Gazing into Medusa's eyes could turn a person into stone, so she was very dangerous to be around. People wanted her destroyed, and a man named Perseus promised to do just that. But first he had to figure out how to approach Medusa without looking at her for even a moment.
Medusa then becomes an apotropaic symbol warding off evil, similar to the evil eye. She is imagined more often as an object or a monster than as a human.
A medusa tattoo is often interpreted as representing strength, power, and female empowerment. More specifically, some people get a medusa tattoo to indicate that they are a survivor of sexual violence and to symbolize their own empowerment. Content warning: This topic contains discussion of sexual assault.
The best-known story of Medusa comes from the Roman poet Ovid. Medusa was seduced by Neptune (Poseidon) in a temple to Minerva (Athena), and in revenge, Minerva turned Medusa's beautiful head of hair into snakes. As she was both mortal and had the ability to turn men to stone, Perseus was sent to cut off her head.
Jellyfish sting their prey with their tentacles, releasing a venom that paralyzes their targets. Jellyfish don't go after humans, but someone who swims up against or touches one — or even steps on a dead one — can be stung all the same. While jellyfish stings are painful, most are not emergencies.
Can anyone look at Medusa without turning to stone?
Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her was turned to stone.
Medusa's eyes are closed -- her weapon, or her curse, is a gaze that turns people to stone, and so in this artwork, her means of defense has been nullified. Without the power of her curse behind her, she is just a sleeping woman.
Medusa was a beautiful woman who was raped, killed and beheaded by various gods. However even in the face of tragedy and disgrace, the Medusa was portrayed as meaningful. Following the moment her head was removed, a Pegasus flew out of her body, representing the birth of beauty.
Poseidon was enamored by Medusa's beauty, and Medusa returned the same feelings. Medusa and Poseidon engaged in a love affair and would have two children together, but not before Athena discovered the illicit affair.
Medusa was banished from her civilization and sent to an island by herself. She was alone and only saw men trying to kill her. She looked at them in fear and saw them turn to stone in front of her. She was scared of her powers and angry at the gods for cursing her.
In ancient greek times, it was disrespectful to be all lovey dovey in a temple of a god. So Athena got mad and turned Medusa into a hideious monster. She couldn't do that to Poseidon, so she was just very angry at him. Medusa was very vain when she was a human, so Athena cursed her for the reason above and this reason.
In Greek mythology, Medusa is one of the Gorgons, known for her hair of living serpents and her ability to turn anyone who looks directly at her into stone. If Medusa were to look in a mirror, she would see her own reflection, which would mean that she would not directly gaze upon her own face.
The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he touched into pure gold and this came to be called the golden touch, or the Midas touch.
Medusa was a young priestess who served Athena, and had taken a vow of chastity to honour the maiden goddess she served. There was one more God, God of Sea, Poseidon. When he looked upon her, he fell in love with her beauty but medusa was very loyal to Athena and didn't saw at Poseidon in that way.
Athena bested Poseidon by producing an olive tree on the Acropolis. Poseidon also raped Medusa—a mortal who had the reputation of being beautiful—in Athena's temple, desecrating it. Athena could not do anything to her uncle, so she took vengeance on Medusa by turning her into a woman with snakes on her head.
So, when Poseidon raped Medusa she became pregnant. When her head was chopped off by Perseus, her children came to be. Pegasus and Chrysaor sprung from the severed neck of Medusa. Pegasus is also one of the most famous characters in Greek mythology, the winged white horse.
Anyone can get a Medusa tattoo. Some people just like the Medusa tattoo's look or are interested in Greek mythology. If you already have a Medusa tattoo, most people probably don't think twice about the meaning of your tattoo if they see it.
