What do gorgon jellyfish sisters look like? Mythological Encyclopedia: Bestiary: Gorgons - Gorgons, Medusa

In myths and legends Ancient Greece There were several gorgons. Some say that these were three sisters, daughters of the deity Phorkias (Forkis). The Gorgon was a creature that looked like a woman with snakes instead of hair.
The most famous of all three monsters was Medusa the Gorgon. She had the ability to turn a person into stone.

The story of its origin

Medusa was born from the fraternal mixture of the sea chthonic deity Phorcys and his sister Keto. The Gorgon had the ability to turn objects into stone using her gaze, but was the only mortal of all three Gorgons that existed.

According to the latest version myth, written by the ancient Roman poet Ovid in his work "Metamorphoses", the Gorgon Medusa was a girl with beautiful hair. The god of the seas and oceans, Poseidon, captured Medusa in the temple of Athena. Here the girl sought protection from her pursuer. But Athena not only refused Medusa asking for help, but also turned her hair into a “nest of snakes.”

The myth of Medusa the Gorgon, who fell at the hands of Perseus

Once upon a time there lived a young man named Perseus, the mortal son of the god Zeus. He grew and became more and more beautiful, stronger and faster. Almost everyone loved him for his beauty and kindness to others. Only King Polydectes himself hated him. He was very gloating when the young man came to him asking him to take him only daughter I give it as a wife. To finally finish off the heart of young Perseus, Polydectes instructed him to bring the head of Medusa the Gorgon. Only then will Perseus be able to marry his daughter.

The guy knew what dangerous feat the king was subjecting him to. People said that Medusa lived at the very edge of the earth, in the kingdom of the goddesses of the night and the god of death Tanat. Her body was covered with strong scales, and on her head, instead of hair, a snake’s nest wriggled. But besides this, it was possible to kill Medusa the Gorgon. After all, of all three daughters of the dark deity Fork, she was the only one mortal.

Not forgetting his pride, Perseus made a promise to King Polydectes that he would return only when he had the head of the monster in his hand. The gods watched everything that was happening and figured out how to help Perseus while he was still on his journey. Hermes and Athena came to him and gave him a helmet for invisibility and a shiny shield that looked like a mirror.

Perseus reached the habitat of Medusa, but three Grays stood in his way. The Grai had one eye for three, which the quick Perseus took away and promised to return in exchange for a way to cross river of the dead, Styx. The women gave him sandals with wings, but warned him that Medusa’s gaze turns a person to stone.

His sandals carried him above the ground until he saw a rock shining opposite the sun like a gold bar. Perseus landed here and saw three sleeping gorgons. He didn’t know what Gorgon Medusa looked like and hesitated. But then Athena came to his aid, who sang in her voice that his goal lay farthest from the sea.

Looking at the shield as if in a mirror, Perseus approached her and with a quick movement cut off her head. The two remaining sisters immediately woke up, but the young man was no longer visible. He put on his helmet and ran away from them. The sands of Libya helped him get rid of his pursuers, although they paid for it. After all, where the blood dripped from the severed head, many snakes appeared.

Head of Medusa

This was not the end of the Ancient Greek myth about Medusa the Gorgon. With the help of the severed head, Perseus was able to perform many more feats and defeat Keto (the mother of the Gorgons).

The ancient Greek geographer Pausanias claimed that the head of the Gorgon rests underground in Argos, where the Cyclops people created an entire temple for it.

The ability of gorgons to turn people into stone

Among the gorgons, the gorgon Medusa, mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, stood out, who, according to Pindar ( OK. 518-442 BC) and Ovid (43 BC – 17 or 18 AD), had a wonderful gift of captivating people with her gaze and turning them to stone. According to other versions of the myth, the gaze of all the gorgons turned people and animals into stone, and even water turned into ice from their gaze.

Read my works about other creatures that turned people to stone - the basilisk, the leader of the Vievichi Vie and the leader of the Fomorians Balor

Gorgons - beautiful sea maidens who became monsters

Gorgons weren't always monsters. In ancient times, the gorgon sisters were beautiful sea maidens. According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, Athena turned Medusa and her sisters into monsters - gorgons after Poseidon possessed Medusa in the temple of Athena. According to another myth, Euryale and Stheno decided to become gorgons themselves out of compassion for the fate of their sister, Medusa. Unlike their sisters - the gorgons, whowere immortal, the gorgon Medusa was mortal.

Gorgon Medusa

As mentioned above, the most famous gorgon was the youngest of the daughters of Forkis and Keto, Medusa - a monster with woman's face and snakes or hydras on the head instead of hair. The gorgon Medusa got her name because of the resemblance of the moving hair of snakes to jellyfish.
Gorgon Medusa is bornbeautiful sea maiden(does this not speak about her werewolf abilities, like nagas and vieviches?) - so beautiful that the god Poseidon himself decided to unite with her. Pindar, in the Twelfth Pythian Ode, described the beauty and attractiveness of Medusa, which inspired writers and poets for many centuries. However, in ancient Greek art she was also depicted with boar tusks instead of teeth.
Transformed into a monster, Medusa was forced to hide her ugly appearance from everyone, and moved “to the ends of the earth,” to a lost, remote island, where she spent long years.

Killing of the Gorgon Medusa by Perseus

G orgone Medusa was killed by the hero Perseus, who accidentally “reproached” the promise to kill her, which Athena took advantage of. The gods Athena and Hermes helped him cope with the monster. According to another myth, recounted in Euripides' Ion, Medusa was born by Gaia and killed by Athena during the Gigantomachy. According to Euhemerus, Athena herself killed her.
The head of the murdered Medusa, according to Pausanias, lay in an earthen mound near the square of Argos. Pausanias in his “Description of Hellas” wrote that the Cyclopes made the head of the Gorgon Medusa from marble and installed it near the temple of Cephisus in Argos.

Gorgon Medusa - a poisonous creature that instantly killed people

Euripides in Ion noted that one half of the blood of the Gorgon Medusa was healing, and the other– poison from a snake's body. The blood of the gorgon Medusa, given by Athena to the healer Asclepius, was used by the latter in the following way.With the help of the blood of Medusa, taken from the left side of the body, Asclepius revived people, and with the blood taken from the right side of the body, he instantly killed.

It is believed that the myths about the Gorgon Medusa have a connection with the cult of the Scythian snake-footed goddess - the ancestor of Tabiti, evidence of whose existence are references in ancient sources and archaeological finds of images. In the Hellenized version, this “Gorgon Medusa” gave birth to the Scythian people from her connection with Hercules.

Head of Medusa

And in the severed state, the gaze of the gorgon's head retained the ability to turn people into stone. Perseus used the head of Medusa in battle with Keto (the Whale), a dragon-like sea monster (and mother of the Gorgons) who was sent by Poseidon to devastate Ethiopia. Showing the face of Medusa to Keto, Perseus turned her into stone and saved Andromeda, the royal daughter, who was destined to be sacrificed to Keto. Before this, he turned into stone the titan Atlas, which supported the firmament near the island of the Gorgons, and it turned into Mount Atlas in modern Morocco.

Later, Perseus turned King Polydectes and his servants, who were pursuing Danae, Perseus' mother, into stone in the same way. Then the head of Medusa was placed on the aegis of Athena (“on the chest of Athena”) - in art it was customary to depict this head on the armor on the goddess’s shoulder or under the collarbones on her chest.

Interpretations

According to the rationalist interpretation, she was the daughter of King Forcus and reigned over the people at Lake Tritonida, led the Libyans to war, but was treacherously killed at night. The Carthaginian writer Proclus calls her a wild woman from the Libyan Desert. According to another interpretation, she was a heterosexual, fell in love with Perseus and spent her youth and fortune.

The animal gorgon from Libya was described by Alexander of Mindsky.

Ancient sources

In art

She was depicted as a woman with snakes instead of hair and boar tusks instead of teeth. In Hellenic images there is sometimes a beautiful dying gorgon girl.

Separate iconography - images of the severed head of Medusa, either in the hands of Perseus, on the shield or aegis of Athena and Zeus. On other shields it turned into a decorative motif - gorgoneion.

In Scythian art - an omphalos spell bowl of the 4th century. BC e. from Kul-Oba (Kerch) with 24 heads.

Beliefs and amulets

Gorgoneion is a talisman mask with the image of the head of Medusa, which was depicted on clothing, household items, weapons, tools, jewelry, coins and building facades. The tradition is also found in Ancient Rus'.

In Russian medieval culture

In Slavic medieval book legends, she turned into a maiden with snake-shaped hair - the maiden Gorgonia. The sorcerer, who manages to decapitate Gorgonia and take possession of her head through deception, receives a miraculous remedy that gives him victory over any enemies. Also in the Slavic apocrypha - the “beast of Gorgonians”, guarding paradise from people after the Fall. In the novel Alexandria, Alexander the Great takes possession of the head.

Head of the gorgon Medusa as an emblem

In Western European painting and sculpture

In Western European literature

In culture

• Das Medusenhaupt- work of Sigmund Freud, analysis of myth from the point of view of psychoanalysis.
• The Gorgon Medusa is an iconic symbol for modern feminists. In particular, they object to the use of the image of an innocently murdered heroic woman as a logo for the Versace fashion house.
• Asteroid 149 Medusa, discovered in 1875, is named after the Gorgon Medusa.
• In the repertoire of the Knyazz group there is a song with the same name.
• The song Stare from the Gorky Park album of the same name is dedicated to the story of Medusa.
• IN modern literature Medusa Gorgon is presented in the book series “Tanya Grotter” in the role of Medusa Gorgonova - associate professor, deputy head of Tibidox, teacher of non-living studies.
• In the visual novel Fate/stay night, Medusa appears as a Rider-class Servant. Her image is slightly different from the original in that she does not have snake hair, but her ability to turn all living things into stone with her gaze turns out to be real. In battles, she fights on the back of a white pegasus named Bellerophon.

Gorgon in cinema and animation

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Also, this half-man, half-snake, with writhing snakes on her head instead of hair, is found in the film “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief” (), the role was played by actress Uma Thurman.

Clash of the Titans

An evil creature, half human - half snake, whose head is swarming with snakes instead of hair, appears in the film “Clash of the Titans” (), the role was played by top model Natalia Vodianova. The original film used a doll.

Perseus (cartoon)

In the 1973 Soviet cartoon, the Gorgon appears as a seductive winged nymph with huge sparkling and constantly changing eyes, collecting on her island stone monuments their victims.

Doctor Who

In the British science fiction series, Medusa the Gorgon appeared as a fictional creature brought to life in the Land of Fantasy. Her appearance occurred in episode 2 of season 6, "The Mind Thief" (1969), where she was played by Sue Pulford.

School of Monsters (cartoon)

Mentioned as Deuce's mother Gorgon.

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Notes

Literature

• // Kinyar P. Sex and fear: Essay: Trans. from fr. - M.: Text, 2000, p. 51-58.

see also

• Gorgons - ancient Greek monsters, sisters of Medusa
• Jellyfish, the inhabitants of the sea, got their name in honor of the gorgon with moving tentacles.
• Basilisk - another monster with a magical look
• Gorgona Island is a Colombian island named after large quantity poisonous snakes.

Links

• on the website "Encyclopedia of Fictional Creatures". Gallery

Initial deities Titans Titanides Children of the Titans Olympic gods Other Olympians Gods water element Basic Chthonic deities Basic Born on earth Earth

Excerpt characterizing the Gorgon Medusa

Prince Andrei led Pierre to his half, which was always waiting for him in perfect order in his father’s house, and he himself went to the nursery.
“Let’s go to my sister,” said Prince Andrei, returning to Pierre; - I haven’t seen her yet, she is now hiding and sitting with her God’s people. Serves her right, she will be embarrassed, and you will see God's people. C "est curieux, ma parole. [This is interesting, honestly.]
– Qu"est ce que c"est que [What are] God's people? - asked Pierre
- But you'll see.
Princess Marya was really embarrassed and turned red in spots when they came to her. In her cozy room with lamps in front of the icon cases, on the sofa, at the samovar, a young boy with a long nose and long hair, and in a monastic robe.
On a chair nearby sat a wrinkled, thin old woman with a meek expression on her childish face.
“Andre, pourquoi ne pas m"avoir prevenu? [Andrei, why didn’t you warn me?],” she said with meek reproach, standing in front of her wanderers, like a hen in front of her chickens.
– Charmee de vous voir. Je suis tres contente de vous voir, [Very glad to see you. “I’m so pleased that I see you,” she said to Pierre, while he kissed her hand. She knew him as a child, and now his friendship with Andrei, his misfortune with his wife, and most importantly, his kind, simple face endeared her to him. She looked at him with her beautiful, radiant eyes and seemed to say: “I love you very much, but please don’t laugh at mine.” After exchanging the first phrases of greeting, they sat down.
“Oh, and Ivanushka is here,” said Prince Andrei, pointing with a smile at the young wanderer.
– Andre! - Princess Marya said pleadingly.
“Il faut que vous sachiez que c"est une femme, [Know that this is a woman," Andrei said to Pierre.
– Andre, au nom de Dieu! [Andrey, for God’s sake!] – repeated Princess Marya.
It was clear that Prince Andrei’s mocking attitude towards the wanderers and Princess Mary’s useless intercession on their behalf were familiar, established relationships between them.
“Mais, ma bonne amie,” said Prince Andrei, “vous devriez au contraire m"etre reconaissante de ce que j"explique a Pierre votre intimate avec ce jeune homme... [But, my friend, you should be grateful to me that I explain to Pierre your closeness to this young man.]
- Vraiment? [Really?] - Pierre said curiously and seriously (for which Princess Marya was especially grateful to him) peering through his glasses into the face of Ivanushka, who, realizing that they were talking about him, with cunning eyes looked around at everyone.
Princess Marya was completely in vain to be embarrassed for her own people. They were not at all timid. The old woman, with her eyes downcast but looking sideways at those who entered, had turned the cup upside down onto a saucer and placed a bitten piece of sugar next to it, sat calmly and motionless in her chair, waiting to be offered more tea. Ivanushka, drinking from a saucer, looked at the young people from under his brows with sly, feminine eyes.
– Where, in Kyiv, were you? – Prince Andrey asked the old woman.
“It was, father,” the old woman answered loquaciously, “on Christmas itself, I was honored with the saints to communicate the holy, heavenly secrets.” And now from Kolyazin, father, great grace has opened...
- Well, Ivanushka is with you?
“I’m going on my own, breadwinner,” Ivanushka said, trying to speak in a deep voice. - Only in Yukhnov did Pelageyushka and I get along...
Pelagia interrupted her comrade; She obviously wanted to tell what she saw.
- In Kolyazin, father, great grace was revealed.
- Well, are the relics new? - asked Prince Andrei.
“That’s enough, Andrey,” said Princess Marya. - Don’t tell me, Pelageyushka.
“No...what are you saying, mother, why not tell me?” I love him. He is kind, favored by God, he, a benefactor, gave me rubles, I remember. How I was in Kyiv and the holy fool Kiryusha told me - a truly man of God, he walks barefoot winter and summer. Why are you walking, he says, not in your place, go to Kolyazin, there is a miraculous icon, the Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos has been revealed. From those words I said goodbye to the saints and went...
Everyone was silent, one wanderer spoke in a measured voice, drawing in air.
- My father came, the people came to me and said: great grace has been revealed to mother Holy Mother of God myrrh dripping from the cheek...
“Okay, okay, you’ll tell me later,” said Princess Marya, blushing.
“Let me ask her,” said Pierre. -Have you seen it yourself? - he asked.
- Why, father, you yourself have been honored. There is such a radiance on the face, like heavenly light, and from my mother’s cheek it keeps dripping and dripping...
“But this is a deception,” said Pierre naively, listening attentively to the wanderer.
- Oh, father, what are you saying! - Pelageyushka said with horror, turning to Princess Marya for protection.
“They are deceiving the people,” he repeated.
- Lord Jesus Christ! – the wanderer said, crossing herself. - Oh, don't tell me, father. So one anaral did not believe it, he said: “the monks are deceiving,” and as he said, he became blind. And he dreamed that Mother of Pechersk came to him and said: “Trust me, I will heal you.” So he began to ask: take me and take me to her. This is me for you the real truth I say, I saw it myself. They brought him blind straight to her, he came up, fell, and said: “Heal! “I will give you,” he says, “what the king gave you.” I saw it myself, father, the star was embedded in it. Well, I have received my sight! It's a sin to say that. “God will punish,” she instructively addressed Pierre.
- How did the star end up in the image? asked Pierre.
- Did you make your mother a general? - said Prince Andrei, smiling.
Pelagia suddenly turned pale and clasped her hands.
- Father, father, it’s a sin for you, you have a son! - she spoke, suddenly turning from pallor to bright color.
- Father, what did you say? God forgive you. - She crossed herself. - Lord, forgive him. Mother, what is this?...” she turned to Princess Marya. She stood up and, almost crying, began to pack her purse. She was obviously both scared and ashamed that she had enjoyed benefits in a house where they could say this, and it was a pity that she now had to be deprived of the benefits of this house.
- Well, what kind of hunting do you want? - said Princess Marya. -Why did you come to me?...
“No, I’m joking, Pelageyushka,” said Pierre. - Princesse, ma parole, je n"ai pas voulu l"offenser, [Princess, I'm right, I didn't want to offend her,] I just did that. Don’t think I was joking,” he said, smiling timidly and wanting to make amends. - After all, it’s me, and he was only joking.
Pelageyushka stopped incredulously, but Pierre's face showed such sincerity of repentance, and Prince Andrei looked so meekly first at Pelageyushka, then at Pierre, that she gradually calmed down.

The wanderer calmed down and, brought back into conversation, talked for a long time about Father Amphilochius, who was such a saint of life that his hand smelled like palm, and about how the monks she knew on her last journey to Kyiv gave her the keys to the caves, and how she, taking crackers with her, spent two days in the caves with the saints. “I’ll pray to one, read, go to another. I’ll take a pine tree, I’ll go and take a kiss again; and such silence, mother, such grace that you don’t even want to go out into the light of God.”
Pierre listened to her carefully and seriously. Prince Andrei left the room. And after him, leaving God’s people to finish their tea, Princess Marya led Pierre into the living room.
“You are very kind,” she told him.
- Oh, I really didn’t think of offending her, I understand and highly value these feelings!
Princess Marya silently looked at him and smiled tenderly. “After all, I have known you for a long time and love you like a brother,” she said. – How did you find Andrey? - she asked hastily, not giving him time to say anything in response to her kind words. - He worries me very much. His health is better in winter, but last spring the wound opened, and the doctor said that he should go for treatment. And morally I am very afraid for him. He is not the type of character we women are to suffer and cry out our grief. He carries it inside himself. Today he is cheerful and lively; but it was your arrival that had such an effect on him: he is rarely like this. If only you could persuade him to go abroad! He needs activity, and this one is smooth, quiet life ruins him. Others don't notice, but I see.
At 10 o'clock the waiters rushed to the porch, hearing the bells of the old prince's carriage approaching. Prince Andrei and Pierre also went out onto the porch.
- Who is this? - asked the old prince, getting out of the carriage and guessing Pierre.
– AI is very happy! “kiss,” he said, having learned who the unfamiliar young man was.
Old Prince was in a good spirit and treated Pierre kindly.
Before dinner, Prince Andrei, returning back to his father’s office, found the old prince in a heated argument with Pierre.
Pierre argued that the time would come when there would be no more war. The old prince, teasing but not angry, challenged him.
- Let the blood out of your veins, pour some water, then there will be no war. “A woman’s nonsense, a woman’s nonsense,” he said, but still affectionately patted Pierre on the shoulder and walked up to the table where Prince Andrei, apparently not wanting to engage in conversation, was sorting through the papers the prince had brought from the city. The old prince approached him and began to talk about business.
- The leader, Count Rostov, did not deliver half of the people. I came to the city, decided to invite him to dinner, - I gave him such a dinner... But look at this... Well, brother, - Prince Nikolai Andreich turned to his son, clapping Pierre on the shoulder, - well done, your friend, I loved him! Fires me up. The other one speaks smart things, but I don’t want to listen, but he lies and inflames me, an old man. Well, go, go,” he said, “maybe I’ll come and sit at your dinner.” I'll argue again. “Love my fool, Princess Marya,” he shouted to Pierre from the door.
Pierre only now, on his visit to Bald Mountains, appreciated all the strength and charm of his friendship with Prince Andrei. This charm was expressed not so much in his relationships with himself, but in his relationships with all his relatives and friends. Pierre, with the old, stern prince and with the meek and timid Princess Marya, despite the fact that he hardly knew them, immediately felt like an old friend. They all already loved him. Not only Princess Marya, bribed by his meek attitude towards the strangers, looked at him with the most radiant gaze; but the little one-year-old Prince Nikolai, as his grandfather called him, smiled at Pierre and went into his arms. Mikhail Ivanovich, m lle Bourienne looked at him with joyful smiles as he talked with the old prince.
The old prince went out to dinner: this was obvious to Pierre. He was extremely kind to him both days of his stay in Bald Mountains, and told him to come to him.
When Pierre left and all the family members came together, they began to judge him, as always happens after the departure of a new person, and, as rarely happens, everyone said one good thing about him.

Returning this time from vacation, Rostov for the first time felt and learned to what extent his connection with Denisov and with the entire regiment was strong.
When Rostov drove up to the regiment, he experienced a feeling similar to the one he experienced when approaching the Cook's House. When he saw the first hussar in the unbuttoned uniform of his regiment, when he recognized the red-haired Dementyev, he saw the hitching posts of red horses, when Lavrushka joyfully shouted to his master: “The Count has arrived!” and shaggy Denisov, who was sleeping on the bed, ran out of the dugout, hugged him, and the officers came to the newcomer - Rostov experienced the same feeling as when his mother, father and sisters hugged him, and the tears of joy that came to his throat prevented him from speaking . The regiment was also a home, and the home was invariably sweet and dear, just like the parental home.
Having appeared before the regimental commander, having been assigned to the previous squadron, having gone on duty and foraging, having entered into all the small interests of the regiment and feeling himself deprived of freedom and shackled into one narrow, unchanging frame, Rostov experienced the same calm, the same support and the same consciousness the fact that he was at home here, in his place, which he felt under his parents’ roof. There was not all this chaos of the free world, in which he did not find a place for himself and made mistakes in the elections; there was no Sonya with whom it was or was not necessary to explain things. There was no option to go there or not to go there; there weren’t these 24 hours of the day that so many different ways could be consumed; there was not this countless multitude of people, of whom no one was closer, no one was further; there were no these unclear and uncertain financial relations with his father, there was no reminder of the terrible loss to Dolokhov! Here in the regiment everything was clear and simple. The whole world was divided into two uneven sections. One is our Pavlograd regiment, and the other is everything else. And there was nothing else to worry about. Everything was known in the regiment: who was the lieutenant, who was the captain, who was a good person, who was a bad person, and most importantly, a comrade. The shopkeeper believes in debt, the salary is a third; there is nothing to invent or choose, just don’t do anything that is considered bad in the Pavlograd regiment; but if they send you, do what is clear and distinct, defined and ordered: and everything will be fine.
Having entered these again certain conditions regimental life, Rostov experienced joy and peace, similar topics that a tired person feels when he lies down to rest. This regimental life was all the more gratifying for Rostov during this campaign because, after losing to Dolokhov (an act for which he, despite all the consolations of his family, could not forgive himself), he decided to serve not as before, but in order to make amends, to serve well and to be a completely excellent comrade and officer, i.e. wonderful person, which seemed so difficult in the world, but so possible in the regiment.
Rostov, from the time of his loss, decided that he would pay this debt to his parents in five years. He was sent 10 thousand a year, but now he decided to take only two, and give the rest to his parents to pay off the debt.

Our army, after repeated retreats, offensives and battles at Pultusk, at Preussisch Eylau, concentrated near Bartenstein. They were awaiting the arrival of the sovereign to the army and the start of a new campaign.

If you carefully study the myths and tales of the ancient Greeks, it becomes clear that there were several gorgons, but, thousands of years later, from memory we can only reproduce the name of one of them - Medusa.

Gorgon Medusa. Origin myth

The very first mentions in literature of snake-headed creatures date back to the eighth century BC. In the Odyssey, Homer writes about Medusa, a monster from underground kingdom, and in “Theogony” Hesiod already talks about three gorgons-sisters. In general, there are several options for how the gorgons appeared and who they were originally.

The first version of the appearance, which Euripides adhered to, is titanic. It says that the mother of the Gorgons was Gaia, the goddess of the earth and the ancestor of the Titans. If this is so, then the gorgon Medusa and her sisters may have originally been monsters.

The second version can be called “Poseidonic”. Ovid expounds it in his Metamorphoses.

A long time ago, in time immemorial, Forkis, who was the god of the stormy sea, and his sister Keto, a sea monster similar to a dragon, gave birth to three daughters - beautiful water maidens. They received the following names: Stheno (translated from ancient Greek as “mighty”), Euryale (“jumping far”) and Medusa (“guard”, “mistress”).

The most beautiful of the sisters was Medusa the Gorgon. She so enchanted the god Poseidon with her beauty that he forcibly took possession of Medusa in a temple dedicated to her. She became furious upon learning about the desecration of her sanctuary, and turned the sea maiden into a gorgon - a monster covered with thick scales, with hydras and snakes flying on her head instead of hair, with protruding from the mouth of Stheno and Euryale decided to share the fate of their sister and also became monsters. Or perhaps it wasn’t the temple at all; the powerful Athena was simply jealous of Medusa’s beautiful appearance and was jealous of the sea god.

Gorgon Medusa was the only one of the sisters who was mortal, and only she could turn people into stone statues with her gaze. According to some other myths, all three gorgons had the terrible gift of turning people and animals into stone, as well as freezing water. When young Perseus accidentally said that he could kill the gorgon Medusa, Athena took him at his word. She taught the hero how to defeat the gorgon without turning into stone, and handed the young man her shield, polished like a mirror. The hero fulfilled his promise and brought it to the goddess and also returned the shield, on which the image of the gorgon was imprinted.

It was believed that Medusa the Gorgon, or rather her severed head, was an excellent security artifact that protected from evil and the “evil eye.” This is how gorgoneion amulets appeared and spread.

Images of Medusa were applied to weapons, armor, medallions, coins, and not only in Greece, but also in Ancient Rome, Byzantium and Scythia. At first, the Gorgon was depicted as terribly scary, like a real monster, but over time, Medusa began to be depicted as a beautiful, albeit terrifying woman with writhing snakes on her head.

Gorgon Medusa is a mythological monster with a woman's face and live poisonous snakes instead of hair. The gaze of this creepy woman turned a person to stone. In the general understanding, the gorgon in ancient greek mythology meant a snake-haired woman who had magical power. There were three gorgons in total: Euryale, Stheno and Medusa. All of them were daughters of the god of the stormy sea, Phorcys, and his wife, the goddess of the deep sea, Keto.

Of the three gorgons, Stheno and Euryale were considered immortal, but younger sister Medusa was mortal. According to the version of the ancient Roman poet Ovid, at first the younger sister was ordinary beautiful girl. Poseidon fell in love with her, but the object of his passion rejected all advances.

Then the insidious sensualist turned into a bird. In this form, he began to pursue Medusa everywhere. She, fleeing from an obsessive lover, tried to hide in the temple of Athena. But Poseidon was waiting for just this. He overtook the poor girl and took possession of her right next to the sacred altar. Athena did nothing to help the poor thing. On the contrary, she believed that she had desecrated the divine walls of her temple and turned the hair of the dishonored girl into poisonous snakes. Since then, Medusa has become a gorgon and joined her older sisters.

Such unsightly facts may cause deep indignation among readers, but such were the customs of that distant era, and it is not for us to condemn them. But let's return to the gorgons. The bodies of these ladies were covered with shiny scales. It was stronger than steel, and no sword could cut it. The hands were made of copper, and the fingers were crowned with sharp steel claws. In the mouth were fangs sharp as daggers. The red eyes exuded rage and malice. There were also wings made of golden feathers. With their help, the creepy women quickly moved through the air. Having met a person, they tore him apart with their copper hands and greedily drank the warm blood.

Gorgon sisters, there were three of them in total

Not only did people turn into stone after looking at the gorgons, but even water turned into ice. They periodically appeared in the north of Ancient Greece, bringing with them snow storms and cold winters. But main function female monsters was to protect Omphale. It was a monolithic block and was considered the navel of the Earth. It was kept in Delphi, in a temple dedicated to Apollo.

Death of the Gorgon Medusa

We know that nothing lasts forever under the moon. The gorgon Medusa also did not last forever. In the end, death overtook her, but this had to happen in any case, since the female monster belonged to the cohort of mortals. Perseus was the culprit of such a sad end. This is the son of Zeus and Danae. He became famous for killing monsters, and gorgons fell into this category. Athena and Hermes were considered his patrons. It was they who instructed Perseus to kill Medusa.

But the son of Zeus and Danae understood that this was extremely difficult task, and it was not possible to perform it without special training. Therefore, at first he went to the Grai sisters, who were sisters to the Gorgons. The three sisters Deino, Pemphredo and Enio represented old age. They were so ancient that they had one eye and one tooth for three. They used these necessary biological attributes in turn. Perseus took advantage of the moment and stole an eye and a tooth from the helpless old women.

After that, he promised to return the stolen goods, but for a ransom. He asked for winged sandals, an invisibility cap and magic bag. What could the unfortunate old women do if they came under the merciless pressure of the extortionist? They supplied Perseus with everything he needed and showed the way to the gorgons. Hermes immediately appeared and gave the determined hero a sharp and crooked knife.

Perseus, wearing winged sandals, rushed along the indicated road and soon saw the gorgon Medusa sleeping in a cave. She, sensing a stranger, woke up and rushed at the stranger, glaring at him. But the brave warrior did not look at the gorgon: he looked at his copper shield polished to a mirror shine. It perfectly displayed Medusa, but her reflection could not turn Perseus into stone. He waved his sharp curved knife and cut off the gorgon's head.

Perseus looks at the shield, which reflects the gorgon Medusa

The monster woman died, but her two sisters remained. They rushed at the killer, but he hid the severed head in a magic bag, pulled an invisibility cap over his head, soared high into the air with the help of winged sandals, and was gone.

It should be noted that during the duel with Perseus, the gorgon Medusa had twins in her womb, conceived by Poseidon. When the body was decapitated, blood gushed out of it. Along with the blood came the children: the giant Chrysaor and the winged horse Pegasus. And those drops of blood that fell to the ground turned into poisonous snakes.

The death's head still has the ability to turn people into stone. And Perseus began to use his head in his battles with monsters and giants. He turned the mighty Atlas, who supported the firmament, into stone. Atlas transformed into a mountain, which was later called Atlas. After that greek hero appeared in front of the sea dragon Keto and also turned him into stone. He saved his mother Danae from the persecution of King Polydectes and his servants. They all turned into stone statues.

After completing his feats, Perseus gave the head of the gorgon Medusa to the goddess Athena. She secured it on her armor, above her right collarbone. Ancient masters often depicted Athena in this form. Subsequently, the head was buried in the ground, and the Cyclops made a marble copy and installed it in Argos. Currently, the gorgon Medusa is a symbol of feminists fighting for women's equality. She personifies the anger of the weaker sex, languishing under the power of men.