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Medusa
*** Shopping-Tip: Medusa
{{otheruses}}
Image:Medusa1.jpg thumb||A relatively modern image of Medusa painted by [[Arnold Böcklin]]
In
Greek mythology, '''Medusa'''
('''Greek:''' ÎœÎδουσα),
was a monstrous female character whose gaze could turn people to stone.
Some classical references describe her as one of three
Gorgon sisters. Medusa,
Stheno, and
Euryale were monsters with brass hands, sharp fangs and hair of living, venomous snakes. The Gorgons and their other sisters the
Graiae (and possibly the
Hesperides) were daughters of
Phorcys and
Ceto. Some versions read that Medusa's sisters transformed themselves into monsters in order to protect Medusa.
In the most well known version of the myth, Medusa originally started out as a beautiful woman. She was
raped by
Poseidon in
Athena's temple. Poseidon was an arch-rival of Athena's since at one time he vied for patronage of
Athens; the soon-to-become Athenians chose Athena's offering of the
olive tree over Poseidon's offering of horses or a spring of water.
Image:Perseus Beheads Medusa.jpg thumb|left|Perseus beheads Medusa
Upon discovery of the desecration of her
temple, Athena changed Medusa's form to match that of her sister Gorgons as punishment. Medusa's hair turned into snakes and her glance would turn all living creatures to stone. She was banished beyond the
Hyperborean lands.
While Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon, she was beheaded in her sleep by the hero
Perseus with help from Athena,
Hermes, who supplied him with winged sandals, Hades' cap of invisibility, and a sickle. From her neck came her offspring:
Pegasus and
Chrysaor. Perseus used Medusa's head to rescue
Andromeda (mythology) Andromeda, kill
Polydectes, and, in some versions, petrify the Titan
Atlas (mythology) Atlas. Then he gave it to Athena, who placed it on her shield
Aegis.
Another well known version is that the once human Medusa claimed to be more beautiful than the greek Goddess of love and beauty,
Aphrodite. This caused her to turn Medusa and her sisters into Gorgons.
Medusa in popular culture
*Medusa is used as one of the many symbols of the
haute couture house
Versace.
*
Medusa (comics) Medusa is the name of a Marvel comics
fictional character.
*There is a play on Medusa in the cartoon
The Powerpuff Girls. The character is
Sedusa who uses her hair like tentacles.
*"Medusa" is a song by the thrash metal band
Anthrax (band) from their classic
1985 album ''
Spreading the Disease''.
*''Medusa'' is the name of the second solo album by
Annie Lennox, released in 1995.
*"Medusa" is a song by the American indie rock band
Helium (band) Helium, from their 1995 album ''The Dirt of Luck''.
User:Badagnani Badagnani 15:28, 31 March 2006 (UTC)
Medusa as a sexual image
Some writers, including
Camille Paglia, author of
Sexual Personae, have characterized Medusa as a sexual image. For example, in ''Sexual Personae,'' Paglia writes, "It is against the mother that men have erected their towering edifice of politics and sky-cult. She is Medusa, in whom Freud sees the castrating and castrated female pubes. But Medusa's snaky hair is also the writhing vegetable growth of nature. Her hideous grimace is men's fear of the laughter of women."
{{commons|Medusa (mythology)}}
Category:Greek legendary creatures
Category:Motif of harmful sensation
bg:Медуза (митологиÑ?)
cs:Medúsa
da:Medusa
de:Medusa (Mythologie)
es:Medusa (mitologÃa)
fr:Méduse (mythologie)
it:Medusa (mitologia)
lt:Medūza
nl:Medusa
no:Medusa
ja:メデューサ
pl:Meduza (mitologia)
pt:Medusa (mitologia)
ru:Медуза (мифологиÑ?)
sv:Medusa
th:เมดูซ่า
tr:Medusa
ar:ميدوسا
zh:美�莎
he:מדוזה (מיתולוגיה)
*** Shopping-Tip: Medusa
