The Curse of Medusa From Greek Mythology
Medusa is one of the more unusual divine figures of ancient
Greece mythology. One of a trio of Gorgon sisters, Medusa was
the only sister who was not immortal. She is famed for her snakelike hair and her gaze, which turns those who look at her to
stone.
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 was 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 armor 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.
She is generally considered unmarried, though she did lie with
Poseidon. One account says she married Perseus. As a result of
consorting with Poseidon, she is said to have birthed Pegasus,
the winged horse, and Chrysaor, the hero of the golden sword.
Some accounts said her two spawn had sprung from her severed
head.
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.
The image of Medusa was thought to be protective. Ancient
statuary, bronze shields, and vessels have depictions of Medusa.
Famous artists that have been inspired by Medusa and the
heroic Perseus story include Leonardo da Vinci, Benvenuto
Cellini, Peter Paul Rubens, Gialorenzo Bernini, Pablo Picasso,
Auguste Rodin, and Salvador Dali.