"Why have you come to my temple, child?" The goddess Aphrodite asked the beautiful young woman standing before her.
She appeared nervous to be there, but nevertheless bravely faced the goddess.
"I come to relinquish my beauty," the lovely maiden said.
"You would forsake the gift I bestowed on you?" Aphrodite was taken aback.
"No, my lady. I forsake those who would do me harm because of it."
The goddess began to understand. Her sea-green eyes swept over the young girl's face and saw pain within her features. There was sorrow in her shining eyes, shame in the curve of her lips, and even rage in the furrow of her brow.
"You have found my gifts to be a curse?" Aphrodite asked.
"And you would have me take them back?"
"Yes, my lady," the maiden said, resolute in her decision.
The goddess smiled as an idea began to bloom.
"I have a better idea, child."
The goddess explained her plan to the young woman, and she agreed.
With a flick of her wrist, Aphrodite unleashed her power on the maiden and she began to transform.
Deadly, venomous fangs grew from her mouth. Her glittering sapphire eyes turned to two vertical golden slits. What once had been long lustrous locks of hair were now slithering serpents, each with a mind of their own.
The maiden had become a monster.
But even through it all, she kept her beauty.
"Now you have both beauty and power." The goddess said. "You may use your curse against anyone who would do you or others harm. I have granted you immortality, and if you use your power responsibly, you can become a symbol of protection to those who need it most. Use your new gifts well, Medusa."
The monstrous maiden smiled, and bowed her head in thanks, each little serpent loyally copying their mistress.
"Thank you, my lady. I will."
Recently I've learned that in the oldest greek version of Medusa's origin she was born a monstrous gorgon, the only mortal out of three sisters. She was never a human, but always a monster and a menace to humanity.
In the Roman Ovid's retelling of her origin story, he writes her as beautiful young priestess of Athena. She is sexually assaulted by Poseidon in Athena's temple, and Athena punishes Medusa for defiling her sacred space (as if it were her fault!) by turning her into the monster we all know.
In modern feminist retellings, the story is often based off Ovid's version, with one key difference: the goddess Athena takes pity on Medusa after she is assaulted and grants her monsterhood so that she is able to protect herself from then on.
I believe it's in one of these versions, that when Medusa is inevitably slain by Perseus, Athena is filled with regret and sadness and places Medusa's likeness on her own breastplate as a symbol of protection. Nothing is without controversy or argument, and many people have taken issue with this version for it's innacuracy, but I've always liked this one best, even though it has no basis in greek myth. I know it's a comforting tale to many who identify with her character in it.
This little snippet I wrote is my own small edit to the story. In it, Medusa isn't necessarily a priestess, or a victim of assault. Her reasoning for coming to Aphrodite is left up to the reader's interpretation, although it's implied that she's looking out for her own safety in a world that is sometimes very cruel to beautiful women.
It makes sense to me that Medusa, the human woman, would come to Aphrodite for help with this. Aphrodite knows all too well how beauty can be a blessing and a curse and I feel that she would want to help Medusa to not only help herself, but to have the power to assist others in her situation.
In my version, the goddess grants Medusa immortality, so that she is able to carry on as a goddess of protection, in her own right. But Aphrodite doesn't tell Medusa that she will help her become a symbol of protection. Instead, she says that she will be able to become one, and warns her to use her gifts well, meaning that Medusa must do the work on her own.
I haven't speculated on what happens to my Medusa in her famous interaction with Perseus. Perhaps by then she is an established goddess of women and protection, and maybe Perseus simply invokes her to help him protect his mother from the wretched king who wants her hand in marriage. Maybe he too becomes a hero because of his efforts to help women. Not by cutting one down to save another, but by forging an alliance with them.
Maybe Athena comes to know of the new goddess' courage and protectiveness and uses her likeness on her breastplate as a way to honor her.
The lessons I'd like readers to take from my little vignette are as follows:
Ask for help when you need it, even if it's scary.
Conversely, when you have the ability to help someone in need, do so, but if you can instead help them find the power to help themselves, that is often a better option.
Beauty can be a privilege, but also a pain.
And finally, power must be used responsibly.
♡I hope you enjoyed my version!♡
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