The Medusa costume is a classic Halloween costume. It gained popularity from the movie Clash of the Titans, and many people have been inspired to dress up as Medusa for Halloween ever since. The original Medusa was a Gorgon in Greek mythology with hair of snakes whose gaze could turn men into stone. There are many versions of her story, and this blog will discuss them all.
If you are interested in creating your own Medusa Halloween costume, we encourage it! We highly recommend using faux snakes that can be purchased at Party City and using a plastic headband to keep the snakes together. For your hairstyle, we suggest using a crimping iron or curling iron to create waves that will look like snakes once you put the faux snakes over them. For makeup, use liquid eyeliner to create thick cat eyes and then add gold glitter. Then use white foundation to cover your face and neck so you look like stone! Add some green eyeshadow for extra effect. Then if you can, find a toy sword to carry around with you for the evening!
The blog will include some history on Medusa and her origins in Greek mythology. There are multiple versions of her story; she was originally one of three Gorgons who had wings and lived in
The history of Medusa can be found in the Greek myths, although there is also mention of her in some Roman mythology. The main story is that she was a beautiful woman who was turned into a monster when she angered Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war.
The most common version of the story is that Medusa had a rivalry with Athena when she began to brag about how beautiful she was. Athena became so angry at this that she turned Medusa into a monster. She made Medusa’s hair into snakes and gave her a hideous face with sharp teeth and poisonous blood.
Other versions of the story say that Medusa was originally a beautiful woman who was raped by Poseidon, the god of the sea, in one of Athena’s temples. This desecration angered Athena so much that she turned Medusa into a monster as punishment for this act.
In some versions, it is said that Medusa was once very beautiful but she became so vain about her looks that she began to worship herself in Athena’s temple. For this offence, Athena turned her into a monster with snakes for hair and made her gaze deadly enough to turn people to stone if they looked directly at her.
Regardless of the version you choose to believe, we all know that looking
For thousands of years, the story of Medusa has been told in many different ways. Ancient artists, poets, and playwrights all portrayed her differently, as did Renaissance painters and Neoclassical authors. And today, we still don’t have a definitive version of her story.
The most famous depiction of Medusa is probably the one by Caravaggio (1595), in which she is shown with snakes for hair and eyes that are completely white. However, this is the exact opposite of how she is portrayed in older works, such as those by Ovid and Statius. In their writings, she has no snakes or white eyes at all! Instead, they describe her as having “serpents on [her] head” (Ovid) or “her huge snaky tresses” (Statius).
Later retellings changed again: in John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667), she appears without any snakes but does have wings. This particular version has become so well-known that it was used as an inspiration for the film Clash of the Titans (1981), which depicts Medusa as a beautiful woman with long hair who turns into a monster when angered or threatened.
For thousands of years, Medusa has been a staple of Greek mythology. In fact, there are multiple versions of the legend of this mysterious Gorgon.
Medusa is a Greek mythological figure known as one of the three Gorgons, sisters who had hair made out of living, venomous snakes. Medusa was the only mortal one of the three; hence, why she was the only one who could be killed. She was beheaded by Perseus, who then gave her head to Athena to place on her shield.
It seems that not many people are aware that there are multiple versions of the myth about Medusa. In one version, she is just a hideous monster; in another, she is a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in Athena’s temple. There are also other variations on how and why she was turned into a monster with snakes for hair.
The cultural history of Medusa is a colorful and complex one. As a Gorgon, she has been depicted with snakes for hair, and the ability to turn people to stone. But her story has often been interpreted as an allegory for natural processes; she has also been interpreted as the goddess of wisdom.
The story of Medusa is a strange one, and her status as a Gorgon is not consistent across cultures. The earliest stories depict Medusa as a beautiful woman. She was later punished by Athena, who turned her into the monster we’re familiar with today.
Modern interpretations frequently view Medusa as a powerful symbol of female rage and resistance.