![]() ![]() Medusa’s hair of living snakes in Greek mythology keeps people away from her and underscores the terrifying and repulsive monstrosity of the previously attractive girl. It is a primal fear that is expressed in various mythologies. About 3% has snake phobia: An extreme, paralyzing, and persistent fear called ophidiophobia, from ophis, the Greek word for snake. ![]() Some 50% of the world’s population reports being afraid of snakes. ![]() Medusa by Carlos Schwabe A snake lurks in the grass Hair of venomous snakes and a gaze that will turn you into stone. The cursed Medusa represents at least two horrifying things – venomous snakes and petrification. The tale of the unfortunate Medusa is recounted here not because the Davidson Institute has taken up mythology, but rather, on the occasion of All Saints’ Eve, or Halloween, celebrated tonight around the world, and associated with both horror stories and monsters. Athena cursed Medusa, turning her hair into squirming venomous snakes, and her face, probably more beautiful than that of the envious goddess, became so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone. After Poseidon left, the goddess unleashed her wrath on the poor girl. Athena, the eternal virgin, was shocked by the desecration of her temple, and hid her eyes behind her shield in order not to see. Poseidon captured Medusa in the temple and violated her. Fleeing from him, Medusa came to the temple of Athena (Minerva), goddess of wisdom. Poseidon (Neptune), god of the sea, also noticed the girl – Medusa – and decided she would be his. Many authors specify that Medousa could petrify people, but I can't find any specific mention that her sisters couldn't.According to Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid, many years ago, there lived a beautiful maiden, “the jealous aspiration of many suitors.” All who saw her face swore they had never seen a lovelier face, and more than all of her beautiful features, were enchanted by her lush golden wavy hair. This is the only mention I can find of multiple Gorgons in the Theogony, with no mention of petrification. (Hesiod Theogony 276-9, translation mine.) Only she was mortal, while the others are undying and unaging, the two of them she is the only one blue-haired wandered with amid the soft meadows and springtime flowers. Sthenno, and Euryalë, and Medousa, who suffered such misery. Medousa's defining characteristic seems to have been that she was mortal, while her sisters weren't, which is why Perseus was able to kill her: As Lauren mentioned, Homer and many other authors mentions only a single Gorgon (sometimes "Gorgo"), whose head was on Athena's shield the sisters don't show up much outside the Perseus myth.Īpart from the petrification, Hesiod similarly mentions that all three were monsters Pseudo-Apollonius says all three were identical in appearance Ovid says that all three were originally beautiful, but Medousa had her hair turned into snakes. I can't find any other sources that mention Sthen(n)o and Euryalë being able to petrify, or not. (Translation mine I can't seem to find an edition with line numbers to cite.) They turned anyone who saw them to stone. (Book 30, lines 264-266, translation mine)Ī bit earlier, Pseudo-Apollodorus (author of the Bibliotheca) says in the first or second century CE that all three could petrify: Have you had Perseus's quests, then? Have you seen Sthenno's petrifying eye? Have you heard the screaming mouth of Euryalë herself? But some later authors made it explicit.įrom Nonnus's Dionysiaca, from the fourth or fifth century CE. None of the oldest sources seem to confirm or deny, since Medousa's sisters don't really do much in the most famous myths.
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