous womans name, perhaps Angela Merkel, Nancy Pelosi, or Hillary Clinton along with the word Medusa. For centuries women in power (or fighting for power) have been compared to Medusa, from Marie Antoinette to the suffragettes.Its clear in our society the sexually and intellectually independent woman is a fearsome sight to behold. Dot-work Medusa tattoos might symbolize the connection to the religious part of Athena's story. As Elizabeth Johnston claims in her 2016 Atlantic essay, Medusa may be the original Nasty Woman. In 2020, it might be easy to chastise the women in the 90s who called Medusa the most horrific woman, but perhaps we would be better suited to remind ourselves just how recently things have begun to change. The original Hamsa amulet was shaped like a hand with 3 fingers in the middle and the thumb and small finger in a curved shape on either side of the hand. The story of Medusa shifted over time along with her visage. In the new and annotated edition of Metamorphoses (highly recommend), it becomes clear that in the eyes of the Romans, Minervas wrath against a rape victim is seen as just, same as with Atalantas rape punishment (getting turned into a lion). The ability to be confident and proud of your gender stems from medusa. I know it has a name but I can't think of it. It is also given to help you keep your secrets to yourself, thereby avoiding betrayal. I know you wrote this comment nearly a year ago, but Im actually writing a paper on this (which got me into Hellenism, but thats a whole other thing). Listed below are the top 11 most important Symbols of Female Strength: Table of Contents [ show] 1. 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. Through the snake-like strands of medusas hair, the universe is warning you against the deception of your friends. Even though the curse took away her beauty, she remains an emblem of feminine confidence. 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. 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. Anyone that believes in her will enjoy this protection continually. Medusa was r*ped by Poseidon in Athena's temple and Athena was wrong for punishing her. Terracotta two-handled funnel vase with Medusa head (Greek, South Italian, Apulian, Canosan, Early Hellenistic, late 4thearly 3rd century BCE), terracotta, height: 30 3/4 inches; diameter: 17 5/16 inches (courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1906). Now Medusa is now seen as a feminist icon as her ability to turn men into stone can be seen as a way to empower womxn; as Poet Percy Shelley writes about the snaked hair womxns powers as both being full of grace and terror. Her energy can be channeled for spiritual activities like spells, rituals, and prayers. She is also seen as a protective figure, and her head is often used as a symbol of strength and power. "In a male-centered society, the feminization of monsters served to demonize women," she said. Medusa is often seen as a strong and powerful woman, who has the ability to destroy her enemies. Many warriors are sent to kill her, including Perseus. All of Medusa's siblings were monsters by birth and, even though she was not, she had the misfortune of being turned . I would be super interested in reading your source materials if youre willing (I think I can get around the paywall by using my universitys library so its worth a shot) or I would also like to read your paper whenever youre dont with it if thats easier! The Greeks believed most snakes to be poisonous as well which represents the end of a life cycle. Renee Gladmans drawings convey that idea in a more visceral, less cerebral way. The symbol offers protection from harm caused by the evil eye. Several stories fly around concerning medusa, but we will attempt to extract messages from those stories. Additionally, the snakes in her hair can symbolize wisdom, healing, and . I Need To Know What 'Very Bland' Opinion Got J.K. Rowling Kicked Out of a Harry Potter Forum, Disney Found a Way To Make Us Care About Peter Pan Again, 'The Mandalorian' Makes It Pretty Clear Where Gina Carano's Cara Dune Went, 'Quantumania' Writer Shares Painful Thoughts on All the Negative Reviews, 14 Dead By Daylight Characters We Want to See in the Dead by Daylight Movie, The Mary Sue Book Club, March 2023: Powerful Magic, Sensational Secrets, & Public Policy, Was Ellie Gay in The Last of Us Game? 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. Whenever you see yourself drawing medusa in a dream, it means that the universe has blessed you with creativity.