Therefore, seeing a medusa sign might speak about protection. In addition to this, the medusa can help people regain their spiritual fervor and sensitivity. This should be a lesson to learn. Listed below are the top 11 most important Symbols of Female Strength: Table of Contents [ show] 1. One of the most popular monsters of Greek Mythology is Medusa. This is why it is a sign of creativity to dream of yourself drawing medusas head. In the Artemis temple of Corfu, Medusa is depicted in archaic form as a symbol of fertility with a belt of intertwined snakes on her body. This seems odd as she was originally a very beautiful mortal. The rebooted TV series Charmed just did an episode touching on this, and it was really powerful because of all the work done to reclaim the character by pop culture. The tragedy of Medusa reflected how ancient Greece viewed women and their attitude towards them. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In addition to this, seeing the image of medusa speaks of the intellectual ability of an artist to draw her perfectly. Whether you see her as a monster or more of that, the fact is that Medusa slithering her way into being more than meets the eye. Some stories say that there was one more unnamed Gorgon who was older than the others. Thereby, to castrate a man is to severe his most vital organ; and to decapitate a woman is to take her most vital source of power. This experimental and multidisciplinary solo exhibition in New York City exploring the sweetness of doing nothing closes on March 12. It means that we all can stay relevant even if all odds are against us. Two solo photography exhibitions at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, expose the obscured, silenced, and unacknowledged histories of the slave trade. A 450440 BCE red figure pelike container is among the earliest depictions of Medusa as an innocent maiden, with Perseus creeping up on the sleeping Gorgon. The myth of Medusa lies at the nexus of conversations about symbolism, feminity, rage, and the ways women are symbols of generativity, desire, and power. She vowed to be celibate her entire life as a priestess of Athena until she fell in love with Poseidon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgoneion. She represented the sexuality of men and the ancient Greeks views towards women. Medusa was the only one of the three who could ever be killed. While there have been myths about Medusa in the past, the most famous myth is her being the monster that Persuses had killed. Answered, One Piece Won a Different Award at the 2023 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Than I Expected, and Im Delighted, Randall Parks Upcoming Film is Everything Ive Ever Wanted. Medusa slept with Poseidon in Athena's temple knowing the consequences, but did it anyways therefore Athena was right about punishing her. Medusa embodies menstruation's protective powers. Different regions and cultures . (The Etruscans especially used to put her symbol on homes and temples to ward off evil spirits.) I aim to share everything I know about history on this blog, hope you enjoy reading too! Snakes shed their skin regularly, which symbolizes the death of their previous self and grow into their new skins during their rebirth. And rightly so. I remember finding out one day that the name Medusa means protectress, and it makes me wish that someone had been able to protect her. As Karoglou points out, the majority of hybrids (half-human, half-animal monsters like sirens or Gorgons) in ancient Greece were female. The Gorgon was also a representation of protection and had symbols. She represents a dangerous threat meant to deter other dangerous threats, an image of evil to repel evil. Medusa is a female character that is present in Greek mythology. She is currently studying CLEG and her pronouns are she/her/hers. The story of Medusa is such a famous Greek myth told in today's world, both to kids and adults alike. From the blood that . Founded in 2009, Hyperallergic is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. If it's something you want, I don't see a problem with it. As she became more and more attractive, Medusa's allure became a symbol of her power in the world, a might that was often distinctly feminine. She is a woman who represents a conflicting view of femininity, one that is seemingly alluring but with a threatening or sinister underside. The femme fatale archetype has found permanence in our storytelling, and confirms to us that: to be both beautiful and fearsome to be a woman who has bodily autonomy and anger is not at all normative and that those women must be cast aside or have power taken from them. Doniger claims that beheading equals the release or termination of sexuality, male or female. Doniger submits that through the sexualization of the female head, (i.e. Medusas story showed us the representation of women in ancient Greek society and how people viewed them. Despite her origin story being one of purity and renowned beauty, Medusa has come to connote only malevolence and her role as a gorgon, or mythical monster. The snake-like strands of hair also represent the cunning ability of snakes, which gives additional wisdom. From Freuds telling, the entire story takes place through the perspective of the man in the story, reducing Medusa to something sub-human. Athena grows jealous, as many men flock to her, only to glance at Medusa instead. Dangerous Beauty boldly mingles objects from across centuries in the compact exhibition. It is said that everyone has a masculine and feminine self. When it comes to medusa, we have several mixed stories; however, both stories affirm the fact that medusa was very beautiful. The Greeks believed most snakes to be poisonous as well which represents the end of a life cycle. Her luscious hair was her most defining feature and she wasnt shy of flaunting herself to others either. Medusas snakes were said to represent the cycle of life, rebirth, and death. Many warriors are sent to kill her, including Perseus. Bronze greave (shin guard) for the left leg with Medusa head (Greek, 4th century BCE), bronze, width: 4 7/8 inches; length: 15 3/4inches (courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan P. Rosen, 1991). According to Freud, it is for this reason that Perseus must decapitate her. She is transformed from a seeing subject to merely seen object, a demeaned and faceless body. In Greek mythology, she is one of the Gorgon sisters (derived from the Greek gorgs for dreadful), and Perseus uses a reflective bronze shield to defeat her. Medusa represents feminine power. Modern women and pagans realize just how powerful Medusa's story is and what it means to women, trans women, the downtrodden and oppressed today. What does the Medusa symbolize? To understand the impact of medusa, the following spiritual messages are important. On funerary urns or armor, she was a talisman of protection, those eyes symbolically warding off evil. Therefore, seeing medusa might be telling you to embrace your inner beauty. Therefore, this secret behind medusa is the reason for many movies that portrayed her as a head full of snakes. Terracotta two-handled funnel vase with Medusa head (Greek, South Italian, Apulian, Canosan, Early Hellenistic, late 4thearly 3rd century BCE), terracotta, height: 30 3/4 inches; diameter: 17 5/16 inches (courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1906). Her representationthe Medusa Tattoohas long served as a symbol of protection from evil. On view in NYC. Princess (she/her-bisexual) is a Brooklyn born Megan Fox truther, who loves Sailor Moon, mythology, and diversity within sci-fi/fantasy. "Pegasus, poetry, was born of Medusa when her head was cut off." - Joseph Campbell. Historically, the figure of Medusa has been used to ward off evil. Press J to jump to the feed. It speaks about the ability to handle complex situations, and deal with hard tasks. Ultimately Freud and Ferencais conclusions are that women have anxieties because they do not have penises. Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art, in a 2017 essay on Medusa in Ancient Greek Art, which you can also hear on the Mets site, From Ancient Egypt to Teotihuacn, Centuries-Old Palettes Illuminate the Role of the Painter, Tucked Away in LA For Decades, 2,000-Year-Old Roman Mosaic Returns to Italy, Manhattan DA to Seize Looted Hindu Artifact From Met Museum, Roe v. Wade Case Documents Fetch Over $600K at Auction, At the Outsider Art Fair, Passion Trumps Prestige, The Photography Show Presented by AIPAD Arrives in New York. Medusa represents feminine power. In fact, her name means Queen, and her sisters have similar positive names, whereas Perseus means to destroy and if that doesnt mean something, I dont know what does. We dont have proof of this, but it was said that medusa was one of the 5 goddesses that advocated for feminine equality. In ancient history, females pray to her for confidence and strength especially in a world where men treat females as weak and helpless. Medusa is the only one who is mortal and that is why the hero Perseus is sent to slay her. Whenever you see a medusa sign, it is believed to have a close alliance with ancient wisdom and philosophy. The symbol offers protection from harm caused by the evil eye. Fortunately, the times have changed and people have started to realize the flaw in their reasoning. She was likened to the modern evil eye and people believed that they needed an image of evil to ward off other evils that could affect them. She was cold, calculated, and terrifying. Now Medusa is now seen as a feminist icon as her ability to turn men into stone can be seen as a way to empower womxn; as Poet Percy Shelley writes about the snaked hair womxns powers as both being full of grace and terror. The man was caught carrying Juanita in a food delivery backpack. 7 Spiritual Meanings of Slugs in the House: Is it Good Luck? Horse, dolphin, the Cretan bull. This began with the greeks and later flowed down to every other culture. Even into the 19th century, as the romanticization continued, her eyes did not close. 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. Oftentimes, this message comes with the message of wisdom and spiritual understanding because they are intertwined. She keeps evil far away from her. She wants you to deliberately watch the things you say. He poses the idea that to decapitate = to castrate. Through this framework, Freud posits that the female head is akin to her genitalia keeping in mind that Medusa did in fact give birth to her child from her severed neck. During the late 20th century, feminists began to reassess the myth of Medusa. Therefore, if you notice a dwindle in your spiritual consciousness, seek help from medusa. The story of Medusa continues to provoke renewed perspectives on its symbolism including through the lens of feminism and psychoanalysis. She is an advocate of the exaltation of femininity. . For example, a sun and moon tattoo, which you can view as a coming together of opposites and a representation of two opposing forces. In the original tale, Poseidon . Save. They represent female power Medusa tattoos are a great way to express your feminine power and independence. Venus was a Roman goddess who symbolized sex, fertility, love, beauty, desire, and prosperity. Medusa's visage has since been adopted by many women as a symbol of female rage; one of the first publications to express this idea was a feminist journal called Women: . If humans werent so tempting then maybe most of the male gods wouldnt be serial rapists. It was this sort of power dangerous, beautiful, and connected to women that both ancients and more modern people felt needed curtailing, oftentimes at the end of a sword. The symbol appeared on ships and pharaohs entombed in the pyramids wore an Eye of Horus amulet around their neck. The phallocentric understanding of Medusa that attempts to claim her as an erotic object denies her of her full power of speech, thought, and importance. Answer (1 of 6): The functional identity of human vital functions with the functions of the primitive organial forms of movement reaches much more behind and beyond the jellyfish known as Medousa [1] [2] These two photographs clearly show that the ancient Greek mythologists probably knew ana. To ensure that you are protected from evil, try wearing medusa as a pendant or amulet. Dot-work Medusa tattoos might symbolize the connection to the religious part of Athena's story. It also speaks of the power to generate new ideas for accomplishing a given task. From her severed neck, her child Pegasus is born. She may also be accessed as a living goddess by those seeking menstrual, serpentine mysteries. To this moment, her beautiful face remains even with the snake on her head. Lotus Flower (Asia) Red lotus flower. American Traditional Medusa Tattoos The incomplete essay becomes far more phallocentric as it continues explaining how the sight of female genitalia instills fear of castration, how Medusas snake-like hair is (of course) a phallic symbol, and finally that Medusas ability to cause onlookers to become stiff, is a representation of an erection and therefore a confirmation of their manhood and of still having a penis it is in essence, their final confirmation of manhood. Sculptors and painters would use the Medusa head as an apotropaic symbol to ward. Additionally, the snakes in her hair can symbolize wisdom, healing, and . Including floral details in the tattoo gives it a softer, more feminine finish. 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.) Thankfully, we have collectively realized that the person who deserves to have his head cut off is Neptune, and hopefully one day that revenge fiction will be brought to the big screen. The name Medusa means 'sovereign female wisdom,' 'guardian / protrectress,' 'the one who knows' or 'the one who rules.' It derives from the same Indo-European root as the Sanskrit Medha and the Greek Metis, meaning 'wisdom' and 'intelligence.' (1) Metis, 'the clever one', is Athena's mother. Medusa's name derives from an ancient Greek verb that means "to protect and guard," which may be a nod to Athena's attempt to guard and protect Medusa from further abuse at the hands of Poseidon and other men. As a result, she symbolizes both death and rebirth. You can either pray to her or keep her image with you. Just like any other figure in Greek mythology, Medusa had her own symbols that represented things in the culture of Greece. Though there is much to say about the tragedy of Medusa's story, she became a formidable foe. Horus was the son of the goddess Isis. Medusa can be a symbol of female strength and safety for women. The 11 spiritual messages of the medusa goddess can help you understand more about your life and the virtues you carry. Freud considered that as a result, she became the unapproachable woman who repels all sexual desire by carrying (symbolically) the genitals of the mother. Beauty, like monstrosity, enthralls, and female beauty in particular was perceived and, to a certain extent, is still perceived to be both enchanting and dangerous, or even fatal.. This is why she has been made into many ceramics, golden, bronze, and silver sculptures unlike other goddesses. She is the symbol of what female power looks like in the face of threatened male authority. It also tells you to be confident in your physical looks. Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art continues through January 6, 2019 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan). Small Medusa Tattoo . Early accounts placed the Gorgons in a faraway place on the edge of night.