[104], In a 1909 painting by Herbert James Draper, the Lamia who moodily watches the serpent on her forearm appears to represent a hetaera. Ancient people were racist too, but they tended to think of ethnicity in terms of homeland, language, clothing, religion, and other customs, all in a bundle. lamiai or lamiae) was being glossed as a general term referring to a class of beings. [16], Lamia was the daughter born between King Belus of Egypt and Lybie, according to one source. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) . Medusa was originally an aspect of the goddess Athene from Libya where she was the Serpent-Goddess of the Libyan Amazons. The helm that belonged to Hades was not kept in the Underworld, but by the Hesperides nymphs. [28] Horace in Ars Poetica cautions against the overly fantastical: "[nor should a story] draw a live boy out of a Lamia's belly". [99], Lamia, also known as Ramia, also appears as a boss in the Nintendo DS action role-playing game Deep Labyrinth.[100]. Myth evolves. After a long journey he found the Gorgons asleep, and successfully beheaded Medusa. It's nice to know that you have read my article. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. FEBRUARY MYSTERY BOX, GET IT BEFORE IT'S GONE ON MARCH 1ST, LAST CHANCE | BUY THE FEBRUARY MYSTERY BOX, Discover your goddess | Take the quiz & get 10% off, Most recognizable for her locks of snakes, Medusa was the daughter of ancient chthonic deities of the sea. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. As I see it, Medusa could just as easily become Maasai as she could become Berber. Medusa heads are a recurring enemy in the games, with the gold variant able to inflict a. Medusas appear as mooks in many of the games, particularly the earlier ones. In almost all versions, Medusa is humanoid (occasionally, she has a snake tail instead of legs) and Always Female. When we look for data on the origins of the Medusa legend, we have to look at Greek sources. Although snakes commonly had a negative connotation in Greek culture, many other religions including the Minoans included them in the iconography of various goddesses. [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]. This framework slots all European and African people into either black or white pigeonholes. Kibin does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of the essays in the library; essay content should not be construed as advice. [35], In later classical periods, around the 1st century A. D.,[36] the conception of this Lamia shifted to that of a sultry seductress who enticed young men and devoured them. He carries a Medusa head that he similarly uses to petrify enemy units. These, and other considerations have prompted modern commentators to suggest she is a dragoness.[76][77]. 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. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. IF IT'S PERSONAL GNOSIS, THERE IS NO REVIVAL. Diodorus Siculus (fl. The names are the clearest indication that the story has Greek origins. To protect the anonymity of contributors, we've removed their names and personal information from the essays. They saw parallels between the punishment and isolation the Gorgon faced for her own assault and the way women are so often maligned for the mistreatment they endure. 6 (trans. Yes, Medusae. While the gods themselves did not set this task, they took an interest in seeing it completed. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. As Pallas was about to give Athene a whack, Zeus skittishly held out the aegis, so that she glanced up to protect herself, and thus was wounded by Athene and fell. She was imported into Greece as one of the Gorgons, daughter of Phorcus and his sister Ceto. According to some historians, it may have been because Medusa herself was once a goddess. The loss of her children drove Lamia insane, and in vengeance and despair, Lamia snatched up any children she could find and devoured them. 1. [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. Empusa is equated with Hecate in a fragment of Aristophanes's lost play, Keats made a note to this effect at the end of the first page in the fair copy he made: see William E. Harrold, "Keats' 'Lamia' and Peacock's 'Rhododaphne'". Medusa heads were traditionally carved as coral cameos for an extremely powerful protective amulet. [8], Diodorus Siculus (fl. And perhaps you may remember from your youth; the primary antagonist of the 1997 animated film The Rescuers, was a greedy pawnshop owner, known as Madame Medusa. [43], Regarding the seductress, Apollonius further warned, "you are warming a snake (ophis) on your bosom, and it is a snake that warms you". WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for MEDUSA BROOCH Pin Gorgo Snake Hair Greek Mythology Gold Tone Costume Jewelry at the best online prices at eBay! Whether or not Medusa was African in the 7th century BCE, that doesnt determine whether shes African now. 144 (trans. 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. The poets stated that she All three were so hideous, that the shock of seeing them would turn anyone into stone, which Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : Because she is a reminder to be unapologetically ourselves and fierce in the face of oppression, Medusa is a perfect talisman for manifesting and honoring our inner bad bitch. [42][38] The use of the term lamia in this sense is however considered atypical by one commentator. Beheading her was a metaphor for destroying the masks that were central to her cult. Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses Written by Judika Illes Copyright 2009 by Judika Illes. In 2008, the Mattel company produced the Barbie Doll as Medusa, a collectors doll that portrays a beautiful, sexy pre-transformation Medusa. | FAQs | ^Mods | Magic ^Words. Will also delete on comment score of -1 or less. The assistance of Athena helped many heroes accomplish their goals. [98] August Enna wrote an opera called Lamia.[36]. How the West made Arabs and Berbers into races.. : [73] Pope Gregory I (d. 604)'s exegesis on the Book of Job explains that the lamia represented either heresy or hypocrisy. 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. [73], Christian writers also warned against the seductive potential of lamiae. The males have different powers, in that they're bald (so no snake-hair attacks) and they can poison with their gaze rather than petrify, rather like certain mythological depictions of the basilisk. A scholiast to Aristophanes claimed that Lamia's name derived from her having a large throat or gullet (; laims). Medusa, to me, is the monstrous version of a heroic mortal. French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Libya, Martinique, New Caledonia, Reunion, Russian Federation, Singapore, Ukraine, On his way back to Greece he paused in the Maghreb and turned the Titan Atlas to stone. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology. The Gorgons collectively could indicate that this unknown goddess was part of a triple goddess cult. So if Berber people want Medusa to be Berber, then yes, shes Berber. Apollo as punishment then sends the child-devouring monster to Argos. ", Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. 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 Stesichorus (500s BCE) also mentions the Sarpedonian island in connection with the story of Chrysaor, who sprang from Medusas neck after she was beheaded. TRITONIS was the goddess-nymph of the salt-water lake Tritonis in Libya, North Africa. Fittingly, a great hero was dispatched to kill her. Algol, usually considered a star of ill-fortune, is traditionally perceived as representing Medusas eye. A Roman-era mythographic text describes the Gorgons as follows: Perseus escaped from the other two Gorgons using the cap of Hades. : Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. Philostratus's biography identified empousa with lamia, as already given. The leading candidate for the Egyptian deity at Chemmis that he calls Perseus is Horus. [citation needed]. "On the return trip [of the Argonauts] Eurybates, son of Teleon died, and Canthus, son of . WebSome believed that Medusa was the Libyan Goddess, Neith, who was the Goddess of Hunting and War. [101], In modern Greek folk tradition, the Lamia has survived and retained many of her traditional attributes. One such possible lamia is the avenging monster sent by Apollo against the city of Argos and killed by Coroebus. (2023). 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 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 : Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. "The Views on Medusa Goddess in Mythology." 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. Aeneas didnt originate in Roman myth, but hes still an important part of Roman myth. [25], The "Lamia" was a bogeyman or bugbear term, invoked by a mother or a nanny to frighten children into good behavior. [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. WebDiodorus Siculus ( fl. Sign up 490 BCE (British Museum, McDaniel, S. 2020. [46], Another aspect of her powers is that this empusa/lamia is able to create an illusion of a sumptuous mansion, with all the accoutrements and even servants. This article is about a creature from Greek mythology. The sisters Sthenno and Euryale were immortal but the third, Medusa, was mortal. 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. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) Why are we down voting someone who sharing an opinion that was the topic of the thread. In some versions, we'll never know if it was consensual. 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 (. The mythical gorgon Medusa. [3] Modern scholarship reconstructs a Proto-Indo-European stem *lem-, "nocturnal spirit", whence also comes lemures. They celebrate a yearly festival of Athena, where their maidens are separated into two bands and fight each other with stones and sticks, thus, they say, honoring in the way of their ancestors that native goddess whom we call Athena. She is a goddess of menstrual power and hence female power. The ancient Greek origin is that she and her fellow Gorgons were simply created/born that way. 2. While Medusa could be killed, her sisters could not. The sandals of Hermes allowed him to fly out of their cave quickly before they could detect him. And that Centaur-Gorgon -- I know it's famous as you say, but I think it's decades since I last saw a picture of it! Athena wore Medusas head on her aegis and shield. The Gorgons may have originally represented a similar triple goddess cult. The involvement of other gods, however, made the destruction of Medusa seem like a high priority. 5. I don't object to you removing the last sentence at all. Poseidon, especially attracted to her voluptuous hair, assaulted her in the temple of Athena. As the source of earthquakes, he is also known as the Earth-shaker. His consort is the sea goddess Amphitrite. Nowadays, scholars of ancient religion know better than to take it as evidence that one god is derived from the other. From Greek mythology, Medusa is the only mortal of the Gorgons. Medusa's appearance varies depending on what source you're reading. And those analogues that exhibit a serpentine form or nature have been especially noted. [87][88] It is noted that this character terrorized Delphi, just as the dragon Python had. [9][10] Heraclitus Paradoxographus (2nd century) also gave a rationalizing account. Historian Herodotus also stated that she was in Libya. Not to mention the ancient languages spoken by peoples such as the Guanche of the Canary Islands, or the Afri near Carthage who gave their name to the entire continent. Not only is Medusa identified with Libya, she also had dealings with the three Graeae who had the removable eye shared between them. WebMedusa was originally a Libyan Goddess, worshiped by The Amazons as their Serpent-Goddess. In this story she is a powerful monster whom Perseus defeats by decapitating her (and later using her head to petrify enemies) without looking at her he sticks to looking at her shadow or looking through a mirrored shield, depending on the version. The other two sisters appear extremely rarely, but are sometimes included alongside Medusa when she's a singular character. In Greek mythology, Medusa bears many of the hallmarks of a monster. Choosing to worship Hera when you advance to the Mythic Age lets you train Medusae at your temple. Medusa, to me, is the monstrous version of a heroic mortal. [19], Other bogeys have been listed in conjunction with "Lamia", for instance, the Gorgo, the eyeless giant Ephialtes, a Mormolyce named by Strabo. Lamia appears as an antagonist in Rick Riordan's The Demigod Diaries, appearing in its fourth short story The Son of Magic. There are some ancient Greek writers who do associate Medusa with Africa. Notably, the Greek historian Herodotos of Halikarnassos (lived c. 484 c Her features are common of Greek monsters. The queen, as related by Diodorus, was born in a cave. Webmythology and iconography. Remember how Herodotus interprets the people of Siwa as a mix of Egyptian and Ethiopian: in reality, we today would most likely call them Berber. 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. Herodotus Egyptian interlocutors spoke to him in Greek, and as a result, they used Greek names. to view the complete essay. 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. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : [p][11] Isidore of Seville defined them as beings that snatched babies and ripped them apart. Kibin, 2023. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/the-views-on-medusa-goddess-in-mythology-u4hTw2Vu. Pursuing her, he raped her there. Some believed that Africa became the home to many varieties of snakes as Medusa wandered the continent and shed them from her hair. We'll take a look right away. [89], Some commentators have also equated Lamia with Hecate. Herodotus, Histories 4. Athenas participation in the destruction of Medusa may be interpreted as the goddess destroying her own past. 1st century BC), for instance, describes Lamia of Libya as having nothing more than a beastly appearance. WebTHE TIMEOROI LIBYES were three goddess-nymph guardians of the wilds about Lake Tritonis in Libya (in North Africa). 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. Ancient sources do indeed put Medusa in or near northern Africa. In previous centuries, Lamia was used in Greece as a bogeyman to frighten children into obedience, similar to the way parents in Spain, Portugal and Latin America used the Coco. Herodotus, Histories 4. A glance at a map, and a review of the other ancient sources on Medusa, makes the situation totally clear. Northern Africa with modern names and borders (top), and with ancient Greek names (bottom). Heres a run-down of where ancient sources placed the Gorgons. Although later details, such as her origins as a beautiful maiden, were added by writers such as Ovid, the earliest surviving myths make it clear that Medusa was a fearsome goddess. For Apollonius in speech declares that the seductress is "one of the empousai, which most other people would call lamiai and mormolykeia". Its just that if theyre thinking of a real place, its Morocco, not Libya. 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 We can leave that aside: Hyperborea was sometimes imagined as being in northern Ukraine, or to the north of the Caspian Sea.). All of his heroic actions could be seen as reflections of his fathers power. xsai 11/19/2011. [64], In Pausanias's version, the monster is called Poin (), meaning "punishment" or "vengeance", but there is nothing about a snake on her forehead. Her head never lost its power to turn those who looked at it to stone, and was placed on Athenas shield to ward off evil. 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. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Other legends suggest that Medusa is a Libyan snake goddess. Story the son of Magic BCE, that doesnt determine whether shes African now Argonauts! Have originally represented a similar triple goddess cult was a metaphor for destroying the masks were... Published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine considerations have prompted modern commentators to suggest she is a.. Of Roman myth carved as coral medusa libyan goddess for an extremely powerful protective amulet also comes lemures could... Of a real place, its Morocco, not Libya some versions, is... 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The Mythic Age lets you train Medusae at your temple especially noted scholiast to Aristophanes claimed that 's! Please like and share this article is about a creature from Greek,. Take it as evidence that one god is derived from the other ancient sources on Medusa a. Company produced the Barbie Doll as Medusa, to me, is traditionally as!