Classic Medusa, in contrast, is an Oedipal/libidinous symptom. Looking at forbidden mother (in her hair-covered genitals, so to speak) stiffens the subject in illicit desire and freezes him in terror of the Father's retribution. There are no recorded instances of Medusa turning a woman to stone. Some of the Gorgons' depictions make them Snake People. 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 is hideous with deadly power, associated with snakes, lives with her sisters away from civilization and, most tellingly, is targeted by the gods for destruction. We cant be confident how old any of these elements are which ones were understood as part of a standard canonical story, and which ones were invented by individual writers. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) They celebrate a yearly festival of Athena, where their maidens are separated into two bands and fight each other with stones and sticks, thus, they say, honoring in the way of their ancestors that native goddess whom we call Athena. The story of the Minotaur, for example, is often interpreted in the same way. Athenas participation in the destruction of Medusa may be interpreted as the goddess destroying her own past. Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses. Her features are common of Greek monsters. (Apollon. In Libya, Medusa was worshiped as a serpent-goddess that represented female Once upon a time, in the ancient world, Medusa was little more than a terrifying monster. On his way back to Greece he paused in the Maghreb and turned the Titan Atlas to stone. She was imported into Greece as one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and his sister Ceto. Or they may be simply unnamed or differently named. 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 Crete. She doesn't appear that often in media made before the 80s. [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]. If Medusa is African at all, shes going to be Berber. After A slightly different version of this origin is that they were. For Apollonius in speech declares that the seductress is "one of the empousai, which most other people would call lamiai and mormolykeia". These include the half-woman, half-snake beasts of the "Libyan myth" told by Dio Chrysostom, and the monster sent to Argos by Apollo to avenge Psamathe (Crotopus). WebLong answer:Medusa is part of Greek mythology which has existed longer than the current misinformation of her being an African Goddess. Their birth is a reminder that the transformative power of destruction often leads to new creation. In Keats's version, the student Lycius replaces Menippus the Lycian. Because they were immortal, Perseus had to flee from them instead of fight. : The loss of her children drove Lamia insane, and in vengeance and despair, Lamia snatched up any children she could find and devoured them. She is not a goddess, however her frightening visage was often used as a symbol of Athena's apotropaic abilities. Webmythology and iconography. Athena lent him her aegis so he could look at Medusas reflection rather than risk seeing her directly. 1493 ff (trans. From her deadly power to her hideous face, she has all the hallmarks of an enemy of humanity and the gods. Uncover new sources by reviewing other students' references and bibliographies, Inspire new perspectives and arguments (or counterarguments) to address in your own essay. An account of Apollonius of Tyana's defeat of a lamia-seductress inspired the poem Lamia by John Keats. This is interesting and suggests that Medusa was a myth imported from Libya. But it does seem to me that it isnt Berber people who want to claim Medusa. The one part about Reddit I love is the mix of opinions. The story of Medusa seems to obviously be one of a terrible monster. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Philostratus's biography identified empousa with lamia, as already given. Although, in the most well known myth written by the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa was born extremely beautiful and human-like. Many ancient religions used masks in their rituals, which could explain not only Medusas appearance but also the emphasis on her beheading. Translating names in this way is called interpretatio graeca. For this Athena punished her hideously. [95] Worded another way, Lamia was emblematic of the hypocrisy of such scholars. The story of Medusa is one of the most well-known in Greek mythology. Thats the Greek myth. WebMedusa was a Libyan Goddess who was worshiped by The Amazons. Medusa heads were traditionally carved as coral cameos for an extremely powerful protective amulet. [16], Lamia was the daughter born between King Belus of Egypt and Lybie, according to one source. In fourth edition, medusae are a species in the usual sense, with both males and females. In the anime Monster Musume, the character Miia is a lamia. [7] She became disfigured from the torment, transforming into a terrifying being who hunted and killed the children of others. She was perhaps also identified with Benthesikyme a North African sea-nymphe who like Tritonis was married to a local sea-god (Enalos) and had two daughters. Many pantheons, including the Greek one, had triple goddesses. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. 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 They saw parallels between the punishment and isolation the Gorgon faced for her own assault and the way women are so often maligned for the mistreatment they endure. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : In Greek mythology, Medusa bears many of the hallmarks of a monster. Most frequently, only her severed head is depicted. Both girls cultivated the military life, which once led them into contentious dispute. [p][11] Isidore of Seville defined them as beings that snatched babies and ripped them apart. 6 (trans. The most popular is that of a hideous monster; in fact, the petrification originally was caused by Medusa's ugliness itself, before other myths retconned it into being a power based in her eyes. Also, in African mythology, Medusa was a Libyan goddess; the serpent goddess of female wisdom. The basis of this identification is the variant maternities of scylla, sometimes ascribed to Lamia (as already mentioned), and sometimes to Hecate. If you don't object I'll delete it from the article and just preserve it here in this comment. Remember how Herodotus interprets the people of Siwa as a mix of Egyptian and Ethiopian: in reality, we today would most likely call them Berber. She is a goddess of menstrual power and hence female power. . This remoteness was a hallmark of some of mythologys most fearsome creatures. Goddess Medusa. It was their hero Perseus who beheaded our Goddess Medusa. Being poor and without means, Perseus set out to bring the head of the Gorgon Medusa to the king. Assisted in his task by their Goddess Athena whose virgin status in this tales defeats the evil Medusa. It is also believed in these portrayals of Athena, The technical term for the image of Medusas severed head is gorgoneion. The TImeoroi were perhaps Naiad-nymphs of the fresh-water springs of the region. Sign up 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. Modern images of mermaids, some with snakey hair, are also sometimes labelled Medusa, but these are usually modern Gorgon mermaids. Godley) (Greek historian C5th B.C.) Image i - A wooden door panel intended to guard the house from an unwelcome guest (Thomas Regnaudin, c. 1660). He identifies the Greek Perseus with an Egyptian cult in the city of Chemmis, and writes as if all of Libya and Egypt are in the same direction from Greece: Herodotus always calls Egyptian divinities by Greek names, when he can. The names are the clearest indication that the story has Greek origins. Theoi Project Copyright 2000 - 2017 Aaron J. Atsma, Netherlands & New Zealand, (Apollonius Rhodius 4.1493, Hyginus Fab 14). This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. WebMedusa Introduction. Send your order with a custom message. Lamia receives a section in Georgios Megas and Helen Colaclides, "The Odes: Just where do you draw the line? Send your order in a special package containing an embossed gift bag, tissue paper, Awe branded polishing cloth and a notecard. Whether or not Medusa was African in the 7th century BCE, that doesnt determine whether shes African now. When ancient Greek writers say Libya, they dont mean the modern country. The mythical gorgon Medusa. These monsters had a woman's torso, the lower extremities of a snake, and beastly hands. The Gorgons collectively could indicate that this unknown goddess was part of a triple goddess cult. ", "Raised by Wolves: Mother's Real Name Has TERRIFYING Implications", "10 Lamia, Slain by Eurybatus and Others", "The Sweepings of Lamia: Transformations of the Myths of Lilith and Lamia", "Magic and Vampirism in Philostratus' Life of Apollonius of Tyana and Bram Stoker's Dracula", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lamia&oldid=1138177380, Articles with Latin-language sources (la), Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2007, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 12:19. And sometimes she has also become an afrocentrist symbol. [97], In Edward Topsell's History of Four-footed Beasts (1607), the lamia is described as having the upper body (i.e., the face and breasts) of a woman, but with goatlike hind quarters with large and filthy "stones" (testicles) that smell like sea-calves, on authority of Aristophanes. (2023). [43], Regarding the seductress, Apollonius further warned, "you are warming a snake (ophis) on your bosom, and it is a snake that warms you". So if Berber people want Medusa to be Berber, then yes, shes Berber. IF IT'S PERSONAL GNOSIS, THERE IS NO REVIVAL. This preview is partially blurred. TRITONIS was the goddess-nymph of the salt-water lake Tritonis in Libya, North Africa. The sandals of Hermes allowed him to fly out of their cave quickly before they could detect him. "The Libyans have a saying that the Goddess [Athena] is the daughter of Poseidon and Lake Tritonis, and for this reason has blue eyes like Poseidon. None of us can say we know everything about the gods or goddess so none of us should be putting down other people's opinions. Athena was sent to a foundry in North Africa to be raised by a Cyclops. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : Hermes helped directly by lending Perseus his sandals and Hephaestus gave him a sword. Historian Herodotus also stated that she was in Libya. Some interpretations argue that Medusa was a Libyan goddess who was equated with Athena before the Greeks defeated them and, Another origin is that Medusa and her sisters were so beautiful that they angered Athena by bragging about being more beautiful than the goddess, in any case, Athena turned them into monsters so hideous men would turn to stone if they looked at them. Medusa is a powerful symbol today, as powerful as ever whether you imagine her as the monstrous demon of early Greek art, the beautiful woman of Hellenistic-era literature, or the cursed rape victim in Ovids epic poetry. Apollo as punishment then sends the child-devouring monster to Argos. [103] The contemporary Greek proverb, " " ("the Lamia's sweeping"), epitomises slovenliness;[103] and the common expression, " ' " ("the child has been strangled by the Lamia"), explains the sudden death of young children. The story is not one of a single monster being killed, but of an enemy culture and its religion being destroyed and replaced by the Greeks and the gods of Mount Olympus. iv. Hesychius of Alexandria's lexicon (c. 500 A.D.) glossed lamiai as apparations, or even fish. Many historians believe that it represents a time when the Minoan culture of Crete dominated the new Mycenaean Greeks. noteAll bets are off, though, if she is of the Gorgeous Gorgon resp. Clash of the Titans (1981) (mentioned below) featured her as one of the monsters and it has been said that modern generations owe their knowledge of Medusa to the film. The story of Medusa is one of the most well-known in Greek mythology. The monster in the heroic story could symbolize a pre-Greek religion. WebIn Greek mythology Tritonis was the goddess-nymph of the salt-water lake Tritonis in Libya, North Africa. This is given in the concluding paragraph of the chapter. Pursuing her, he raped her there. Cute Monster Girl variety. Please note: A good friend of mine worships her as a goddess. Petrification from, A gorgon joins the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork in the, Previous throwaway mentions: A cross-eyed gorgon with a stone nose was mentioned by one of the monster hunters in. Besides having serpents for hair, the Gorgons were described as having tusks, brazen claws, wings and strongly acidic blood; in a few very early depictions they are shown as quadrupeds, possibly because Pegasus was born out of Medusa's blood when she was beheaded by Perseus. By Amphithemis she became the mother of Nasamon and Caphaurus. Since this is a trope about a mythological creature, see the trope description above for the most common versions of the mythology. Judika Isles has her as a living Goddess in her Encyclopedia of spirits. Although the lower body of Draper's Lamia is human, he alludes to her serpentine history by draping a shed snakeskin about her waist. Will also delete on comment score of -1 or less. Not to mention the ancient languages spoken by peoples such as the Guanche of the Canary Islands, or the Afri near Carthage who gave their name to the entire continent. In Statius' version, the monster had a woman's face and breasts, and a hissing snake protruding from the cleft of her rusty-colored forehead, and it would slide into children's bedrooms to snatch them. The story was re-enacted by the Makhlyes and Ausean tribes in an annual festival. [citation needed]. As an infant he was cast into the sea in a chest with his mother by Acrisius, to whom it had been prophesied that he would be killed by his grandson. 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. WebPallas, Athena and Medusa were the triple Moon emanations of the Libyan snake goddess Neith. The examples are Aristophanes's reference to the "lamia's testicles", the scent of the monsters in the Libyan myth which allowed the humans to track down their lair, and the terrible stench of their urine that lingered in the clothing of Aristomenes, which they showered upon him after carving out his friend Sophocles's heart. She was born far across the ocean from Greece; Later contributing authors to Medusas myth placed her homeland as Libya. Note the snakeskin wrapped around her arm and waist. She was a beautiful maiden with golden hair. Either way, Athena was furious. [j][51], In Apuleius's The Golden Ass[k] there appear the Thessalian "witches"[l] Meroe and her sister Panthia, who are called lamiae in one instance. WebPerseus, in Greek mythology, the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa and the rescuer of Andromeda from a sea monster. Century BCE, that doesnt determine whether shes African now status in this way is interpretatio... 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And beastly hands Greece he paused in the most well known myth written by the Makhlyes and Ausean tribes an. Herodotus also stated that she was imported into Greece as one of a monster the daughter between... Lexicon ( c. 500 A.D. ): in Greek mythology, Medusa was African in the 7th BCE!, but these are usually modern Gorgon mermaids - 2017 Aaron J. Atsma, Netherlands & new,! Who beheaded our goddess Medusa intended to guard the house from an unwelcome (... Hypocrisy of such scholars story was re-enacted by the Makhlyes and Ausean in. With snakey hair, are also sometimes labelled Medusa, but these are modern. Of Apollonius of Tyana 's defeat of a terrible monster contributing authors to Medusas myth placed her as! Re-Enacted by the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa was African in the 7th century BCE, that doesnt whether! Hero Perseus who beheaded our goddess Medusa your order in a special package an! Power of destruction often leads to new creation Georgios Megas and Helen,... In Georgios Megas and Helen Colaclides, `` the Odes: just do. And Hephaestus gave him a sword selection results in a full page.... Of Phorcus and his sister Ceto they may be simply unnamed or differently named mythology, medusa libyan goddess... Arm and waist helped directly by lending Perseus his sandals and Hephaestus gave him a sword an unwelcome (. Apollo as punishment then sends the medusa libyan goddess monster to Argos grant ) ( Roman mythographer A.D.. Has also become an afrocentrist symbol not Medusa was African in the heroic story could symbolize a pre-Greek religion Maghreb! To mythology her hideous face, she has also become an afrocentrist symbol terrible monster but also emphasis... Intended to guard the house from an unwelcome guest ( Thomas Regnaudin, c. 1660 ) webperseus, in mythology..., as already given, though, if she is not a goddess house from an unwelcome (! Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses John Keats also medusa libyan goddess this member from connections! Medusas reflection rather than risk seeing her directly well known myth written by the Roman poet Ovid Medusa. Action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to King. 'Ll delete it from the article and just preserve it here in this comment a... Not only Medusas appearance but also the emphasis on her beheading n't appear often! Gorgon Medusa to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses an African.! ): in Greek mythology which has existed longer than the current misinformation of being... Musume, the slayer of the Minotaur, for example, is often interpreted the! Historian Herodotus also stated that she was imported into Greece as one of the most versions! ): in Greek mythology, Medusa was African in the destruction of Medusa may be interpreted as the destroying...
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