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In short the myth was:
, Medusa was originally a ravishingly beautiful maiden, "the jealous aspiration of many suitors," but because Poseidon had raped her in Athena's temple, the enraged Athena transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone.[6] In Ovid's telling, Perseus describes Medusa's punishment by Minerva (Athena) as just and well earned.
Unfortunately you are comparing ancient greek culture and society to our modern day society. You need to realize that yes it was a patriarchal society and yes they could not vote but women in status had power and could persuade others to their whim. Generally it would be men then the women but they also had lower classes and slaves. Often the slaves were lower than high class women. You also need to consider that greek mythology is often reflecting of real people who were alive at the time and given mythical powers overtime. It is actually accepted that Medusa was a beautiful woman who was able to woo and control men's sexual desires. Poseidon representing the man who did whatever he wanted but Athena the high class woman who was jealous of Medusa who was able to get the guy she wanted. So to get back at her cursed Medusa so that no man can ever want her. The story is mostly about a woman who tries to control another woman. That is of course if you base society at the time to Ancient Athens. In Sparta men and women were equally in status and women had rights just as men. So depending on the complexity of the city state societies and how ancient greek mythology evolved over time you can not surmise that all women were hated by men in Ancient Greece. Further research is needed to understand the facts of the complex society.
I often illustrate the point that the backstory about how Medusa became a monster because her beauty drove men mad to do things because they couldn’t control themselves shows Greco - Roman society was really the worst society you could have picked to spread Judeo - Christian beliefs across the world because of the inherent misogyny that was inherited from the Hellenic world. The ancient Greeks had a term for it: Kalon kaqon (“a beautiful evil”). But, it wasn’t all dark, you had female poets like Sappho, and the play, Lysistrata in which women agreed to withhold sex to stop all sides in a war from fighting.
The character we think of as Medusa, started as one of three gorgons, she was the only one that was mortal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgon in ancient Greek literature.
So I would possibly move your theory on the construction of the myth back a bit timeline wise. But it sounds quite plausible to me.
She was the daughter of Phorcys, who was a Greek God, which makes her a Goddess, but she did live the life of a mortal serving the Olympian Goddess Athena who was very powerful. She was raped in Athena's temple but another Olympian God, Poseidon, God of the Sea. Athena was very angry over it and turned her hair into snakes and gave her the power to turn men into stone.
There are two versions as to why Athena did this.
One is that she didn't have the power to punish Poseidon so she punished Medusa instead.
The other version is that she loved Medusa and did it to protect her from any future rapes by men.
I prefer to want to believe the 2nd version because no girl should ever be punished for being raped and I have no problem with those that do such hideous things being turned into stone. Too bad women couldn't do that today! ... but without the snakes... lol
If she were real it probably be a fallen angel and in other words a demon. Or maybe a alien/demon.. Stull tho they are probably the same thing. The bibte I think referred to them as watchers before they lost their wings and turned into modern day demons.
Your theory has ground. Not only about Medusa, it is equally true regarding myth of Pandora's creation. Far away from Greece, if one notices Hindu mythology, Durga and Kali goddesses possess same attributes.
It's not sexist. I don't remember the specific tale but she was punished for something and cursed with snake hair and petrifying vision. It's more like a warning for the people of that time never to waiver from their worship to the gods.
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I have no idea, they were very creative people who made things up probably to scare others from going places. Maybe was based upon a person who was friendly to snakes and would use them to her advantage?
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I did some research on Medusa for a college class and she was raped by Poseidon and punished for it by Athena, hence her appearance and her ability to turn men to stone. It’s basically a story of jealousy, at least how I’ve read it.
Well Greeks were misogynistic as hell (see the Pandora myth) but Medusa was raped, and then Athena made it so that the appearance of Medusa would turn men into stone, so she wouldn't get raped again
She was never a goddess. And she isn't potrayed as "evil". She is potrayed as a mortal rape victim who was victim-blamed, turned into a gorgon as punishment, and is cursed to turn men into stone. So to answer your question, it's neither worship by gods nor man's rage towards women.
Medusa was a representation of the first time ancient Greeks saw northern European women! The snakes are her curly blonde hair, and her piecing blue eyes could stop men in their tracks!
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You should read the XANTH books by Piers Anthony.. The gorgon is in that book, but she is portrayed as someone with a power she doesn't realize that she has, and because of that good people want to help her. Its fantastic.
They're really good. My dad got me into them. I haven't been reading much the past couple years, but I recently bought the first one since I had been reading them out of order initially. If anything can get me back into reading they can.
Yes I don't think it was the woman haters club kinda thing. I have a friend that refers to ceartain women as having snakes in their head. The evil ones the ones that you can't trust the ones that want to do someone wrong. I'm not but so familiar with Greek mythology is there an evil man lover out there
Medusa was a character in the GrecoRoman mythos. She was created by a storyteller as all mythical characters are. I do not know that she was created as a caricature of women.
I dont believe that a majority of women were slaves there. They were included in royalty as well, the subservient class was the poor, regardless of sex. Love all this medusa art though, great post
Home > Entertainment & Arts > Polls > Is the mythology of Medusa genuine Goddess worship, or really ancient man's anger and rage against the female species?
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In short the myth was:
, Medusa was originally a ravishingly beautiful maiden, "the jealous aspiration of many suitors," but because Poseidon had raped her in Athena's temple, the enraged Athena transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone.[6] In Ovid's telling, Perseus describes Medusa's punishment by Minerva (Athena) as just and well earned.
Unfortunately you are comparing ancient greek culture and society to our modern day society. You need to realize that yes it was a patriarchal society and yes they could not vote but women in status had power and could persuade others to their whim. Generally it would be men then the women but they also had lower classes and slaves. Often the slaves were lower than high class women. You also need to consider that greek mythology is often reflecting of real people who were alive at the time and given mythical powers overtime. It is actually accepted that Medusa was a beautiful woman who was able to woo and control men's sexual desires. Poseidon representing the man who did whatever he wanted but Athena the high class woman who was jealous of Medusa who was able to get the guy she wanted. So to get back at her cursed Medusa so that no man can ever want her. The story is mostly about a woman who tries to control another woman. That is of course if you base society at the time to Ancient Athens. In Sparta men and women were equally in status and women had rights just as men. So depending on the complexity of the city state societies and how ancient greek mythology evolved over time you can not surmise that all women were hated by men in Ancient Greece. Further research is needed to understand the facts of the complex society.
I often illustrate the point that the backstory about how Medusa became a monster because her beauty drove men mad to do things because they couldn’t control themselves shows Greco - Roman society was really the worst society you could have picked to spread Judeo - Christian beliefs across the world because of the inherent misogyny that was inherited from the Hellenic world. The ancient Greeks had a term for it: Kalon kaqon (“a beautiful evil”). But, it wasn’t all dark, you had female poets like Sappho, and the play, Lysistrata in which women agreed to withhold sex to stop all sides in a war from fighting.
The character we think of as Medusa, started as one of three gorgons, she was the only one that was mortal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgon
in ancient Greek literature.
So I would possibly move your theory on the construction of the myth back a bit timeline wise. But it sounds quite plausible to me.
That's some cool medusa/gorgon art by the way.
Well most Greek gods where evil but wasn't Medusa just a women who was betrayed and turned into a snake Lady by the very goddess she worshiped?
She was the daughter of Phorcys, who was a Greek God, which makes her a Goddess, but she did live the life of a mortal serving the Olympian Goddess Athena who was very powerful. She was raped in Athena's temple but another Olympian God, Poseidon, God of the Sea. Athena was very angry over it and turned her hair into snakes and gave her the power to turn men into stone.
There are two versions as to why Athena did this.
One is that she didn't have the power to punish Poseidon so she punished Medusa instead.
The other version is that she loved Medusa and did it to protect her from any future rapes by men.
I prefer to want to believe the 2nd version because no girl should ever be punished for being raped and I have no problem with those that do such hideous things being turned into stone. Too bad women couldn't do that today! ... but without the snakes... lol
Thank you for that question Ms Lily :)
If she were real it probably be a fallen angel and in other words a demon. Or maybe a alien/demon.. Stull tho they are probably the same thing. The bibte I think referred to them as watchers before they lost their wings and turned into modern day demons.
Your theory has ground. Not only about Medusa, it is equally true regarding myth of Pandora's creation. Far away from Greece, if one notices Hindu mythology, Durga and Kali goddesses possess same attributes.
It's not sexist. I don't remember the specific tale but she was punished for something and cursed with snake hair and petrifying vision. It's more like a warning for the people of that time never to waiver from their worship to the gods.
I have no idea, they were very creative people who made things up probably to scare others from going places. Maybe was based upon a person who was friendly to snakes and would use them to her advantage?
I did some research on Medusa for a college class and she was raped by Poseidon and punished for it by Athena, hence her appearance and her ability to turn men to stone. It’s basically a story of jealousy, at least how I’ve read it.
Well Greeks were misogynistic as hell (see the Pandora myth) but Medusa was raped, and then Athena made it so that the appearance of Medusa would turn men into stone, so she wouldn't get raped again
She was never a goddess. And she isn't potrayed as "evil".
She is potrayed as a mortal rape victim who was victim-blamed,
turned into a gorgon as punishment, and is cursed to turn men into stone.
So to answer your question, it's neither worship by gods
nor man's rage towards women.
Medusa was a representation of the first time ancient Greeks saw northern European women! The snakes are her curly blonde hair, and her piecing blue eyes could stop men in their tracks!
That's what I was taught anyway!
You should read the XANTH books by Piers Anthony.. The gorgon is in that book, but she is portrayed as someone with a power she doesn't realize that she has, and because of that good people want to help her. Its fantastic.
Finally, someone else who reads them haha
@tiajoka Oh god I've been reading them since the 90's, it was my favorite way to escape..
They're really good. My dad got me into them. I haven't been reading much the past couple years, but I recently bought the first one since I had been reading them out of order initially. If anything can get me back into reading they can.
@tiajoka Right you are. The first one is a bit more gritty than the rest.
You’re overthinking this. The ancients used to worship female idols too like Venus, Ishtar, isis, Aphrodite, Hathor and countless.
If we keep obsessing about racism and sexism we’ll never get rid of them.
It wasn't about vengeance against omen or men hating men or anything petty like that.
More so about breaking divine laws, jealously, lust stuff like that.
Yes I don't think it was the woman haters club kinda thing. I have a friend that refers to ceartain women as having snakes in their head. The evil ones the ones that you can't trust the ones that want to do someone wrong. I'm not but so familiar with Greek mythology is there an evil man lover out there
she wasn't evil. she was raped. to protect Medusa from being raped again, Athena made it so her appearance would turn men into stone.
Well I said I wasn't quite familiar with the mythology
It's an interesting theory. I think you should do some serious research into that. It could be fun
Don't forget goddess ishtar did evil tooo.. Caused a whole city to go without sex and infertile!
Medusa was a character in the GrecoRoman mythos. She was created by a storyteller as all mythical characters are. I do not know that she was created as a caricature of women.
Maybe she really was really evil and had a look like my ex wife did that me freeze and wonder what I did
I dont believe that a majority of women were slaves there. They were included in royalty as well, the subservient class was the poor, regardless of sex. Love all this medusa art though, great post