Medusa in Libya Medusa is a powerful symbol today, as powerful as ever whether you imagine her as the monstrous demon of early Greek art, the beautiful 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. Perseus used it as a weapon before surrendering it to Athena. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-views-on-medusa-goddess-in-mythology-u4hTw2Vu, ("The Views on Medusa Goddess in Mythology. In some versions, we'll never know if it was consensual. Berber itself isnt a grouping by skin colour, it originated as a linguistic grouping. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) Hes entirely wrong about Greek gods names, for example: we know now that theyre mostly Indo-European. This preview is partially blurred. Whether or not Medusa was African in the 7th century BCE, that doesnt determine whether shes African now. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Like other myths, such as that of the Minotaur, the story of Medusa and the Gorgons could be based in pre-Mycenaean Greek history. 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). Yes, she was. As with most historical truths, particularly regarding people of color, that story was been scrubbed from (most) written records. The 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. 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). In almost all versions, Medusa is humanoid (occasionally, she has a snake tail instead of legs) and Always Female. [28] Horace in Ars Poetica cautions against the overly fantastical: "[nor should a story] draw a live boy out of a Lamia's belly". Its just that if theyre thinking of a real place, its Morocco, not Libya. I cant read Tamazight or Arabic, so Im not ideally placed to say what the prevailing mood is. Now, I cant speak from a position of authority on this, but in my limited experience, Berbers arent keen on this pigeonholing. The TImeoroi were perhaps Naiad-nymphs of the fresh-water springs of the region. Hamilton, H.C.; Falconer, W. Besides having serpents for hair, the Gorgons were described as having tusks, brazen claws, wings and strongly acidic blood; in a few very early depictions they are shown as quadrupeds, possibly because Pegasus was born out of Medusa's blood when she was beheaded by Perseus. [1.1] ATHENE (by Poseidon) (Herodotus 4.180, Pausanias 1.14.6) One development stage of jellyfish is named after Medusa, and jellyfishes are called Medusa in several languages. Its entirely up to Berber people to decide whether Medusa is African today. The example essays in Kibin's library were written by real students for real classes. What hooks you? Here, Lamia is the common vulgar term and empousa the proper term. [63] According to a scholiast to Ovid, it had a serpent's body carrying a human face. Medusa is not just a minor sea spirit. This, of course, indicates that, in the time period when the myth of Medusa is first attested, her having snakes for hair was not seen as integral to her character. Thats why Ovid, for example, has Perseus flying eastward over Libya to reach the Mediterranean. [19], Other bogeys have been listed in conjunction with "Lamia", for instance, the Gorgo, the eyeless giant Ephialtes, a Mormolyce named by Strabo. Webmythology and iconography. : One of mythologys most terrible monsters may have originally been a goddess. 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. For Apollonius in speech declares that the seductress is "one of the empousai, which most other people would call lamiai and mormolykeia". The loss of her children drove Lamia insane, and in vengeance and despair, Lamia snatched up any children she could find and devoured them. The 1982 novel Lamia by Tristan Travis sees the mythological monster relocated to 1970s Chicago, where she takes bloody vengeance on sex offenders while the cops try to figure out the mystery. 144 (trans. A slightly different version of this origin is that they were. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) . In Ancient Greece, the Gorgoneion (Greek: ) was a special apotropaic amulet showing the Gorgon head, used most famously by the Olympian deities Athena and Zeus: both are said to have worn the gorgoneion as a protective pendant. No books written in ancient Berber languages have survived to the present day (though we do have a bit over a thousand inscriptions). These, and other considerations have prompted modern commentators to suggest she is a dragoness.[76][77]. Like many monsters, the Gorgons lived in a cave at the far edge of the world. Although, in the most well known myth written by the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa was born extremely beautiful and human-like. After [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. noteAll bets are off, though, if she is of the Gorgeous Gorgon resp. Modern euphemisms for menstruation including calling it a womans friend or the curse, but an evocative, old-fashioned one describes a menstruating woman as bitten by the snake. An Ionian Greek city could change its ethnicity by changing its dialect and clothing styles. [14][27], Numerous sources attest to the Lamia being a "child-devourer", one of them being Horace. If you don't object I'll delete it from the article and just preserve it here in this comment. She also resembles Polyphe the Okeanis mother of Athena by Poseidon, and the goddess Amphitrite. In Greek: " , ", Cupid refers to Psyche's sisters as Lamiae, Apul. Approximately 10% of the females are "greater medusae", who have super-toxic blood and. [18][26] Such practices are recorded by the 1st century Diodorus,[9] and other sources in antiquity. Aristotle says there is a shark called "lamia". The oldest story known to feature Medusa is the adventures of Perseus. Because they were immortal, Perseus had to flee from them instead of fight. [1.2] ATHENE, PALLAS (by Triton) (reconstructed from Apollodorus 3.144) It is later revealed that Modest is a special Medusa who will fortunately not turn into a hydra. In the movie, Lamia is described as "the most feared of all Demons" and having the head and hooves of a goat. It alludes to Plutarch's use of the term in De curiositate, where the Greek writer suggests that the term Lamia is emblematic of meddlesome busybodies in society. Ancient Greek names are normally built out of meaningful Greek words. Note the snakeskin wrapped around her arm and waist. Well, in an important sense it doesnt matter. Medusa was one of the most iconic monsters of Greek mythology, but could her story also be one of a goddess? It is referred to as Poine or Ker[60] in classical sources, but later in the Medieval period, one source does call it a lamia (First Vatican Mythographer, c. 9th to 11th century).[61][62]. [32][33][34], "Lamia" has as synonyms "Mormo" and "Gello" according to the Scholia to Theocritus. The story of her beheading is an allegory for how an ancient cult was destroyed by the ancestors of the Greeks. We'll take a look right away. except it's just Tamagotchi School's nurse Mrs. Houtaiko rather than Medusatchi, A deleted subplot would have had Athena and Apollo conspiring to help Perseus behind the other gods' backs; presumably having Athena be the one who cursed her would have put her in. [16], Lamia was the daughter born between King Belus of Egypt and Lybie, according to one source. 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. Translating names in this way is called interpretatio graeca. Maidens who die of their wounds are called false virgins. It completely passed me by.On reflection you have a point about Maasai Medusa. For more information on choosing credible sources for your paper, check out this blog post. In the anime Monster Musume, the character Miia is a lamia. The lamiai (Greek: ) also became a type of phantom, synonymous with the empusai who seduced young men to satisfy their sexual appetite and fed on their flesh afterward. She wears snake jewellery and a chiffon fishtail skirt. Godley) (Greek historian C5th B.C.) I have no doubt that a spirit could appear adopting the name and visage of Medusa, I just think it is good to be cognizant that worship of Medusa is thoroughly modern and did not occur in the past. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Combining both of the classical Medusa origin stories, this Medusa is the youngest of the three Gorgon sisters who desecrated the resident Athena. Their birth is a reminder that the transformative power of destruction often leads to new creation. Pursuing her, he raped her there. He is the older brother of Zeus, and the younger brother of Hades, and is one of the Twelve Olympians. [73], Christian writers also warned against the seductive potential of lamiae. She was one of three sisters, all known as creatures named Gorgons. 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. ", Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. The best explanation of Medusa is, that she was initially a volcano myth. In support of that theory: - She turns people to stone, much like getting Myths and stories with background for Medusa were added later. Algol, usually considered a star of ill-fortune, is traditionally perceived as representing Medusas eye. The intercourse of men and women there is promiscuous; they do not cohabit but have intercourse like cattle. 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. 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. As I said at the start, its entirely a matter of what people want. "So I'm a plaything of the gods, one of the broads caught in their game, ain't that a shame. Essay Examples Editing Paper Grader Thesis What makes you cringe? When citing an essay from our library, you can use "Kibin" as the author. It's founded on a distortion, but as you say, myths are malleable. Choosing to worship Hera when you advance to the Mythic Age lets you train Medusae at your temple. Later depictions (although still fairly ancient ones, in the absolute sense) gradually toned down the more monstrous aspects and made her more attractive. There are traditions built around Avalon and Arthurian literature. [96], From around the mid-15th century into the 16th century, the lamia came to be regarded exclusively as witches. WebMedusa is not just a minor sea spirit. The one part about Reddit I love is the mix of opinions. 5. Lamia has been ascribed serpentine qualities, which some commentators believe can be firmly traced to mythology from antiquity; they have found analogues in ancient texts that could be designated as lamiai (or lamiae) which are part-serpent beings. [45][h] The empousa admits in the end to fattening up her victim (Menippus of Lycia) to be consumed, as she was in the habit of targeting young men for food "because their blood was fresh and pure". [citation needed]. We can leave that aside: Hyperborea was sometimes imagined as being in northern Ukraine, or to the north of the Caspian Sea.). Medusas face was said to be so horrifying to look at that it could turn men to stone. This is given in the concluding paragraph of the chapter. In ancient Greece and modern times throughout the world, Medusas portrait is recreated on shields, temples, coins, pottery, and pendants as a symbol of protection to ward off evil.. 490 BCE (British Museum, McDaniel, S. 2020. 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. Northern Africa with modern names and borders (top), and with ancient Greek names (bottom). [87][88] It is noted that this character terrorized Delphi, just as the dragon Python had. But once Apollonius reveals her false identity at the wedding, the illusion fails her and vanishes. 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, Because of her cruel acts, her physical appearance changed to become ugly and monstrous. [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. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. They are not strictly speaking "witches", but they are referred to as such by convention. Instead of a monster, Medusa could represent a goddess from a non-Greek religion. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Moon (many, including Orpheus disciples, have seen Medusas face in the moon). She is a goddess of menstrual power and hence female power. 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. Medusa, to me, is the monstrous version of a heroic mortal. For the descriptions and nature of the Lamia, Keats drew from Burton's The Anatomy of Melancholy. [102] John Cuthbert Lawson remarks "the chief characteristics of the Lamiae, apart from their thirst for blood, are their uncleanliness, their gluttony, and their stupidity". 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. Thank you for the reference in the "further reading" section!You probably didn't notice this, but I actually address nearly the exact same claims that you address here about Medusa having supposedly originally been an African goddess with dreadlocks in an answer I wrote over a year ago on Quoraon the exact same day that I posted the article on my blog that you've linked here, as it happens.In the answer, though, I don't go into anywhere near as much depth as you've gone into here. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : [58], Some commentators, despite the absence of actual blood-sucking, find these witches to share "vampiric" qualities of the lamiae (lamiai) in Philostratus's narrative, thus offering it up for comparison.[59]. Libya is a very misunderstood name. 6 (trans. She is not a goddess, however her frightening visage was often used as a symbol of Athena's apotropaic abilities. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair The technical term for the image of Medusas severed head is gorgoneion. [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. Raised by Wolves features a character named Lamia, an android mother, who has removable eyes and the ability to shapeshift. Medusa, the most beautiful and only mortal Gorgon sister, is a sea spirit. 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. 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. In the story of the birth of the Libyan Athena, Triton--a Libyan sea Heres the earliest source, composed around 700 BCE: Most of our geographical information comes from ancient stories about Perseus. The most popular is that of a hideous monster; in fact, the petrification originally was caused by Medusa's ugliness itself, before other myths retconned it into being a power based in her eyes. He identifies the Greek Perseus with an Egyptian cult in the city of Chemmis, and writes as if all of Libya and Egypt are in the same direction from Greece: Herodotus always calls Egyptian divinities by Greek names, when he can. 1493 ff (trans. 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