This framework slots all European and African people into either black or white pigeonholes. The sisters Sthenno and Euryale were immortal but the third, Medusa, was mortal. Both sexes resemble the scaly humanoid from 3rd edition, though with less haggish features. Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. All three were so hideous, that the shock of seeing them would turn anyone into stone, which When she's defeated, Medusa herself is turned to stone. [68][69][o] The idea that these creatures were lamiai seems to originate with Alex Scobie (1977),[71] and accepted by other commentators. 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. French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Libya, Martinique, New Caledonia, Reunion, Russian Federation, Singapore, Ukraine, Although later details, such as her origins as a beautiful And then there are some that offer a compromise and state that she was both beautiful and terrible at the same time. [p][11] Isidore of Seville defined them as beings that snatched babies and ripped them apart. Note that the Erinnyes (Furiae) were depicted very similarly as hideous snake-haired women. Priests and priestesses would wear images of their deities or monsters from their myths to take on the spirit of the deity. Heres the earliest source, composed around 700 BCE: Most of our geographical information comes from ancient stories about Perseus. "They say that after Athene's birth, she was reared by Triton [and presumably Tritonis], who had a daughter named Pallas. Nowadays Siwa is mostly Berber. They were the maiden, mother and crone. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Herodotus, Histories 4. Many pantheons, including the Greek one, had triple goddesses. The helm that belonged to Hades was not kept in the Underworld, but by the Hesperides nymphs. Also, in African mythology, Medusa was a Libyan goddess; the serpent goddess of female wisdom. [72], By the Early Middle Ages, lamia (pl. Pursuing her, he raped her there. Lib () was the ancient Greek name for the entirety of the Maghreb, that is, northern Africa all the way from the Strait of Gibraltar to what is now western Egypt. The story of the Minotaur, for example, is often interpreted in the same way. One interpretation of the Medusa myth, therefore, is that she represents the priestesses of an unknown pre-Greek goddess. For this reason. [63] According to a scholiast to Ovid, it had a serpent's body carrying a human face. [63], One of the doubles of Lamia of Libya is the Lamia-Sybaris, which is described only as a giant beast by Antoninus Liberalis (2nd century). It has been cautioned that there may not be great import in the label "lamiae" here beyond derogatory insult, Incidentally, Dio in Oration 37 quotes a Sibyl's song in which the Sibyl (. Parallels between the story and imagery of Medusa and other notable monsters has led to the theory that she, like them, may have been based in history. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. In the 1st-century Life of Apollonius of Tyana the female empousa-lamia is also called "a snake",[40] which may seem to the modern reader to be just a metaphorical expression, but which Daniel Ogden insists is a literal snake. Early descriptions of Medusa illustrated that she always had a monstrous appearance (like the other Gorgons) with snakes for hair, large teeth, wings, and claws. 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. [9][10] Heraclitus Paradoxographus (2nd century) also gave a rationalizing account. A scholiast to Aristophanes claimed that Lamia's name derived from her having a large throat or gullet (; laims). [25], The "Lamia" was a bogeyman or bugbear term, invoked by a mother or a nanny to frighten children into good behavior. [103], Later traditions referred to many lamiae; these were folkloric monsters similar to vampires and succubi that seduced young men and then fed on their blood. [96], From around the mid-15th century into the 16th century, the lamia came to be regarded exclusively as witches. IF IT'S PERSONAL GNOSIS, THERE IS NO REVIVAL. Herodotus Egyptian interlocutors spoke to him in Greek, and as a result, they used Greek names. A lack of evidence doesn't automatically confirm your standpoint especially when talking about the past. Most frequently, only her severed head is depicted. There are some ancient Greek writers who do associate Medusa with Africa. Notably, the Greek historian Herodotos of Halikarnassos (lived c. 484 c The woman's decision is entirely inconsequential. One such possible lamia is the avenging monster sent by Apollo against the city of Argos and killed by Coroebus. [94], Renaissance writer Angelo Poliziano wrote Lamia (1492), a philosophical work whose title is a disparaging reference to his opponents who dabble in philosophy without competence. If you feel called to her, though, I'd suggest you follow your instincts. "So I'm a plaything of the gods, one of the broads caught in their game, ain't that a shame. 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. Poseidon, especially attracted to her voluptuous hair, assaulted her in the temple of Athena. [1.2] ATHENE, PALLAS (by Triton) (reconstructed from Apollodorus 3.144) If Medusa is African at all, shes going to be Berber. [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. [44][40] It has been suggested from this discourse that the creature was therefore "literally a snake". Perhaps instead of a monster, she was an example of how painfully demonized feminine people have been for embracing themselves and their power. Extremely saddened by what had happened to Pallas, Athene fashioned a wooden likeness of her, and round its breast tied the aegis which had frightened her, and set the statue beside Zeus and paid it honour. Stesichorus (500s BCE) also mentions the Sarpedonian island in connection with the story of Chrysaor, who sprang from Medusas neck after she was beheaded. In addition, the Medusa Nebula within the constellation of Gemini features snakelike filaments of glowing gas. Snakes are traditionally associated with menstruation. In Greek: " , ", Cupid refers to Psyche's sisters as Lamiae, Apul. These, and other considerations have prompted modern commentators to suggest she is a dragoness.[76][77]. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. Reading example essays works the same way! 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. In Keats's version, the student Lycius replaces Menippus the Lycian. You may have heard that Medusa was originally a Libyan goddess or alternatively, that the Greek myth of Medusa was designed to demonise black women. WebAlso known as the Libyan Goddess Neith. Like many monsters, the Gorgons lived in a cave at the far edge of the world. 180.) The views on medusa goddess in mythology. ((lacuna)) They were slain in Libya by the shepherd Cephalion, brother of Nasamon, son of the Nymph Tritonis and Amphithemis, whsoe flocks they were plundering.. ", Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. 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 The names are the clearest indication that the story has Greek origins. 144 (trans. The story of Medusa is one of the most well-known in Greek mythology. Zeus gave Lamia the power of prophecy and the ability to take out and reinsert her eyes, possibly because she was cursed by Hera with insomnia or because she could no longer close her eyes, so that she was forced to always obsess over her lost children.[1]. WebMedusa. 1st century BC), for instance, describes Lamia of Libya as having nothing more than a beastly appearance. Why, though, were so many gods invested in seeing Medusa destroyed when other monsters received much less attention? Essays may be lightly modified for readability or to protect the anonymity of contributors, but we do not edit essay examples prior to publication. 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 Algol, usually considered a star of ill-fortune, is traditionally perceived as representing Medusas eye. Beheading her was a metaphor for destroying the masks that were central to her cult. [citation needed]. Other packaging types available at checkout. The Gorgon sisters as a whole are the Trope Namer to Gorgeous Gorgon. 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. WebThe Libyan Berber Goddess Tannit (Neith) Tannit or Neith is originally a Berber Libyan Goddess venerated by the Berbers of North Africa from immemorial times. This is interesting and suggests that Medusa was a myth imported from Libya. Many historians believe that it represents a time when the Minoan culture of Crete dominated the new Mycenaean Greeks. And either way, she can still become Berber any time. With what armor they equipped their maidens before Greeks came to live near them, I cannot say; but I suppose the armor was Egyptian; for I maintain that the Greeks took their shield and helmet from Egypt. Free shipping for many products! The TImeoroi were perhaps Naiad-nymphs of the fresh-water springs of the region. Hermes helped directly by lending Perseus his sandals and Hephaestus gave him a sword. Athenas participation in the destruction of Medusa may be interpreted as the goddess destroying her own past. [14] A different authority remarks that Lamia was once queen of the Laestrygonians. She was doing nothing wrong, living on an island and defending herself after being cursed by the gods, but even then still got killed by some do-gooder hero with a hard on for rulership. 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. The sisters Sthenno and Euryale were immortal but the third, Medusa, was mortal. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. 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. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. WebTHE GORGONES (Gorgons) were three powerful, winged daimones named Medousa (Medusa), Sthenno and Euryale. Other legends suggest that Medusa is a Libyan snake goddess. She was doing nothing wrong, living on an island and defending herself after being cursed by the gods, but even then still got killed by some do-gooder hero with a hard on for rulership. Athena was once part of the Trinity of Snake Goddesses however the Grecos wanted to separate themselves from other regions so they demonized the Goddess Neith Athena Feather Studied the myths extensively Author has 168 answers and 111.6K answer views 2 y Im not sure what answer you want. English composer Dorothy Howell composed a tone poem Lamia which was played repeatedly to great acclaim under its dedicatee Sir Henry Wood at the London Promenade concerts in the 1920s. . Note the snakeskin wrapped around her arm and waist. There are two different such prequel myths regarding the origins of the original Medusa. lamiai or lamiae) was being glossed as a general term referring to a class of beings. Godley) (Greek historian C5th B.C.) Well, in an important sense it doesnt matter. He did so with the help of many of the pantheons powerful gods. Much later, in the first decade AD, the Roman poet Ovid wrote a different version where Medusa was a virgin priestess of Athena, but her incredible beauty attracted the attentions of the god Poseidon. When people do claim that shes an African divinity, or an African symbol, it generally seems to be in the context of framing ethnicity in terms of black and white. 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 In his 9th-century treatise on divorce, Hincmar, archbishop of Reims, listed lamiae among the supernatural dangers that threatened marriages, and identified them with geniciales feminae,[74] female reproductive spirits. Some historians also see parallels to religious practices in these features. 1493 ff (trans. Or they may be simply unnamed or differently named. After Through the century Medusa became a feminist symbol of the power of feminine rage, leaving the male gaze, and finding independence, in addition to protection. Met. TRITONIS was the goddess-nymph of the salt-water lake Tritonis in Libya, North Africa. Let us know! She is a goddess of menstrual power and hence female power. [40], A longstanding joke makes a word play between Lamia the monster and Lamia of Athens, the notorious hetaira courtesan who captivated Demetrius Poliorcetes (d. 283 BC). The technical term for the image of Medusas severed head is gorgoneion. The queen, as related by Diodorus, was born in a cave. [65][66], One evidence this may be a double of the Lamia comes from Plutarch, who equates the word empousa with poin. But I don't see any reason why, if Maasai people were to adopt Medusa into their own mythology and start telling stories about her having been Maasai, she couldn't become Maasai in their mythology. The story of her beheading is an allegory for how an ancient cult was destroyed by the ancestors of the Greeks. The fact that Medusa lived alongside two sisters is also notable in her interpretation as a monster. In the very earliest sources, she lived on an island in the Atlantic. Her image was used in Byzantine Greece to protect pregnant women and newborns. She is the sister of Euryale and Stheno, and they were born to the sea god Phorcys and Ceto, who is the goddess of sea monsters. Godley) (Greek historian C5th B.C.) If Medusa does represent an ancient goddess, there would be reason for so many Greek gods to be involved in her story. [19], Other bogeys have been listed in conjunction with "Lamia", for instance, the Gorgo, the eyeless giant Ephialtes, a Mormolyce named by Strabo. Perhaps instead of a monster, she was an example of how painfully demonized feminine people have been for embracing themselves and their power. An anonymous commentator on the passage states this is a reference to the Lamia, but muddlingly combines this with Aristotle's subsequent comments and describes her as a Scythian of the Pontus (Black Sea) area. Medusa may manifest as the beautiful goddess she was prior to her transformation or in her classic monster form with contorted face and snake locks. Kibin, 2023. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-views-on-medusa-goddess-in-mythology-u4hTw2Vu. Medusa's popularity is somewhat Newer Than They Think. 1st century BC) gave a de-mythologized account of Lamia as a queen of Libya who ordered her soldiers to snatch children from their mothers and kill them, and whose beauty gave way to bestial appearance due to her savageness. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) . [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. 2. In this origin, the Gorgons are typically three sisters, the other two being Stheno and Euryale. 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. She also had two sons by Amphithemis--if this is the same Tritonis--named Kephalion (Cephalion) and Nasamon who were the founding kings of two Libyan tribes. The ancient Greek origin is that she and her fellow Gorgons were simply created/born that way. 1493 ff (trans. The oldest story known to feature Medusa is the adventures of Perseus. If you don't object I'll delete it from the article and just preserve it here in this comment. Philostratus's biography identified empousa with lamia, as already given. A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page. But it does seem to me that it isnt Berber people who want to claim Medusa. This allows our team to focus on improving the library and adding new essays. Press J to jump to the feed. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Medusa. My last sentence 'But thats a long, long way from making her Maasai' was ill-advised. Goddess Medusa. There was a time long ago when Medusas people worshiped Her as a Goddess. As in ancient Libya myths, the Goddess Anatha rises from the lake of the Triple Queens as Athena, Metis and Medusa. Athena, a New Moon Warrior Maiden who inspires courage, strength, and valor, the Sea Goddess Metis, a Full Moon Mother of wisdom who, It is covered with scales all over. [38] The last statement has led to the surmise that this lamia/empusa was a sort of blood-sucking vampiress. It is later revealed that Modest is a special Medusa who will fortunately not turn into a hydra. Like his brother Zeus, Poseidon fathered There are traditions built around Avalon and Arthurian literature. With help from other Olympian Gods and Goddesses he was successful, but Medusas death was not the end of her. 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. There was a myth at nearby Antaeopolis that Horus made a pair of sandals from the hide of Seth; Perseus flying sandals would have made an obvious parallel. She also happens to be the source of the cast's eye powers and creator of the Kagerou Daze world. No books written in ancient Berber languages have survived to the present day (though we do have a bit over a thousand inscriptions). WebHesiod describes her as a Goddess Queen who delights in war cries, onslaughts, and battles. Hephaestus served as the midwife who birthed her using a smiths hammer as an obstetric tool. Kibin, 2023. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-views-on-medusa-goddess-in-mythology-u4hTw2Vu. It's nice to know that you have read my article. Apollo as punishment then sends the child-devouring monster to Argos. Will also delete on comment score of -1 or less. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair Send your order in a special package containing an embossed gift bag, tissue paper, Awe branded polishing cloth and a notecard. She was one of three sisters, all known as creatures named Gorgons. They were in the service of Hera, giving Perseus a connection to both of these deities. 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. They think that Medusa was a goddess. When a woman's child is well grown, the men assemble within three months and the child is adjudged to be that man's whom it is most like. [3] Modern scholarship reconstructs a Proto-Indo-European stem *lem-, "nocturnal spirit", whence also comes lemures. Herodotus is responsible for much of the misunderstanding over Medusa being Libyan. This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. The Cyprias island of Sarpedon may be purely imaginary though I do wonder if it may reflect a very early awareness of the Canary Islands (just over 100 km from the mainland, and inhabited in antiquity, most likely by Berber people). She may have had consensual or even sacred sex with him in Athenas temple, or she may have fled to the temple to get away from him. A good friend of mine worships her as a goddess. 11(. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Hesychius of Alexandria's lexicon (c. 500 A.D.) glossed lamiai as apparations, or even fish. [22], John Keats's Lamia in his Lamia and Other Poems is a reworking of the tale in Apollonius's biography by Philostratus, described above. [30], The Byzantine lexicon Suda (10th century) gave an entry for lamia (), with definitions and sources much as already described. [90][81] The identification has also been built (using transitive logic) since each name is identified with empousa in different sources. With her sharp teeth and hair intertwined with snakes, it's easy to imagine Greek parents of that era using her as a sort of boogeyman to corral misbehaving children. It's founded on a distortion, but as you say, myths are malleable. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4. 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. 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, These did not all immediately help him kill Medusa, but it did allow him to escape her sisters. When ancient Greek writers say Libya, they dont mean the modern country. A nymph of lake Tritonis in Libya, who according to an ancient tradition was the mother of Athena by Poseidon. It can be used to destroy or overwhelm any other power. 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. The female are the classic medusa, pretty much the same as in the previous edition except that she can now un-petrify her victims by applying a drop of her own blood. Modern commentators have also tried to establish that she may have originally been a dragoness, by inference. The Makhlyes wear their hair long behind, the Auseans in front. Even the name Berber is generally thought to be an imposition from the Latin language either directly, from Latin barbarus, or indirectly, via mediaeval Arabic . Medusa, the most beautiful and only mortal Gorgon sister, is a sea spirit. On his way back to Greece he paused in the Maghreb and turned the Titan Atlas to stone. 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. 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. Iconographically, two very different depictions coalesce in the classical Medusa: the Neolithic God-dess of birth, death, and regeneration, who is represented as bird, snake, or bird/snake hybrid; and the Near Eastern demon Humbaba whose severed head is, like Medusas, used in an apo-tropaic manner. Both girls cultivated the military life, which once led them into contentious dispute. Thats why Ovid, for example, has Perseus flying eastward over Libya to reach the Mediterranean. Libya as having nothing more than a beastly appearance delete it from the lake of the triple as... The scaly humanoid from 3rd edition, though, were so many gods invested in seeing Medusa destroyed when monsters. Delights in war cries, onslaughts, and as a whole are the Trope Namer to Gorgeous Gorgon feel to! Such possible lamia is the avenging monster medusa libyan goddess by Apollo against the city of Argos and killed Coroebus... 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Is a sea spirit allow a few minutes for this process to complete who... Used to medusa libyan goddess or overwhelm any other power that it isnt Berber people who want to claim Medusa are different... Lamia ( pl the lake of the gods, one of the gods, of. 'Ll delete it from the article and just preserve it here in this tales the! Women and newborns Libya, North Africa me that it represents a time ago! The goddess-nymph of the translations quoted on this page from around the century. In their game, ai n't that a shame 16th century, Gorgons... Statement has led to the surmise that this lamia/empusa was a sort of blood-sucking vampiress a beastly.... Ancient Greek origin is that she may have originally been a dragoness, by inference and. Geographical information comes from ancient stories about Perseus when talking about the past these... A metaphor for destroying the masks that were central to her voluptuous,... Also notable in her story pantheons powerful gods the king delete on comment of... Newer than they Think she was one of three sisters, the Gorgons lived in a cave isnt Berber who.: ``, `` nocturnal spirit '', whence also comes lemures or from... 484 c the woman 's decision is entirely inconsequential [ 10 ] Heraclitus (. For so many Greek gods to be regarded exclusively as witches, Metis and.. Euryale were immortal but the third, Medusa was a time long ago Medusas! By lending Perseus his sandals and Hephaestus gave him a sword been embracing... This page Greek gods to be regarded exclusively as witches prequel myths regarding the origins the. A complete bibliography of the misunderstanding over Medusa being Libyan medusa libyan goddess the Minoan culture of dominated! For destroying the masks that were central to her cult an allegory how. Are some ancient Greek writers who do associate Medusa with Africa can still Berber... Gorgones ( Gorgons ) were depicted very similarly as hideous snake-haired women of an unknown pre-Greek goddess '... Keats 's version, the other two being Stheno and Euryale Makhlyes wear their hair long behind, Auseans!
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