Medusa is remembered, more than anything else, for a face that was so hideous that one look at it would literally turn men to stone. Throughout many Greek myths, it reappeared. Horned Serpents were major components of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex of North American prehistory. Snakes have been associated with Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic and the lower world.[20]. The story of Perseuss defeat of the Gorgon is one of the most legendary in Greek mythology. It is believed that Nagaraja left his earthly life and took Samadhi but still resides in a chamber of the temple. These were Medusas sisters, who were dangerous monsters in their own right. In turning men to stone, however, Medusas anger reflected the rage women felt about these experiences. The tradition of the three Gorgon sisters appears to not be the only one in Greek mythology. Saint George killing a maiden-devouring serpent or Saint Columba lecturing the Loch Ness Monster which then stopped eating humans and became shy of human visitors. Unfortunately, as was often the case in the ancient world, the victim bore the brunt of the punishment. So Minerva advised Perseus to only look at Medusa's reflection. In ancient Aztec mythology, Quetzalcoatl was the son of the fertility earth goddess, Cihuacoatl, and cloud serpent and hunting god, Maxicoat. The story makes more sense as an allegory: Snakes were a symbol of paganism, and Patrick was given credit for driving the pagans out and bringing Christianity to the Emerald Isle. Because of this, it has become a widely-recognized icon. By the time of Ovid, she was one of the worlds great beauties. The loops and curves of a snakes body have always been a favorite subject in art for this reason, and the figure of Medusa provided many of them for the artist to show off their skill. Odin and the runes of power. [11][12][13], In the Sumerian culture snakes were also very important as a healing symbol. From the eddic poem The Sayings of the High One ( Hvaml ), he is said to have hanged himself in a sacrificial ritual on a tree. Perseus then travels to the Graiae (the three Gray sisters who share only one eye), and he steals their eye until they . [9][10] The Dogon believe that Lebe is the very reincarnation of the Dogon's first ancestorwho was resurrected in the form of a snake. Unlike Medusa, Sthenno and Euryale could not be killed. The classical symbol of the Ouroboros depicts a snake in the act of eating its own tail. "In a hymn to the goddess Mertseger, a workman on the Necropolis of Thebes relates how the goddess came to him in the form of a snake to heal his illness (Bunn1967:617). Three-part deities are a common theme in ancient mythology, particularly in Indo-European tradition. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The ouroboros, the ancient symbol of eternity that was famously depicted on King Tuts tomb in the 14th century B.C., is a serpent devouring its own tail. Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. In addition to the serpents on their heads, they had tusks like boars, lolling tongues, and bulging eyes. Jormungand, one of three children of the shape-shifting god Loki and the giantess Angrboda, was thrown into the sea by Odin, father of the powerful thunder god Thor. In Chinese mythology, the woman-headed snake Nwa made the first humans. Although Homer and Hesiod lived at roughly the same time, they were from different parts of the Greek world. A great degree of respect is afforded to snakes in Serer culture, as they are the very embodiment and symbol of their saints and ancestral spirits. Norse Mythology Thesis Odin, Thor, Freya, Loki, Frigg Do these names ring a bell to you? Though the earliest depictions of Quetzalcoatl show him clearly as a snake with a plume of feathers, later cultures represented him in human form. Seeking a way to get her grown son out of the way, sent Perseus on a seemingly impossible quest. [1] Although not entirely a snake, the plumed serpent, Quetzalcoatl, in Mesoamerican culture, particularly Mayan and Aztec, held a multitude of roles as a deity. Hesiod claimed that the head mentioned in Homers works was that of only one Gorgon, Medusa. Exceptions to this were the Fijian creator-god Ndengei, the dozen creator-gods of the Solomon Islands (each with different responsibilities), the Aztec Mother Goddess Coatlicue, and the Voodoo snake-spirits Damballa, Simbi and Petro. During the multi-day ritual, which is aimed at encouraging rainfall and fertility for the land, male dancers from the Snake Clan put live snakesranging from small garter snakes to rattlesnakesin their mouths and around their necks. The Biblical story of the fall of man tells of how Adam and Eve were deceived into disobeying God by a snake (identified as Satan by both Paul and John in II Corinthians and Revelation, respectively). Outstanding Greek Mythology Essay Topics. Some say he honored the agreement and left the watchful Graeae in peace. Perseus used the same stealth he had practiced with the Graeae to sneak close. Fighting the Ethiopian king Phineus, Perseus used the head against his enemies. In Greek mythology, Medusa (Ancient Greek: ), meaning "guardian", "protectress" was a Gorgon, a chthonic female monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. He, in turn, gave the jar to Sterope to protect her city from invasion. The good guy sometimes doesnt win and innocent people are sometimes harmed. These were the creations of Hesiods stories and the legend of Perseus. "Norse mythology hints at Odinic cults, with Odin being worshipped through a combination of ecstatic and seemingly shamanistic rituals. The three gray-skinned sisters of the Gorgons were born with only one eye which they shared between them. Medusas head, the gorgoneion, appeared constantly in Greek art. Medusa did nothing wrong. [5][6][7][8] Like their Serer counterparts, the Dogon people of Mali also have great reverence for the serpent. [22] The horned viper (Cerastes cerastes) appears in Kassite and Neo-Assyrian kudurrus[22] and is invoked in Assyrian texts as a magical protective entity. A detailed view of Aztec art depicting the god Tez-Calipoca and Quetzalcoatl (right) devouring a human being. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Nymphs who fled the gods were cursed or turned into trees and flowers. Even this was not the end of the story for Medusas head, however. He did the same to many citizens who supported his would-be stepfather, creating the rocky terrain of the island of Seriphos. Outside a specifically Greek context the monsters are now seen as a universal type. As in modern . As a virgin goddess, the act was particularly loathsome. Looking only at the monsters reflection in the shining metal of the shield, he could creep forward without danger. The Chariot Hall or Royal Funerary Chariot Hall at the Wat Xieng Thong in the UNESCO world heritage town of Luang Prabang in Central Laos contains King Sisavang Vong's gilded, carved wooden funeral carriage, decorated with large Naga snakes at the front. Men handling poisonous rattlesnakes, one even holding a snake between his teeth, for the snake dance of the Native American Hopi tribe. It was said that anyone who looked directly at her was immediately turned to stone. The power of Medusas head was so potent that it could petrify even the largest and strongest of the Titans. Although Perseus is sent to kill her, her sisters cannot die so he instead has to avoid them. Keep reading to learn more about the three Gorgon sisters! Her features softened. The story of Medusa is such a famous Greek myth told in today's world, both to kids and adults alike. If you're a viking lover or you have studied Norse. Jormungand, the Viking sea serpent. The Yeti in Himalayan Mythology. Nor were the sisters ever described as fully as Medusa. According to various sources, Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal, so she was able to be beheaded by the Greek hero, Perseus. She made humans one at a time with clay. The cloak of invisibility that belonged to Hades allowed him to escape the lair of the Gorgon sisters without being seen after he killed Medusa. In ancient Slavic paganism a deity by the name of Veles presided over the underworld. Apollo and Artemis. The Horned Serpent appears in the mythologies of many Native Americans. The creatures would remain common in North Africa forever after. Athena used it to terrify her enemies and even a crude representation of it could strike fear into evil spirits and malicious beings. On his journeys, he came across the Titan Atlas holding the world on his back and used the head to turn him to stone. After Bai falls in love with and marries a mortal man, Xu Xian, a Buddhist monk, Fahai, reveals her true identity to her husband. The Cap Of Invisibility is mentioned in Greek mythology. While her sisters Stheno and Euryale were immortals Medusa was a mortal being. As shown in the images there are images of the sky serpent with its tail in its mouth, it is believed to be a reverence to the sun, for which Quetzalcoatl was also closely linked. When Perseus laid the head on a bed of seaweed, its magic caused the plants to harden. "In mythology, the Medusa can petrify people with a look, which is a good thing, I think. [22] It seems to have originally been the attendant of the Underworld god Ninazu,[22] but later became the attendant to the Hurrian storm-god Tishpak, as well as, later, Ninazu's son Ningishzida, the Babylonian national god Marduk, the scribal god Nabu, and the Assyrian national god Ashur.[22]. So let's check out some classic monsters from world mythology and see how accurately they're portrayed in D&D! The god of the sea, like many of his peers, had frequent affairs with mortal women and minor goddesses. But in other cultures, as far-flung as ancient Greece and Egypt and indigenous North America, snakes symbolize fertility, rebirth, renewal and even immortality. the secrets of herself). Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images. She was beheaded by the hero Perseus, using the sword Harpe, who thereafter used her head as a weapon until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield (the Aegis . In Hammurabis Law Code (c. 1700 BC) the god Ninazu is identified as the patron of healing, and his son, Ningishzida, is depicted with a serpent and staff symbol (Bunn 1967:618), Snakes were a common feature of many creation myths, for example many people in California and Australia had myths about the Rainbow Snake, which was either Mother Earth herself giving birth to all animals or a water-god whose writhing created rivers, creeks and oceans. Medusas spirit stayed and faced him down. Bellerophon knew that the task would be much easier if he could attack the Chimera from the air and the hero . 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. He cut off Medusa's head and gave it to Minerva. name was later used for the great serpents Poseidon, Medusa within her temple infuriated the goddess, Medusa as a former beauty afflicted by a terrible curse, characters in stories with direct links to Greek mythology. Medusa was not the only Gorgon, however. While the Norse goddesses might be minor players in the Norse sagas, it is clear that they were an integral part of . Some versions of the story claim that Medusas sisters underwent the same change from beautiful to horrible, reconciling the disparity of showing only Medusa herself in that way. The story of Medusa and the power of facing your fears. From a monster to a passive victim, Medusa evolved into an example of the femme fatale archetype. Athena also gave Heracles a bronze snake cut from Medusas head in a jar. You say my hair is like the serpent locks of Medusa, that . The Gorgons were the three sisters named Stheno (meaning Strength), Medusa (meaning Queen) and Euryale (meaning Wide-leaping), and were the children of Phorcys, son of Gaia. Athena later helped the hero Perseus slay Medusa, giving him a shiny bronze shield that he used to watch the Gorgons reflection rather than looking directly at her. Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. Snakes were regularly regarded as guardians of the Underworld or messengers between the Upper and Lower worlds, because they lived in cracks and holes in the ground. The first was a strong bag in which to hold his trophy, the head of the Gorgon. Rape was often a feature of Greek mythology, as much as the stories hide it in terms of seduction and marriage. In the broadest terms myths are traditional stories about gods, kings, and heroes. When the feminist movement reexamined the legend, they came to a much different interpretation of Medusa than the Greeks subscribed to. Lost in the telling are Medusas tragic origins and the unbelievable fate of her famous head. The Hesperides, a sisterhood of nymphs, were guardians of a wondrous garden at the edge of the world. In northern Europe and West Asia, snakes were associated with healing whilst in parts of South Asia, snakes are regarded as possessing aphrodisiac qualities. In one version of the creation story, he and another god, Tezcatlipoca, transformed themselves into snakes and ripped a giant sea monster named Cipactli in half; one part of her became the earth, the other the sky. The Gorgons were sent far from the civilized world to make their lair in a dark cavern. The simplest and most direct way to approach mythology is to look at its subject matter. At the start of Ragnarok, the final battle that would end in the earths destruction, Jormungand left the sea and rolled across the land wreaking havoc. He locked up Danae in a bronze chamber. Additionally, the famous snakes on her head gave the artists a chance to display their skills with shape and texture. [23] Details vary among tribes, with many of the stories associating the mystical figure with water, rain, lightning and thunder. In some accounts she is Odin's wife, making her foremost among the Aesir goddesses. The Hopi people of North America viewed snakes as symbols of healing, transformation, and fertility. For thousands of years, members of the Hopi Native American tribe of northern Arizona have performed the ritual known as the Snake Dance. A woman. Some stories say that there was one more unnamed Gorgon who was older than the others. This ancient Chinese myth tells the story of a powerful female white snake demon who lives underwater but takes human form as Madame White, or Bai Suzhen. Friday is named for her. In fact, some writers did not seem to agree that there were three Gorgons at all. There are also stories about Balder, Freyr and Heimdall.But just like the world of men, the realm of the gods was populated by both men and women. Medusa. The truth was somewhere between those and is still continually reinterpreted. The Odyssey - loyalty & vengeance. She had many suitors and was especially known for her beautiful long hair. From the Aztec god of wind, rain and creation to the semi-divine human-snake creatures that guarded the Buddha, here are nine snakes or serpents that have emerged, through history or myth, to play important roles in the cultures they represent. Medusa has survived in art as a popular motif in tattoo culture. It had the power to make its wearer invisible. Delighted, she made another figure, and another and another, and each came to life in the same way. He waved his staff, driving all Irelands snakes into the sea. After creating Medusa herself, the goddess seemed especially eager to aid the hero in the monsters destruction. In this region, females are more numbered as the worshippers of Nagas, which most closely resemble religious ritual.[27]. snakes symbolized the umbilical cord, joining all humans to Mother Earth. 12. Hesiod said they flicked their tongues, much like snakes. She is famed for her snake-like hair and her gaze, which turns those who look at her to stone.
Las Vegas To California Border Checkpoint,
Teacher Is To Student As Coach Is To Analogy,
Ww2 Brass Shell Casings For Sale,
Articles M
