Greek mythology: The Sinister Tale of Medusa
Most of you probably heard about Medusa one way or another. A monster of Greek mythology whose hair, was a twirling patch of terror - I mean snakes, I'm sorry, even though I wasn't far from the truth. The individuals, the men, who looked into her eyes for even a second, turned to stone.
I don't know how you perceive it, but I have not the slightest interest in meeting this lady, even if you have given me a million. But maybe I would agree. Her story, although tragic at the end, has more in it than just Medusa's appearance. It is full of past, sorrow, anger and injustice. Even Versace does not have a logo of a monster which Medusa is often seen as, but that of a young woman, deserving of gratitude, humility, and respect.
Once upon a time, Medusa, an avowed priestess of Athena, walked the Earth. A beautiful maiden, her hair a golden halo of smooth and long curls, and her beauty admired by many. There was almost no one who would not hear of her.
One day, Poseidon also noticed her beauty. (I'd like to say it's a story with a good ending. I have a romantic spirit myself. Unfortunately, it's not. The story has a very painful journey) But as I mentioned, Poseidon noticed Medusa and because the god always got what his heart longed for, he decided to take what "rightfully belonged" to him, regardless of someone's pleas written in suffering.
While Medusa worshiped Athena in her temple, Poseidon waltzed in and decided to take her by force, leaving Medusa in pain and shame.
Athena was horrified that the priestess had broken the vow of celibacy and was angry that someone had dared to desecrate her temple. Therefore, quite unbelievably, if I may add, she punished Medusa for "her wrongdoings". Medusa turned into a monster with a head full of hissing snakes, and whose gaze turned the men to stone.
AT the beginning, she tried to negotiate kindly with the soldiers who sought glory by trying to behead Medusa. Thanks to Athena's curse, each one turned into a cold statue, perhaps colder than their stone hearts. Finally, she realized that a man could do only one thing: Use the power to destruct and leave only ashes wherever he moved. The time came when she learned to look at the enemies with a smile, silently watching their sore faces hardening forever.
And so she lived, alone, without a single living being near her, on the Sarpeton island until her death. Unfortunately, her heartbreaking journey did not last long. It ended when Perseus beheaded her at Athena's command. Her snake's head remained dangerous, and Athena, accustomed to keeping her enemies at bay, used her head to threaten anyone who got in her way.
The story of Medusa, as many know, has a lot of faces, but I rather take it as a metaphor of what lies behind powerful men, politics, and how unjust the judicial system has been and still is. Of course, with this statement, I am not trying to be misogynistic towards men. I just wonder how it is possible that in 2021, there are still many women in a situation like Medusa's.
Of course, they don't grow snake hair, they're not so lucky. Still, if you looked at the true story of Medusa in depth and replaced the monster with Trauma, you would reach a truly complex ending. Unfortunately, this is still true for many women.
Let's replace some terms and characters
Poseidon - a representation of a powerful man.
Athena - the law
Monster - Trauma
Perseus - depression
Now imagine a woman as beautiful as Medusa was described in my story. Also imagine a man, charismatic, powerful and indestructible. How is it possible that beauty, demanded from almost everyone in this world, can also be a curse? A curse for women who were at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
This story would indeed have the same plot, but it doesn't have such a mythical ending.
Well, a woman could blame the man all she could. When these allegations were heard by the law and the community, they were horrified. "The woman certainly wants to make money on it. The woman is certainly a liar who is trying to destroy the reputation of this pure delegate, the saint."
The law, therefore, said the man was innocent, and so the woman remained silent from then on. The spirit of her past has become a traumatic cage surrounding her heart. In the middle, she sat, curled up in a ball, her old self, slowly drowning in bitterness.
As she lied in bed, her anger grew, but silence oppressed her. A veil grew around her body from a fog that obscured the surroundings and the woman was drowning in darkness.
Depression arrived, a dear friend of suppressed anger, and the woman suddenly realized that blaming a man was foolishness when it was so easy to blame herself. Blaming herself was true.
The depression won and she was no more.
Many victims looked at it and thought that, they too, had to be silent. And the law has protected itself from many accusations and at the same time protected rapists living in fairy-tale luxury.
This is a very interesting concept of understanding Medusa. The modern life approach at the end is relatable to many women out the indeed . I love your way of writing, albeit this is just a short story/article. It makes you think and feel what the character would feel.