Her face looked like a monster, and venomous snakes made up her hair. Ironic how a woman seen as a monster to men is used as a symbol of protection for the same people who wrote about her story. 9 Spiritual Meanings, 11 Ankh Spiritual Meanings: Egyptian Cross Symbol, Triangle Spiritual Meaning: 11 Symbolisms (Its Good or Bad? It is said that medusa was known for her innate wisdom, and many earlier scientists drew their great intellects and discoveries from her. She is an advocate of the exaltation of femininity. As weve mentioned, the myth of Medusa can be interpreted in various ways, but I think perhaps the most fascinating analysis is done through a feminist perspective because it unveils just how swift we are to circumvent female rage. Phoenix Tattoos. Luciano Garbati's sculpture "Medusa With the Head of Perseus" was unveiled Tuesday in Lower Manhattan. It was really interesting and I hadnt heard that she was a triple goddess before, so Im glad I was able to learn something new. After all, we are in a post #MeToo moment, when we can clearly recognize Medusas myth as a rape narrative one in which the victim is blamed and cast out by her community for crimes perpetrated against her. It also tells you to be confident in your physical looks. Athena holds her head and Hades her soul. On funerary urns or armor, she was a talisman of protection, those eyes symbolically warding off evil. The evil eye bracelet is great for protecting people from evil stares. Become a subscriber and support the site! Medusa, the most famous of the Gorgon sisters, represented an array of things to the Greeks. Therefore, seeing a medusa sign might speak about protection. is derived from a conviction that women lack a penis. In fact, the name Medusa is derived from the Greek verb that means "to guard" or "to protect." And at the end of the story, Athena takes Medusa's severed head and uses it as her own protection in future battle (a symbol for these dual aspects of a woman becoming integrated.) According to The Met Museum, Medusa is portrayed in most Greek art as an "apotropaic symbol used to protect and ward off the negative," representing a "dangerous threat meant to deter other. Cixous emphasizes the importance of the female voice, of womens story, she urges women to urgently learn to speak; because after all a woman without a body, dumb, blind, cant possibly be a good fighter. Herein, we see Medusas head, cut from her body, being held up by Perseus, she is reduced to being the servant of the militant male, his shadow. In what insidious ways are women made to be in a mans shadow? Although design houses like Versace (and some might say even comedian Kathy Griffin) have tried to reclaim the myth of Medusa for women, it has largely not been effective. Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. She was cold, calculated, and terrifying. I know you wrote this comment nearly a year ago, but Im actually writing a paper on this (which got me into Hellenism, but thats a whole other thing). [5] Protection [ edit] Other shades of history claimed that Poseidon raped her because he could not resist her beauty. Nowadays Medusas can be seen as a symbol of revenge against the male gaze. She keeps evil far away from her. How Long Will Joe Goldbergs Rampage Be Left Unchecked? People with great academic achievements are believed to be possessed with medusa. The moving image artist will discuss her investigative practice and the implications of digital image proliferation, taking place via livestream and in Philadelphia. Medusa in Jewelry. As Elizabeth Johnston claims in her 2016 Atlantic essay, Medusa may be the original Nasty Woman. In 2020, it might be easy to chastise the women in the 90s who called Medusa the most horrific woman, but perhaps we would be better suited to remind ourselves just how recently things have begun to change. You only need to maintain a positive approach towards life and have a little faith. Throughout the essay she encourages women to come closer in relation to her sexuality, to her womanly being, giving her access to her native strength. She goes on to say that in doing so she will get back her goods, her pleasure, her organs, her immense bodily territories. Cixous continues on, saying that for too long women's bodies have been occupied and deemed guilty guilty of everything, guilty at every turn: for having desire, for not having any; for being frigid, for being too hot; for not being both at once, perhaps even from being both woman and angry. As an ancient protection symbol, the Medusa in this way also symbolizes aspects of the mother goddess, especially as a child of Gaia, the creator. She is telling you that you will never have to suffer what she endured. Many people have heard about Medusa and her tragic tale but not much is known about the Gorgon herself. Her petrifying gaze turns men into stone but only towards those who look at her hideous appearance. The story of Medusa shifted over time along with her visage. If women venture to claim control over their heads, then they become a threat to the phallic, male-dominated structure. The word means "protect, rule over" with Medusa meaning "guardian" or "protectress." Perseverance Some will get tattoos of Medusa's severed head, or Perseus holding it, as a representation of perseverance. However, the Greek evil eye talisman is believed to specifically protect against a malevolent glare - the "evil eye" - given to an unsuspecting person. Passionate about spirituality, numerology and spiritual accounts. She is an advocate of the exaltation of femininity. He then employs her head and its stony glare as a weapon, a tool he subsequently gives to the goddess Athena who wore it on her armor. In other words, symbolic decapitation, is a symptom of the real dangers that women face in a culture that is anxious about the powers of masculinity. Cixous demonstrates these points by claiming Freud himself is reductive and neglects to address the female experience in the Medusa myth, thereby erasing her experience, or, symbolically decapitating her as well. Oftentimes, this message comes with the message of wisdom and spiritual understanding because they are intertwined. Pastimes include playing with words, using my passport, and eating croissants. If the sexualization of the female head causes subjectivity of the woman, then I argue that Freuds analysis (i.e. Furthermore, she is a goddess that helps young ladies to overcome a lack of confidence. Use this symbol to keep you safe on your travels as did ancient sailors who would paint it on the sides of their boats. All of this points to one thing, which is Intellectual power. Venus had many lovers both mortal and immortal. It appears on numerous objects of applied art, such as earrings, cameo rings, and medallion necklaces, etc. In addition to this, seeing the image of medusa speaks of the intellectual ability of an artist to draw her perfectly. She is the symbol of what female power looks like in the face of threatened male authority. Men are trash even in ancient greece, we been knew. Renee Gladmans drawings convey that idea in a more visceral, less cerebral way. In Medusas story, the Gorgon was born a beautiful mortal among her hideous immortal siblings which people saw as a blessing for her. Without the support of the gods, he would have been petrified like every other warrior. Although other greek mythology claimed that she was a priestess and one of the 3 monstrous gorgons, which are known as 3 winged females. . As a result, she symbolizes both death and rebirth. While she may be known for her monstrosity, her beauty remains just as dangerous. Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. Furthermore, she advocates for the respect of the feminine gender. "Pegasus, poetry, was born of Medusa when her head was cut off." - Joseph Campbell. When it comes to relationships, medusa is a lesson to learn. It means that we all can stay relevant even if all odds are against us. I do remember exactly, but as far as I remember, it was explained as she was born mortal, then died, and gave birth through this (the rebirth portion). severed head, capable of transfixion even in death, is carted away to help him defeat the villain of his story. What does this mean? Medusa was a monster in Greek mythology but she represented some real-world problems for the Greeks and the rest of the world. The labrys also appears in African religious symbolism and mythology (see Shango). In ancient history, females pray to her for confidence and strength especially in a world where men treat females as weak and helpless. The man was caught carrying Juanita in a food delivery backpack. As Elizabeth Johnston says in her 2016 piece The Original Nasty Woman on Medusa: In Western culture, strong women have historically been imagined as threats requiring male conquest and control, and Medusa herself has long been the go-to figure for those seeking to demonize female authority.. The Classical period of Greek art from 480 to 323 BCE further associated beauty with danger when Medusa, the sirens, sphinxes, and Scylla all got a little hotter, losing some scales and wings as their bodies were more and more humanized. Love this, I decided half an hour before seeing this post to get or make one myself, as an apotropaic symbol. Can you now see the reason for her plight? 1. After Perseus removed Medusa's head, some stories claim that he gifted it to Athena. That the only reason that Medusa is the way that she is is because of a curse that was placed on her. For this Athena punished her hideously. More by Allison Meier. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Anyone that believes in her will enjoy this protection continually. To ensure that you are protected from evil, try wearing medusa as a pendant or amulet. Even after the curse was initiated, medusa still carries that energy for wisdom and deep understanding. To make this obvious, add a medusa pendant to your necklace. She and Mars are Cupid's parents. Cixous disagrees with this analysis. The Greeks believed most snakes to be poisonous as well which represents the end of a life cycle. If men have Medusa in their dreams, according to Freud and Ferencai, it is the terrifying mother syndrome with a castration Medusa's beautyand, in particular, her femininityremains as dangerous as her original monstrosity. You should be fine if you worry about attracting her attention. 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. In Greek mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three monstrous sisters comprised of Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale. Angered by this, Athena placed a curse on her by turning her hair into snakes and making her gaze dangerous. It bears worth mentioning that Im very new to Hellenism, so Im a little confused as to how this all works. Texas Zero Property Tax Bill Has Extreme, Discriminatory Catches, Eurovision 2023 Tickets Announced on Ticketmaster, Celebrating Womens History With Qiu Jin, Chinese Revolutionary, The Penguin Tells a Batverse Scarface Story. Crypto Originally born in Weirton West Virginia she spent most of her life in Pittsburgh PA. Business, Economics, and Finance. Which Hand to Wear Evil Eye Bracelet & Ring for Good Luck? Princess (she/her-bisexual) is a Brooklyn born Megan Fox truther, who loves Sailor Moon, mythology, and diversity within sci-fi/fantasy. 11 Spiritual Meanings, Medusa Spiritual Meaning: 11 Spiritual Messages, 10) Everything is turning out to your good.