Hussain_Gorgon

=Gorgon (Medusa)=

Origins:
The Gorgon was a terrifying female creature. She was the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. She is also known as Medusa. She was one of three sisters but she was the only mortal of the three. Medusa was born beautiful but was seduced by Poseidon, who was disguised as a horse, in one of Athenas temples. Her sisters names are Sthenno and Eurayle. All three of the sisters were so hideous that they were not to be approached and not to be described to anyone. The mere shock of seeing them would turn anyone into stone. Medusa is the "mistress of the West Gate of Death". Her home lay on the western ocean side at the entrance of the Underworld. She is the Krone goddess.

Appearance:
Medusa has hair of snakes and reptallian skin which are symbols of the natural cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Medusa's wings symbolize the sky, freedom and ruling over the world, and transition between the worlds of the earth and the sky. The ugly tusks prtruding out of her mouth are meant to destill pain and fear into people. Her ability to turn men into stone is her most important and most powerful ability. This is the power over all life, her ability to return life back to the from which it had come. This power represents a total control over the natural cycle.

__Medusa and Poseidon__-
Ovid says that Medusa was once a beautiful woman whose charm was compared to be even better than Athenas. One day poseidon sees Medusa praying in Athenas temple and he is tempted and rapes her there. For this wrongdoing in her temple and the jealously, Athena punishes Medusa. She says it is her fault she attracted the god of the sea with her looks. So she turns Medusa into this hideous looking creature that will turn anyone who looks at her into stone.

__Medusa and Perseus__-
Perseus was the slayer of Medusa. He was sent in a quest to the underworld to retrieve the head of Medusa. Since Perseus could not look at her he was given a shield from Athena to look into so he could see her reflection and chop her head off that way. He also had the aid of the winged shoes and harp given to him by mercury to lure her in.

Importance:
Medusa was important in mythology because she sort of portrays how women should be careful when showing their beauty, especially to a higher power because it can get you into trouble and into situations where you can be ripped apart by other women whether its because of jealousy, etc. Medusa was also important with the gods battle with the titans because when perseus flew past Atlas (leader of the Titans) he looked at medusa's head and turned into stone. But he was turned to stone after the gods had eventually won the battle with the Titans. Medusa is important because her symbols portray the natural cycle of birth, death, and rebirth which is essential to her because she was a mortal and to all other mortals as well.

Modern References:
[|Youtube- Perseus vs Medusa ║CLASH OF THE TITANS║2010]

Youtube- Fight scene of Medusa



Works Cited:
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