POSEIDON and MEDUSA myth

The Greek mythology is full of myths and legends in which the humans and gods they share prominence, being the majority of occasions fatal situations for humans. One of the best known myths is that of Poseidon and Medusa, especially because of how well known and famous the second has become throughout history. For all these reasons, in this lesson from a Teacher we offer you a summary of the myth of poseidon and medusa.

jellyfish she was a Greek mythology character that it is said that she was the only mortal of the group of gorgons. These were a group of women daughters of Phorcys and Ceto and she was the only mortal woman of the three gorgons, that is to say, the three daughters of Phorcis and Ceto, since although the other two were always monsters, Medusa she started out human and, later, she underwent the transformation.

Among the gorgons, the best known was Medusa, having such a relevant and superior role to that of her brothers. The word is often used Gorgon to reference Medusa, as if she was the only one in this group.

Medusa was a monstrous creature, whose eyes were capable of turn into stone those who look at it. she owned a mane formed by snakes instead of hair. She was a monster that killed anyone who got close to her.

We already begin with the summary of the myth of Poseidon and Medusa. The story goes that, in the beginning, Medusa was a mortal of great beauty, adored by the Greek people and with hundreds of suitors who came from all over to seek to marry her. Her beauty was such that it made even the gods fall in love with her and Poseidon he went totally crazy for her.

Medusa prayed in the temple of Athena, we do not know for sure the reason, but it may be that she was part of a region in which the goddess of wisdom was very present. One night, while Medusa was in the temple of Athena, the god poseidon she appeared on the spot and he raped Medusa by failing to seduce her.

Athena, Poseidon's rival, made an appearance after her rape, punishing Medusa for having caused sacrilege in her temple. The goddess Athena punished Medusa of her making her have the same fate as her sisters, transforming her into a soulless monster that with her gaze she could turn to stone, so that no one else could ever fall in love with her. Shortly after it is said that Aphrodite, goddess of love, who she envied Medusa's hair, she ripped it out, replacing her hair with snakes.

The transformation made Medusa turned into a monster. She could only live in lands far from civilization, so it is said that she lived in regions close to the Underworld, becoming something close to a living dead.

But the myth of Poseidon and Medusa does not end like this, but the woman She got pregnant of the relationship, something that angered Athena even more and, therefore, she sent the hero Perseus to kill her. People say that Perseus was able to decapitate Medusa and that Pegasus and Chrysaor were born from her severed head. It should be added that Poseidon never took charge of his children, nor the responsibility for raping Medusa.

To finish with this summary of the myth of Poseidon and Medusa, we must talk about the main characteristics of Medusa and better understand this relevant character from Greek myths.

The main features of Medusa are the following:

• Instead of hair she had snakes in the head, since her original hair was plucked out by Aphrodite, and replaced by a group of dangerous and aggressive snakes.
• Athena did that Medusa will kill anyone who looks., since with that he achieved that no one else could approach the woman. It is said that even the reflection of Medusa's eyes was dangerous for whoever looked at it.
• Along with the ability to kill, Medusa's gaze is capable of turn whoever looks on to stone, being the best known element of the monster, since it had hundreds of stone statues of those who had faced it.
• The jellyfish blood she was so dangerous that she was even used as poison, so many gods took poison from the monster so they could kill other heroes.
• After killing her, Perseus kept the head of Medusa and he started her use as shield, since even after her death the woman's eyes were capable of transforming those who looked into stone.
• Over the years, the value of Medusa was gaining fans, until her head was used as an amulet considering that it was good luck.