The story of Medusa is widely known in Greek mythology. In Greek mythology, Medusa is considered the most unlucky character of mythology. The reason Medusa is widely known is because she is a snake-haired, cursed and deadly person that turns people to stone. In fact, while Medusa was dazzling with her beauty, she had to pay for her beauty as a result of Athena's curse. Medusa's head is a figure used in many places from ancient times. We told you how this girl, who started her life with her beauty at first, became such a bad figure over time. Here is the story of Medusa!
The Story of Medusa
The beginning of the Medusa story begins in the temple of Athena in Athens. In Greek mythology, Keto and Phorkus had three daughters, she. The names of these girls are Sthenno, Euryale and Medusa. Of these three sisters, two were immortal and one was mortal. Medusa was the mortal sister. Medusa is known as very beautiful, even so beautiful that all women were jealous of Medusa. Medusa dedicated herself to the gods. Athena did not care about Medusa at first. Poseidon fell in love with the beauty of Medusa, who was in the temple of his wife Athena. However, because he fell in love with a mortal, he was afraid of humiliation and did not show his love. Later, he had just fallen in love with Poseidon and raped Medusa in the temple of Athena. Medusa continued to stay in the temple after this event. Later, Athena learned about this event and went into a fit of jealousy and wanted to punish Medusa. She gave Medusa the worst punishment she could give and took her beauty from her. He turned Medusa and her other sisters into fearsome female monsters known as Gorgons. Medusa and her siblings became creatures with snake hair, wings and scary faces. Medusa has lost her most beautiful feature in life, her beauty. Due to the ugliness of Medusa, no one looks at her face anymore. In fact, according to a belief, anyone who tries to look at him turns into stone. Medusa was conceived by Poseidon. Athena was not satisfied with her punishment and cooperated with Perseus and Zeus in order to kill Medusa. This union was tied by blood.
Later, Perseus had to find the Gray Witches in order to go to the land of the evening fairies called the Hesperides. Gray Witches are witches who use one eye for three. Perseus stole one eye from these three witches with his plan and used it as a trump card. Later, he learned the location of the Hesperids in this way. He came to the land of the Hesperides, which belonged to the Goddess Hera, full of apples, and took a backpack (Kibisis) from the evening fairies. His aim is to put Medusa's head in this bag. Later, the gods surrounded Perseus with weapons. Going towards the cave where Medusa was sleeping, Perseus cut off her head with her sword without looking at Medusa. Later, the giant Khrysaor and the winged horse Pegasus were formed from the body of Medusa. He then went after Perseus. Thanks to the helmet of invisibility that Hades took from Perseus, he was able to deliver Medusa's head to Athena. Athena made a protective power to her shield thanks to the head of Medusa she obtained. This event, which took place in Athens, signifies the beginning of the age of philosophy.
Athena didn't just punish Medusa for her anger. He also punished his brothers. Athena has made all three siblings bad, ugly and unattractive. Now she has turned all of Medusa's hair into a snake. He had terrible eyes, sharpened teeth, and made him into a being that could not be looked at. Athena could not avenge Medusa and had everyone who looked at her turn to stone. Athena took the beauty of Medusa from her. In a way, she made Medusa pay a heavy price for her beauty. Athena could not avenge what she did. That's why she will help Perseus kill Medusa.
In the age of philosophy, some freedoms have faded, and women have become aware of their own stances. This incident of Medusa is considered as a rebellion against the gender issue. At first, the snake symbol reflected motherhood, then it found meaning in Judaism as the concept of evil and unchastity. Later, this concept symbolized the male-dominated mentality as Medusa's hair was in snake motif. Women who demanded accountability of their sexual grievances in all areas of life and fought for equal rights showed reactions.
Caravaggio painted the reflection of Medusa with his own face on the shield that Perseus took from Athena. The person described as Medusa is herself. Caravaggio presents himself as a murdered figure because he has had his fair share of death. The snakes on the head of Medusa move and the vital snakes do not leave Medusa. According to this situation, life is not escaping death. Rubbens saw himself as Medusa and tried to make sense of the bad event that had happened.
The True Story of Medusa
The earliest records of information about Medusa's tragic event are found in Hesiod's Theogony. According to the story of Medusa, there were three sisters in ancient times, and one of them was deadly. The deadly girl's name was Medusa. According to Hesoid, it is known that Medusa's death was at the hands of Perseus. Despite this, there is not much information about Medusa. Information about Medusa and Perseus is mostly found in Ovid's Metamorphoses. According to Ovid, in this work, Medusa is described as an unmarried, young and beautiful girl. According to Ovid, Poseidon, who harmed Medusa in Athena's temple, was impressed by Medusa's beauty and desire. Later, the Goddess puts Medusa's hair in the shape of a snake. The purpose of her turning her hair into a snake is that when people look at Medusa, she becomes a stone.
In Greek mythology, Gorgons are known as female monsters with sharp teeth and live snakes in their hair. According to the legends of the Gorgons, people who look at these monsters turn into stone. One of the three gargons is known as Medusa. Of these three gargons, only Medusa is known to be deadly. Euryale and Stheno are immortal.
According to Medusa's connection with Perseus, Polydectes commissions Perseus to bring Medusa's head. Actually, this is a trap. Polydectes is in love with Porceus' mother, Danae, and wants to have a smooth life with her. Since they are not on good terms, she has made it her goal to get rid of her son. Polydectes does not think that Perses can return from this mission. Perseus received help from Zeus and other gods. Perseus received a pair of winged sandals from Hermes, a helmet of invisibility from Hades, a sword from Hephaestus, and a reflecting bronze shield from Athena. Thanks to this help, Perseus begins to search for Medusa and cuts off her head while Medusa is sleeping.
After the head of Medusa, called the Gorgon, was cut off, Pegasus, the winged horse, appeared. In Theogony, it is known that Hesiod Chrysaos emerged from Medusa's neck. After these events, Perseus experienced a few more events and returned to Seriphus. Although Perseus had little influence with this event, he played a role in the later events of Medusa.
The blood dripping from Medusa's head turned into poisonous snakes. After Perseus takes Medusa's head, he asks Atlas for a place to listen and gets a refusal. Then he wants to turn Atlas into stone by using Medusa's head. in this way, he turned Atlas into a mountain and now the Atlas Mountains were formed. Later, when Anromeda (the daughter of Kepheus) was going to be sacrificed, she was turned into stone with the head of Medusa, and she was saved in this way. Then they set off with Andromeda and go towards King Polydectes. But meanwhile, Polydektes does not leave Danae alone because he thinks Perseus will not return. Danae waits for her son inside a temple. Later, Perseus comes before the king with the head of Medusa. Polydectes does not believe this brought. As a result, Perseus removes Medusa's head and holds it towards the king. The king is now turned to stone.
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