October is the month that discussions of monsters ramp
up. All types of monsters are talked
about, but very rarely does the topic of where these monsters originated enter
into the conversation. While it may
appear that the topic of monsters is a fairly recent phenomenon it is actually
not and one with a long history.
Monsters have fascinated human groups for centuries, and today’s blog
post is devoted to discussing three ancient monsters: Medusa of the
Mediterranean, the Sphinx of the Middle East, and Namahage of Asia.
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| Frieze of Medusa's head. 2nd century A.D. Hellenistic Temple of Apollo. (Image Source: Perseus Digital Library) |
Medusa: Beauty
Turned Into the Beast
The myth of Medusa is one of the oldest in the world and
comes from the ancient Greeks. There are
several variations on this myth. The
common thread is that Medusa originally was a beautiful woman who spurned the
goddess Athena, who punished Medusa harshly by transforming her beauty into
equal measure of ugliness. Variations
exist in regards to what act specifically offended Athena. Some myths claim that Medusa offended the
goddess by allowing herself to be seduced by the god Poseidon within her sacred
temple and the unholy act enraged Athena.
Other versions claim that Medusa stated she was more beautiful than the
goddess within Athena’s temple, which raised her ire. Regardless of the reason Medusa changed the
beautiful Medusa into a terrifying creature described as a scaly monster with
clawed hands, ragged wings, and snakes for locks of hair. Medusa’s new image was so frightful that it
was believed that to even glimpse her visage would turn the gazer into
stone. Medusa was banished to a far off
island, where she was eventually vanquished by Perseus, who sought her head as
payment for a debt he owed Polydectes.
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| The Sphinx statue in the Egyptian Desert (Image Source: http://www.guardians.net/egypt/sphinx/) |
Sphinx: The Deal
Maker
The Sphinx is best known as a colossal statue that exists in
Egypt, nearby the other great pyramids that Egyptian is well known for. The Sphinx was created by the Pharoh Khafra,
who purportedly created the statue in honor of the god of the rising sun, Harmachis. The Sphinx is an anthropomorphic creature
that is made up of the head of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of a
falcon. It is believed to represent not
just the god of the rising sun but also symbolizes power and might. Centuries later the Sphinx had been buried
under the desert sands and was rediscovered by King Thutmose IV. It is fabled that Thutmose IV discovered the
Sphinx while he was a young prince. He
got lost in the Egyptian deserts and fell asleep under a sand dune. While he slept the Sphinx came to him in a
dream and made a deal with him that he could not refuse: uncover the statue and
Thutmose IV would become a great king.
Thutmose IV ordered the excavation of the Sphinx statue, and he indeed
was known as a grand ruler. The Sphinx
was covered and uncovered many times over the years, and while it stands today it
is currently eroding away due to natural and manmade processes.
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| Man dressed as a Namahage as part of the annual ritual in Japan (Image Source: Google Images) |
Namahage: The Good Ogres
Namahage are Japanese versions of ogres who have a long
history of existence in Japanese culture and still hold special importance in
rituals today. The word Namahage means “red
skin” or “fire burned skin” and “peeled away”, which refers to their horrifying
appearance. The Namahage are believed to
reside in the mountains and come down to the coastal villages once a year
around New Years to scare lazy children.
They go door to door and frightening young children who have misbehaved
throughout the year. Their parents can
appease them by supplying them with food and drink. In return the Namahage leave the children in
the home and bless the households with good fortune and protect them from other
demons. The Japanese recreate this
ritual annually by blessing themselves, donning a costume resembling the
Namahage, and acting out their patterns of behavior as a means of blessing
villagers.
Bibliography
Bayuk, A. N.D. Guardian’s Sphinx: Guardian of the Horizon. Website.
Bogan, L. N.D. Modern
American Poetry: Medusa in Myth and Literary History. Website.
Japanese National Tourism Organism. N.D. Oga Namahage Festival. Website.
No author. 2006. Myth & Legends. Website.
35 comments:
I liked this blog especially Medusa story. I have always like her story. Although I had only ever heard the story of Medusa saying she was more beautiful that Athena, not that she had relations with Poseidon.
I had also never been taught about the sphinx and the prince fulling asleep under it and making a deal with the sphinx in a dream.
Mark Norris
I really enjoyed this blog, I always found the story of Medusa to be fascinating, even though it probably isn't true. But something that can be noticed is that each myth has a moral to the story. Medusa's story warns against disobedience and to show respect to the gods, the Sphynx kept the people of Egypt in line and fear full that they might not escape the city which might have kept the population of good citizens above the population of these that were less favorable and lastly the Namahage. The Namahage seems like it was made up by some parents that were fed up with their children behaving like lazy brats, what better way to get your children to listen then to tell them that there is a monster that is going to get them if they do not behave and help out.
How ever you want to view these myths they are always fun to read, they give us a break from reality and enjoy an alternate for a awhile. Great job on the blog!
I love the concept of the Namahage. It makes me wish that I had been put into that state of mind when I was a child so it would be ingrained versus knowing now that I need to get things done and not be lazy.
I enjoyed this blog because I have heard a story about Medusa offending Athena. I had no idea there was a story behind the Sphinx. I just assumed an Egyptian Pharaoh built it was a shrine of some sort. I like how the Japanese use the Namahage to scare misbehaved children we try and bride them to be good so Santa Clause will bring them a gift on Christmas. It's very interesting to see different cultures folklore.
I enjoyed hearing the story behind the Sphinx. I was unaware of it history. The answer is man? Then suicide? Very interesting.
The Namahage is like the Japanese version of the boogie man. Though we do not leave it food so he does not take our children. Though seems the Japanese parents truly believe in the Namahage and us American parents clearly understand that there is no such thing as a boogie man.
Good read thank you!
I remember going to a lot of festivals when I was younger in Japan. I used to be so terrified of all the dancing masked characters that would jump in your face and shake their huge headdresses till all you wanted to do was cry. Later, my mother told me that they purposely scare children to make them listen to their parents better.
But, I think my mother must be just saying that.
-Anthro101
I've always loved the story of Medusa and the Sphinx. Especially the Sphinx. I've spent a lot of time studying the Egyptian culture. I have never heard of the Nanahage before. It sounds a lot like the boogeman. I've seen the red masks for many years and never really knew what they were. It's nice to know the story behind the mask now.
~Rhonni Lumpkin
I enjoyed the story of Medusa because is showed the true nature of how women seek revenge against other women. Instead of a quick death Athena strikes a women with ugliness (a horrid thing to befall a women in that era since their worth was generally attached to their beauty) and then any man that would look upon Medusa would turn to stone. So even if a man could stand the sight of her, he would die for daring to do so.
Greek mythology has always been a fascinating topic full of great stories with lessons attached. Though I liked the Medusa story, I loved learning about the Sphinx. I think it's interesting that it showed up in Greek culture as well as Egyptian, and I wonder where the riddle telling originated, because I've heard about sphinx's telling riddles before. The riddle answer was also a fun surprise, and made me think about the walks of life; dawn is represented as the early stages of life, noon as middle aged, and night as old and death. Fun read!
When I was younger I did learn some what of Medusa and how she was a beautiful women for some time but after she turned even although I didn't really get why she turned even it is good to now know at least in some part why she may have turned into an evil women. I have actually always seen and image of the Sphinx but never really understood the meaning to it I always thought it was a cool looking statue but it seems even better now that I actually know how and why it came about to be.
-Erick Anguiano
I like this post I knew about the Medusa the most while the other two were completely knew and interesting to me. I like the Medusa as well though just the thought of her being beautiful and to have done something bad and turned horrible, then by just seeing her being turned to stone its fascinating. The Sphinx is also very interesting I knew the statue, but nothing at all about the backstory and its crazy it has become such a great thing merely from a dream. It is cool how the deal in his dream he made came true after he built the statue as well. The Nanahage was also a great story I like the whole backstory of them scaring the bad kids and how the parents could give them food and water and they would turn good, leave the kids alone, and even bless the house to give good fortune. It is cool how they still carry out that tradition to this day.
Its funny the typically way that Medusa is said to be described as is never shown in what i recall seeing in cartoon versions of her. Possibly because the network did not want to scare children too badly i suppose. Even in most movies depicting her they try to make her pretty yet scary to get sales. The only thing i ever see networks stand by are the snakes for hair.
Jordan R
Jordan R
I thought it was kind of cool that the Sphinx acted as I guess you could say a guard dog, because it wouldn't allow people from the outside into the city. I also thought it was sad that just because the riddle was solved the sphinx committed suicide basically accepting defeat.
Student: Shelby Crawford
I have always been interested in anything related to the gods and goddesses. One of my favorites is medusa but I had no idea how she actually became the monster she did. I also think the Sphinx is such an awesome story because it is a piece of art and people do not really pay attention to that part. I think that the story of the Sphinx just makes it that much more interesting. I have never actually heard of the Namahage before reading this post. I would like to actually know more about that tradition and how involved the communities really are with these ogres.
-Anthropology101
The section regarding the Sphinx alone was enough to make this blog post extremely grabbing. I find it interesting that this entity was considered to be a symbol of power for the ancient Egyptians, but for the Greeks, it was a horrendous monster. These blog posts, this particular one as well, have been very informative. The names Medusa, and the Sphinx, fly around constantly and yet I had no idea where these myth originated. It's very interesting to discover the backstory behind these legends, and how great the stories are!!
-Matt Santos
It's interesting how different cultures have different ways to describe beasts witht eh same name. For example to the Egyptians, the sphinx was a guardian, but to the Greeks it was a monster. Same goes with the Japanese troll that left blessings if one paid it off, but to I'd say United Kingdom folklore they are often viewed as vile beasts. I wonder why these stories of these creatures originated. Was it their way of describing natural phenomon or were they tales told to children to keep them behaving?
-Patrick Cattell
I knew that Medusa could turn people to stone when they look in her eyes. Now I understand that Athena was enraged by Medusa being seduced by Poseidon or that Medusa was more beautiful than her. I have studied the Sphinx in history class but I didn’t know that one has to answer a riddle or be cursed to death. I’ve never heard of the Namhage but I’m intrigued by it keeping children in line.
It is interesting how parts of a story get handed down. I did not know the Greek aspect of the Sphinx story even while I knew the riddle about walking on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening. I just did not realize the Greeks had a story about the sphinx, which I always associated with Egypt! I will inform my daughter she has failed to properly educate her mom! She is a Greek history buff, after all...
I have been exposed to Medusa though movies such as Percy Jackson, cartoons, and even songs. I never really knew how she became a symbol of evil with her crazy snake hair, but it makes sense that it had to do looks. I've seen the Sphinx in books and movies but I never knew the background story on it until this blog. As for the Namahage, that monster is new to me. It seems as if there is a pattern though, with monsters scaring children who misbehave or don't listen to their parents. Just an observation!
-Sam Ruebush Anth 102
It is amazing how different cultures create so many different versions of the same myths. The Sphinx takes on many different roles. It is interesting how different cultures can form very different ideas about similar things. I personally really like the Namahage! The history of monsters is a very fun topic!
The history behind these monsters is very intriguing. I have heard of Medusa and the Sphinx, but I've not learned the creation of them. I especially like the uncertainty behind why Athena cursed Medusa. It's something I could definitely see myself researching!
It's always fun to learn about new myths. I liked the one about Medusa, her transforming seem like something to interesting to keep researching about.
Aaliyah Caldwell
It is said that Athena also turned Medusa's two sisters into monsters, creating the three gorgons. While still hideous, though not enough to turn people into stone, one sister's blood could cure any illness, while the others was poison. Which was which was figured out according to if they stood to the left or right of the others.
One would think that, if the Sphinx used the same riddle every time, that the Greeks would eventually consider the creature more of an inconvenience, considering the answer would be passed around. Or was Oedipus the only one who figured it out?
Legends vary in regards to what specifically happened but they all share a common thread: the Sphinx disappeared upon Oedipus solving the riddle.
I am very into greek mythology so when I saw Medusa it immediately caught my eye. And the story I had heard was the one of her and Poseidon but I find it amazing that there can be so many variations to a story.
The story about medusa is very sad in my opinion she’s is just minding her own business and then she gets seduced by a god then transformed into a monster because it was in her temple or even worse the god was jealous and made her into a monster the gods back then were not forgiving.
I have heard of all the above myths besides The Namahage so naturally, I find it the most interesting. The story sounds slightly similar to the Krampus who also visits bad children Christmas time. I wonder if they made up such to scare children into being a good boy/girl and all parents just joined in because they saw results. The origin of these myths are always the most curious factors.
The only myth that i can relate to in the above article is the sphinx: the deal maker, the other 2 I have never heard of but there both very interesting. The Sphinx is a great work of art with 3 different aspects and power means a lot in some societies.
Jovie Black
I liked this article, I've heard about the sphinx but I never knew what its purpose served. Now reading this, I found out that the Sphinx is considered a monster? Followed by the riddles, that curses you if you get it wrong. Wowzers .
The Medusa: Beauty Turned Into the Beast is my favorite "monster" because i'm in love with Greek mythology. This post gave me some insight on this "monster". I never knew that this was a "monster" I thought that it was just a statue of one of the kings.
Dalyla Jordan
Its so interesting how so many different cultures view different myths in their own ways.
I fond this article very interesting because I've heard of all three of these examples, but never really had a deeper knowledge of them. Before this article I thought of Medusa as a scary lady with snakes for hair. I never new at one point Medusa was beautiful. Also, I had no idea that to the ancient Greeks the Sphinx was a terrible monster.
Logan Taylor
I love greek mythology, as I think it is quite interesting and learning more about the origination of medusa was great. I always thought the sphinx was just an egyptian creature, never knew that the greeks feared it.
I actually did a report on Medusa. Although many people see her as a horrible figure she was just a girl punished unfairly. Aphrodite was envious of her beauty and when Medusa slept with Posiden in her garden she finally had the right moment to punish her. Honestly all the Greek Gods were a bit corrupted one way or another!
I loved this blog especially medusa’s part in the blog because everyone knows about her and has heard so many stories on her and how she was turned into such a horrific creature. But for some reason i still find medusa so very beautiful just because of who she was what i got out of reading on why she was turned into medusa is because she had very good confidence . Within herself and i feel that the other gods did not like that so that’s why the turned her into that thing i loved this blog . - Mykia Chaney
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