She was one of the Gorgons: three sisters with human bodies, large wings, and hair made of living snakes. The head of Medusa was the single most frequently used symbol in ancient Greek art. Medusa was one of the three Gorgons, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, sisters of the Graeae, Echidna, and Ladon – all dreadful and fearsome beasts. Images Today. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Origin: Libya. She is famed for her snake-like hair and her gaze, which turns those who look at her to stone. It is said to turn onlookers to stone. Updates? Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. Medusa is considered a Gorgon and according to Hesiod’s Theogony, the Gorgons were the sisters of the Graiai or Graeae. Medusa. Medusalith "Medusa" Amaquelin is the wife of Black Bolt, sister of Crystal and the Queen of the Inhumans. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. "Medusa" is a monstrous female character from the Greek mythology. Subsequent information suggests she may in fact be a manifestation of the Taken Vex Axis Mind, Quria, Blade Transform, although this is unconfirmed. Gazing directly upon her would turn men to … Medusa was one of three sisters born to Phorcys and Ceto known as the Gorgons. The sculpture stands on a square base which has bronze relief panels depicting the story of Perseus and Andromeda, similar to a predella on an altarpiece. Your IP: 162.144.137.145 Medusa is one of the most fascinating figures in classical mythology and one who bears a deep contemporary resonance. The severed head, which had the power of turning into stone all who looked upon it, was given to Athena, who placed it in her shield; according to another account, Perseus buried it in the marketplace of Argos. Poseidon courted her. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes; unlike the Gorgons, she was sometimes represented as very beautiful. Indeed, just yesterday, it was announced that a controversial statue of her would be installed in Collect Pond Park in New York City. While her sisters were immortal man-eaters, Medusa was the only one of the three who could be killed. From fruits to winged sandals, test your knowledge in this study of Greek and Roman mythology. Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons. She had the face of a hideous woman, but had poisonous snakes on her head, instead of hair. During Maximus ' coup, she was sent to Earth by Lockjaw, but not before being depowered by her brother-in-law. Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. There are varying accounts of how Euryale and Stheno became the feared Gorgons we see in literature, though many sources claim that the two sisters were turned into monsters for the perceived ‘crime’ of standing with Medusa instead of being compliant with Athena’s decision to punish her for … In Greek mythology, MEDUSA was one of the three horrendous Gorgons, daughter of two primordial sea deities, Phorcys and Ceto. Who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Ares? Medusa is usually depicted as a winged female creature with living venomous snakes on her hair. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Medusa-Greek-mythology, Theoi Greek Mythology - Gorgones and Medousa, Modern American Poetry - Medusa in Myth and Literary History, Ancient Origins - The Real Story of Medusa: Protective Powers from a Snake-Haired Gorgon, Medusa - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). She was portrayed by Uma Thurman, who also portrayed Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin and Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill. Later authors such as Herodotus and Pausanias place the Gorgons' abode in Libya. The device has a finite amount of power, another nod to the formula E=Mc squared. Medusa lived with her two sisters, Stheno and Euryale, in a cave surrounded by statues. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Medusa, marble sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 1630; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome. According to Hesiod 's Theogony, the Gorgons were the sisters of the Graiai and lived in the utmost place towards the night by the Hesperides beyond Oceanus. Despite her mortality, Medusa was the deadliest of the three. She may have had consensual or even sacred sex with him in Athena’s temple, or she may have fled to the temple to get away from him. Medusa was the only mortal out of her two other sisters who … Born to the sea god Phorcys and Ceto (Phorcys’ wife and sister), Medusa (queen or ruler) was one … • Medusa is one of three daughters born to Phorcys and Ceto. She is one of the three guardians of Persephone's Pearls, along with the Hydra and the Lotus Eaters. From the blood that spurted from her neck sprang Chrysaor and Pegasus, her two sons by Poseidon. Medusa is a woman with a fairly average physical build, and a large, black, dotted snake tattoo winding down either arm. Medusa was one of three Gorgon sisters who lived in a cave at the edges of the known world. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. Medusa was a temptress among the gods, and Poseidon had impregnated the mortal while in the temple of Athena. In Greek mythology, Medusa (Greek: Μέδουσα), meaning "guardian", "protectress" was a Gorgon, a chthonic female monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. Medusa’s head was still treated as a frightening object, even when it was shown as being almost entirely human. She was the daughter of Phorcys, a God of the sea, and Ceto, a female sea God. Medusa is a purported Craftmind, a Golden Age artificial intelligence designed for covert operations. She is killed by the hero Perseus, who cuts off her head. Medusa is a supporting antagonist in the novelPercy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and its 2010 film adaptation of the same name. Perseus, in Greek mythology, the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa and the rescuer of Andromeda from a sea monster. Medusa's sisters were immortal, but she could be killed. Medusa, one of the most feared figures in Greek mythology, as portrayed by Rubens. Certainly Medusa existed as a story and as a concept before Hesiod wrote about her, but this is the oldest Greek literature we have (to my knowledge) in which Medusa … • According to the Greek Myth, she was a beautiful maiden once and served as priestess to the goodness of wisdom, Athena. Athena cursed the mortal Medusa with a hideous face and snakes for hair. Medusa never had a husband. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Medusa is best known to today for her role in the adventures of the Greek hero Perseus. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. Medusa was one of the Gorgon sisters, though unlike Euryale and Stheno she was a mortal. According to Ovid, Medusa was once a beautiful young maiden, the only mortal of three sisters known as the Gorgons. Medusa is one of the more unusual divine figures of ancient Greece mythology. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae, the daughter of Acrisius of Argos. Omissions? One of a trio of Gorgon sisters, Medusa was the only sister who was not immortal. History of Medusa. Phorcys is said to have had claws for legs and skin covered with red spikes. Medusa, the most beautiful and only mortal Gorgon sister, is a sea spirit. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is instantly petrified.Otherwise, a creature that fails the save begins to turn to stone and is restrained. Today we look at one of the most misunderstood characters in Greek mythology, Medusa. In the British writer Iris Murdoch’s novel A Severed Head (1961), the heroine is a Medusa figure. Petrifying Gaze. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The other two Gorgons were named Stheno and Euryale, and their parents were the sea gods Ceto and Phorcys. Her name and aspects of her character are derived from Greek mythology as her hair has prehensile attributes like that of Medusa the Gorgon 's hair. When a creature that can see the medusa's eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of the medusa, the medusa can force it to make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw if the medusa isn't incapacitated and can see the creature. Please enable Cookies and reload the page. In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa is a Gorgon, one of three hideous sisters whose appearance turns men to stone. Because of this, it has become a widely-recognized icon. King Polydectes of Seriphos wanted to get rid of Perseus, so that he could have his way with Perseus’ mother Danae.Polydectes would trick Perseus in accepting a quest to obtain the head of Medusa, Perseus believing that it was to be a wedding gift, so that Polydectes could marry another woman, not Danae. A beautiful mortal, Medusa was the exception in the family, until she incurred the wrath of Athena, either due to her boastfulness or because of an ill-fated love affair with Poseidon. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. (Which Senku has noted a few times already on how energy cannot be created from nothing) These snakes replaced her original hair … Who led the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece? Medusa was a character from ancient Greek mythology known for her terrifying ability to turn people to stone. Pursuing her, he raped her there. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. These statues used to be living people and animals, but the three gorgons' gaze turned them to stone. She made contact with the Guardian under the guise of Eris Morn. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The name Gorgon comes from the word gorgos, which in Greek means horrible. Medusa would be confined to a cave, and anyone who made … Corrections? Medusa (Medusalith Amaquelin-Boltagon) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Perseus with the Head of Medusa is a bronze sculpture made by Benvenuto Cellini in the period 1545–1554. Heracles (Hercules) is said to have obtained a lock of Medusa’s hair (which possessed the same powers as the head) from Athena and given it to Sterope, the daughter of Cepheus, as a protection for the town of Tegea against attack; when exposed to view, the lock was supposed to bring on a storm, which put the enemy to flight. There she met and formed a close relationship with Louise Fisher, who helped Medusa reunite with her family. Medusa was a monster in Greek mythology, known as a Gorgon. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Learn more about the traditional story of Perseus in this article. She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes; unlike the Gorgons, she was sometimes represented as very beautiful. Cloudflare Ray ID: 6508eb114802c995 Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Medusa was the only one amongst the Gorgon sisters who was mortal, although how she could be the only mortal daughter born to immortal beings isn’t clearly explained.
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