--- title: "7 Medusa-mythology Quotes By Joan Marler" description: "7 Medusa-mythology quotes by Joan Marler. Plus more from Joan Marler and more Medusa-mythology sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/joan-marler-49746_greek-mythology_according-to-greek-mythology-medusa-is-a_33650.jpg" --- > [“According to Greek mythology, Medusa is a Triple Goddess, one of three gorgon sisters—Sthenno, Euryale, and Medusa—representing past, present, and future. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/according-to-greek-mythology-medusa-is-a-triple-goddess-one-of-three/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/joan-marler-49746_greek-mythology_according-to-greek-mythology-medusa-is-a_33650.jpg) > [“It is no surprise, then, that the earth deities of the Old Religion were demonized or co-opted. A typical task for Greek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/it-is-no-surprise-then-that-the-earth-deities-of-the-old-religion/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb3/joan-marler-49746_male-dominance_it-is-no-surprise-then-that-the-earth-de_874276.jpg) > [“The decapitation of Medusa by the Greek hero Perseus, assisted by the patriarchalized Goddess Athena, was painted on pottery, carved as bas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/the-decapitation-of-medusa-by-the-greek-hero-perseus-assisted-by-the/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/joan-marler-49746_medusa-mythology_the-decapitation-of-medusa-by-the-greek_1592354.jpg) > [“When Medusa was killed, her powers were plundered. She was pregnant with her son Chrysaor and the winged horse Pegasus who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/when-medusa-was-killed-her-powers-were-plundered-she-was-pregnant/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/joan-marler-49746_asclepius_when-medusa-was-killed-her-powers-were-p_1701271.jpg) > [“Long before the Gorgon Medusa constellated within the archaic Greek world and was demonized as ugly and ultimately monstrous—with her tongue lolling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/long-before-the-gorgon-medusa-constellated-within-the-archaic-greek/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/joan-marler-49746_giving-birth_long-before-the-gorgon-medusa-constellat_1948993.jpg) > [“The establishment of the Greek patriarchal world shifted the previous cultural valence from the egalitarian continuity of the Old Religion to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/the-establishment-of-the-greek-patriarchal-world-shifted-the-previous/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/joan-marler-49746_male-dominance_the-establishment-of-the-greek-patriarch_2263232.jpg) > [“But as the 20th century dawned, Freudian psychology promoted the regressive notion that women suffer an intrinsic deficiency resulting in “penis envy.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/but-as-the-20th-century-dawned-freudian-psychology-promoted-the/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45f/joan-marler-49746_freud_but-as-the-20th-century-dawned-freudian_2507066.jpg) ## Other authors on Medusa-mythology - [Miriam Robbins Dexter 10 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medusa-mythology/miriam-robbins-dexter/) ## More by Joan Marler > [“According to Greek mythology, Medusa is a Triple Goddess, one of three gorgon sisters—Sthenno, Euryale, and Medusa—representing past, present, and future. Only Medusa exists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/according-to-greek-mythology-medusa-is-a-triple-goddess-one-of-three/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) > [“It is no surprise, then, that the earth deities of the Old Religion were demonized or co-opted. A typical task for Greek heroes was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/it-is-no-surprise-then-that-the-earth-deities-of-the-old-religion/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) > [“The decapitation of Medusa by the Greek hero Perseus, assisted by the patriarchalized Goddess Athena, was painted on pottery, carved as bas reliefs on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/the-decapitation-of-medusa-by-the-greek-hero-perseus-assisted-by-the/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) > [“When Medusa was killed, her powers were plundered. She was pregnant with her son Chrysaor and the winged horse Pegasus who were born from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/when-medusa-was-killed-her-powers-were-plundered-she-was-pregnant/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) > [“Long before the Gorgon Medusa constellated within the archaic Greek world and was demonized as ugly and ultimately monstrous—with her tongue lolling between sharp…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/long-before-the-gorgon-medusa-constellated-within-the-archaic-greek/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) > [“The establishment of the Greek patriarchal world shifted the previous cultural valence from the egalitarian continuity of the Old Religion to the extreme imposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/the-establishment-of-the-greek-patriarchal-world-shifted-the-previous/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) > [“But as the 20th century dawned, Freudian psychology promoted the regressive notion that women suffer an intrinsic deficiency resulting in “penis envy.” Freud wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/but-as-the-20th-century-dawned-freudian-psychology-promoted-the/) [Joan Marler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marler/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medusa-mythology/joan-marler/#itemlist", "name": "7 Medusa-mythology Quotes By Joan Marler", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“According to Greek mythology, Medusa is a Triple Goddess, one of three gorgon sisters—Sthenno, Euryale, and Medusa—representing past, present, and future. Only Medusa exists as mortal in present time. Her complex lineage composed of multiple myths and stories, combined with cross-cultural influences, is masterfully presented in this volume by the linguist and archaeomythologist Miriam Robbins Dexter. She rightly points out that the typical emphasis on Medusa's fearsome features are the result of extreme Greek bias against female powers, which masks her life-giving and regenerative capacities.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Marler" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/according-to-greek-mythology-medusa-is-a-triple-goddess-one-of-three/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/joan-marler-49746_greek-mythology_according-to-greek-mythology-medusa-is-a_33650.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/joan-marler-49746_greek-mythology_according-to-greek-mythology-medusa-is-a_33650.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/joan-marler-49746_greek-mythology_according-to-greek-mythology-medusa-is-a_33650.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“According to Greek mythology, Medusa is a Triple Goddess, one of three gorgon sisters—Sthenno, Euryale, and…” — Joan Marler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is no surprise, then, that the earth deities of the Old Religion were demonized or co-opted. A typical task for Greek heroes was to rid the civilized world of those “earth-born bogeys.” The Gorgon Medusa, whose gaze turned men to stone, became an obvious target. Nevertheless, on the periphery of the Greek world, there is evidence that She was venerated in her ancient powers. During the 6th century BCE on the island of Corfu, an eight-foot-high full-bodied sculpture of Medusa was placed at the highest point on the pediment of the temple of Artemis. This Medusa is not raging, but is radiant in her full potency. Snakes with open jaws extend from each side of her head and two copulating serpents encircle her waist, carrying the potential for both death and new life. She wears winged sandals, her great wings are fully extended, sheltering her two children, and her bent-knee posture suggests that she is flying. All shamanic dimensions are Hers—the Great Above, the Great Below, the Primordial Waters, and the entire expanse of the Earth. She is flanked by great felines, just as the Phrygian Mountain Goddess Cybele and the seated Ancestral Mother from Çatalhöyük before her.'' ''The establishment of the Greek patriarchal world shifted the previous cultural valence from the egalitarian continuity of the Old Religion to the extreme imposition of male dominance and the cult of the hero. Under this new world order, all challenges to male hegemonic systems were to be crushed. As the classicist Eva Keuls emphasizes, “the suppression of women, the military expansionism and the harshness in the conduct of civic affairs all sprang from a common aggressive impulse.” That impulse was the expression of “male supremacy and the cult of power and violence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Marler" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/it-is-no-surprise-then-that-the-earth-deities-of-the-old-religion/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb3/joan-marler-49746_male-dominance_it-is-no-surprise-then-that-the-earth-de_874276.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb3/joan-marler-49746_male-dominance_it-is-no-surprise-then-that-the-earth-de_874276.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb3/joan-marler-49746_male-dominance_it-is-no-surprise-then-that-the-earth-de_874276.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is no surprise, then, that the earth deities of the Old Religion were demonized or co-opted. A typical…” — Joan Marler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The decapitation of Medusa by the Greek hero Perseus, assisted by the patriarchalized Goddess Athena, was painted on pottery, carved as bas reliefs on temples, described in Greek verse, and propagated in myths and legends. Her murder functioned as a cautionary tale defining the ultimate consequence of manifesting female sovereignty.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Marler" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/the-decapitation-of-medusa-by-the-greek-hero-perseus-assisted-by-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/joan-marler-49746_medusa-mythology_the-decapitation-of-medusa-by-the-greek_1592354.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/joan-marler-49746_medusa-mythology_the-decapitation-of-medusa-by-the-greek_1592354.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/joan-marler-49746_medusa-mythology_the-decapitation-of-medusa-by-the-greek_1592354.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The decapitation of Medusa by the Greek hero Perseus, assisted by the patriarchalized Goddess Athena, was…” — Joan Marler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When Medusa was killed, her powers were plundered. She was pregnant with her son Chrysaor and the winged horse Pegasus who were born from her severed neck. Pegasus was immediately captured and made to bring Zeus Medusa's roar and the flash of her eyes, which he used as his thunder and lightning. In book three of the Bibliotheca (3.10.3) Apollodorus describes how Athena drains the blood from Medusa's veins and gives it to Asclepius, Greek god of medicine and healing. The blood from her left side is deadly poisonous, while the blood from her right side brings life. Asclepius's powers to cure and raise the dead were thereby stolen from Medusa.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Marler" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/when-medusa-was-killed-her-powers-were-plundered-she-was-pregnant/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/joan-marler-49746_asclepius_when-medusa-was-killed-her-powers-were-p_1701271.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/joan-marler-49746_asclepius_when-medusa-was-killed-her-powers-were-p_1701271.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/joan-marler-49746_asclepius_when-medusa-was-killed-her-powers-were-p_1701271.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When Medusa was killed, her powers were plundered. She was pregnant with her son Chrysaor and the winged…” — Joan Marler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Long before the Gorgon Medusa constellated within the archaic Greek world and was demonized as ugly and ultimately monstrous—with her tongue lolling between sharp fangs, with writhing serpents for hair and glaring eyes—the roots of her multi-layered iconography extended deep into pre-Greek cultures. The earliest agrarian societies of Southeastern Europe, from the 7th-4th millennia BCE, were intimately bonded with the seasonal realities of the living Earth. These egalitarian farmers who developed long-lived, sustainable societies understood that life feeds on life. Death and decomposition are inevitable consequences of being alive, and the nutrients released from previously living matter are essential for life's renewal. Within this context, concepts of the sacred are analogous to the cyclic continuity of all existence. In mythic terms, the Great Goddess, as the Sacred Source of all life, is a metaphor for life giving birth to itself and absorbing itself in death. Therefore, the Goddess of Life is also the Goddess of Death who is responsible for regeneration. Goddesses in various guises who represent this eternal cycle are found in ancient traditions throughout the world. The nature of every society is shaped by prevailing attitudes—honoring and respectful, or fearful.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Marler" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/long-before-the-gorgon-medusa-constellated-within-the-archaic-greek/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/joan-marler-49746_giving-birth_long-before-the-gorgon-medusa-constellat_1948993.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/joan-marler-49746_giving-birth_long-before-the-gorgon-medusa-constellat_1948993.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/joan-marler-49746_giving-birth_long-before-the-gorgon-medusa-constellat_1948993.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Long before the Gorgon Medusa constellated within the archaic Greek world and was demonized as ugly and…” — Joan Marler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The establishment of the Greek patriarchal world shifted the previous cultural valence from the egalitarian continuity of the Old Religion to the extreme imposition of male dominance and the cult of the hero. Under this new world order, all challenges to male hegemonic systems were to be crushed. As the classicist Eva Keuls emphasizes, “the suppression of women, the military expansionism and the harshness in the conduct of civic affairs all sprang from a common aggressive impulse.” That impulse was the expression of “male supremacy and the cult of power and violence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Marler" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/the-establishment-of-the-greek-patriarchal-world-shifted-the-previous/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/joan-marler-49746_male-dominance_the-establishment-of-the-greek-patriarch_2263232.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/joan-marler-49746_male-dominance_the-establishment-of-the-greek-patriarch_2263232.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/joan-marler-49746_male-dominance_the-establishment-of-the-greek-patriarch_2263232.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The establishment of the Greek patriarchal world shifted the previous cultural valence from the egalitarian…” — Joan Marler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But as the 20th century dawned, Freudian psychology promoted the regressive notion that women suffer an intrinsic deficiency resulting in “penis envy.” Freud wrote that the “depreciation of women, horror of women, and a disposition to homosexuality are derived from the final conviction that women have no penis.” In his view, Medusa's face represents a “vagina dentata”—a hideous toothed vagina—surrounded by the writhing phalluses of castrated men.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Marler" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marler/but-as-the-20th-century-dawned-freudian-psychology-promoted-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45f/joan-marler-49746_freud_but-as-the-20th-century-dawned-freudian_2507066.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45f/joan-marler-49746_freud_but-as-the-20th-century-dawned-freudian_2507066.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45f/joan-marler-49746_freud_but-as-the-20th-century-dawned-freudian_2507066.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But as the 20th century dawned, Freudian psychology promoted the regressive notion that women suffer an…” — Joan Marler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medusa-mythology/joan-marler/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medusa-mythology/joan-marler/", "name": "Medusa-mythology Quotes by Joan Marler", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medusa-mythology/joan-marler/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/joan-marler-49746_greek-mythology_according-to-greek-mythology-medusa-is-a_33650.jpg" }, "description": "7 Medusa-mythology quotes by Joan Marler. 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