Why is the head of Gorgon Medusa covered with snakes?

Medusa Gorgon - famous mythical characterAncient Greece. Many people know the story of this monster, as modern cinema often uses its image to create anti-heroes. And the head of Medusa, covered with snakes, and did become a symbol of antipathy and ugliness. But only Gorgon was not always so evil and terrible, because she was born a real beauty.

Birth of gorgon

According to the original version, all gorgons (and theirthere were three sisters) were born from the forbidden union of the chthonic deities of the sea of ​​Forkia and Keto. At the same time, all the daughters inherited mystical powers from their parents, which put them on the same level as the demigods. For example, the Gorgon Medusa possessed an amazing ability to turn any objects into stone.

In this case, the myth says that the two older sisters wereimmortal and only the youngest could die at the hands of an ordinary person. And it's not difficult to guess that the youngest was Medusa. What is more interesting is that Medusa is the name of the girl who was given to her at birth. Only after many centuries, after the appearance of the myth of this being, the scientists will name the transparent inhabitant of the sea depths in honor of the terrifying monster.

Why is the head of Gorgon Medusa covered with snakes?

Medusa was the most beautiful of sisters. Because of this, many gods and demigods stared at her. However, the beauty's heart was impregnable, and she rejected all her boyfriends. But one day, Medusa was noticed by the ruler of the seas and oceans Poseidon. An irresistible passion caught fire in him, and he decided to forcibly take possession of the girl's body.

Upon learning of this, Medusa Gorgona took refuge in the templeAthens, hoping that the terrible warrior will save her. Alas, the beauty's hopes did not come true. The goddess did not hear the prayers, and Poseidon, bursting into the temple, took her right on the sacred altar. The frightened girl prayed and begged Athena for salvation, and finally she heard her call. But instead of help, Medusa saw the wrath of a zealous god who was furious because her altar was desecrated.

Athena decided that the blame of all the beauty of the girl,which lures men. And at the same time, the head of Medusa was covered with countless ugly snakes. Thus, the goddess not only did not save the gorgon, but also permanently maimed her life.

Death of the Gorgon of Medusa

In Greek mythology, there are many stories aboutPerseus, the earthly son of the god Zeus. One of them reads about how this young man wanted to marry the daughter of the king of Polydect - Danae. However, the ruler hated Perseus, and therefore decided to kill him. He said that only the head of Medusa Gorgon will prove that the young man is worthy of the hand of his daughter.

Despite the fact that Perseus was the son of God, he clearlyyielded to the monster, which could turn anyone into stone. Therefore, Hermes and Athena volunteered to help the hero. The first gave Perseus a helmet, able to give his owner the gift of invisibility, and the second - a sewn with a built-in mirror inside.

Moreover, when Perseus made his way into the dengorgon, Athena told him which of them is Medusa. After that, a fight ensued between the hero and the monster. The main problem was that Perseus could not look at the gorgon, and therefore in battle he used the shield given, with a mirror. This cunning stunned the beast, and at the time of her weakness, the young man cut off her head. A helmet of Hermes allowed the hero to escape from the lair of the monsters unnoticed. And in the end, Perseus with the head of Medusa in a sack, was able to come to Tsar Polyditch unharmed.

Consequences of the death of Medusa

If you believe the myths, then after the death of Medusa from herbody appeared winged horse Pegasus and a young man with a golden sword Chrysaor. The ancient Greeks believed that they were the children of Poseidon and the young gorgon. In addition, passing through the sands of Libya, Perseus did not notice that the head of Medusa was constantly bleeding. And where the drops fell, snakes appeared later, which became a real punishment for the inhabitants of this desert.

Also, legends say that even after deathThe head of this monster could turn any creature into stone. Thanks to this, Perseus was able to defeat the mother of all the Keto gorgons, and also turn Atlantis into a titanium stone, holding the sky on his shoulders. It is noteworthy that at the end of his journey the hero never married Danae. His wife was the daughter of King Kefei - Andromeda.

Importance in culture

The cycle of stories about the son of Zeus became one of the mostpopular in Ancient Greece. Therefore it is not surprising that the statue of Perseus with the head of Medusa Gorgona became a favorite decoration for many houses of the time. Even today in many museums in Greece there are perfectly preserved sculptures depicting this scene from the myth.

In addition, the image of the Gorgon Medusawas used in literature and cinema. True, in most cases she was portrayed as an evil character, forgetting that Medusa had become a monster through no fault of her own, but only because she was not lucky enough to be born beautiful.