Medusa. The Medusa we know was raped by Poseidon in the goddess Athena's temple. Athena then punished her for desecrating her sacred space by cursing Medusa with a head full of snakes and a gaze that turns men to stone. Then, a heroic Perseus severed the serpent-headed Medusa, turning her into a trophy.
What is the story of Medusa?
Legend states that Medusa was once a beautiful, avowed priestess of Athena who was cursed for breaking her vow of celibacy. ... When Medusa had an affair with the sea god Poseidon, Athena punished her. She turned Medusa into a hideous hag , making her hair into writhing snakes and her skin was turned a greenish hue.
Who was Medusa in Greek mythology?
Medusa, in Greek mythology, the most famous of the monster figures known as Gorgons . 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.
Who was Medusa cursed by?
Medusa and Poseidon engaged in a love affair and would have two children together, but not before Athena discovered the illicit affair. When Athena discovered the affair, she was enraged and immediately cursed Medusa by taking away her beauty.
What is Medusa best known for?
Medusa is best known for having hair made of snakes and for her ability to turn anyone she looked at to stone, literally to petrify . ... According to Hesiod's Theogony, she was one of three Gorgon sisters born to Keto and Phorkys, primordial sea gods; Medusa was mortal, while the others, Stheno and Euryale, were immortal.
Who was the ugliest god?
Facts about Hephaestus
Hephaestus was the only ugly god among perfectly beautiful immortals. Hephaestus was born deformed and was cast out of heaven by one or both of his parents when they noticed that he was imperfect. He was the workman of the immortals: he made their dwellings, furnishings, and weapons.
What was Medusa's real name?
In Greek mythology, Medusa (/mɪˈdjuːzə, -sə/; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα “guardian, protectress”) also called Gorgo , was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair.
Is Medusa still alive?
In 1912, a specimen shot in Sulawesi measured a jaw-dropping 10 m (32 ft 10 in). However, unlike Medusa, the unnamed animal was never kept alive in captivity . Medusa is currently housed at “The Edge of Hell Haunted House” in Kansas City.
Did Athena protect Medusa?
Athena is a virgin goddess, one who was the patron of Medusa. When Poseidon raped Medusa, she called out to Athena for both forgiveness and guidance. ... Thus, transforming Medusa was not an act of rage, rather, it was an act of protection . Athena could not punish Poseidon for what he did to Medusa.
Why does Medusa turn you to stone?
Poseidon, god of the sea, lusted after Medusa and raped her in Athena's temple. After catching word of Poseidon's attack on Medusa, a supposedly jealous Athena turned Medusa's lovely hair into snakes and cursed her with the ability to turn men who looked at her into stone.
Who is Athena in love with?
In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena is immune to romantic love, so there is no particular lover for her . The goddess of love, Aphrodite, has power...
Is Athena a virgin goddess?
Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess and was later taken over by the Greeks. ... She may not have been described as a virgin originally , but virginity was attributed to her very early and was the basis for the interpretation of her epithets Pallas and Parthenos.
What made Medusa evil?
Her beauty caught the eye of the sea god Poseidon, who proceeded to rape her in the sacred temple of Athena . Furious at the desecration of her temple, Athena transformed Medusa into a monster with the deadly capacity to turn whoever looked upon her face to stone.
Did Poseidon and Medusa have a child?
Medusa was the only Gorgon who was mortal; hence her slayer, Perseus, was able to kill her by cutting off her head. From the blood that spurted from her neck sprang Chrysaor and Pegasus, her two sons by Poseidon .
Is Medusa a goddess?
Most recognizable for her locks of snakes, Medusa was the daughter of ancient chthonic deities of the sea . She was born far across the ocean from Greece; Later contributing authors to Medusa's myth placed her homeland as Libya.
