Her Fall From Grace

 

Picture Credit: ArtStation on Pinterest

We’ve all heard about the scary monster Medusa, with a head full of venomous snakes, eyes that turn you to stone. We have been told countless times the tale of her fall from grace. But what we ignore is that beneath all the venom and stone was a fair maiden who devoted her life in the name of celibacy for her goddess, Athena.

 A priestess in Athena’s temple, known for her beauty in the entire mundane. Athena’s followers would wait for a glimpse of the beauty and the furious goddess would squirm in jealousy.

The maiden was unknown to what faith had stored for her, naive has a child she believed all lies. The god of sea and a known rival of Athena saw the beauty and was mesmerized, But Medusa rejected him and his psyche shattered. He iced his bruised ego by raping Medusa at the temple, to humiliate Athena. Medusa prayed to Athena for guidance and forgiveness but all she got in return was utter disgust.

 Athena looked down in anger and cursed the poor priestess for betraying the goddess by breaking her vow of celibacy. She was exiled to a faraway island and cursed so that no man would want her. She was given deadly scales for skin, her golden locks turned to snakes and blood replaced to venom in her veins.

All Medusa’s pleas went unanswered as Athena turned her back on the hideous creature. Men over the world hunted for Medusa to claim her head as a trophy for their bravery, they claimed they wanted to put her out of her own misery. But Medusa blinded by rage took her revenge on those foolish men. She tore them limb to limb and feasted on their remains.

One great warrior by the name of Perseus was responsible for the demise of the fallen priestess. He beheaded her and used her head as a weapon against his enemies. The tragic tale of Medusa came to an end. 

The world moved on forgetting her past, she was hence known for what she had become. Perseus may have killed Medusa, but she died long ago in the temple.

~Benecia Fernandes