A similar story is found in an Ancient Sumerian myth. Pazuzu (yes, THAT Pazuzu), a demon of sickness, is known as a protective ward for infants against Lamashtu; another demon, but one of miscarriages.
Carl Jung’s theory of the shadow touches on this subject- that virtue doesn’t come from being harmless. It comes when you’re a monster, but you control it.
Not in a million years. Medusa was just another Greek monster for a hero to slay like every other known Greek monster like the Lernean Hydra and the Chimera, until Ovid decided to retcon Medusa's story alltogether (along with Athena's characterization), and make her a "feminist icon".
Yes. Hades gets a massive bad rap. I believe he was of much better character than his brothers. He certainly was a better husband. Didn’t d*ck around with other women.
Her image was painted on shields and architecture as a form of protection. While this was nothing new, look at Egyptians using the images of the god Bes used to protect the home and later Christians use of Gargoyles on cathedrals. Humans have often used images of horror or terror to ward off evil.
This is only bc modern day Christianity had always been pagan, after the Romans took over it anyway. Christmas, Easter etc are all ancient pagan holidays. Christians don't like pagans at all yet they celebrate the morning star/Lucifer and the sun God along with many other ancient gods without even knowing they do in fact Christmas is even prohibited in scripture yet it is celebrated as Christ's birth and who decided to celebrate Christs on that specific day? Christmas actually falls around the winter solstice a mayor holiday to druids and witches also it falls around a date the Romans worhsiped and celebrated an ancient gods they sacrificed babies 2 and ironically it is around a roman holiday celebrated for days the birthdate of one of most sadistic emperor's. The Romans have been celebrating these holidays wayy before they adopted Christianity and they only changed into Christianity due to the influence it had, they just wanted power, smart dudes. Till this day they have a hand in almost everything and continue to worship their ancient gods.
Yes. This turns it around for me. I never disliked Athena until I heard of her punishment of Medusa. It doesn´t fit with what I read about her up until that point. Thank you for making this video
He mentioned that Ovid's version is Roman, that he really disliked Athena and that the there are no Greek writings to indicate a similar story. That means that Ovid's version simply isn't canon in Greek mythology, only in Roman mythology. So, you don't have to dislike Athena.
The way i see it, Athena had to punish medusa or risk being seen as weak by the other gods. So she turned her Into a gorgon to 1) teach medusa to not be so vain as she was often said to be very beautiful and flirtatious and 2) so that she had a weapon in case any man ever tried to do that to her again.
@@decoral Also it did not help that Augustus told him to go into exile or lose his balls and head. So he might be projecting his own thoughts that the gods were not fair to him.
@@destinymcgehee9807 Also If she's not jealous of Medusa's beauty, she would have appear to help her priestess.it's a mixture of both but one thing is clear athena is a jealous woman so she curse her and use they oh well she won't be touch by man yet she removed her beauty out of pure jealousy. What a great way to protect someone u love . she could have turned her into a flower or somethinh .How could the reason why athena turned medusa into a gorgon is to protect herself(athena) from men when medusa literally lived in a cave after that?As a god you know everything but athena is a blind goddess to see the reality.if u can't punish Poseidon than why punish an innocent? Its an injustice. How can a god of wisdom can do such an injustice ha?
@@majesticgothitelle1802 Athena never cursed the gorgons in Greek mythology, because they were BORN like that. The story where she curses Medusa and the whole Arachne are found in Roman writings onward. No Greek writings mention them. Therefore they are not part of Greek mythology.
Lauren Faust was planning to direct an animated feature about Medusa soon after she resigned from producing My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but she left the project due to creative differences with Sony Pictures Animation, and apparently the whole project is dead now.
To be honest, I prefer Gorgon Medusa because I always prefer the Greek version (or versions) over the altered Roman version. Same thing goes for Egyptian Mythology.
I wouldn't say cleared...I'd say offered a different version. Depending on what version you prefer will determine if Athena was just a jealous bitch or not.
@Hermes1215 No kidding. Athena also spent a lot of her time being an awesome big sister who protected her younger siblings from all kinds of dangers (and from Hera too, if they were bastards). She also provided help and guidance to a lot of Greek mythology heroes. She was one of the nicest Greek gods. I just can’t see her being so dickish like in Ovid’s stories. It doesn’t match up with her general characterization.
@@eon1014 Also it did not help that Augustus told Ovid to go into exile or lose his balls and head. So he might be projecting his own thoughts that the gods were not fair to him.
@@Tanath Dad? But you died in may. Now I question everything. The sparrows tell me to kill hag behind us. But I resist because there isn't one there. Bottom line your messengers are retarded and stop it.
All joking in the comments aside, this was a great video! While I had known about Medusa originally being a full monster, and developing into a human turned monster, I hadn’t known about Ovid, about him being Roman and the biases that has. I was always so confused about the characterization of Athena in the tales of Medusa and Arachne, and that piece of information just changed my whole perspective!
8:55 I want to clarify something about this. This version in which Medusa displayed hubris and Athena punished her is indeed Greek. BUT the poet calls her a GORGON, not a human, which immediately means that she was not transformed by Athena. Athena's punishment was Perseus himself, meaning that according to that version: Medusa was gorgon like her sisters, but she was beautiful and said that she was more beautiful than Athena. Athena punished her by contributing to her demise, by helping her(Athena's) brother, Perseus, during his task.
@@anjealousanaconda9692 While what you said is hilarious😂, there are some versions in which Medusa is born a beautiful gorgon, isntead of an ugly one. I am pretty sure this is one of them.
Yes, it was pseudo apollodorus, based on what he writes "It is affirmed by some that Medousa was beheaded because of Athena, for they say the Gorgon had been willing to be compared with Athena in beauty" there was no transformation involved. He also writes "Perseus took flight and made his way to the ocean, where he found the Gorgones sleeping . . . All who looked at them were turned to stone. Perseus, therefore, with Athena guiding his hand, kept his eyes on the reflection in a bronze shield as he stood over the sleeping Gorgones, and when he saw the image of Medousa, he beheaded her."
My interpretation is that Poseidon forced himself on her in Athena’s temple, Athena transformed her into a Gorgon to both protect Medusa and other women from men like Poseidon. Medusa’s new purpose was to protect t women from sexual violence. And she slowly turned bitter and angry by her experience. She still protected these women but slowly became a monster while doing so.
I think this is what i am familiar with. Pretty sure this i learned from percy jackson series. It is what brought me to greek myth in elementary school by my teacher.
No..Athena turned Medusa into a monster cause she was jealous of her beauty... It wasn't to protect her cause she should have protected her from being raped by Poseidon Also Athena helped Perseus to kill Medusa ...
I have a Medusa head with a rose covering my entire right rib. It was to symbolize being cold hearted after heartbreak. But I’ve healed from that, and after watching this video, I guess now it’s for hope and protection.
I think its because posiden raped her because of how beautiful she was and even tho they dont really say it in the movies maybe its a reference to that…..or its Hollywood….🤷🏽♀️idk
My mother and I like listening to your voice together. Every new video becomes a new treasured memory for us, so I’m saying thank you for helping my mother and I become closer.
during my trip to Athens, I saw several images of Medusa as a vaguely-female monster with snakes for hair and small bird-like wings protruding from her head. I'd glad you brought up possible sources of the fairer vision of a more beautiful Medusa that we often see in fiction today. I do not remember if you mentioned this: Athena is often depicted with a shield, an Aegis. Quite often there is a gorgon's face on the shield.
Thank you, sir, SO MUCH for this video. You must've done a ton of research on this as you've answered some of my questions regarding gorgons & their history. I've been obsessed with & puzzled by Medusa since I was a kid, & have been trying to unravel her mysterious origin story for years. I’ve always thought that there has to be much more to Medusa than merely being Perseus’ boss battle as a monster with a petrifying gaze. Her story is intriguing enough, yet seems severely lacking, like much of her-story was erased or forgotten by men who wrote myths down. Uncovering the multiple layers of her lore is an entertaining endeavour, so is dissecting how ancient politics & patriarchy constantly interfered or inspired cultural storytelling. I’m glad there are folks like you on this planet who are spending their time to unravel plot points for me! Like as you said, the most popular version of Medusa's origin story is Ovid's. D'uh, he's Roman, & does not give a flying fork about Athen's patron goddess. My fascination with the character was rekindled when I visited Sicily 2 summers ago. Medusa (or, a Gorgon's face) is EVERYWHERE on the island. She’s the head on the Sicilian flag, the Triskelion (surrounded by three running legs). But most importantly (& intriguingly) is that Medusa is a stunningly beautiful ceramic head that appears in almost every restaurant or shop, protecting the premises or on sale as a souvenir. Sicily is truly a magical Mediterranean melting pot, not just teeming with modern Italian, ancient Roman or Greek influence, but with enigmatic Berber/ Moorish & even more archaic Phoenician roots as well. The Gorgon’s ubiquitous presence on Sicily is mostly depicted as beautiful. It’s not the hideous disembodied head on the Aegis, via mainland Greece or Italy. Perhaps Medusa’s beautiful, ravishing look is because Sicily commemorates her as as the youthful sea goddess who inflamed Poseidon, & is remembered via that Phoenician/ Berber heritage (African dreadlocks remastered as "snakes"). Here's another writer's blog on the subject. The comment section may interest you as well. Thank you & the artist again for your sublime work. austinhackney.co.uk/2016/10/26/the-medusa-myth-and-its-meaning-the-real-story-of-medusa
also when you have heard an earlier story where cassandra was r@pd in her temple by ajax. ajax the lesser we know was with achaeans, cassandra was trojan princess. And Athena was with the achaeans and against Trojans. when cassandra was r@pd, there are 2 accounts that mention despite athena rejoicing at the sack of troy, she was crying for what happened to cassandra. Not only Athena doesn't punish cassandra (like medusa), she had sympathy and grief for her, and later she punishes Ajax by killing him. so medusa's story by ovid seems even off if you know this.
I love seeing your videos as a person who loves mythology it hits that sweet spot of giving me the chance to listen to myths I haven't heard of before. Keep up the good work I think you're doing great.
Thank you for clarifying! I hope you’ll continue to filter out the later retellings (by non-Greeks) and reference the oldest/originals more. Maybe that’s the next series?? Would make you stand way above the competition! Appreciate what you do. Wonderful work!
Medusa is all three Monster: her looks (meaning her snake hair) Victim: killed with no mercy and has a sad story Protecter: yes, she is a protecter in a way
When I read the story of medusa, I always thought of the injustice done on her. I've felt sad for her. But she is not the only one, Arachne also suffered the wrath of Athena.
Also it did not help that Augustus told Ovid to go into exile or lose his balls and head. So he might be projecting his own thoughts that the gods were not fair to him. So writing about the cruelty of the gods would be in form
Thank you for this. Medusa, and the gorgon figure in general, have been egregiously trivialized and overlooked for so long. I was so pleased to see my interpretation of Athena's curse being in fact protection was an actual thing and not something I just pulled out of my ass. I think Medusa is a powerful and important symbol right now as we navigate the emerging and shifting discourse of sexual assault/survival and gender. Thank you for casting light on the nuances of this oft not appreciated figure in mythology, and for executing it in your usual artful style.
Thank you for making this video, i have been trying to understand the story of medusa but kept hitting a wall. the fact that Ovid's version is a later interpetation helps a lot.
I think its fascinating to see the difference in versions to her story. The differant story versions could be easly compared to todays issues almost flawlessly. It makes sense that a seemingly insignificant character could become the Forefront of various stories in mythology. And the tales grow from there
This is a comment ment for those who aren't going to pay attention to the video and are just going to comment and rant about medusa being a victim and hate on Athena and then leave (which is stupid because this video is really good why would you leave without finishing it -_-) There are many storys about medusa Some say she was born a monster Some say the sea god didn't rape her some say he did.... Some say Athena did Medusa a favor and gave her a gift so men could never force themselfs on to her again Some say Athena let jealousy get in the way of her making the best decision for Medusa Your allowed to have your own perspective on these....fictional characters? (Idk what else to call them 0_0") but remember there's always more then one version of a story just like how there's two sides of the same coin (or however the saying goes) Please do more research before jumping to conclusions or your going to look stupid This has been your daily dose of greek mythology rants Have a good day uwu
Not very nice to call people stupid for believing in one story. That doesn’t mean they don’t acknowledge the others. It just comes off as passive aggressive imo, though I guess you’re just tired of the “one sided” comments, which is understandable. But it’s one of the most commonly spread so can you really blame people who don’t spend a lot of time researching greek myths??
They're known as "myth" LOL yet somehow some people think they have the CORRECT version of a piece of FICTION, like they were actually there, as flesh & blood WITNESS, when the virgin goddess turned the poor girl into a hideous monster, or when Perseus slew her. Good Lord where on earth are people's brains? Not in their heads I suppose. May great Athena grant y'all wisdom you dumb b!tches.
@@sommerblume9671 So yeah, then they're stupid. As in too lazy to think more about a topic they're interested in. But yeah, truth seekers will call a doe a female deer, & a bitch's a bitch.
Medusa's horrible appearance could be an allegory of ostracism: Because Ancient Greeks had the virtue of chastity and Medusa losing her "purity", society turned her back on her, blaming her for her disgrace, therefore, outcasting her.
I also think that Athena putting Medusa onto her shield (that reflects), means that when people seek Athena, as in wisdom, they first see the monstrous head of Medusa reflected back at them. And not only that, but that face turns everybody into stone who looks at it. So maybe seeking wisdom sometimes petrifies us. It reminds me in that way of the sphinx. Anyways there is a lot of interesting symbolism in the myth of Medusa.
See the Fate Anime series had Medusa and her sisters be the perfect humans but Medusa had a curse on her from Athena that meant she wasn't and so the three went to a Island to live in peace then Athena made people thing they were monsters out of jealousy so Medusa became the monster to protect her sisters (So weirdly this ones none of them but also got elements of all of them)
I'm so pleased you made this video and not just the other one. The fastest way to turn me into the "Ach-tually!" guy is to repeat the Ovid version as if it were canon.
This was moving for me. I admire Hecate so much, I worship her lol. How you described Medusa is exactly same way as Hecate! I feel like I have much more digging into about her.
The version I always remember is that Perseus has to find Medusa as she lies asleep near her 2 sisters and is warned to only attack her, as she was the only mortal one - the others being able to resist his sword. Always felt sorry for her
Perhaps it's more down to how the stories of deities/monsters developed throughout Greece's history (Dionysus is a good example of this happening) but part of me leans toward the story where Athena did it to protect her. This may be a biased opinion, seeing as I'm a Hellenistic-based witch but it's important to remember that Athena is the goddess of much more than just strategic warfare: she's the goddess of mathematics, wisdom, craftsmanship, courage, JUSTICE. If the story of Posideon and Medusa was a true one, it only makes sense that Athena, a very prominent goddess in the culture at the time, would have to be seen to deal with this situation by standing by what she represents. But that's just my take on the story.
I like that other mythes are explained too I only heard that medusa was transformed out of jealousy because of her beauty so it's interesting to hear other versions. as well as other information.
MY OWN THOUGHTS ON THIS SUBJECT INVOLVING THE FEMALE MYTHICAL BEING (MEDUSA) Now I think that (MEDUSA) might be all three, and the reason why I think this is because through each story you learn about many different sides to her, and to add what she had gone through throughout her lifetime of living before she had died.
I’m really glad you made this video... Ihad heard that Ovid kind of screwed over the gods a bit in his telling, but I hadn’t really done the research to know which of the stories and variants were his.
Awesome video, I just also wanted to say your book is great. I literally just read the Medusa story. I defiantly feel for her. But more of how you written her, someone who was naive it was how I took it.
Cool , different stories of the same woman , i was told she was transformed that so no man would harm her again and she took refuge on the island , so she would never harm a woman . Only men went to try to kill her , while women prayed to her . Loved the pictures and illustrations. Looking forward to more , until next time .
Great video! Some parts of her story were quite surprising to me. Also, the art featured is really good, especially the ones by Mando Teresia. Looking forward to the next video!
Thank you for the shout out to the artist. Their work is very similar to the illustrations that pulled me into the world of mythology. Your intro is also amazing.
Aaaaaayyyyy mythology and fiction explained. Long time no see. Hope you've been well. Glad to have you back. Love your vids. They are informative and extremely interesting. 😍
Let us 🅰ll admit; several; interpretations of Gorgons; are unexpectedly; alluring; even attractive; for some reason Euryale gets the most charming depiction
Really great video! I think the most striking version to me has been the naga inspired serpent queen we see in movies like Clash of the Titans. Really interesting to know she's basically not even a character even in her own story.
Extra points for revising and redoing the video on Medusa! From my perspective, Medusa is an example of world wide cultural diffusion, where similar "scary faces" appear as amulets to ward off evil.
Damn Ovid! It's not that his stories are bad per se - it's good that they teach us about the Romans beliefs - but I hate how they get confused with the original Greek myths. Since every version is called a Greek myth, the only way to make sure of which is which is to dig.
There's very scant study into REAL Greek & Roman mythology. All those "Greek (& Roman/ or Norse/ Egyptian/ Chinese) myth" books out there are BASIC AF. You need to be neck deep in academia with equal expertise in the diverse disciplines of anthropology/ comparative cultural religious studies/ ancient history/ historical linguistics/ archaeology to even BEGIN to understand what the original Greeks (& Romans) thought of their religion & cultural stories. Sorry, all these video game flapping fanboys commenting on how they're rock hard for Medusa here are just tourists.
It´s true, Medusa is a Symbol of so much, many versions, cultures. You cannot just pick once version and say it is the official. If you do, as our Host said, you are missing so much.
Medusa, head full of snakes reflects the cunning, the jealousy and evil intentions of others...algol in taurus, ones possessions, values, wisdom and beauty...this star is very FORTUNATE but attracts unfortunate situations from others....
Just discovered this channel and I'm such a big fan. Been going through some of the old videos and this is so good. I'm a big fan of Greek myths. Please please can we get a video on Aphrodite? I haven't seen any video on her here.
Great video, and I am absolutely blown away by that opening intro. Expertly done. I’m glad that you have such a awesome and interesting looking intro because it really sets up the view were for the entertainment to come from within each episode. Thanks again, Keep on doing the awesomeness that you’re doing, keep it coming, and take care.
Thank you for this interesting Video l really loved it and l'm into this kind of History, it's really fascinating to me so thank you so much for making these Videos, for some silly reason l thought you left but l see that never left you were busy making these awesome Videos, you're a perfect Host and keep up the good Work ✌💛.
Personally i like the idea of Medusa of being a protective monster i mean their are times that to defeat a monster you need a better monster.
Like Godzilla! He'll smash your buildings, but he'll also fight much worse Kaiju that'd do more than smash your buildings.
@@Werewolf914 Exactly
A similar story is found in an Ancient Sumerian myth. Pazuzu (yes, THAT Pazuzu), a demon of sickness, is known as a protective ward for infants against Lamashtu; another demon, but one of miscarriages.
Carl Jung’s theory of the shadow touches on this subject- that virtue doesn’t come from being harmless. It comes when you’re a monster, but you control it.
Whos the better monster youre talking about?
I love how you keep coming back to Medusa. She really is the most interesting character in Greek Mythology.
My personal favourites are Hades and Jason but Medusa is also a very interesting character.
@Monala Neutral totally agree!
true but her story is a tragic one how she gets punish by getting assaulted by poseidon that was just wrong
Yah
Funny, I've always appreciated and been more interested by Prometheus
*Hades and Medusa are in my opinion the most interesting and the most misunderstood characters*
LOL veryy truee
And hecate
And loki
Not in a million years. Medusa was just another Greek monster for a hero to slay like every other known Greek monster like the Lernean Hydra and the Chimera, until Ovid decided to retcon Medusa's story alltogether (along with Athena's characterization), and make her a "feminist icon".
Yes. Hades gets a massive bad rap. I believe he was of much better character than his brothers. He certainly was a better husband. Didn’t d*ck around with other women.
Her image was painted on shields and architecture as a form of protection. While this was nothing new, look at Egyptians using the images of the god Bes used to protect the home and later Christians use of Gargoyles on cathedrals. Humans have often used images of horror or terror to ward off evil.
Speaking of which have you covered Bes or gargoyles?
This is only bc modern day Christianity had always been pagan, after the Romans took over it anyway. Christmas, Easter etc are all ancient pagan holidays. Christians don't like pagans at all yet they celebrate the morning star/Lucifer and the sun God along with many other ancient gods without even knowing they do in fact Christmas is even prohibited in scripture yet it is celebrated as Christ's birth and who decided to celebrate Christs on that specific day? Christmas actually falls around the winter solstice a mayor holiday to druids and witches also it falls around a date the Romans worhsiped and celebrated an ancient gods they sacrificed babies 2 and ironically it is around a roman holiday celebrated for days the birthdate of one of most sadistic emperor's. The Romans have been celebrating these holidays wayy before they adopted Christianity and they only changed into Christianity due to the influence it had, they just wanted power, smart dudes. Till this day they have a hand in almost everything and continue to worship their ancient gods.
even “evil eyes” are used for that purpose
Americans would use a photo of Hillary Clinton.
David Lafleche lol 😂
Yes. This turns it around for me.
I never disliked Athena until I heard of her punishment of Medusa. It doesn´t fit with what I read about her up until that point.
Thank you for making this video
He mentioned that Ovid's version is Roman, that he really disliked Athena and that the there are no Greek writings to indicate a similar story. That means that Ovid's version simply isn't canon in Greek mythology, only in Roman mythology. So, you don't have to dislike Athena.
@@decoral Yes.
The way i see it, Athena had to punish medusa or risk being seen as weak by the other gods. So she turned her Into a gorgon to 1) teach medusa to not be so vain as she was often said to be very beautiful and flirtatious and 2) so that she had a weapon in case any man ever tried to do that to her again.
@@decoral Also it did not help that Augustus told him to go into exile or lose his balls and head. So he might be projecting his own thoughts that the gods were not fair to him.
@@destinymcgehee9807 Also If she's not jealous of Medusa's beauty, she would have appear to help her priestess.it's a mixture of both but one thing is clear athena is a jealous woman so she curse her and use they oh well she won't be touch by man yet she removed her beauty out of pure jealousy. What a great way to protect someone u love . she could have turned her into a flower or somethinh .How could the reason why athena turned medusa into a gorgon is to protect herself(athena) from men when medusa literally lived in a cave after that?As a god you know everything but athena is a blind goddess to see the reality.if u can't punish Poseidon than why punish an innocent? Its an injustice. How can a god of wisdom can do such an injustice ha?
Medusa will always be my favorite! i'm obsessed with The Ray Harryhausen version, Medusa needs her own Movie one day!
My favorite are the people Athena curses arachne and the Gorgons.
@@majesticgothitelle1802 Athena never cursed the gorgons in Greek mythology, because they were BORN like that. The story where she curses Medusa and the whole Arachne are found in Roman writings onward. No Greek writings mention them. Therefore they are not part of Greek mythology.
Ray harryhausen is so scary
Lauren Faust was planning to direct an animated feature about Medusa soon after she resigned from producing My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but she left the project due to creative differences with Sony Pictures Animation, and apparently the whole project is dead now.
@@racookster Yes 😔
To be honest, I prefer Gorgon Medusa because I always prefer the Greek version (or versions) over the altered Roman version. Same thing goes for Egyptian Mythology.
> Same thing goes for Egyptian Mythology.
Yeah, talking about Aset in public gives much less anxiety than calling her by her Greek name.
Me too. The Roman story portrays Athena look like a bitch, when she's not.
Please explain the differences
@@chimeraproject9481 Differences between Greek Medusa and Roman Medusa? Or general differences between Greek Myths and Roman Myths?
@@109Rage Lol. I meant it between Egyptian and Roman. But you are right. I rather call her Aset than *cough* Isis *cough*.
You have cleared Athena’s name. So many blame her without knowing the other versions of this myth.
Dark Magic you like creepypasta to?
I wouldn't say cleared...I'd say offered a different version. Depending on what version you prefer will determine if Athena was just a jealous bitch or not.
You can thank Ovid for that...
@Hermes1215
No kidding. Athena also spent a lot of her time being an awesome big sister who protected her younger siblings from all kinds of dangers (and from Hera too, if they were bastards). She also provided help and guidance to a lot of Greek mythology heroes. She was one of the nicest Greek gods. I just can’t see her being so dickish like in Ovid’s stories. It doesn’t match up with her general characterization.
@@eon1014 Also it did not help that Augustus told Ovid to go into exile or lose his balls and head. So he might be projecting his own thoughts that the gods were not fair to him.
Medoosa or Mehjuicer I guess I use both...
Also Ovid published his metamorphoses in the year 8AD not the 8th century.
Either way her name is pronounced, her story will always be an interested one and forever remembered as great as the tales of Heroes and The Gods!
Mortal can also mean one could die.
FYI the "a" in aegis is silent.
@@Tanath Dad? But you died in may. Now I question everything. The sparrows tell me to kill hag behind us. But I resist because there isn't one there. Bottom line your messengers are retarded and stop it.
Do you want a smoothie?
Nah its ok, i've got Mehjuicer right here
All joking in the comments aside, this was a great video! While I had known about Medusa originally being a full monster, and developing into a human turned monster, I hadn’t known about Ovid, about him being Roman and the biases that has. I was always so confused about the characterization of Athena in the tales of Medusa and Arachne, and that piece of information just changed my whole perspective!
8:55 I want to clarify something about this. This version in which Medusa displayed hubris and Athena punished her is indeed Greek. BUT the poet calls her a GORGON, not a human, which immediately means that she was not transformed by Athena. Athena's punishment was Perseus himself, meaning that according to that version:
Medusa was gorgon like her sisters, but she was beautiful and said that she was more beautiful than Athena. Athena punished her by contributing to her demise, by helping her(Athena's) brother, Perseus, during his task.
Can you imagine an ugly person saying they are just as pretty as you and you being so offended you send your little brother to beat them up🤣
@@anjealousanaconda9692 While what you said is hilarious😂, there are some versions in which Medusa is born a beautiful gorgon, isntead of an ugly one. I am pretty sure this is one of them.
@@decoral in greek version Medusa is horrible and ugly
Yes, it was pseudo apollodorus, based on what he writes "It is affirmed by some that Medousa was beheaded because of Athena, for they say the Gorgon had been willing to be compared with Athena in beauty"
there was no transformation involved.
He also writes
"Perseus took flight and made his way to the ocean, where he found the Gorgones sleeping . . . All who looked at them were turned to stone. Perseus, therefore, with Athena guiding his hand, kept his eyes on the reflection in a bronze shield as he stood over the sleeping Gorgones, and when he saw the image of Medousa, he beheaded her."
*Medusa:* [eyes flashes as someone turns into stone]
*Greek Soldier:* _Almighty Zeus, I don't feel so good..._
Mr. Friendship Me: *Mastubating furiously as I slowly turn to stone*
KSound Kaiju *cums shards of stone very painfully*
Oooooooh😂😂😂
@@pointless_normalcy3621 *Trying to finish before the petrification travels up the shaft*
r/cursedcomments
My interpretation is that Poseidon forced himself on her in Athena’s temple, Athena transformed her into a Gorgon to both protect Medusa and other women from men like Poseidon. Medusa’s new purpose was to protect t women from sexual violence. And she slowly turned bitter and angry by her experience. She still protected these women but slowly became a monster while doing so.
nice way of putting it..
I think this is what i am familiar with. Pretty sure this i learned from percy jackson series. It is what brought me to greek myth in elementary school by my teacher.
I like this take a lot.
If Athena did this to protect Medusa, why Athena helps Perseu kill her?
No..Athena turned Medusa into a monster cause she was jealous of her beauty...
It wasn't to protect her cause she should have protected her from being raped by Poseidon
Also Athena helped Perseus to kill Medusa ...
I have a tattoo of Medusa because she’s honestly a badass
am not scared 😜
Tia Enriquez I’m planning on getting one too!!
I have one too on my shoulder!
I have one too on my right bisep
I have a Medusa head with a rose covering my entire right rib. It was to symbolize being cold hearted after heartbreak. But I’ve healed from that, and after watching this video, I guess now it’s for hope and protection.
Medusa, one of the most famous Greek Mythological monsters, yet most times is super hot, like, 2010's Clash of the Titans version, she could get it.
Yep
Word
I think its because posiden raped her because of how beautiful she was and even tho they dont really say it in the movies maybe its a reference to that…..or its Hollywood….🤷🏽♀️idk
And that's why TV Tropes calls this trope of "gorgeous gorgon"
My mother and I like listening to your voice together. Every new video becomes a new treasured memory for us, so I’m saying thank you for helping my mother and I become closer.
That Odyssey quote 4:19 implied that Medusa was part of Persephone's court. That sparked my imagination again.
Yay Medusa being talked about again. She is one of my favorite characters
I'd like more stories of Hades, Please
Man, that image of Athena changing arachne into a spider has got to be the most messed up thing I've seen in a while. And its brilliant.
during my trip to Athens, I saw several images of Medusa as a vaguely-female monster with snakes for hair and small bird-like wings protruding from her head. I'd glad you brought up possible sources of the fairer vision of a more beautiful Medusa that we often see in fiction today. I do not remember if you mentioned this: Athena is often depicted with a shield, an Aegis. Quite often there is a gorgon's face on the shield.
Thank you, sir, SO MUCH for this video. You must've done a ton of research on this as you've answered some of my questions regarding gorgons & their history. I've been obsessed with & puzzled by Medusa since I was a kid, & have been trying to unravel her mysterious origin story for years.
I’ve always thought that there has to be much more to Medusa than merely being Perseus’ boss battle as a monster with a petrifying gaze. Her story is intriguing enough, yet seems severely lacking, like much of her-story was erased or forgotten by men who wrote myths down.
Uncovering the multiple layers of her lore is an entertaining endeavour, so is dissecting how ancient politics & patriarchy constantly interfered or inspired cultural storytelling. I’m glad there are folks like you on this planet who are spending their time to unravel plot points for me!
Like as you said, the most popular version of Medusa's origin story is Ovid's. D'uh, he's Roman, & does not give a flying fork about Athen's patron goddess.
My fascination with the character was rekindled when I visited Sicily 2 summers ago. Medusa (or, a Gorgon's face) is EVERYWHERE on the island. She’s the head on the Sicilian flag, the Triskelion (surrounded by three running legs). But most importantly (& intriguingly) is that Medusa is a stunningly beautiful ceramic head that appears in almost every restaurant or shop, protecting the premises or on sale as a souvenir.
Sicily is truly a magical Mediterranean melting pot, not just teeming with modern Italian, ancient Roman or Greek influence, but with enigmatic Berber/ Moorish & even more archaic Phoenician roots as well. The Gorgon’s ubiquitous presence on Sicily is mostly depicted as beautiful. It’s not the hideous disembodied head on the Aegis, via mainland Greece or Italy. Perhaps Medusa’s beautiful, ravishing look is because Sicily commemorates her as as the youthful sea goddess who inflamed Poseidon, & is remembered via that Phoenician/ Berber heritage (African dreadlocks remastered as "snakes").
Here's another writer's blog on the subject. The comment section may interest you as well. Thank you & the artist again for your sublime work.
austinhackney.co.uk/2016/10/26/the-medusa-myth-and-its-meaning-the-real-story-of-medusa
-Impossible! Why don't you turn into stone?
-I'm already rock hard, Baby!
😂😂🤣🤣
Ive seen that
I'm weak as hell 😂😂😂
BRUH XD
Hahahahaha! I lost my shit with this comment
Look who got more production value. Love this opening!
I loved working on this! Thank you so much for the opportunity!
Great work 👍 thank you and look forward to more
Guess Medusa had a case of a being a character used by different authors to convey personal ideas.
Athena of wisdom punishes the mortal rape victim of a god who sought her temple for safety.
That's always seemed really off.
also when you have heard an earlier story where cassandra was r@pd in her temple by ajax.
ajax the lesser we know was with achaeans, cassandra was trojan princess.
And Athena was with the achaeans and against Trojans.
when cassandra was r@pd, there are 2 accounts that mention despite athena rejoicing at the sack of troy, she was crying for what happened to cassandra.
Not only Athena doesn't punish cassandra (like medusa), she had sympathy and grief for her, and later she punishes Ajax by killing him.
so medusa's story by ovid seems even off if you know this.
I love seeing your videos as a person who loves mythology it hits that sweet spot of giving me the chance to listen to myths I haven't heard of before. Keep up the good work I think you're doing great.
Thank you for clarifying! I hope you’ll continue to filter out the later retellings (by non-Greeks) and reference the oldest/originals more. Maybe that’s the next series?? Would make you stand way above the competition! Appreciate what you do. Wonderful work!
Medusa - Monster, Victim or Protector?
Me: Waifu
Same. Best rider!
Guess I can't lie that she makes me "rock hard"
Oooh yeah.
@@darthkai3621 Iskandar will always be best rider. Dude's charisma steals every scene he's in.
yep
Medusa is all three
Monster: her looks (meaning her snake hair)
Victim: killed with no mercy and has a sad story
Protecter: yes, she is a protecter in a way
When I read the story of medusa, I always thought of the injustice done on her. I've felt sad for her. But she is not the only one, Arachne also suffered the wrath of Athena.
Also it did not help that Augustus told Ovid to go into exile or lose his balls and head. So he might be projecting his own thoughts that the gods were not fair to him. So writing about the cruelty of the gods would be in form
I suspect Romans wanted to troll fans of Athena like some companies do to some fans of their franchises.
@@josepablolunasanchez1283It worked.
You've made me fall in love with mythology all over again and I thank you. Always on point as well.
I'm glad someone touches on the idea that Ovid made up that abused victim part. Myth are more complicated than just this is the only true version
well done:)i'm greek & we did all these storys in school,I wasn't expecting you to cover them all,greek mythology is a variety of fantastic storys
Thank you for this. Medusa, and the gorgon figure in general, have been egregiously trivialized and overlooked for so long. I was so pleased to see my interpretation of Athena's curse being in fact protection was an actual thing and not something I just pulled out of my ass. I think Medusa is a powerful and important symbol right now as we navigate the emerging and shifting discourse of sexual assault/survival and gender. Thank you for casting light on the nuances of this oft not appreciated figure in mythology, and for executing it in your usual artful style.
Thank you for making this video, i have been trying to understand the story of medusa but kept hitting a wall. the fact that Ovid's version is a later interpetation helps a lot.
I think its fascinating to see the difference in versions to her story. The differant story versions could be easly compared to todays issues almost flawlessly. It makes sense that a seemingly insignificant character could become the Forefront of various stories in mythology. And the tales grow from there
That opening cinematic was really cool
This is a comment ment for those who aren't going to pay attention to the video and are just going to comment and rant about medusa being a victim and hate on Athena and then leave (which is stupid because this video is really good why would you leave without finishing it -_-)
There are many storys about medusa
Some say she was born a monster
Some say the sea god didn't rape her some say he did....
Some say Athena did Medusa a favor and gave her a gift so men could never force themselfs on to her again
Some say Athena let jealousy get in the way of her making the best decision for Medusa
Your allowed to have your own perspective on these....fictional characters? (Idk what else to call them 0_0")
but remember there's always more then one version of a story just like how there's two sides of the same coin (or however the saying goes)
Please do more research before jumping to conclusions or your going to look stupid
This has been your daily dose of greek mythology rants
Have a good day uwu
Well said.
Not very nice to call people stupid for believing in one story. That doesn’t mean they don’t acknowledge the others. It just comes off as passive aggressive imo, though I guess you’re just tired of the “one sided” comments, which is understandable. But it’s one of the most commonly spread so can you really blame people who don’t spend a lot of time researching greek myths??
Then make time to research at least some knowlege of greek mythology. Even for five minutes, or 10 minutes out of the day. It's not that hard.
They're known as "myth" LOL yet somehow some people think they have the CORRECT version of a piece of FICTION, like they were actually there, as flesh & blood WITNESS, when the virgin goddess turned the poor girl into a hideous monster, or when Perseus slew her. Good Lord where on earth are people's brains? Not in their heads I suppose. May great Athena grant y'all wisdom you dumb b!tches.
@@sommerblume9671 So yeah, then they're stupid. As in too lazy to think more about a topic they're interested in. But yeah, truth seekers will call a doe a female deer, & a bitch's a bitch.
Medusa's horrible appearance could be an allegory of ostracism: Because Ancient Greeks had the virtue of chastity and Medusa losing her "purity", society turned her back on her, blaming her for her disgrace, therefore, outcasting her.
A very informative video free from any bias. Good watch
I like how your voice is coherent,simple,not pitchy and the words come out as beads dropping one after the other..not scattered..
Good story too
Holy!! The beginning sequence is freaking awesome!! 👏🏼👏🏼🔥🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️
Hades and Medusa in the Underworld would be great.The place where The River Styx,Elysium Fields(Heavens) and Tartarus(Hell)exists in the Underworld.
This was so enjoyable , I wish it were longer. I loved it!
You: Monster, Victim, or Protector?
Me: human with the same problems as us
Precisely
I also think that Athena putting Medusa onto her shield (that reflects), means that when people seek Athena, as in wisdom, they first see the monstrous head of Medusa reflected back at them. And not only that, but that face turns everybody into stone who looks at it. So maybe seeking wisdom sometimes petrifies us. It reminds me in that way of the sphinx.
Anyways there is a lot of interesting symbolism in the myth of Medusa.
I remember when in the early videos about the wrong impressions of medusa and thank you for this compilation. I know it wasn't easy.
Many depictions of Alexander the Great have him wearing a symbol of the Gorgon on his armor or a necklace
Did he really have horns???
@@josemelendez8006 According to the Bible Alexander the great is 666.
@@khaos5085 Do you have proofs? Because i have never read about Alexander the Great in the bible
This fleshed out so much I didn't understand before about this character! Some things had certainly confused me before. Thank you!
There's even more to discuss about the myth when he know about the laws and religious circumstances. She is absolutely iconic
See the Fate Anime series had Medusa and her sisters be the perfect humans but Medusa had a curse on her from Athena that meant she wasn't and so the three went to a Island to live in peace then Athena made people thing they were monsters out of jealousy so Medusa became the monster to protect her sisters (So weirdly this ones none of them but also got elements of all of them)
indeed its facinating
I think that part was told/tackled in Grand Order : Demonic Front Babylonia.
I like all the different faces of Medusa. Gives it a sense of wonder.
Medusa is hands down one of my favorite beings in all of Mythology
I don't generally follow ANYONE I don't know on any form of social media, but you I like.
I'm so pleased you made this video and not just the other one. The fastest way to turn me into the "Ach-tually!" guy is to repeat the Ovid version as if it were canon.
Who agrees Medusa is best girl
Medusa is always best girl.
Me!
Me
I prefer Gorgon
Euryale is pretty top tier
This was moving for me. I admire Hecate so much, I worship her lol. How you described Medusa is exactly same way as Hecate! I feel like I have much more digging into about her.
The version I always remember is that Perseus has to find Medusa as she lies asleep near her 2 sisters and is warned to only attack her, as she was the only mortal one - the others being able to resist his sword. Always felt sorry for her
Perhaps it's more down to how the stories of deities/monsters developed throughout Greece's history (Dionysus is a good example of this happening) but part of me leans toward the story where Athena did it to protect her. This may be a biased opinion, seeing as I'm a Hellenistic-based witch but it's important to remember that Athena is the goddess of much more than just strategic warfare: she's the goddess of mathematics, wisdom, craftsmanship, courage, JUSTICE. If the story of Posideon and Medusa was a true one, it only makes sense that Athena, a very prominent goddess in the culture at the time, would have to be seen to deal with this situation by standing by what she represents. But that's just my take on the story.
I like that other mythes are explained too
I only heard that medusa was transformed out of jealousy because of her beauty so it's interesting to hear other versions. as well as other information.
MY OWN THOUGHTS ON THIS SUBJECT INVOLVING THE FEMALE MYTHICAL BEING (MEDUSA)
Now I think that (MEDUSA) might be all three, and the reason why I think this is because through each story you learn about many different sides to her, and to add what she had gone through throughout her lifetime of living before she had died.
Medusa is one of those characters who you naturally gravitate towards. Her appearance, he powers, her pain, her story. Just captivating
I’m really glad you made this video... Ihad heard that Ovid kind of screwed over the gods a bit in his telling, but I hadn’t really done the research to know which of the stories and variants were his.
I JUST WANNA SAY YOU ARE THE BEST TH-camR OF MYTHOLOGY EVER!!!❤❤❤
Awesome video, I just also wanted to say your book is great. I literally just read the Medusa story. I defiantly feel for her. But more of how you written her, someone who was naive it was how I took it.
I just did a Ritual with Medusa and this video is so accurate to what I intuitively received in her story from her - thank you so much
I always been obsessed with Greek mythology and I'm glad you post these amazing videos there is yet a lot more to learn 😊😊😊
Cool , different stories of the same woman , i was told she was transformed that so no man would harm her again and she took refuge on the island , so she would never harm a woman . Only men went to try to kill her , while women prayed to her .
Loved the pictures and illustrations.
Looking forward to more , until next time .
The art work is so beautiful. Animation is great and your voice is great.
Nothing can distract me while watching an anime episode.....
Except these videos!!!
I LOVE the artwork in your videos. You have an amazing concept artist!
Great video! Some parts of her story were quite surprising to me. Also, the art featured is really good, especially the ones by Mando Teresia.
Looking forward to the next video!
Love the new intro! Hadn't seen you for a bit. Great intro. Suits the channel.
Athena: *Transforms Medusa into a monster so no man will ever touch her*
Internet: *Creates Rule 34*
Athena: "Touche"
Thank you for the shout out to the artist. Their work is very similar to the illustrations that pulled me into the world of mythology.
Your intro is also amazing.
Aaaaaayyyyy mythology and fiction explained. Long time no see. Hope you've been well. Glad to have you back. Love your vids. They are informative and extremely interesting. 😍
That opening was amazing! You're doing a great job!!
I absolutely love your upgrade it is so badass❤
You have one of the best channels on TH-cam 👍
Let us 🅰ll admit; several; interpretations of Gorgons; are unexpectedly; alluring; even attractive; for some reason Euryale gets the most charming depiction
Except in god of war which is interesting
@@jaybonn5973 you definetly did not see the last version of ''Gorgon Viper'' from GodofWar: ascension series ganr my friend! :)
Really great video! I think the most striking version to me has been the naga inspired serpent queen we see in movies like Clash of the Titans. Really interesting to know she's basically not even a character even in her own story.
Extra points for revising and redoing the video on Medusa! From my perspective, Medusa is an example of world wide cultural diffusion, where similar "scary faces" appear as amulets to ward off evil.
Plus the new opening is giving off a brothers grim vibe. Love it and your new emblem. 😍😍😍
Damn Ovid! It's not that his stories are bad per se - it's good that they teach us about the Romans beliefs - but I hate how they get confused with the original Greek myths. Since every version is called a Greek myth, the only way to make sure of which is which is to dig.
There's very scant study into REAL Greek & Roman mythology. All those "Greek (& Roman/ or Norse/ Egyptian/ Chinese) myth" books out there are BASIC AF. You need to be neck deep in academia with equal expertise in the diverse disciplines of anthropology/ comparative cultural religious studies/ ancient history/ historical linguistics/ archaeology to even BEGIN to understand what the original Greeks (& Romans) thought of their religion & cultural stories.
Sorry, all these video game flapping fanboys commenting on how they're rock hard for Medusa here are just tourists.
It´s true, Medusa is a Symbol of so much, many versions, cultures. You cannot just pick once version and say it is the official. If you do, as our Host said, you are missing so much.
Now i feel like looking into more greek mythology.
Medusa, head full of snakes reflects the cunning, the jealousy and evil intentions of others...algol in taurus, ones possessions, values, wisdom and beauty...this star is very FORTUNATE but attracts unfortunate situations from others....
Just discovered this channel and I'm such a big fan. Been going through some of the old videos and this is so good. I'm a big fan of Greek myths. Please please can we get a video on Aphrodite? I haven't seen any video on her here.
Gotta say I love this new intro and I loved this video
I personally liked all your videos on Medusa and the Gorgons.
Most of your Medusa videos leave something lacking, this one got it close!
That intro was really nice!
Yooo
Great video, and I am absolutely blown away by that opening intro. Expertly done. I’m glad that you have such a awesome and interesting looking intro because it really sets up the view were for the entertainment to come from within each episode. Thanks again, Keep on doing the awesomeness that you’re doing, keep it coming, and take care.
Have you heard of Monstrum? Its another amazing mythology related channel! Itll be so cool if you two could collab one day
Excellent video
I don't know if you played dark souls, but a video on anything souls from you would be amazing
PD: your intros are so good
She reminds me of a black queen mistaken for a monster with thick dreads...maybe she practiced some lost ancient magick. A legend indeed.
Thank you for this interesting Video l really loved it and l'm into this kind of History, it's really fascinating to me so thank you so much for making these Videos, for some silly reason l thought you left but l see that never left you were busy making these awesome Videos, you're a perfect Host and keep up the good Work ✌💛.