Medusa: The Gorgon’s Story Tailored four Methods

Medusa is greatest often known as the monstrous creature of Greek fable, maligned and hideous, with snakes for hair and the ability to show folks to stone with a single look. She was finally taken down by Perseus, who makes use of a mirror as he fights her so he can keep away from her wrath. After, Perseus famously reduce off Medusa’s head and affixed it to his defend for battle, utilizing it as a ward in opposition to his oncoming enemies.

Whereas these frequent highlights are true, they’re hardly the complete story. Medusa’s legendary origin story is far much less broadly identified.

She was one of many Gorgons—three demigod sisters every with a distinct reward. Medusa was the one mortal amongst them. Intriguingly, Medusa is usually depicted as stunning and extremely seductive, and different instances, she is described as hideous. Certainly, the basis for the phrase “gorgon” itself means “horrible” or “dreadful.”

Lengthy earlier than Medusa confronted off with Perseus, there was Poseidon. The Gorgons lived on the ocean, and Medusa caught Poseidon’s consideration. There are numerous variations of the story, however relying on which one you choose up, both Medusa seduced Poseidon or he was smitten along with her and took her.

In different phrases, the mythology of Medusa holds inside it a traditional he stated/she stated story of rape and sufferer blaming.

To take the sufferer blaming to a different degree of atrocity, Medusa’s snake hair was a punishment from Athena pushed by jealousy and rage, as a result of the rape occurred inside Athena’s temple.

It’s time to provide Medusa a greater, fairer story.

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These tales handle the roots and themes of Medusa’s story in broadly alternative ways. However every offers the girl of the parable a significantly extra empathetic story.

Retelling: Set in Stone by R.C. Berry

This retelling of Medusa’s story places the mythological determine into the palms of R.C. Berry, and the shift from the narrative of a male-dominated tradition to a lady’s is crystal clear.

As Berry unfolds Medusa’s origins and tragic story, she asks essential questions on how a mere mortal amongst gods and heroes was reworked right into a monster whose wrath was feared. Alongside the way in which, Berry asks questions on how she got here to be that approach, and rounds her out into one thing way more human. She is also given a happier finish after loss of life, one thing the legendary determine isn’t afforded.

Science Fiction: Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport

On this science fiction thriller, Emily Devenport takes reference on the parable of Medusa for a narrative of a wildly completely different taste, however comparable themes of energy, management and revenge.

Oichi Ngelis is a member of the bottom caste upon the ship of Olympia. She learns a secret that beneficial properties her energy of the ship’s basic—a minimum of, till he shoots her out into house, resorting to homicide to silence her. However Oichi doesn’t die.

As an alternative, she is saved by Medusa, an AI armor. Collectively, they make their approach again to set issues proper and incite a revolution. Or is it extra vindictive than that?

Younger Grownup: Candy Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

The prospect of beginning a brand new college in a brand new metropolis is daunting for Grace—as it might be for any teen—as she tries to settle into her new dwelling in San Francisco. Then the minotaur reveals up.

On this younger grownup city fantasy collection from Tera Lynn Childs, three teen women uncover they’re descended from Medusa herself and are available head to head with all kinds of monstrous creatures.

Because the three women uncover this unusual shared secret and be taught to work collectively to hunt monsters of mythological proportions, whereas studying to harness the unimaginable energy of their birthright.

Memoir: MEdusa: Confessions of an Indignant Black Woman by Cotty Davis

In a coming-of-age memoir crammed with heartache, a younger lady rises within the musical world of ballet, poetry, and Double Dutch whereas fighting dysfunction at dwelling. As a lady, she should face the violence of her previous, together with PTSD from her time within the army. The pages of this story are crammed with huge coronary heart and equally huge ache as epic because the legendary creature she identifies with, as she tries to seek out self-worth amid her life’s struggles. And it’s all informed in lyrical verse akin to the mixtapes of the 1990s period the story is about in.