Medusa- A Monster or Just a Victim?

Medusa is not a name that is unpopular with people. The gorgon with snakes for heads in Greek mythology who was crazy and cruel, turning people into stone until she was put to stop by the mighty Perseus- that's the perception a lot of people have of her. But all in all, she was just a victim. She was no monster. She was only painted as one.

As one of the Gorgon sisters, Medusa was born beautiful and kind. She devoted herself to a life of celibacy and became a priestess to her beloved goddess, Athena. The requirement to be a priestess was to be a virgin and devote their life to the goddess and that's exactly what Medusa did. But one day, Poseidon, the Sea God who also has a deep sense of hatred and enmity towards Athena, saw Medusa and cast his evil eyes of lust upon her. Even though Medusa rejected his sexual advances against her purity, he did not heed her. He raped her. He raped her on the very steps of Athena's temple to further humiliate the goddess. And Medusa, left weak and vulnerable, called out to her beloved goddess in desperation. 

Medusa trusted Athena would somehow help her by guiding and forgiving her. But there too she was just met with further damnation. Athena was angry with Medusa for destroying the sanctity of her temple and for "betraying" her, so she cursed her so that no man would ever want her and sent her to a faraway island to live out the rest of her days in isolation. Her skin was cracked and she was given snakes for hairs, and everyone she looked at would turn to stone. This was her punishment for the so-called "betrayal". You would think Athena being a woman would take pity upon her but no- she just put Medusa in even more agony. 

You would also think that now that she is isolated, no one would want to hurt her and she could live out the remaining of her days in peace. No. There too, she was hunted by men who sought to kill her as she was a quote-unquote "monster". She was afraid of it all. She was fuming with rage at the Gods for cursing her. So she killed every single man who stepped on that island intending to kill her. She carried on doing this until she was beheaded by Perseus who had help from the gods, especially from Athena, to do so. Throughout many myths, Medusa's head is used as a weapon by many male heroes. There's no definite conclusion to her story.

Medusa was violated in her life and even in her death. She was raped, deformed, cursed, isolated, hunted, killed, weaponized and used but she is still portrayed to be a monster instead of the victim. She is a clear example of how victims are called instigators. She is a clear example of how people fail to understand and help the victims of rape, sexual assaults and other such immoralities. The patriarchal norms of society uphold men for their heroism and glory while diminishing women to the least. We see it all around us- in the corporates, the media and even in our own neighbourhoods. Greek mythology was not any different from this.

Today, a large number of people are getting Medusa tattooed on their bodies. Today, she is seen as a symbol of strength, power and female empowerment. The Medusa tattoo is a symbol of surviving sexual violence and of the victim finding their own sense of empowerment even through the traumas of the violation. At least today, even if it is by some people, Medusa is recognised for her innocence and is seen as a victim and a symbol of courage and resilience instead of the monster she was made out to be in her story.