Talk:Medusa

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Contents 1 Triple goddess 2 Medusa: Not So Hideous 3 Medusa as a race 4 Restored Might & Magic reference 5 Popular Culture

[edit] Triple goddess

once part of the triple goddess, but one who later,

I removed this from the article. There was no "triple goddess" in authentic Greek mythology, at least not in the sense that it is apparently being used here, of a triple cosmic female divinity who was demoted. (Selene/Artemis/Hecate may have been a triple female deity, but there is no real grounds to identify her with Medusa, and the claim that she was once the supreme deity is a twentieth century fantasy.) The "triple goddess" in this sense was the invention of Robert Graves and other twentieth century mythographers. -- IHCOYC 16:17 17 Jul 2003 (UTC)

This page doesn't need a disambig as the title is already disambiguated, and topic of the page is made clear in the first three words: In Greek mythology... ··gracefool |☺ 21:54, 26 Aug 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Medusa: Not So Hideous

I removed the reference in this article to Medusa's appearance as being 'hideous'. Prior to her transformation at the hands of Athena, Medusa was considered a great beauty. Athena's curse changed Medusa to the extent that her tresses were as serpents and her gaze could turn living creatures to stone yet accounts never mention any change in her visage. Her face remained the same. The idea that she was ugly to behold may have been propogated by the 1981 film Clash of the Titans where the animators purposefully gave her a hag/serpent-like appearance to give strength to the idea that she was capable of turning others to stone by a mere look.

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The hideous part is well described in most of the myths. The one where she used to be a beautiful and normal human is just one minor version out of several, and even there most version specify that she was indeed hideous (and not just with snake hair) after that. Her typical description is with bloated face, boar tusks, bristly hair everywhere. DreamGuy 23:34, Apr 28, 2005 (UTC)

Then I'd be interested to read more on this. Can you provide me with any links or sources I can look into? I have to say that even in artwork I've never seen Medusa depicted as anything other than a woman (or severed head as the case may be) with a fairly ordinary face and serpentine hair.
16:14, Apr 29, 2005 (UTC)

Ø

[edit] Medusa as a race

1. Why doesn't this article also mention "medusa" as being a race as well as a specific figure of myth? (Compare Minotaur/Sphinx)

2. Can anyone else confirm my obscure memory of a male medusa being called a medea? 83.109.145.102 17:22, 17 July 2005 (UTC)

Because Medusa isn't a race, it's a name. There wasn't a race of them, and the only collective noun would be Gorgons, which were her sisters. And your obscure memory sounds reminiscent of the Dungeons & Dragons monster the maedar (or something bizarre and silly like that). DreamGuy 19:25, July 17, 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps the issue that he/she is addressing is how the name "medusa" is now used in many games, books, etc. to represent all creatures that are half-human and half-snake (or some variation of the "human with snake-like features"). This change would certainly seem of value to the article. Terukiyo 02:48, 4 May 2006 (UTC)

Medea was the wife of Jason of Argonaut fame. She was also purportedly well-versed in magic crafts and used these to aid him in acquiring the golden fleece and later to poison the new bride he planned to replace her with.
Ø 15:27, 18 July 2005 (UTC)

And wikipedia shall provide | Ø 15:27, 18 July 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Restored Might & Magic reference

I've restored the reference to Might & Magic as this is a valid pop culture reference, particularly as it relates to a very popular title. --Centauri 04:25, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Popular Culture

What is this: "A myth today is that Medusa presents herself in the form of ***, a mutated human, yearning to interact with society that once shunned her"? There is no source listed and what constitutes "a myth today?" I have removed it, since I googled *** and found no reference. I think it may be vandalized (someone calling a friend a Medusa), but I can neither prove, nor disprove this. If someone knows, they can easily add it back.

Indeed, I think someone has been vandalising here. In the same section, the tidbit of her appearing in the Atmosfear series was taken off. I've since re-added it. 124.177.241.81 06:54, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

"Tidbits" are not encyclopedic. This is not Tidbits about trivial mentions of Medusa and Medusa-like characters in things nobody cares about, this is supposed to be about the mythological character. DreamGuy 13:51, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

TS. If it has anything to do with Medusa, it belongs here. Clearly the heading "Medusa in popular culture" is enough for others to realise that it has nothing to do with her mythology. You could say that Elizabeth Bathory does not deserve a popular culture section, but she deserves it because it's still FACTS about fiction, and not fiction about fiction. If you can understand that... >_> 124.177.210.91 08:44, 3 November 2006 (UTC)