S5E37: Medusa: Greek Demon with Snake-Hair & Deadly Eyes

Описание: Sharing the book, "Goddess: 50 Goddesses, Spirits, Saints, and Other Female Figures Who Have Shaped Belief." It is written by Dr. Janina Ramirez and illustrated by Sarah Walsh.

This video gets into Medusa, a Greek Demon with Snake-Hair & Deadly Eyes. Medusa's origin story is very familiar to dark-skin Black women with natural hair who get punished for daring to exist. Her story has been shared for over 2000-years. Medusa and her 2 sisters are known as the Gorgons. She is the only 1 out of the 3 that isn't immortal. It's said that she was very very beautiful. Poseidon, the sea god, was attracted to her, and seduced her. Athena, goddess of wisdom, was offended by this. As punishment, she casts a spell on Medusa, turning her into a monster. That was Medusa's crime. Being fine, minding her own business, and being desirable to others.

It wasn't enough that Athena turned her into a monster. They came together as a collective to take Medusa out. King Polydectes wanted to marry Danae, but her son, Perseus was very over-protective. To get rid of Perseus, King Polydectes challenged him. He sent Perseus to bring back Medusa's head. Perseus agreed and set off to kill Medusa. He had help. Hermes, the god of travel, gave Perseus a pair of golden winged sandals that made him move fast. Hades, god of the Underworld gave Perseus a invisibility helmet. Hephaestus, god of blacksmiths, gave Perseus a sword. Athena, still jealous and vengeful, gave Perseus a mirrored shield that Perseus used to look for Medusa without directly looking into her eyes. He found her in a cave, turned invisible, used the sandals to move fast, and cut her head off. Even in death, Medusa was still powerful. She was pregnant with Poseidon's son, Pegasus, a winged horse that flew out of her neck. Perseus kept her head. He would show it to people to turn them into stone, like Atlas. Hence the origin story of the Atlas Mountains in North Africa.

Medusa didn't do anything but be fine and was demonized for it. She was hunted because of another woman's jealousy. Even in death, she created a child to live into the future. Her image is placed outside of buildings to protect people from danger.

So when they say Lupita can't play Helen because there were no Black people in Greece at the time. Ask them why Medusa is always depicted as a Black girl, then. Cause she is a product of the same mythical time.