Medusa: The Ancient Greek Myths - Essay Example

Classical Mythology Introduction In any given society, there are those people who give selflessly towards the welfare of others. Such people throughout history are rare to come by. These are the people who hold the fabric of the society together hence they play a major role to humanity as they bring the true meaning of life and needless to say, well, they add flavor by seasoning it in ways no mere mortal can understand. Such a person is called an altruist. An altruist would give anything for another fellow human being even his own life to see to it that the other person benefits from an event, circumstance or situation. It doesn’t matter to an altruist even if he gives to his disadvantage. To him, it is a calling. They are the life’s good-Samaritans, saints or better still the altruistic heroes. On the other hand, we have self-centered people who unfortunately, the world over happen to be the majority of the populace. These people are a contrast to the altruist and are referred to as individualistic. These types of people do not care what their friends, neighbors, enemies or even the society at large cares, concerns, worries, needs, wants and desires are. They are a selfless lot who are only minding their own welfare be it their loins or stomach, etc only. They do not care a hoot, they are not willing to spare a second of their time or resources to help someone or the society at large. This could partly be because they never have enough but more on their selfishness. Reflecting on the above understanding, this paper critically examines Medusa from a broad point of view. Medusa is the subject of a classical Greek myth that still lingers up to today. There exists a myriad of variants to this myth, including one crafted for kids. Most characters and details have been conserved. Medusa was a stunningly beautiful and charming lady who lived in Greece. She was one of three daughters of the Gorgons family, the other daughters being Stheno and Euryale, whos parents were Phorcys and Ceto. Of the three daughters, she was the mortal one. Athena, who was the Princess of Greece, is the reason behind the current unpleasant visage Medusa is associated with. One version of the myth narrates that Athena walked-in on Medusa lying with Poseidon, the “lord of the seas”, in her shrine (Beth Seelig). This revelation evoked Athena into turning Medusa into an extremely ugly figure such that if anyone looked at her, the onlooker would convert to stone. Her hair was turned into serpentine locks.Medusa was rendered to roam in the dark edges of the world. The then king of Greece, King Polydectes of Seriphos sent Perseus on a daring conquest to decapitate and fetch Medusas head. He had been equipped with a reflective shield, curved sword, winged boots and a helm of invisibility. Perseus conquered and severed Medusas head from her body while looking into Medusas image on the reflective shield, so as to avoid being turned to stone. A winged horse, Pegasos and a giant Khrysaor sprang from the wounds on her body. The head was still potent with Medusas power and peeking into its eyes would still turn anyone to stone. Perseus used the Medusas head to turn Titan Atlas into stone when he tried to attack him, an incident on his journey to Africa to wed his lovely princess, Andromeda, in Ethiopia. At intervals when Perseus lay down the head and blood spattered on the ground, new demonic creatures arose from the blood-lets, which now infest Africa (Lucas, Pharsalia). Where the blood trails streaked into seas, notably the Red Sea in this case, the corals near the shores were turned to dangerous seaweed that got tangled with sea vessels running them aground (Ovid, Metamorphoses 4.770). Medusa is also believed to fan sea storms that would drive ships to destruction bycrashing them upon reefs. When king Polydectes crossed Perseus way by trying to forcefully arrange a marriage on her mother, he too Perseus turned to stone. Later Perseus handed the head over to Athena to use it on her shield, the Aegis, for power (Rhondanini Medusa). The Medusa myth crafted for kids commences with Medusa being considered the loveliest lady in Athens, Greece, where Princess Athena ruled. Medusa was being bombarded with many suitors and admirers. She, however, had a loathsome behavior that never ceased, of bragging about her beauty. She spent most of her time admiring herself in the mirror and went about her beauty on anyone who stopped long enough to listen to her. One day she and her friends visited the Parthenon, Athena’s temple, which was adorned with paintings, engravings and sculptures of Athena that were largely beautiful to everyone. On her visit, Medusa pride raised a notch and she made comments that she was more beautiful than Athena and that she would make a grander temple than her. On hearing her, everyone left the building leaving Medusa to face up to Athena on the utterances. Athena was enraged and turned Medusa to the ugliest creature to look at. The story is commonly read for kids so as to teach and enact morals in them. They are taught that pride is not a virtue, and that humility is. At one point in the story, Athena points out to Medusa that “beauty fades swiftly in all mortals and that it does not comfort the sick, teach the unskilled or feed the hungry”. Medusas pride had been punished. In today’s generation, Medusa is used in variety of fields that include religious, art, feminism, in flags and emblems to depict a consortium of interpretations. In feminism, Medusa portrays a woman’s rage that guides through the depths of terror and anger into the source of power in women. Most women adopt Medusa when they are showing the ragious entity in them (Mary Valentes). Versace, a fashion company, which makes feminists clothes, uses the Medusa logo in marketing and is considered to connote malevolence. Despite her being formerly beautiful, most women associate her with monstrosity (Ann Devanne). In the sacred realms, Medusa is portrayed in different images that metamorphoses with eras. On one aspect of the contrast, Medusa conveys the message of a dreaded enemy of death and is an embodiment of the devil.She is assigned the “Ugly Semblance” who resides under the seas and swallows things in high waves and tides. Perseus and Andromeda are symbolized as the incarnate Saviours of the Christian (Thomas Bulfinch). On the other hand, some religions depict Medusa as Sacred and that her mesmerizing stares enabled the sacred to hide their secrets. Medusa is also referred to as the guardian to the entrance to the world of the dead. She prevents the living from entering through this door (Paradise lost). Medusa is used to represent “Nietzschian nihilism” a philosophical doctrine that negates one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life (Jack London, The Mutiny of the Elsinore). One ideology sets out that another hero, analogical to Parseus, sets for Greece and fails in his conquest after realizing that there was no longer an untainted land in his country. This is believed to point at the modern Greeces inability to accommodate change. It is revealed with the presentation of two drops of Gorgons blood by Athena to Asclepius that Medusa could be used as either cure or poison (Thomas Bulfinch). Medusa denoted as a “pharmakos” could be used as sacrifice to make sacred and reinforce the separation of monster and god. Two elements though are evident, that is the rivalry between Athena and the Gorgon for the mirror motif (Mirror of Mudesa). Though Medusa is referred to as “ pharmakos”, she is however shown in apotropaic function as wearing a mask- the pharmakos itself. It is mythologically stated that Medusas face was a mask over her former human face borne out of her being portrayed as monstrous. Medusa and Athena are viewed as in-dissociable in that her powers are also drawn from Medusas head that she bears on her Aegis (Thomas Bulfinch). Their association was first based on rivalry. Athena is often referred to as “les Serpentine” for her most numerous and common features associated with her were serpents, evident with her turning Medusas hair to locks of serpents. The blue-green eyes of Medusa given to her as punishment are also associated to Athena and are compared to the eyes of an owl that rarely blink (Thomas Bulfinch). Persues too is painted with the same countenance as Medusa as he uses the decapitated head to turn his rivals into stone, in a complete reversal of roles (Ellen Harrison). The mirror that Perseus used to vanquish Medusa is depicted superstitiously as the “evil eye” for playing the major role in Medusas defeat. Perseus was able to slay Medusa without being turned to stone. Medusa was rendered a victim of her own reflection and this absolves the victimizer, in this case Perseus, from all “blame” (Thomas Bulfinch). Two contrasting themes- violence rendered sacred and death by petrification (Das Corgonenhaupt) are conveyed more so by Medusa mask as a symbol. “Fascinum” meaning charm and evil spell, is used to describe the contrasting personalities of feminism. The lure she evokes in men is both fearful and fascinating. Myths of Perseus preserve the memories of conflict between men and women (Odyssey). Women wore the Gorgons mask to wade off men from their reserved mysteries and lust. Perseus victory over Medusa is a representative of the stifling of women ascendancy and concurrently, an overtaking by men. Medusa is presented as a supreme talisman that raises images of castration in children minds- discovery of maternal sexuality- which bores comforting erection as petrifaction (Sigmund Freud, Das Meduseuhaupt). The sun and Medusas mask have also been subjected to comparison. They exhibit a lure aspect about them but they,however, are unapproachable and terrifying for those who come too close. The sun, like Gorgons mask, is fearsome and castrating (op. cit). When one embarks on an in-depth examination of things he or she is met with blur of petrifying abyss. The desire of death is inherent of those who set to destroy the idols (Thomas Bulfinch). The destiny of the “lovers of truth” appears to change into statue or sacred columns (Dionysos Dithyramben). The truth becomes distorted the closer you get to such a point that you no longer believe in it and one starts to fail in attaining it prompting one to devise his version of the truth (Posthumous Fragments). Based on the Myth of Athena, her being the inventor of the flute, she could not play it,though. Whenever she tried to play the flute, which she had made to mimic the hissing sounds of serpents on Medusas head, she discovered that her face would contort to resemble that of Gorgons mask. She does away with playing the flute. Once more this coincides with Narcissistic theme that blurs the difference between Athena and Medusa (The Pythian Odes). Those that pursue “eidos” are in danger of confronting Medusas head (The Politics). Conclusion From the above discussion, it is notable that Medusa represents Greek myth. In the family of three daughters, Medusa was the only one who was mortal, despite the fact that she was once beautiful. Cited in the discussion is that Medusa represents Nietzschian nihilism. In other words, this defines a truth-seeking doctrine that negates one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. The ideology sets out that another hero, analogical to Parseus, sets for Greece and fails in his conquest after realizing that there was no longer an untainted land in his country. Through Medusa, various myths and philosophical ideologies have been presented and therefore shedding light on the past. Works Cited Bulfinch Thomas. Bulfinch Mythology- Age of Fable- Stories of gods and heroes. New York: John Wiley and Sons. 2007. Print. Marjorie J. Milne. Pythian Ode 12. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1941. Print. Petersen Per Serritslev. Jack London’s Medusa of Truth. New York: Worth Publishers 2002. Print. Read More