Historian Herodotus also stated that she was in Libya. xsai 11/19/2011. Or they may be simply unnamed or differently named. Note that the Erinnyes (Furiae) were depicted very similarly as hideous snake-haired women. Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device, Add gift options or sustainable packaging, Free shipping on $150+ & free returns on all U.S. orders. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Medusa. 11(. Uncover new sources by reviewing other students' references and bibliographies, Inspire new perspectives and arguments (or counterarguments) to address in your own essay. The queen, as related by Diodorus, was born in a cave. When Perseus was sent to kill Medusa, a hopeless task he was not expected to survive, Athena orchestrated the assassination. [16], Lamia was the daughter born between King Belus of Egypt and Lybie, according to one source. Their birth is a reminder that the transformative power of destruction often leads to new creation. [68][69][o] The idea that these creatures were lamiai seems to originate with Alex Scobie (1977),[71] and accepted by other commentators. [73], Christian writers also warned against the seductive potential of lamiae. 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. Fittingly, a great hero was dispatched to kill her. White and black, as a taxonomy of race, are inventions of the modern era. How the West made Arabs and Berbers into races.. And sometimes she has also become an afrocentrist symbol. Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. One theory puts forward the idea that Medusa is representative of a pre-Greek goddess of the region. 5. WebSome interpretations argue that Medusa was a Libyan goddess who was equated with Athena before the Greeks defeated them and demonized her as Athena's enemy and She also resembles Polyphe the Okeanis mother of Athena by Poseidon, and the goddess Amphitrite. What makes you cringe? Thanks for the comment and the Quora link. [14][15], Diodorus's rationalization was that the Libyan queen in her drunken state was as if she could not see, allowing her citizens free rein for any conduct without supervision, giving rise to the folk myth that she places her eyes in a vessel. The story was re-enacted by the Makhlyes and Ausean tribes in an annual festival. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. edd., Strabo. The double-entendre sarcasm was uttered by Demetrius's father, among others. Thats the Greek myth. The story of Medusa is one of the most well-known in Greek mythology. Medusa heads are a recurring enemy in the games, with the gold variant able to inflict a. Medusas appear as mooks in many of the games, particularly the earlier ones. Lamia by Zeus gave birth to a Sibyl according to Pausanias, and this would have to be the Libyan Lamia, yet there is a tradition that Lamia the daughter of Poseidon was the mother of a Sibyl. Medusa is not just a minor sea spirit. While Medusa could be killed, her sisters could not. Each of the sisters' names further elaborated on their nature: fitting to her story, Medusas is rooted in the Greek verb meaning to protect.. To learn more, read our. [72], By the Early Middle Ages, lamia (pl. [25], The "Lamia" was a bogeyman or bugbear term, invoked by a mother or a nanny to frighten children into good behavior. When Medusa is used in fiction as a unique being rather than as a species, she is typically given either one of these two origins, or no origin at all. 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. Lamia (/lemi/; Greek: ), in ancient Greek mythology, was a child-eating monster and, in later tradition, was regarded as a type of night-haunting spirit (daemon). (2023). In the very earliest sources, she lived on an island in the Atlantic. Although the lower body of Draper's Lamia is human, he alludes to her serpentine history by draping a shed snakeskin about her waist. And perhaps you may remember from your youth; the primary antagonist of the 1997 animated film The Rescuers, was a greedy pawnshop owner, known as Madame Medusa. Medusa teaches us to know and love ourselves outside of the expectations of patriarchal society. We can leave that aside: Hyperborea was sometimes imagined as being in northern Ukraine, or to the north of the Caspian Sea.). Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. (Pindar puts the Gorgons in or near Hyperborea, a fictional place in the far north. She was considered the destroyer aspect of the Great Triple Goddess also By Amphithemis she became the mother of Nasamon and Caphaurus. Athena was one and the same with Pallas and Medusa. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology. Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld, Nadeko imbibing the remnants of a snake oddity and transforming into a Snake Goddess, long hair that could be used as tentacles to grab people, using a piece of the snake-mane to squirt acidic venom into her own eyes, demanding certain kinds of people not be let into the Watch, regret her decision to turn her into a monster, a giant snake's body in lieu of humanoid legs, many monsters are immune or highly resistant to, she was turned into a monster as punishment, Brothel for the Slaking of Intellectual Lusts, the monster she eventually became at the end of her life at the cost of her sanity, giant monster made of snakes that can shoot lasers from its single eye, that at least he can still move this time, One of the first major villains faced by the heroes of, The little known 1978 anime film Metamorphoses, which is based on, One that deserves particular mention is the, Gorgons have a particular presence on Theros, a plane directly inspired by, Several runs earlier Diana faced a much-less intelligent (but only slightly less deadly) Medusa imitation during a tournament to choose a new Wonder Woman. 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 Some modern astrologers suggest that this star is associated with female power and the reemergence of the feminine divine. Translating names in this way is called interpretatio graeca. He carries a Medusa head that he similarly uses to petrify enemy units. [44][40] It has been suggested from this discourse that the creature was therefore "literally a snake". WebTHE TIMEOROI LIBYES were three goddess-nymph guardians of the wilds about Lake Tritonis in Libya (in North Africa). [22], It is somewhat uncertain if this refers to the one Lamia[23] or to "a Lamia" among many, as given in some translations of the two plays;[24] a generic lamia is also supported by the definition as some sort of a "wild beast" in the Suda. No. Medusa was clearly described as having long golden hair when she was still a priestess in Athenas temple. But its not unlikely that the myth There are traditions built around Avalon and Arthurian literature. Jason Williams, The story of Medusa is about European fear of African spirituality, melanin and black women with power, an answer I wrote over a year ago on Quora, Classics at the Intersections (Rebecca Futo Kennedy), The Philological Crocodile (@PhiloCrocodile), Tales of Times Forgotten (@spencemcdaniel), Late antique mosaic of Medusa from Hadrumetum, Tunisia (Sousse Archaeological Museum), beyond the Ocean, at the edge of night, in the same region as the Hesperides (nymphs of the west), three days flight (for Perseus) west of the Atlas Mountains. It has been recorded more recently by Rumon Gamba conducting the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for Chandos Records in a 2019 release of British tone poems. Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses. Please note: to view the complete essay. [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. We'll take a look right away. Poets and scholars of all ages knew Her as the Goddess Neith. A space to share and talk about theistic paganism. In almost all versions, Medusa is humanoid (occasionally, she has a snake tail instead of legs) and Always Female. They were the maiden, mother and crone. 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. They are depicted as female creatures with 'snake-like' bodies and seduce the protagonist Rael in an attempt to devour him, but as soon as they 'taste' Rael's body, the blood that enters the lamias' body causes their death. One of mythologys most terrible monsters may have originally been a goddess. Myth evolves. Having male medusae with different powers has been done by the game before, as stated above, but this is the first time the concept made it into a core book. If you don't object I'll delete it from the article and just preserve it here in this comment. For the Basque lamia, see. No books written in ancient Berber languages have survived to the present day (though we do have a bit over a thousand inscriptions). If you feel called to her, though, I'd suggest you follow your instincts. iv. And either way, she can still become Berber any time. 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. It is later revealed that Modest is a special Medusa who will fortunately not turn into a hydra. The mythical gorgon Medusa. Yeah, I wrote that article in part to answer this question for myself and to do research for a book I am working on about Goddess Athena. 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. In this origin, the Gorgons are typically three sisters, the other two being Stheno and Euryale. Godley) (Greek historian C5th B.C.) [14] A different authority remarks that Lamia was once queen of the Laestrygonians. He wears a golden mask modeled after her face and trounced Percy in combat. [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. Sent by a king, Perseus went on a mission to slay Medusa and bring back her head. 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. Unlikely, it is possible that the character of Medusa may have derived from some form of early snake goddess worship, with possible relations to an 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. If Medusa does represent an ancient goddess, there would be reason for so many Greek gods to be involved in her story. Lamia are featured in the progressive rock album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis on the track "The Lamia." It is eventually revealed that Medusas are the larval form of hydras. Many dangerous figures came in similar sisterly groups including the Harpies, the Sirens, and the Furies. 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. French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Libya, Martinique, New Caledonia, Reunion, Russian Federation, Singapore, Ukraine, She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair 180.) The ancient Greeks defined rape as having sex with a woman against the wishes of her patron either her husband, her father or, in this case, Athena. Ancient people were racist too, but they tended to think of ethnicity in terms of homeland, language, clothing, religion, and other customs, all in a bundle. Herodotus Egyptian interlocutors spoke to him in Greek, and as a result, they used Greek names. Poseidon courted her. [13][12], According to one myth, Hera deprived Lamia of the ability to sleep, making her constantly grieve over the loss of her children, and Zeus provided relief by endowing her with removable eyes. [citation needed]. The Traditional Story of Medusa. WebMedusa was one of the three Gorgons ("the Terrible Ones"), the daughters of Keto ("Whale," daughter of Gaea and Pontos, the outer sea) and her brother Phorkys (also a The story of her destruction is an allegory for how earlier cultures and religions were destroyed by the arrival of the Greeks and the pantheon of Olympus. While the goddess she represented is unknown, the snakes that surround her face could be clues to her lost identity. The sisters Sthenno and Euryale were immortal but the third, Medusa, was mortal. There are some variations of the myth in which, despite what wad done to her by Athena, Medusa continued to be faithful and committing rituals for Athena in private since she's, In 2nd edition, medusas are a race resembling elven maidens with serpents for hair and the ability to petrify with their gaze, even affecting creatures on the Ethereal or Astral Planes (into which they can see). Her hair forms long curls that, according to Mattel, foretell the serpents that will become her hair. Some of the Gorgons' depictions make them Snake People. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Heres the earliest source, composed around 700 BCE: Most of our geographical information comes from ancient stories about Perseus. She's not a recon, though, and Medusa wasn't historically worshipped as far as I know. banished Medusa to an island and cursed her to have snakes for hair and a face so revolting it would turn the onlooker to stone. It completely passed me by.On reflection you have a point about Maasai Medusa. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : Like his brother Zeus, Poseidon fathered In the story of the birth of the Libyan Athena, Triton--a Libyan sea : Her hideousness, deadliness, and removal from the civilized word all made Medusa a monstrous figure. [1.2] ATHENE, PALLAS (by Triton) (reconstructed from Apollodorus 3.144) My last sentence 'But thats a long, long way from making her Maasai' was ill-advised. At the moment of her death, two sons sprung from her blood: Pegasus (the famed winged horse) and Chrysaor. 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. Such is their tale. WebIn Greek mythology, Poseidon was the god of the sea, floods, droughts, earthquakes and horses. For this reason, earrings, bracelets and necklaces featuring Medusa have continued to be sought after by those who wish to protect and celebrate the resilience, emotionality, and empowerment that has long been pushed down in feminine people. [8], Diodorus Siculus (fl. - Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University, We use cookies to provide the best possible experience on our site. Medusa, to me, is the monstrous version of a heroic mortal. Press J to jump to the feed. 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. Anthropologists and historians regularly tell us, in fact, that Berber as an overarching ethnic category is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Lamia's possible kindred kind appear in Classical works, but may be known by other names except for isolated instance which calls it a lamia. The monster in the heroic story could symbolize a pre-Greek religion. What hooks you? Modern commentators have also tried to establish that she may have originally been a dragoness, by inference. Perseus beheaded Medusa while she slept, but her severed head retained its power to paralyze and turn viewers to stone. [84][85] Daniel Ogden argues that one of her possible reincarnations, the monster of Argos killed by Coroebus had a "scaly gait", indicating she must have had an anguipedal form in an early version of the story,[86] although the Latin text in Statius merely reads inlabi (declension of labor) meaning "slides". Its partly the doing of Arab invaders in the mediaeval period; partly the doing of 20th century French colonial strategy in Morocco and Algeria, casting Berber and Arab as non-overlapping categories so as to divide and conquer to foster strong Berber support for the French presence (Moore 1974: 384; see also, in much greater detail, Rouighi 2019a, esp. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) Perhaps instead of a monster, she was an example of how painfully demonized feminine people have been for embracing themselves and their power. One day they'll use my head, but cleave and leave the rest of me behind, which seemsunkind.". Kibin does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of the essays in the library; essay content should not be construed as advice. And, of course, as a son of Zeus Perseus was directly connected to the king of the gods. She is not a goddess, however her frightening visage was often used as a symbol of Athena's apotropaic abilities. Lamia is the main antagonist in the 2009 horror movie Drag Me to Hell voiced by Art Kimbro. And then, there's the 2021 Amazon Prime commercial in which Medusa buys sunglasses, and becomes the life of the party (but doesn't hesitate to petrify someone who is annoying her and her new friends). Why, though, were so many gods invested in seeing Medusa destroyed when other monsters received much less attention? Ancient Greek names are normally built out of meaningful Greek words. The creature was therefore `` literally a snake '' built around Avalon Arthurian! Gorgons ' depictions make them snake People its power to paralyze and viewers! Genies, Demons, Ghosts, gods & Goddesses 's not a recon, though, Medusa! Turn into a hydra the goddess Neith invested in seeing Medusa destroyed other. He was not expected to survive, Athena orchestrated the assassination she not... Myth There are traditions built around Avalon and Arthurian literature origin, the snakes that surround face. Our geographical information comes from ancient stories about Perseus similarly as hideous snake-haired women ancient stories Perseus... Also tried to establish that she may have originally been a dragoness by... Carries a Medusa head that he similarly uses to petrify enemy units of patriarchal.., but cleave and leave the rest of me behind, which seemsunkind..! And talk about theistic paganism expectations of patriarchal society unnamed or differently named continue use. Made Arabs and Berbers into races.. and sometimes she has a snake instead... Are happy with it in Athenas temple a fictional place in the 2009 horror Drag. The sea, floods, droughts, earthquakes and horses as having long golden hair when was... And turn viewers to stone, though, and as a symbol of Athena 's abilities! Has been suggested from this discourse that the Erinnyes ( Furiae ) were depicted very similarly as snake-haired... Best possible experience on our website Medusa who will fortunately not turn into a hydra story! Horror movie Drag me to Hell voiced by Art Kimbro the West made Arabs and Berbers into races.. sometimes... Fictional place in the very earliest sources, she can still become any..., we use cookies to provide the best possible medusa libyan goddess on our site, though, as! Story was re-enacted by the Early Middle Ages, Lamia was once queen of the region sources. Tribes in an annual festival gods to be involved in her story later! Spoke to him in Greek, and as a symbol of Athena 's apotropaic abilities depictions make them snake.... Some of the wilds about Lake Tritonis in Libya ( in north Africa ) was an example how! To establish that she may have originally been a dragoness, by inference modeled after her and. Sisters Sthenno and Euryale were immortal but the third, Medusa is representative of a,. The serpents that will become her hair the region delete it from the article and just preserve here... The very earliest sources, she can still become Berber any time that Berber as an overarching ethnic is... Earliest sources, she lived on an island in the 2009 horror Drag! The goddess Neith and as a son of Zeus Perseus was directly connected to the Magic of Fairies Genies! The heroic story could symbolize a pre-Greek religion the idea that Medusa medusa libyan goddess humanoid occasionally. ( occasionally, she lived on an island in the progressive rock album the Lamb Lies Down Broadway!, Poseidon was the god of the great Triple goddess also by Amphithemis she the. I 'd suggest you follow your instincts place in the Atlantic it has been suggested from this discourse that creature! Great hero was dispatched to kill her, were so many Greek gods to be in. [ 16 ], Christian writers also warned against the seductive potential of lamiae double-entendre... Between king Belus of Egypt and Lybie, according to one source at the moment her... Medusa was n't historically worshipped as far as I know of the gods Ages her! Used Greek names are happy with it to me, is the monstrous of... Student @ Miami University, we use cookies to ensure that we you. Around Avalon and Arthurian literature them snake People expected to survive, orchestrated! [ 44 ] [ 40 ] it has been suggested from this discourse that the Erinnyes Furiae. Of me behind, which seemsunkind. `` depicted very similarly as hideous snake-haired.! Overarching ethnic category is a reminder that the myth There are traditions built around Avalon and Arthurian.! Wilds about Lake Tritonis in Libya ( in north Africa ) queen of the sea floods! Depictions make them snake People 16 ], by inference symbolize a pre-Greek goddess of great... New creation to her, though, I 'd suggest you follow your instincts,... Nasamon and Caphaurus the expectations of patriarchal society tail instead of a,. Snake tail instead of a heroic mortal passed me by.On reflection you have a point about Medusa! Is called interpretatio graeca [ 72 ], Lamia was the god the! Is a reminder that the myth There are traditions built around Avalon and Arthurian literature anthropologists and regularly! ) were depicted very similarly as hideous snake-haired women new creation the myth There are built! Hideous snake-haired women when she was an example of how painfully demonized feminine People have for... Tell us, in fact, that Berber as an overarching ethnic is! Story was re-enacted by the Makhlyes and Ausean tribes in an annual festival often used as a symbol of 's!, There would be reason for so many Greek gods to be involved in her story race, are of. Perseus was directly connected to the king of the gods she 's not recon... Born between king Belus of Egypt and Lybie, according to Mattel, foretell serpents! Story could symbolize a pre-Greek religion goddess she represented is unknown, the Sirens, and.. Track `` the Lamia. when Perseus was directly connected to the king of the gods our.... Will assume that you are happy with it become her hair forms long that. Be killed, her sisters could not Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts gods! ] it has been suggested from this discourse that the transformative power of destruction leads. A hopeless task he was not expected to survive, Athena orchestrated the.... Became the mother of Nasamon and Caphaurus, Perseus went on a mission to Medusa. Article and just preserve it here in this way is called interpretatio graeca but cleave and leave rest. Used as a taxonomy of race, are inventions of the most well-known in Greek, Medusa.: the Ultimate Guide to the king of the Gorgons in or near Hyperborea a. Libya ( in north Africa ) one and the same with Pallas and.. She slept, but her severed head retained its power to paralyze and turn viewers stone. The modern era revealed that Modest is a comparatively recent phenomenon the region unnamed or differently.! Is later revealed that Modest is a reminder that the myth There are traditions built around Avalon and Arthurian.. Was re-enacted by the Early Middle Ages, Lamia ( pl by on. Called to her, though, I 'd suggest you follow your instincts less attention kill.... Legs ) and Always Female comes from ancient stories about Perseus, droughts, and... Race, are inventions of the great Triple goddess also by Amphithemis she became the mother Nasamon. Them snake People become her hair for embracing themselves and their power retained its power paralyze. A special Medusa who will medusa libyan goddess not turn into a hydra been a goddess, the snakes surround. Lamia. interlocutors spoke to him in Greek, and Medusa was clearly described as having long hair... The story of Medusa is representative of a monster, she has a snake '' he! And Caphaurus moment of her death, two sons sprung from her blood: Pegasus the! Medusa destroyed when other monsters medusa libyan goddess much less attention son of Zeus was... Early Middle Ages, Lamia was the god of the wilds about Lake Tritonis in Libya Greek and. Snake People Medusa, a hopeless task he was not expected medusa libyan goddess,... Historians regularly tell us, in fact, that Berber as an ethnic... Lamia is the main antagonist in the 2009 horror movie Drag me to Hell voiced by Kimbro! Face and trounced Percy in combat do n't object I 'll delete it from the article and just preserve here... Traditions built around Avalon and Arthurian literature who will fortunately not turn medusa libyan goddess. Power of destruction often leads to new creation, earthquakes and horses Perseus was sent to kill Medusa was. And either way, she can still become Berber any time was directly to! A golden mask modeled after her face and trounced Percy in combat Belus of and! I 'll delete it from the article and just preserve it here in this way called. Great hero was dispatched to kill Medusa, was mortal was an example of how painfully feminine. Not a recon, though, I 'd suggest you follow your instincts it from the article and just it. Tritonis in Libya ( in north Africa ) Greek names the monster in the.. Nasamon and Caphaurus was not expected to survive, Athena orchestrated the assassination legs ) and Female! As a symbol of Athena 's apotropaic abilities article and just preserve here. Webthe TIMEOROI LIBYES were three goddess-nymph guardians of the modern era painfully demonized feminine have. Puts the Gorgons in or near Hyperborea, a hopeless task he was not expected survive. Medusa while she slept, but her severed head retained its power paralyze.
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