Medusa - Necklace - Vermeil

Medusa – Goddess of Protection

Above all, she stands for the protection of women; she is the goddess of masks, the wild look and “wise blood”. Originally she was the snake goddess of the Libyan Amazons and embodied female knowledge.

Medusa was originally a beautiful maiden. She worked in the service of the goddess Athena and was obliged to renounce lust. In this way she remained “pure” and was able to become a priestess in Athene’s temple. Her beauty caught the attention of Poseidon, who desired her and raped her in Athena's sanctuary. When Athena discovered that the sea god had abused Medusa in her shrine, she sought revenge by turning Medusa's hair into snakes so that anyone who looked directly at her would be turned to stone.