6 (trans. The sisters Sthenno and Euryale were immortal but the third, Medusa, was mortal. [64], In Pausanias's version, the monster is called Poin (), meaning "punishment" or "vengeance", but there is nothing about a snake on her forehead. It is referred to as Poine or Ker[60] in classical sources, but later in the Medieval period, one source does call it a lamia (First Vatican Mythographer, c. 9th to 11th century).[61][62]. Lamia is the main antagonist in the 2009 horror movie Drag Me to Hell voiced by Art Kimbro. Learn what works (and what doesn't) from the reader's perspective. According to some myths, Medusa, the most famous of the Gorgons, was originally a beautiful woman. Her symbols were a shield that frequently appeared above her head in Did you find something inaccurate, misleading, abusive, or otherwise problematic in this essay example? WebOne of the most popular monsters of Greek Mythology is Medusa. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. It purports to give a full account of the capture of "Lamia of Corinth" by Apollonius, as the general populace referred to the legend. Priests and priestesses would wear images of their deities or monsters from their myths to take on the spirit of the deity. In the story of the birth of the Libyan Athena, Triton--a Libyan sea-god sometimes identified with Poseidon--and Tritonis were the parents of two daughters named Athena and Pallas. Reading example essays works the same way! [89], Some commentators have also equated Lamia with Hecate. [9] Heraclitus's euhemerized account explains that Hera, consort of Zeus, gouged the eyes out of the beautiful Lamia. Lamia has been ascribed serpentine qualities, which some commentators believe can be firmly traced to mythology from antiquity; they have found analogues in ancient texts that could be designated as lamiai (or lamiae) which are part-serpent beings. These could be one goddess with three forms, such as the Morrigan and Brigid in Ireland, or three closely related goddesses who worked together, like the Norns in Norse mythology. [67], A second example is a colony of man-eating monsters in Libya, described by Dio Chrysostom. Medusa was one of the most iconic monsters of Greek mythology, but could her story also be one of a goddess? (2023). Her image was used in Byzantine Greece to protect pregnant women and newborns. Judika Isles has her as a living Goddess in her Encyclopedia of spirits. [14][27], Numerous sources attest to the Lamia being a "child-devourer", one of them being Horace. Many dangerous figures came in similar sisterly groups including the Harpies, the Sirens, and the Furies. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? She resides in the Petrified Temple in the middle of a petrified forest on Lesbos. : Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. With help from other Olympian Gods and Goddesses he was successful, but Medusas death was not the end of her. Hes entirely wrong about Greek gods names, for example: we know now that theyre mostly Indo-European. WebSome believed that Medusa was the Libyan Goddess, Neith, who was the Goddess of Hunting and War. This prompted Henderson (1998) to "humorlessly infer" that the Lamia must have been a. Keats's reworking makes this Lamia have serpent form for certain, which she wants to lose. When Perseus was sent to kill Medusa, a hopeless task he was not expected to survive, Athena orchestrated the assassination. Of the three sisters only Medousa was mortal. A German folk belief, documented as late as the eighteenth century, suggests that if a menstruating womans hair is buried in Earth, it will become a snake. [95] Worded another way, Lamia was emblematic of the hypocrisy of such scholars. [11], Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (vii.5) refers to the lore of some beastly lifeform in the shape of a woman, which tears the bellies of pregnant mothers and devours their fetuses. Algol, usually considered a star of ill-fortune, is traditionally perceived as representing Medusas eye. It completely passed me by.On reflection you have a point about Maasai Medusa. Short answer: no. Long answer:Medusa is part of Greek mythology which has existed longer than the current misinformation of her being an African Go She vowed to be celibate her entire life as a priestess of Athena until she fell in love with Poseidon. You can't really say you are "reviving" her worship, rather I think it would be more appropriate to say that you are creating her cultus. [78] Either one could be Lamia the mother of Scylla mentioned in the Stesichorus (d. 555 BC) fragment, and other sources. Like many monsters, the Gorgons lived in a cave at the far edge of the world. She was imported into Greece as one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and his sister Ceto. In some versions, her hair-snakes are venomous. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) . - Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University, We use cookies to provide the best possible experience on our site. Medusa is usually portrayed as the monster she became after her transformation by Athena. There are two different such prequel myths regarding the origins of the original Medusa. [43], Regarding the seductress, Apollonius further warned, "you are warming a snake (ophis) on your bosom, and it is a snake that warms you". Such is their tale. When she's defeated, Medusa herself is turned to stone. In 2019 a fragmentary archaic Greek carving of a Gorgons head, or Gorgoneion, was found in Gibraltar itself deep inside Gorhams Cave. Medusa (Metis) was the destroyer aspect of the Great Triple Goddess also called Neith, Anath, Athene or Ath-enna in North Africa and Athana in 1400 c. BC Minoan iv. Although later details, such as her origins as a beautiful maiden, were added by writers such as Ovid, the earliest surviving myths make it clear that Medusa was a fearsome goddess. In the movie, Lamia is described as "the most feared of all Demons" and having the head and hooves of a goat. [87][88] It is noted that this character terrorized Delphi, just as the dragon Python had. WebMedusa is not just a minor sea spirit. [e][29] Lamia was in some versions thus seen as swallowing children alive, and there may have existed some nurse's tale that told of a boy extracted alive out of a Lamia. Strong parallel with the Medusa has also been noted. [35], In later classical periods, around the 1st century A. D.,[36] the conception of this Lamia shifted to that of a sultry seductress who enticed young men and devoured them. Whether or not Medusa was African in the 7th century BCE, that doesnt determine whether shes African now. 1495.). [9][10] Heraclitus Paradoxographus (2nd century) also gave a rationalizing account. No. Medusa if she was inspired by a goddess culture" could be a trace memory of Minoan goddess worship and the importance of snakes in the culture In Greek: " , ", Cupid refers to Psyche's sisters as Lamiae, Apul. Poseidon courted her. Medusa embodies menstruations protective powers. Feminist writers of the 20th century began to see reflections of themselves and other women in the fate of Medusa. It's nice to know that you have read my article. With her sharp teeth and hair intertwined with snakes, it's easy to imagine Greek parents of that era using her as a sort of boogeyman to corral misbehaving children. Over time, as the snake hair grows larger, the human parts will eventually shrivel up and die, leaving only the snake heads attached to a snake body. In both versions, Athena, pissed that her priestess not only broke her vows but did the nasty in her temple, punished her by turning her into her new hideous form and banished her to a desolate island until Perseus slew her. While Medusa and the Gorgons have often been interpreted as representative of a danger of the sea, some scholars believe that their origin lies in history rather than solely in the realm of legend. WebThe Libyan Berber Goddess Tannit (Neith) Tannit or Neith is originally a Berber Libyan Goddess venerated by the Berbers of North Africa from immemorial times. Really the whole idea of the African medusa figure is based off of a single historian, Martin Bernel, and his work Black Athena, which posits that the Goddess Athena, as well as the entirety of Greek language and culture are derived from African roots rather than Indo-European roots, as well as But it does seem to me that it isnt Berber people who want to claim Medusa. Medusas image lived on as that of one of the worst monsters in Greek mythology, but some historians believe that she might not have always been a monster at all. [88], Close comparison is also made with the serpentine Medusa. When a version contains a male Medusa, it's usually some Spear Counterpart with some other name. Perseus received divine aid, in the form of a special wallet to carry the head; winged sandals that enabled him to fly; and the cap of Hades to make him invisible. She is the sister of Euryale and Stheno, and they were born to the sea god Phorcys and Ceto, who is the goddess of sea monsters. In previous centuries, Lamia was used in Greece as a bogeyman to frighten children into obedience, similar to the way parents in Spain, Portugal and Latin America used the Coco. They were the maiden, mother and crone. [58], Some commentators, despite the absence of actual blood-sucking, find these witches to share "vampiric" qualities of the lamiae (lamiai) in Philostratus's narrative, thus offering it up for comparison.[59]. From her deadly power to her hideous face, she has all the hallmarks of an enemy of humanity and the gods. 5 [101], In modern Greek folk tradition, the Lamia has survived and retained many of her traditional attributes. [54][55][m][n], Meroe has seduced a man named Socrates, but when he plots to escape, the two witches raid his bed, thrust a knife in the neck to tap the blood into a skin bag, eviscerate his heart, and stuff the hole back with sponge. (Herod. [19], Other bogeys have been listed in conjunction with "Lamia", for instance, the Gorgo, the eyeless giant Ephialtes, a Mormolyce named by Strabo. I felt the question about Medusa being a Goddess was closed in my mind, then I saw an altar for Medusa the other day and wanted to know if anyone else had another opinion. Poseidon, especially attracted to her voluptuous hair, assaulted her in the temple of Athena. "), "The Views on Medusa Goddess in Mythology." [1.2] ATHENE, PALLAS (by Triton) (reconstructed from Apollodorus 3.144) She was imported into Greece as one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and his sister Ceto. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Although, in the most well known myth written by the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa was born extremely beautiful and human-like. [19][b][c], Aristophanes wrote in two plays an identically worded list of foul-smelling objects which included the "Lamia's testicles", thus making Lamia's gender ambiguous. Upon learning this, Zeus's wife Hera robbed Lamia of her children, the offspring of her affair with Zeus, either by kidnapping or by killing them. Because she is a reminder to be unapologetically ourselves and fierce in the face of oppression, Add gift message and Deluxe Gift packaging, Liquid error: include usage is not allowed in this context. [28] Horace in Ars Poetica cautions against the overly fantastical: "[nor should a story] draw a live boy out of a Lamia's belly". When people do claim that shes an African divinity, or an African symbol, it generally seems to be in the context of framing ethnicity in terms of black and white. Another double of the Libyan Lamia may be Lamia, daughter of Poseidon. They think that Medusa was a goddess. One development stage of jellyfish is named after Medusa, and jellyfishes are called Medusa in several languages. 144 (trans. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. He carries a Medusa head that he similarly uses to petrify enemy units. Please note: Empusa is equated with Hecate in a fragment of Aristophanes's lost play, Keats made a note to this effect at the end of the first page in the fair copy he made: see William E. Harrold, "Keats' 'Lamia' and Peacock's 'Rhododaphne'". Myths and stories with background for Medusa were added later. Berbers are people that speak one of the Berber group of languages Tamazight, Shawiya, Tuareg, and so on. Hesychius of Alexandria's lexicon (c. 500 A.D.) glossed lamiai as apparations, or even fish. The best possible experience on our site Paradoxographus ( 2nd century ) also gave a rationalizing account 2009 movie. Heraclitus 's euhemerized account explains that Hera, consort of Zeus, gouged the eyes of! Websome believed that Medusa was born extremely beautiful and human-like equated Lamia with.... Zeus, gouged the eyes out of the 20th century began to see reflections of and... We give you the best experience on our site similarly uses to petrify enemy units, a hopeless task was! 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