Was Medusa a mean person?

She wasn't evil just for evil's sake but was forced by the misogynistic tendencies of pitting women against each other and the damaging experience of rape. Medusa's story is best portrayed through Ovid's Metamorphoses where she is depicted as a beautiful young woman who was the priestess of Athena

Athena

Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva.

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Athena - Wikipedia

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What kind of person was Medusa?

In Greek mythology, Medusa (/mɪˈdjuːzə, -sə/; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those who gazed into her eyes would turn to stone.

Is Medusa evil or good?

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. She represents a dangerous threat meant to deter other dangerous threats, an image of evil to repel evil.

What made Medusa evil?

She was lovely, according to the poem—until she was raped in Athena's temple by Poseidon. Athena then punished her for this violation, by turning her into the monstrous, stony-glanced creature that we know. Yes: punished for being raped.

Was Medusa cruel?

Medusa was once a beautiful young woman, but she was raped by Poseidon and punished by Athena to become a monstrous Gorgon whose very gaze turned men to stone. As the ultimate cruelty, Medusa's severed head was brandished by her tormentor Athena as a weapon and object of fear.

The Story Of Medusa - Greek Mythology Explained

Was Medusa a villain or victim?

Throughout history, Medusa got the bad reputation as a scornful, evil woman who turns people into stone with a mere glance. However, much like most women of ancient mythology, she was a victim of patriarchal societal norms.

Why was Medusa punished instead of Poseidon?

The Medusa we know was raped by Poseidon in the goddess Athena's temple. Athena then punished her for desecrating her sacred space by cursing Medusa with a head full of snakes and a gaze that turns men to stone. Then, a heroic Perseus severed the serpent-headed Medusa, turning her into a trophy.

Who was Medusa in love with?

Medusa and Poseidon engaged in a love affair and would have two children together, but not before Athena discovered the illicit affair. When Athena discovered the affair, she was enraged and immediately cursed Medusa by taking away her beauty.

What is the truth about Medusa?

Medusa was a beautiful woman who was raped, killed and beheaded by various gods. However even in the face of tragedy and disgrace, the Medusa was portrayed as meaningful. Following the moment her head was removed, a Pegasus flew out of her body, representing the birth of beauty.

How did Medusa get pregnant?

Since Medusa was the only one of the three Gorgons who was mortal, Perseus was able to slay her while looking at the reflection from the mirrored shield he received from Athena. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon.

What happens if you stare Medusa?

Gazing into Medusa's eyes could turn a person into stone, so she was very dangerous to be around. People wanted her destroyed, and a man named Perseus promised to do just that. But first he had to figure out how to approach Medusa without looking at her for even a moment.

Why Medusa is a female?

In Ovid's telling, she was once a beautiful maiden. But after Poseidon, the god of the sea, raped her in the temple of Athena, the goddess sought revenge for what she viewed as an act of defilement. Rather than punishing Poseidon, Athena transformed his victim, Medusa, into a hideous monster.

What god killed Medusa?

The Mythology of Perseus

Perseus was a demi-god, the son of Zeus and a mortal named Danae. Perseus killed the famed monster Medusa, the hideous gorgon with snakes for hair who turned anyone with the misfortune of looking into her eyes into stone.

What are 3 facts about Medusa?

What does Medusa tattoo symbolize?

In general, however, Medusa tattoos are a symbol of survival, often from sexual abuse, sexual assault or rape. For some, the significance of Medusa is simply meant to ward off evil and negativity in general.

Who impregnated Medusa?

The Gorgon Medusa

Medusa was a temptress among the gods, and Poseidon had impregnated the mortal while in the temple of Athena.

What did Medusa originally look like?

The earliest portrayals of Medusa show a grotesque part human, part animal creature with wings and boar-like tusks. By the fifth century BCE, that figure from Greek myth began to morph into an alluring seductress, shaped by the idealization of the body in Greek art.

What ethnicity was Medusa?

Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. 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.

Did Poseidon and Medusa have a child?

In Greek mythology, Chrysaor (Greek: Χρυσάωρ, Chrysáor, gen.: Χρυσάορος, Chrysáoros; English translation: "he who has a golden sword" [from χρυσός, "golden" and ἄορ, "sword"]), was the brother of the winged horse Pegasus, often depicted as a young man, the son of Poseidon and Medusa, born when Perseus decapitated the ...

What color was Medusa?

Some Greek artists depicted Medusa as having a beautiful human face with green snakes for hair, while others represent Medusa as a hideous monster with a reptilian body. In many interpretations of Medusa, she has a link with the colour green. Many paintings of Medusa show her snakes as being bright green.

Did Athena forgive Medusa?

But Athena wouldn't – couldn't – blame her priestess Medusa for being raped by her God enemy Poseidon. So, Athena protected Medusa at all costs. Instead of punishing Medusa with a head of snakes that could turn men to stone, Athena protected her.

Is Athena jealous of Medusa?

In fact, Athena was jealous of Medusa's beauty and lustrous hair. Poseidon ravaged her and took what she held dearly, her purity. Athena, outraged by this incident, cursed Medusa and turned her wonderful hair into venomous snakes, her beautiful face turned so ugly that any man who gazed upon would turn to stone.

Is Medusa based on a real person?

The short answer is no, medusa was not real. For someone who has been depicted as a monster with poisonous snakes for hair, having the ability to turn men into stone, it may seem evident that Medusa was not a real historical figure.

Who was Medusa before she was cursed?

Medusa was a priestess to the goddess Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom and battle. One requirement to be a priestess for Athena is that the young women should be a virgin and give their life to the goddess. One day, Poseidon (or Neptune), the God of the Sea and rival to Athena, saw Medusa and was mesmerized.

What happens if Medusa looks in a mirror?

In Greek mythology, Medusa was viewed as a monster, and gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers into stone. Inspired by this myth, the artists in Medusa's Mirror address the able-bodied gaze upon the disabled subject – often viewed with fear, curiosity or wonder – by turning the gaze upon the viewer.