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Help[Opinions] Medusa (I'm Serious)
Title says it all: wdyt of Medusa as a name?
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snakes alive!
Bad idea. Very bad. Even if you try to put a new feminist spin on her, she's still the ugly gal with snakes for hair.
The comedian Julie Brown made a movie in the early nineties parodying Madonna's "Truth or Dare" tour documentary; she called it "Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful."
Bad idea. Very bad. Even if you try to put a new feminist spin on her, she's still the ugly gal with snakes for hair.
The comedian Julie Brown made a movie in the early nineties parodying Madonna's "Truth or Dare" tour documentary; she called it "Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful."
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It's very Greek. I think it would work best as a middle name.
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I like it in theory. In practice I just think it's a missed opportunity is she doesn't end up having dreads... Not and easy name to have I think. Also I can't think of any nicknames for it that would make it a little easier to bear. So, middle name only I'd say.
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I like the character a lot and I am all about reclaiming her as a feminist figure. I don't like the pronunciation of the name though. However, I also didn't know what MasonThursday said about it originally being pronounced like Medosa/Medousa. I kind of like that pronunciation.
HOWEVER, because in the present time no amount of feminists trying to reclaim it is going to erase the world's previously ingrained idea that she's some evil monster, I think I would relegate it to a middle name position. Powerful without being as prominent. You still want to give her a fair chance in life and the name comes with so many preconceived notions. I'd give it if I loved it, but I'd give her something more stable to fall back on.
HOWEVER, because in the present time no amount of feminists trying to reclaim it is going to erase the world's previously ingrained idea that she's some evil monster, I think I would relegate it to a middle name position. Powerful without being as prominent. You still want to give her a fair chance in life and the name comes with so many preconceived notions. I'd give it if I loved it, but I'd give her something more stable to fall back on.
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Hair's looking at you, Kid...
Sorry, couldn't resist :P
The sound is really pretty, but I don't think it would be a comfortable name to carry.
Sorry, couldn't resist :P
The sound is really pretty, but I don't think it would be a comfortable name to carry.
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Not too crazy about the name. I don't think Medusa from Greek Mythology was evil, but the first thing I think of is the villain from the anime Soul Eater.
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Nope nope nope. It means jellyfish in some languages.
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I like it, but I don't know how usable it is. I prefer Medea (which is also a little "creepy" but it sounds more.. human? idk)
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I like Medea better too, but it comes with a different set of baggage.
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Yeah, Medea is definitely worse than Medusa as a character but I think the name is a little better
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Really? In someways, I think Medea is a better character. She did so much for Jason and was magical without being particularly malignant until he betrayed her. She did turn into a dragon and kill their sons (or kill their sons and turn into a dragon. I forget which), but she could make a case for an insanity plea.
Medusa only seems pitiable in Ovid's version. She's a pretty flat character in some of the other versions of the story.
Medusa only seems pitiable in Ovid's version. She's a pretty flat character in some of the other versions of the story.
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I literally opened my internet up to come here immediately after watching Clashof the Titans and saw this.
I'm not a fan. the emphasis on the OOO sound is not my thing and I think of masses of snakes which I do not like.
I'm not a fan. the emphasis on the OOO sound is not my thing and I think of masses of snakes which I do not like.
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Adore, a powerful name and story.
I adore the name Medusa, and personally I find Medusa to be something of a feminist figure. She never sought out to kill or destroy. Instead, she lived in a cave, only petrifying men when they attacked her. She was far less violent than her sisters, and was originally a beautiful and devout young woman. She was only turned into a monster, out of Athena's spite, because she was raped by Poseidon in the temple. She has constantly been misunderstood, and the idea of an alternate Medusa being able to enact revenge is an empowering one. There have been so many beautiful takes on her in recent years, and I think it's hightime we reclaim the name, too. Not to mention the meaning: "protector, ruler".
A lot of people seem to not really like the "oo" sound. To that I bring up the original Greek spelling and pronunciation: Medousa, pronounced MEH-DO-SA. I think it's just as beautiful, if not even more. The spelling could be changed to Medosa if you're worried about mispronunciation.
I adore the name Medusa, and personally I find Medusa to be something of a feminist figure. She never sought out to kill or destroy. Instead, she lived in a cave, only petrifying men when they attacked her. She was far less violent than her sisters, and was originally a beautiful and devout young woman. She was only turned into a monster, out of Athena's spite, because she was raped by Poseidon in the temple. She has constantly been misunderstood, and the idea of an alternate Medusa being able to enact revenge is an empowering one. There have been so many beautiful takes on her in recent years, and I think it's hightime we reclaim the name, too. Not to mention the meaning: "protector, ruler".
A lot of people seem to not really like the "oo" sound. To that I bring up the original Greek spelling and pronunciation: Medousa, pronounced MEH-DO-SA. I think it's just as beautiful, if not even more. The spelling could be changed to Medosa if you're worried about mispronunciation.
This message was edited 7/22/2020, 7:22 PM
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Agree with all of this. I took a women's history class in college and the professor actually brought up Medusa as a feminist figure, for the reasons you explained. I was already of that mind because my mom studied Greek history extensively and talked about it a lot and we had bookshelves full of material on it growing up (though her specialty was ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia). It's why she named my sister Cassandra!
I honestly thought this was common knowledge but the comments here are making me doubt that now :( Apparently most people just know her as a monster.
I honestly thought this was common knowledge but the comments here are making me doubt that now :( Apparently most people just know her as a monster.
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There are multiple versions of the myth
In the Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphoses, Medusa was recreated as a tragic figure. He adds the story of rape and Athena cursing her. However, Ovid's is a later version. Earlier versions do not paint her as a victim, and she seems more evil. These stories were told over and over again, and each teller put their own twist on things.
In the Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphoses, Medusa was recreated as a tragic figure. He adds the story of rape and Athena cursing her. However, Ovid's is a later version. Earlier versions do not paint her as a victim, and she seems more evil. These stories were told over and over again, and each teller put their own twist on things.
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I know, I mentioned that in my own comment.
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I wonder if it's just because a lot of people are afraid of snakes?
I like snakes, but if I was scared of them I probably wouldn't like to think about the name Medusa lol
I like snakes, but if I was scared of them I probably wouldn't like to think about the name Medusa lol
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A lovely defense :)
I appreciate your generous interpretation of the mythological figure's ethos!
I appreciate your generous interpretation of the mythological figure's ethos!
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I don’t like it. Not only is it the name of an ugly and evil character from Greek mythology but I don’t like the sound.
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She's not an evil character in Greek myth. Please reread the myth.
She's a character punished for being assaulted and the rest of her story is tragic and unfair to her. Her entire story is such a toxic male narrative about how the victim is to blame when they are sexually assaulted and then how the victim should be punished for it.
She's a character punished for being assaulted and the rest of her story is tragic and unfair to her. Her entire story is such a toxic male narrative about how the victim is to blame when they are sexually assaulted and then how the victim should be punished for it.
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I pointed this out elsewhere, but there are multiple versions of the myth. The Roman poet Ovid decided to insert some tragedy into her story and added the story about the rape. Technically, it would be Minerva who cursed her since Athena is the Greek counterpart, which doesn't have a rape story (see Hesiod's version).
You could argue that Minerva's "curse" was a blessing since it gave Medusa the power to fight back against future attackers. In earlier versions of the myth, Medusa doesn't seem to have ever been a normal human especially considering that her sisters were immortal. It all depends on which version of the myth that you are looking at, and how you choose to interpret it. Ceri isn't wrong; she is just looking at an earlier version of the story.
You could argue that Minerva's "curse" was a blessing since it gave Medusa the power to fight back against future attackers. In earlier versions of the myth, Medusa doesn't seem to have ever been a normal human especially considering that her sisters were immortal. It all depends on which version of the myth that you are looking at, and how you choose to interpret it. Ceri isn't wrong; she is just looking at an earlier version of the story.
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I've actually always like the name Medusa. Obviously it's inextricably tied to the mythological monster. I know in the oldest stories she was always a monster but I always found her a tragic character because of the version where she was just a priestess of Athena, raped in her temple, and Athena punished her by turning her into a monster. Horrible! So, unfortunate associations whichever way you tell her story.
Cool name otherwise.
PS: I don't know how many of you here play the Assassin Creed games, but in the most recent one, Odyssey (which takes place in ancient Greece), they did a cool take on Medusa (and the sphinx, and the Cyclops as well). In the history of that game there are these devices that corrupt people, and so in the game when you battle these monsters and defeat them, you remove the device that corrupted them, revealing their mortal human selves. So, Medusa, for example, was many women, who just happened to have been corrupted by a device and then killed, and then someone else found that device and so on and so on. I mean, there's a bit more to it, but that's the gist. Anyway, the Medusa in the game was pretty cool! Deeply sad, but cool
https://youtu.be/z9bpghQ7OqM
Cool name otherwise.
PS: I don't know how many of you here play the Assassin Creed games, but in the most recent one, Odyssey (which takes place in ancient Greece), they did a cool take on Medusa (and the sphinx, and the Cyclops as well). In the history of that game there are these devices that corrupt people, and so in the game when you battle these monsters and defeat them, you remove the device that corrupted them, revealing their mortal human selves. So, Medusa, for example, was many women, who just happened to have been corrupted by a device and then killed, and then someone else found that device and so on and so on. I mean, there's a bit more to it, but that's the gist. Anyway, the Medusa in the game was pretty cool! Deeply sad, but cool
https://youtu.be/z9bpghQ7OqM
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I'm glad to see someone else realizing that Medusa isn't a truly a monstrous figure.
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It has an unpleasant sound particularly the oo-sa at the end. It gives me a similar vibe as Ursula.
Besides Medusa from mythology, it reminds me of the crazed villain in "The Rescuers."
Besides Medusa from mythology, it reminds me of the crazed villain in "The Rescuers."
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Madame Medusa! This was a favorite movie of mine as a kid, I cannot believe I forgot about her. Another unfortunate associate lol
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Don't like it
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For some reason, I think of snakes...
Um, it doesn't even have a pretty sound. I think it is awful
Um, it doesn't even have a pretty sound. I think it is awful
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