In most Norse texts, Odin is depicted as a long-bearded, one-eyed man wearing a broad hat and a cloak. Their other sisters were Scyllathe legendary monster who hid in a sea-cave, waiting to snatch sailors from their ships and eat them alivewas their sister, and Echidna a serpent woman who was . In their traditional African religious belief, they say that the Serpent Lebe guided the Dogon people from Mand to the Bandiagara Escarpment (their current home) when they decided to migrate to flee Islamization and persecution. Gorgons, especially Medusa, have become a common image and symbol in Western culture since their origins in Greek mythology, appearing in art, literature, and elsewhere throughout history. The Hesperides, a sisterhood of nymphs, were guardians of a wondrous garden at the edge of the world. In the original story she was killed in her sleep with no chance of fighting back, and most of the deaths caused by her powers were when she was used as a weapon by someone else. Some stories say that Perseus first used the Gorgons head while travelling back to his homeland. The fairest of the three Gorgons became the most hideous of them all. Subsequently, a new world rises that is rejuvenated and fertile. The Yeti in D&D 5e. In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa is the most famous of three monstrous sisters known as the Gorgons. In mythology, the Medusa can petrify people with a look - which is a good thing, I think. Little is known of Chrysaor, as he did not play a major role in later myths, except that he was later the father of a giant with three heads. Also, in Norse mythology, the snake biting its tail symbolized the sea as the eternal ring which enclosed the world. Later stories had them living in Libya, a favorite setting for myths taking place outside of the Greek world and its cultural influence. She is famed for her snake-like hair and her gaze, which turns those who look at her to stone. The story of the monster Medusas death at the hands of the great hero Perseus is one of the most widely told myths from the Greek world. So Minerva advised Perseus to only look at Medusa's reflection. As shown in the images there are images of the sky serpent with its tail in its mouth, it is believed to be a reverence to the sun, for which Quetzalcoatl was also closely linked. [16] Nagas, "the demon cobra"[17] and naginis were human-headed snakes whose kings and queens who lived in jewel-encrusted underground or underwater paradises and who were perpetually at war with Garuda the Sun-bird. [22] A dragon-like creature with horns, the body and neck of a snake, the forelegs of a lion, and the hind-legs of a bird appears in Mesopotamian art from the Akkadian Period until the Hellenistic Period (323 BC31 BC). Rivers and lakes often had snake-gods or snake-guardians including Untekhi the fearsome water-spirit of the Missouri River. But a myth is not just a made-up story. Passing their eye back and forth, one could be watchful at all times. However, Zeus turned into a gold shower and got Danae pregnant. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. Though the earliest depictions of Quetzalcoatl show him clearly as a snake with a plume of feathers, later cultures represented him in human form. Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. The Great Goddess often had snakes as her familiarssometimes twining around her sacred staff, as in ancient Creteand they were worshipped as guardians of her mysteries of birth and regeneration. Later, the word leviathan would be applied more generally to mean a giant whale (most memorably the great white whale in Moby Dick) or other massive sea creature. Many later versions of the myth claimed that she was once a beautiful maiden loved by . As the story goes, St. Patrick, a fifth-century Christian missionary, was fasting for 40 days atop a hill when he was attacked by snakes. Appearance. While Medusa was the only one whose gaze petrified men, her sisters killed and mutilated many. She was eventually slain by the hero, Perseus. Tiresias gained a dual male-female nature and an insight into the supernatural world when he killed two snakes which were coupling in the woods. While the tale of her death at the hands of Perseus is one of the most famous moments in Greek mythology, it was not the end of Medusas story. The anthropomorphic basis of many myth-systems meant snake-gods were rarely depicted solely as snakes. 16. Norse Mythology Thesis Odin, Thor, Freya, Loki, Frigg Do these names ring a bell to you? In popular culture, Medusa has retained the duality between a sympathetic female figure and a dangerous monster. After creating Medusa herself, the goddess seemed especially eager to aid the hero in the monsters destruction. score: 22,174 , and 227 people voted. The story of Perseus seems to have already been known by the time Hesiod wrote in about 700 BC. She loved carnage and chilling with her brother, God of War, Ares. Looking only at the monsters reflection in the shining metal of the shield, he could creep forward without danger. The earliest stories of Medusa said that she always had a terrible, inhuman form. Ariadne, the wife of Dionysus, is said by a 5th-century writer to have been turned to stone in the war between her husband and Perseus. "Norse mythology hints at Odinic cults, with Odin being worshipped through a combination of ecstatic and seemingly shamanistic rituals. But Norse mythology, with its compelling stories . During the multi-day ritual, which is aimed at encouraging rainfall and fertility for the land, male dancers from the Snake Clan put live snakesranging from small garter snakes to rattlesnakesin their mouths and around their necks. With the help of the gods, the hero was able to kill one of the most terrifying monsters in the world. This ancient Chinese myth tells the story of a powerful female white snake demon who lives underwater but takes human form as Madame White, or Bai Suzhen. Even in its more beautiful form, the gorgoneion was used as a symbol to ward off greater evils. After Bai falls in love with and marries a mortal man, Xu Xian, a Buddhist monk, Fahai, reveals her true identity to her husband. One of a trio of Gorgon sisters, Medusa was the only sister who was not immortal. Athena gave some of the Gorgons blood to the legendary surgeon Aesclepius. A demigod, the son of Zeus and Danae, Perseus is one of the greatest heroes of Greek mythology. In Norse mythology, few stories are as dramatic as that of Jormungand, the powerful sea serpent. A great degree of respect is afforded to snakes in Serer culture, as they are the very embodiment and symbol of their saints and ancestral spirits. They also shared a single tooth, taking turns to eat their meals. Top section of a runestone found at Sanda, Gotland, Sweden, dating to the Viking Age (793-1066 CE). When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images. The Gorgon sisters were born to Ceto, goddess of sea monsters, and Phorcys, a primodial sea god with a fish's tail and crab claws. In Buddhism, naga were often depicted as protectors of Siddhrtha Gautama, the Buddha, and the dharma (Buddhist teachings), but they were also seen as powerful, and potentially dangerous when angered. Paris was famous for for marrying Helen of Troy, which led to the Trojan War. The Chimera's image remained consistent throughout the Greco-Roman era. The Gorgons were sent far from the civilized world to make their lair in a dark cavern. Putting the helmet on his head kept them from seeing him, so they flailed blindly in their rage. Perseus then travels to the Graiae (the three Gray sisters who share only one eye), and he steals their eye until they . Medusas last scream in death woke the sleeping Gorgons, and the two sisters chased after the man who had killed her. Homer was from mainland Greece, possibly Ionia, while Hesiod was born in Lydia in Asia Minor. In these roles, Medusa is more of an active monster than she ever was in Greek myths. While her sisters Stheno and Euryale were immortals Medusa was a mortal being. After cutting off Medusas fearsome head (from which her two children with Poseidon, Chrysaor and Pegasus, emerged) Perseus mounted it on his shield, and used it to paralyze his enemies in battle. The Graeae represented sea foam, while the other children of Phorcys and Keto were monsters of the ocean. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. According to Edith Hamilton's Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, the Aegis is Zeus' breastplate, and was "awful to behold." For instance, after slaying Medusa, he severs her head and carries it with him, using its gaze to petrify enemies. This symbol has many interpretations, one of which is the snake representing cyclical nature of life and death, life feeding on itself in the act of creation. Shesha in turn was supported on Kurma and when Kurma moved, Shesha stirred and yawned and the gaping of its jaws caused earthquakes.[14]. Greek mythology, like the culture that created, often made little distinction between seduction and rape. He turned his mothers duplicitous suitor, Polydictes, to stone. Ragnarok is a major event in the legends of the Norse. She was killed by Zeus before he fought his father and the Titans for power. Medusa - a woman cursed by Athena to become a snake woman , and people who . In these, Medusa is said to be the only one of the Gorgon sisters who is mortal. Despite reinterpretation by feminists and revolutionaries, Medusas name retains its connotations of monotonousness and deformity. Gorgon Medusa. As early as the 5th century BC there were mentions of Medusa being a beautiful woman in her youth. She gave her shining shield of bronze, the aegis, for protection. -Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. [21] Sea monsters lived in every ocean from the seven-headed crocodile-serpent Leviathan of Hebrew myth to the sea-god Koloowisi of the Zuni people of North America and the Greek monster Scylla with twelve snake-necks. Like many pretty young women in Greek legend, she attracted the attention of a god. Bellerophon had been tasked with killing the Chimera, the fire breathing monster of antiquity. Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. Kratos also acquires the wax wings of Icarus and the Golden Fleece. In these, Poseidon not only took Medusa by force, but did so in a temple of Athena. Perseus made a deal with the monsters. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology. She turned the young woman into a terrible monster. The Yeti in Himalayan Mythology. The nymphs gladly lent Perseus the treasures Athena had sent him for. They continued to believe this even after the development of the story that told of her punishment by Athena. In one version of the creation story, he and another god, Tezcatlipoca, transformed themselves into snakes and ripped a giant sea monster named Cipactli in half; one part of her became the earth, the other the sky. Only they knew the location of the Hesperides and their garden. Although those details arent always included in Perseuss legend, the writers do agree on what he did when he returned to his home in Greece. Jormungand, one of three children of the shape-shifting god Loki and the giantess Angrboda, was thrown into the sea by Odin, father of the powerful thunder god Thor. If you think you know the whole story of Medusa, think again heres everything you never knew about the mythical Gorgon. Its been suggested that Behemoth could have been a hippopotamus, an elephant or even a dinosaur, while Leviathan may have been an ancient species of crocodile. Medusa is a dimorphic character in the popular imagination; either a tragic feminist hero or a terrifying monstrous villain. Unlike Medusa, Sthenno and Euryale could not be killed. But Perseus was able to spite the king by killing Medusa while she was sleeping, thanks to some help from the gods. Valhalla, Old Norse Valhll, in Norse mythology, the hall of slain warriors, who live there blissfully under the leadership of the god Odin. Norse mythology is the body of mythology of the North Germanic people stemming from Norse paganism and . He is like the Greek god Apollo because they are both gods of poetry, and worshiped by poets. 15) Hel. Irish culture is brimming with myths and legends, perhaps none so prevalent as that of St. Patrick, Irelands patron saint, banishing every last snake from the Emerald Isle. [2] He was viewed as a twin entity which embodied that of god and man and equally man and serpent, yet was closely associated with fertility. Acrisius threw Danae and Perseus into the sea in a wooden chest. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Medusa was not the only Gorgon, however. The cunning snake convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge, telling her that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When God learned of Adam and Eves transgression, he banished both of them from Eden and cursed the snake for its role, saying You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. Debate has long raged over whether the serpent in Genesis was a literal reptile, an allegory for sexual desire or temptation or even Satan himself. Medusa wasnt just mentioned again on earth. All Rights Reserved. In Hammurabis Law Code (c. 1700 BC) the god Ninazu is identified as the patron of healing, and his son, Ningishzida, is depicted with a serpent and staff symbol (Bunn 1967:618), Snakes were a common feature of many creation myths, for example many people in California and Australia had myths about the Rainbow Snake, which was either Mother Earth herself giving birth to all animals or a water-god whose writhing created rivers, creeks and oceans. Gaia, Rhea, and Demeter, for example, are often seen as three closely-bound earth goddesses. The cloak of invisibility that belonged to Hades allowed him to escape the lair of the Gorgon sisters without being seen after he killed Medusa. An actress plays the role of the White Snake in Baishe Zhuan (The Legend of White Snake) in a Chinese opera, 2000. In Greek mythology, Medusa (Ancient Greek: ), meaning "guardian", "protectress" was a Gorgon, a chthonic female monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. 15. [2], The West African kingdom of Dahomey regarded snakes as immortal because they appeared to be reincarnated from themselves when they sloughed their skins. Now, Perseus took advantage of the treasures he had gotten in the garden. It was said that anyone who looked directly at her was immediately turned to stone. Let's transport ourselves to the Scandinavian lands with this funny template filled with illustrations of Norse gods, Viking ships and a beautiful design! Frigg is the Norse patron of marriage and motherhood, and the goddess of love and fertility. The first was a strong bag in which to hold his trophy, the head of the Gorgon. Norse mythology is a source of inspiration for many art enthusiasts, particularly when it comes to tattoos. His petrification was slow and painful. The image of the brave hero slaying the hideous beast endures in art, poetry, and song. While Medusa was one of the most iconic and memorable monsters in Greek mythology, Sthenno and Euryale played only a minor role in the story and were never as well-developed. The god of the sea, like many of his peers, had frequent affairs with mortal women and minor goddesses. In the story, the snake convinces Eve to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which she then convinces Adam to do as well. But the Medusa is a unique symbol - something strong. The mythology of the Dogon's primordial ancestor Lebe, it based almost entirely on a serpent mythology. The loops and curves of a snakes body have always been a favorite subject in art for this reason, and the figure of Medusa provided many of them for the artist to show off their skill. His actions were described as a forceful violation. The Biblical story of the fall of man tells of how Adam and Eve were deceived into disobeying God by a snake (identified as Satan by both Paul and John in II Corinthians and Revelation, respectively). What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? While Poseidon walked free, Medusa was villainized for the crime of attracting his attention. By the 5th century BC this was well-established in art and literature, but the appearances of Medusas sisters were still unknown. [22] The horned viper (Cerastes cerastes) appears in Kassite and Neo-Assyrian kudurrus[22] and is invoked in Assyrian texts as a magical protective entity. In East Asia snake-dragons watched over good harvests, rain, fertility and the cycle of the seasons, whilst in ancient Greece and India, snakes were considered to be lucky and snake-amulets were used as talismans against evil. The second treasure was the magical helmet of Hades, given to him by the Cyclops in the Titanomachy. [27] Thousands of people gather around snake pools called Naga kuan that are said to lead to Nagaloka, the lavish underwater world of these snake deities or Nagas. Her face took a more traditionally human appearance. Medusa is one of the more unusual divine figures of ancient Greece mythology. Perseus: Perseus was a demi-God in the Greek mythology who rescued Andromeda from a sea-monster. The Chariot Hall or Royal Funerary Chariot Hall at the Wat Xieng Thong in the UNESCO world heritage town of Luang Prabang in Central Laos contains King Sisavang Vong's gilded, carved wooden funeral carriage, decorated with large Naga snakes at the front. Men handling poisonous rattlesnakes, one even holding a snake between his teeth, for the snake dance of the Native American Hopi tribe. Her large head and thick legs gave her a notably inhuman appearance that contrasted with the perfect forms of the gods and heroes. Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. While Poseidon walked free, Medusa was villainized for the crime of attracting his attention. Medusas body was often shown as abnormally large and disproportionate.
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