was medusa a symbol of protection for women was medusa a symbol of protection for women

The word means "protect, rule over" with Medusa meaning "guardian" or "protectress." Perseverance Some will get tattoos of Medusa's severed head, or Perseus holding it, as a representation of perseverance. Through the snake-like strands of medusas hair, the universe is warning you against the deception of your friends. Required fields are marked *. The story of Medusa continues to provoke renewed perspectives on its symbolism including through the lens of feminism and psychoanalysis. The first depiction of Medusa can be dated back from a poem by Homer as being part of the three gorgon sisters, Stheno and Euryale. You should be fine if you worry about attracting her attention. I know for a fact Romans wore this as an apotropaic symbol, to avert evil (sorry not as knowledgable about Greek practices yet) . 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. This message is meant to keep you alert at all times. Athena is one of Poseidons sworn enemies, and through raping her sister, he is able to take power from her. Before we talk about the different messages of medusa, let us discuss medusas symbolism. While there have been myths about Medusa in the past, the most famous myth is her being the monster that Persuses had killed. Reading Carol Ann Duffy's The World's Wife has got me thinking about historic women, particularly Medusa. The gorgons have some interesting lore, well beyond what you see in pop culture. Renee Gladmans drawings convey that idea in a more visceral, less cerebral way. She was a beautiful maiden with golden hair. After all, we are in a post #MeToo moment, when we can clearly recognize Medusas myth as a rape narrative one in which the victim is blamed and cast out by her community for crimes perpetrated against her. Unfortunately, the Goddess Athena didnt see it that way and punished her because she couldnt punish the God for his defilement. In Greek mythology, Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three monstrous sisters comprised of Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale. As a symbol I don't see a problem with it. For more often than not, shes depicted just as a severed head a visual that even has its own name,the Gorgoneion sculpted, painted, or carved being held aloft by her slayer Perseus. However, seeing her in your dream changes the narrative. A new intersectional publication, geared towards voices, values, and identities! She is assuring you that God will fight your battles, and help you to become victorious over your enemies. If the sexualization of the female head causes subjectivity of the woman, then I argue that Freuds analysis (i.e. 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. 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. You will see this in movies like clash of the titans. Several stories fly around concerning medusa, but we will attempt to extract messages from those stories. If we go back to Greek antiquity, Medusa was a mighty force endowed with the power to both kill and redeem. Whenever you see a medusa sign, it is believed to have a close alliance with ancient wisdom and philosophy. When it comes to relationships, medusa is a lesson to learn. Medusa has 11 spiritual meanings, which we look at in this article. Including floral details in the tattoo gives it a softer, more feminine finish. 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 11 spiritual messages of the medusa goddess can help you understand more about your life and the virtues you carry. pic.twitter.com/u61VAuxhJ8. In a later version, as told by the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa is a beautiful human woman, who is turned into a monster by Athena as punishment after she is raped by Poseidon (woe to mortal women in mythology). Texas Zero Property Tax Bill Has Extreme, Discriminatory Catches, Eurovision 2023 Tickets Announced on Ticketmaster, Celebrating Womens History With Qiu Jin, Chinese Revolutionary, The Penguin Tells a Batverse Scarface Story. Pharaohs would often be entombed wearing Wadjet amulets, and it was intended to protect them in the afterlife and ward off evil forces. 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. 21. People often come to secure their lives with some supernatural rituals and symbols when they do not feel secure with physical protection. 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. What does this mean? Furthermore, she advocates for the respect of the feminine gender. This was to ensure that no man will ever be able to look at her anymore. Hellenism (Greek: Ellinisms, Latin: Hellenismus), also less frequently called Olympianism (Greek: Olympianisms, Latin: Olympianismus) or Dodekatheism (Greek: Dodekathesms, Latin: Duodecimdeismus), is the traditional polytheistic and animistic orthopraxic religion, lifestyle, aesthetics, and ethos of the ancient Graeco-Roman world, and is the indigenous religion of the common Greek and Latin cultural sphere. Cal Poly State University - San Luis Obispo, California State University - Los Angeles, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, California State University, Channel Islands, Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Federal University Of Agriculture Abeokuta, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Interamerican University of Puerto Rico San German campus, Keiser University - Latin American Campus, London School of Economics and Political Science, California State University of Sacramento, Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, University of North Carolina - Wilmington, University of South Florida - St. Petersburg, William Paterson University of New Jersey. 20. Zeus represented power, Hades represented fairness in death, but what did a mortal who turned into a monster, like Medusa, represent? Athena holds her head and Hades her soul. 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. This began with the greeks and later flowed down to every other culture. Indian artist Diptej Vernekar attached puppets of Hindu avatars to exercise equipment that anyone could activate and engage with. Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art draws on around 60 works from the Manhattan museums collections to explore the transformation of Medusa and other classical female hybrid creatures, from sphinxes to sirens to Scylla, a sailor-eating sea creature with twelve legs and six necks who makes an appearance in Homers Odyssey. Different regions and cultures . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Furthermore, she is a goddess that helps young ladies to overcome a lack of confidence. Dot-work Medusa tattoos might symbolize the connection to the religious part of Athena's story. She is an advocate of the exaltation of femininity. From a feminist perspective, Medusas story seems a cautionary tale of the symbolic decapitation of women and a loss of ones power. About US | Privacy Policy | Contact Information | Pinterest | Web Stories. Additionally, the snakes in her hair can symbolize wisdom, healing, and . these associations, Medusa is a purely sexual symbol that pertains to the sexual anxieties of women. Because of the origin of medusa, she is an emblem of deep spirituality. Instead of being seen as a monster, she is now depicted as a feminine Fatale. How might womens stories actually be centered around women? It is believed that she became a goddess after the curse was pronounced. As such she posed a great threat to the power of the Greek male-dominated sky gods. I do remember exactly, but as far as I remember, it was explained as she was born mortal, then died, and gave birth through this (the rebirth portion). The Gorgon, Medusa, was a monster in Greek mythology but everything in Greek mythology always represented something in the real world. Returning to those startling early images of Medusa, with her bared teeth and frightful snake hair, theres a narrative here on how transforming her into something benignly ornamental was another level of control. However, the Greek evil eye talisman is believed to specifically protect against a malevolent glare - the "evil eye" - given to an unsuspecting person. For this Athena punished her hideously. People often turn into stone when faced with their own difficulties and inner demons. Ive seen a lot of variations of her myths that paint her as a vengeful monster, a symbol of feminine rage, or a protective one. Her story always starts in these objects when her power is possessed, her head severed and turned into a weapon, whether shes a damsel in distress or a monster. Although design houses like Versace (and some might say even comedian Kathy Griffin) have tried to reclaim the myth of Medusa for women, it has largely not been effective. Due to the apotropaic (protective) function of her image, the hydra Medusa motif has been widespread since the Hellenistic period. Studio of Antonio Canova, Head of Medusa (Rome, 1806-07), plaster cast with modern metal rod (courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fletcher Fund, 1967). This helps you to be more tender and caring towards other people. I aim to share everything I know about history on this blog, hope you enjoy reading too! This is a powerful combo to enjoy protection from the evil eye. It wasnt the most pleasant of behaviors but history does teach us its lessons and we should learn from them. Among them, the most prominent was the horse, a symbol of valor and beauty since he himself fathered many horses, the best-known being the winged horse Pegasus by the Gorgon Medusa. "In a male-centered society, the feminization of monsters served to demonize women," she said. Fortunately, the times have changed and people have started to realize the flaw in their reasoning. She has the power to make you spiritually active and sensitive again. Dangerous Beauty boldly mingles objects from across centuries in the compact exhibition. women in power (or fighting for power) have been compared to Medusa, from Marie Antoinette to the suffragettes. It keeps your spiritual atmosphere thick enough to repel every negative force. The reason for this is that the origin of philosophy and science is traceable to her. Early accounts placed the Gorgons in a faraway place on the edge of night. In a new show, Nicole Marroquins artworks are in dialogue with the documentary photographs of Mexican-born artist Diana Sols. In ancient Egyptian society, the Eye of Horus (Wadjet) was widely used as a symbol of protection, restoration, and royal power. That's why it's considered protective. Listed below are the top 11 most important Symbols of Female Strength: Table of Contents [ show] 1. Her existence reflected on the behavior of men during ancient times in Greece and shows how much have we advanced since then. In ancient Greece, women were usually accused of provoking men with their image or their personality and are usually blamed when anything happens to them. She helps females to attain their primes and become who they choose to be. Image Courtesy: pixabay.com. Medusa can be given to you as a sign and message. Athena grows jealous, as many men flock to her, only to glance at Medusa instead. Because I want to look into pendants that I can wear as protective talismans, and I think a Medusa one would be a good fit, but Im worried about drawing the attention of a vengeful monster. And rightly so. This is especially true with the character of Medusa, because while the feminist reclaimed version is the one many of us have come to know, it wasnt always the way Medusa was written. Whenever you see yourself drawing medusa in a dream, it means that the universe has blessed you with creativity. Though there is much to say about the tragedy of Medusa's story, she became a formidable foe. Medusa Tattoo Designs 1. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. I was thinking of getting one for my home then I made a painted wood thing invoking Heracles for protection as mentioned in Greek Religion. 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. Protection Symbol #9 The Eye of Horus. The masculine part is the rigid, convinced, and hard-hearted aspect of us, while the feminine side is the tender, emotional, loving, and caring part of us. [5] Protection [ edit] 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. What are your opinions on Medusa as a symbol of protection? The Gorgon, Medusa, was said to have been raped by the God of the Sea, Poseidon, but were there any children that were a product of this animosity? The closest alternative to the evil eye bracelet is the medusas bracelet. As a result, women with Medusa Tattoos can show their fierce determination and may also reflect their unpredictable and impulsive nature. Your email address will not be published. It looks particularly sexy on the back or thigh area, where the tattoo will draw attention to feminine body parts. If it's something you want, I don't see a problem with it. She was one of the three Gorgons, or literally "the terrible ones.". On view in NYC. My name is Marlin Davis and I am passionate about history of all sorts. On funerary urns or armor, she was a talisman of protection, those eyes symbolically warding off evil. 42. She is also seen as a protective figure, and her head is often used as a symbol of strength and power. Her representationthe Medusa Tattoohas long served as a symbol of protection from evil. In 1976, Hlne Cixous, a noteworthy French feminist theorist, wrote an essay called The Laugh of the Medusa, in which she unpacks this myth. Whenever you see an image of medusa, or dream of her, it encourages you to embrace the feminine side of yourself. Therefore, seeing a medusa sign might speak about protection. Ironic how a woman seen as a monster to men is used as a symbol of protection for the same people who wrote about her story. However even in the face of tragedy and disgrace, the Medusa was portrayed as meaningful. The ability to be confident and proud of your gender stems from medusa. The inclusion of Medusa in the center implies the protection of the goddess Athena, who wore the Gorgon's likeness on her aegis, as said above. a protection against . The most common interpretation of Medusa suggests she is an apotropaic symbol used to protect from and ward off the negative, much like the modern evil eye. Phoenix Tattoos. She is then cast out and cursed by her own sister. Yes, Medusa is a protection symbol. 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. While there have been myths about Medusa in the past, the most famous myth is her being the monster that Persuses had killed. This is exactly why the story of Medusa continues to captivate us because she is a character that demands to be reimagined, she pushes back against the story that places Perseus at its center, who claims him to be blameless and heroic. In recent years, Medusa has been reformed into a tragic figure who was slut-shamed and victim blamed, simply because punishing a male god (Neptune/Poseidon) would have been considered unthinkable. 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. [emailprotected]. Best Greek Mythology Tattoos And Their Meanings. Installation view of Dangerous Beauty: Medusa in Classical Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (photo by the author for Hyperallergic), Terracotta pelike (jar) with Perseus beheading the sleeping Medusa, attributed to Polygnotos (Greek, 450440 BCE), terracotta, height: 18 13/16 inches, diameter: 13 1/2 inches (courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1945), Madeleine Glennonin a 2017 essay on Medusa in Ancient Greek Artfor the Met notes thatClassical and Hellenistic images of Medusa are more human, but she retains a sense of the unknown through specific supernatural details such as wings and snakes. She was very lovely once, the hope of many An envious suitor, and of all her beauties Her hair most beautifulat least I heard so From one who claimed he had seen her. 1. Meaning of Medusa Tattoo: Her decapitation is in direct result of male anxiety about maintaining power and control. To ensure that you are protected from evil, try wearing medusa as a pendant or amulet. On funerary urns or armor, she was a talisman of protection, those eyes symbolically warding off evil. Hyperallergic is a forum for serious, playful, and radical thinking about art in the world today. 11 Spiritual Meanings, Medusa Spiritual Meaning: 11 Spiritual Messages, 10) Everything is turning out to your good. In 1950 his uncompleted essay, Medusas Head, was posthumously published. Medusa was one of three daughters born with extraordinary beauty and stunning hair. Use this symbol to keep you safe on your travels as did ancient sailors who would paint it on the sides of their boats. When medusa was cursed, no god was there to help her or fight her battles. Flower tattoos are associated with beauty . To understand the impact of medusa, the following spiritual messages are important. She is both feminine and monstrous. Some people tend to connect Medusas story with self-reflection and link Medusa to the darkest parts of ones soul. Throughout all of her work, Cixous decries phallocentric storytelling and histories in which men and the psychoanalytic lens of phallic imagery are centered in womens stories. From her severed neck, her child Pegasus is born. image of intoxication, petrifaction, and luring attractiveness. If women venture to claim control over their heads, then they become a threat to the phallic, male-dominated structure. The Classical period of Greek art from 480 to 323 BCE further associated beauty with danger when Medusa, the sirens, sphinxes, and Scylla all got a little hotter, losing some scales and wings as their bodies were more and more humanized. 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.) It speaks about the ability to handle complex situations, and deal with hard tasks. Even into the 19th century, as the romanticization continued, her eyes did not close. She swore an oath of commitment but did not stay true to it.