Medusa The Cursed Woman

Medusa is a figure from Greek folklore, the main human of the three Gorgons, alongside her undying sisters, Stheno and Euryale. The three Gorgons were brought into the world to the ocean lord of the risks of the secret profound, Phorcys, and the goddess of ocean beasts and the risks of the ocean, Ceto.

As per Hesiod in his Theogony, Medusa and her sisters were the sisters of the Graeae and resided “past outlined Oceanus at the world’s hard edge by Night, where the unmistakable voiced Hesperides are” (Theogony,270). The three sisters are frequently referenced together, however Medusa is ordinarily portrayed in both antiquated Greek writing and workmanship. The name Gorgon comes from the antiquated Greek word γοργός, signifying “dreary,” “furious,” and “awful,” and Medusa’s name gets from the old Greek action word μέδω signifying “to monitor” or “to safeguard,” which is exceptionally fitting given the apotropaic nature of the substance of the Gorgon, known as the Gorgoneion.

Medusa is most popular from the tale of her passing, brought upon her by the legend Perseus who executed her with the assistance of the divine beings Hermes and Athena. The earliest variant of Medusa’s passing is from Hesiod’s Theogony, which subtleties her beheading and portrays her youngsters Pegasus, the winged pony, and the incomparable Chrysaor, who sprung from her neck. Notices of the top of the Gorgon in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, which were initially essential for the Greek oral practice prior to being focused on composing at some point in the eighth century BCE, allude to a long history of the narrative of the complicated person of the Gorgon Medusa

Perseus & Medusa Short description

Over the long run, Medusa’s story changed between the heap old scholars and artists who expounded on her story. She is most popular for her hair of snakes and her capacity to go individuals to stone with a solitary look. The eighth century BCE writer Hesiod portrays how Poseidon engaged in sexual relations with Medusa in a delicate spring knoll, and Ovid (43 BCE to 17 CE), the Roman artist nearly 700 years after the fact, relates how Medusa was disregarded in a hallowed place to Minerva (what could be compared to Athena) by Neptune (what could be compared to Poseidon), and how, in reprisal for profaning her sanctuary, Minerva transformed Medusa’s exquisite hair into snakes. As a rule, artists portrayed Medusa as a beast from birth, close by her godlike sisters, yet later essayists say she started as a delightful lady yet was transformed into a beast by Athena or Minerva.

Medusa is most popular for her demise because of Perseus, and Pseudo-Apollodorus relates the story in the best detail. As per him, Perseus was the child of Zeus, who appeared as a shower of gold), and Danaë, who had been secured by her dad Acrisius after he was let by a prophet know that he would be killed by Danaë’s child. At the point when Acrisius discovered that Perseus had been conceived and was the child of the ruler of the divine beings, he put both Danaë and her child Perseus into a chest and flung it into the ocean.

The chest at last came aground at the island of Seriphos, and Perseus was raised by Dictys, the sibling of Polydectes, the lord of Seriphos. Polydectes fell head over heels for Danaë, yet Perseus was very defensive of his mom, thus the lord made an arrangement to deceive Perseus. He assembled his kin to a meal under the ploy of gathering commitments for the marriage of Hippodamia, who restrained ponies. At the point when Perseus showed up without ponies for a gift as was mentioned by Polydectes, Polydectes rather requested that Perseus recover for him the head of Medusa, the main human Gorgon, in the expectations that he wouldn’t succeed.

Perseus was directed by the god Hermes and the goddess Athena on his excursion. It is said that Athena helped in the killing of Medusa on the grounds that the young lady had been willing to have her magnificence contrasted with Athena. By certain fairies, the legend was given winged shoes, a sack known as a kibisis to store the top of the Gorgon, and the imperceptibility cap of Hades. Also, Hermes had given him an inflexible sickle. Perseus showed up at the home of the Gorgons while they dozed. As he remained over the resting animals, Athena directed Perseus’ hand while he investigated the impression of a bronze safeguard so as not to be gone to stone by the look of the Gorgons in the event that they stirred, and he cut off the head of Medusa with the sickle. From her cut off head sprang Pegasus, the winged pony, and Chrysaor. Perseus set the head of Medusa in his kibisis, however as he was leaving, the excess two Gorgons awakened and attempted to seek after him, yet since he was wearing the undetectable cap, they couldn’t see him.

Story of Athena medusa

Medusa lived in the city of Athens in a nation named Greece – – and in spite of the fact that there were numerous beautiful young ladies in the city, Medusa was viewed as the most exquisite.

Sadly, Medusa was extremely pleased with her magnificence and thought or discussed little else. Every day she bragged how pretty she was and every day her gloats turned out to be more silly.

On Sunday, Medusa boasted to the mill operator that her skin was more gorgeous than new fallen snow. On Monday, she let the shoemaker know that her hair sparkled more splendid than the sun. On Tuesday, she remarked to the metal forger’s child that her eyes were greener than the Aegean Sea. On Wednesday, she gloated to everybody at the public gardens that her lips were redder than the reddest rose.

At the point when she wasn’t in the middle of imparting her considerations about her excellence to all who cruised by, Medusa would look affectionately at her appearance in the mirror. She respected herself in her grasp reflect for an hour every morning as she brushed her hair. She respected herself in her obscured window for an hour each night as she prepared for bed. She even halted to respect herself in the well every evening as she drew water for her dad’s ponies – – frequently neglecting to get the water in her interruption.

Endlessly Medusa approached her excellence to everybody who sufficiently halted to hear her – – until one day when she made her most memorable visit to the Parthenon with her companions. The Parthenon was the biggest sanctuary to the goddess Athena in all the land. It was designed with astonishing models and works of art. Every individual who entered was awed by the magnificence of the spot and couldn’t resist the opportunity to consider that they were so thankful to Athena, goddess of insight, for motivating them and for looking after their city of Athens. Everybody, or at least, aside from Medusa.

At the point when Medusa saw the figures, she murmured that she would have improved a much subject for the stone carver than Athena had. At the point when Medusa saw the craftsmanship, she remarked that the craftsman had made a fine showing thinking about the goddess’ thick eyebrows – – yet envision the amount more great the composition would be in the event that it was of somebody as sensitive as Medusa.

What’s more, when Medusa arrived at the raised area she moaned cheerfully and said, “My this is a wonderful sanctuary. It is a disgrace it was squandered on Athena for I am such a great deal prettier than she is – maybe some time or another individuals will construct a significantly more fantastic sanctuary to my magnificence.”

Medusa’s companions developed pale. The priestesses who heard Medusa panted. Murmurs went through every one individuals in the sanctuary who immediately started to leave – – for everybody realize that Athena delighted in looking after individuals of Athens and dreaded what could occur assuming the goddess had heard Medusa’s rash comments.

After a short time the sanctuary was vacant of everybody with the exception of Medusa, who was so in the middle of looking gladly at her appearance in the enormous bronze entryways that she hadn’t seen the quick takeoff of every other person. The picture she was looking at faltered and unexpectedly, rather than her own elements, it was the substance of Athena that Medusa saw reflected back at her.

“Vain and silly young lady,” Athena said furiously, “You assume you are prettier than I am! I question it to be valid, yet regardless of whether it were – – there is something else to life besides magnificence alone. While others work and play and learn, you in all actuality do nearly nothing yet gloat and appreciate yourself.”

Medusa attempted to guide out that her excellence was a motivation toward people around her and that she improved their lives by basically looking so beautiful, yet Athena quieted her with a baffled wave
“Rubbish,” Athena countered, “Excellence blurs quickly in all humans. It doesn’t comfort the debilitated, instruct the incompetent or feed the hungry. Furthermore, by my powers, your awesomeness will be stripped away totally. Your destiny will act as a wake up call to others to control their pride.”

Furthermore, with those words Medusa’s face changed to that of a frightful beast. Her hair curved and thickened into terrible snakes that murmured and battled each other on her head.

“Medusa, for your pride this has been finished. Your face is currently so horrible to observe that the simple sight of it will turn a man to stone,” declared the goddess, “Even you, Medusa, would it be a good idea for you look for your appearance, will go to shake the moment you see your face.”

Furthermore, with that, Athena sent Medusa with her hair of snakes to live with the visually impaired beasts – – the gorgon sisters – – at the closures of the earth, so no blameless people would be coincidentally gone to stone at seeing her.

Head of Medusa Art – Peter Paul Rubens

The well known Flemish craftsman, Peter Paul Rubens, painted the notorious show-stopper, Medusa somewhere in the range of 1617 and 1618. The real date is obscure. The work of art portrays a ruthless picture of Medusa’s head, that has been cut off from her body.
The whole artwork is taken up wilt head, no different parsons should be visible. Today, the artistic creation is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, that is situated in Vienna. A reproduction painting is likewise housed in Brno, inside the esteemed Moravian Gallery.
The renowned Flemish craftsman, Peter Paul Rubens, painted the notable magnum opus, Medusa somewhere in the range of 1617 and 1618. The genuine date is obscure. The composition portrays a ruthless picture of Medusa’s head, that has been cut off from her body.

The whole artistic creation is taken up shrink head, no different parsons should be visible. Today, the composition is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, that is situated in Vienna. An imitation canvas is likewise housed in Brno, inside the renowned Moravian Gallery.
Wolfgang Prohaska examined exhaustively the practice of addressing Medusa and her iconography in his entrance for the artistic creation in the list of the presentation held in Vienna in 1977. The head of Medusa was most normally addressed in story seclusion on the safeguard of Minerva, either in real sixteenth-century metalwork or in enhancing safeguards painted on wood. The last practice most likely started with a lost early work by Leonardo da Vinci which was referenced in the stock of the Medici and distinctively portrayed by Vasari in 1568. Maybe enlivened by the Leonardo, Caravaggio likewise created a head of Medusa on Minerva’s safeguard, which is currently in the Uffizi, and which as per Baglione, was sent via Cardinal del Monte to Grand Duke Ferdinand I de’ Medici of Tuscany, presumably around 1600.

No doubt Rubens knew the composition via Caravaggio, which he might have seen on his outing to Florence in 1600 or later. As Prohaska noticed, Caravaggio’s painting was at that point celebrated in a madrigal of 1602 by Gaspare Murtolas, which caused to notice its apotropaic political viewpoints. Giambattista Marino’s Galleria (Venice, 1620) additionally underscored the Grand Duke’s relationship with Medusa, “Che las versa Medusa e il bravery vostro.” Prohaska further conjectured that an icono-realistic viewpoint, which however not the first justification behind Rubens’ origination could have spoke to or reason that battles the foes of temperance. Sixteenth-century seals additionally recommend that Perseus with the head of Medusa could encapsulate the possibility that demonstrations of brilliance (and, verifiably, show-stoppers), when accomplished through the endeavors of astuteness and persuasiveness, could deliver humanity unbending with shock.