The Real Story of Medusa PDF

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PDF Name	The Real Story of Medusa PDF
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Language	English
Category	English
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The Real Story of Medusa

Dear readers, today we are going to offer The Real Story of Medusa PDF for all of you. Did you know that in ancient Greek mythology, Medusa is the most famous of three monstrous sisters known as the Gorgons? The earliest known record of the story of Medusa and the Gorgons can be found in Hesiod’s Theogony.

According to the ancient author, the three sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, were the children of Phorcys and Ceto. Who lived “beyond famed Oceanus at the world’s edge hard by Night”. Only Medusa is said to be the mortal of the three sisters.

But she is also the most famous and the myth of her demise at the hands of Perseus is often recounted. Medusa is an instantly recognizable figure from ancient Greek art. She is best known for having hair made of snakes. For her ability to turn anyone, she looked at the stone, literally to petrify.

The Real Story of Medusa PDF Summary

Medusa

Legend states that Medusa was once a beautiful, avowed priestess of Athena who was cursed for breaking her vow of celibacy. She is not considered a goddess or Olympian, but some variations on her legend say she consorted with one. When Medusa had an affair with the sea god Poseidon, Athena punished her.

She turned Medusa into a hideous hag, making her hair into writhing snakes and her skin turned a greenish hue. Anyone who locked gaze with Medusa was turned into stone. The hero Perseus was sent on a quest to kill Medusa. He was able to defeat the Gorgon by lopping off her head, which he was able to do by fighting her reflection in his highly polished shield.

He later used her head as a weapon to turn enemies to stone. An image of Medusa’s head was placed on Athena’s own armour or shown on her shield.

Lineage

One of three Gorgon sisters, Medusa was the only one who was not immortal. The other two sisters were Stheno and Euryale. Gaia is sometimes said to be the mother of Medusa; other sources cite the early sea deities Phorcys and Ceto as the parents of the trio of Gorgons.

It is generally believed that she was born at sea. The Greek poet Hesiod wrote that Medusa lived close to the Hesperides in the Western Ocean near Sarpedon. Herodotus the historian said her home was Libya.

In Temple Lore

In ancient times, she did not have any known temples. It is said that the Artemis temple in Corfu depicts Medusa in an archaic form. She is shown as a symbol of fertility dressed in a belt of intertwined snakes.

In modern times, her carved image adorns a rock off the coast of the popular Red Beach outside of Matala, Crete. Also, the flag and emblem of Sicily feature her head.

In Art and Written Works

Throughout ancient Greece, there are a number of references to the Medusa myth by ancient Greek writers Hyginus, Hesiod, Aeschylus, Dionysios Skytobrachion, Herodotus, and Roman authors Ovid and Pindar. When she is depicted in art, usually only her head is shown.

She has a broad face, sometimes with tusks, and snakes for hair. In some imagery, she has fangs, a forked tongue, and bulging eyes. While Medusa is usually considered to be ugly, one myth states that it was her great beauty, not her ugliness, that paralyzed all observers.

Her “monstrous” form is believed by some scholars to represent a partially-decomposed human skull with teeth beginning to show through the decaying lips.

In Pop Culture

The snake-headed, petrifying image of Medusa is instantly recognizable in popular culture. The Medusa myth has enjoyed a renaissance since the story was featured in the “Clash of the Titans” movies in 1981 and 2010, and “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” also in 2010, where Medusa is portrayed by actress Uma Thurman.

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