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.
Why is Medusa culturally significant?
The mythological monster Medusa, her sisters, and the other Gorgons, have been featured in art and culture from the days of ancient Greece to present day. Medusa has been variously portrayed as a monster, a protective symbol, a rallying symbol for liberty, and a sympathetic victim of rape and/or a curse.
What time period is Medusa?
In Greek art, Medusa, especially her fearsome head, became a very common motif very early on, namely in the Archaic period, in the 6th century BC or even before. It is impossible to tell whether the mythological tale was already fully formed then, or whether the image itself contributed to its formulation.
What does Medusa tattoo mean?
According to The Met Museum, Medusa is portrayed in most Greek art as an “apotropaic symbol used to protect and ward off the negative,” representing a “dangerous threat meant to deter other dangerous threats, an image of evil to repel evil.”
What does a Medusa tattoo symbolize?
What does Medusa tattoo symbolize?
Is Medusa a mythical creature?
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.
Is Medusa scary?
The Medusa is a scary creature from Greek legend. She was described as having the face of a hideous woman with snakes instead of hair.
What was ancient Mesopotamian art?
Ancient Mesopotamian art refers to the works made by the civilizations of the ancient Near East that lived in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers , modern day Iraq, from prehistory to the 6th century BC.
What was the art like in ancient Rome?
Roman art refers to the visual arts made in Ancient Rome and in the territories of the Roman Empire. Roman art includes architecture, painting, sculpture and mosaic work.
Who was Medusa in Roman mythology?
Bignor Roman Villa, Sussex . In Greek mythology , Medusa was usually depicted with hair consisting of snakes. She was the only mortal Gorgon and was killed by Perseus who cut off her head. Her severed head could turn those who looked at it into stone.