Hello all, and happy Halloween/Samhain/Calan Gaeaf to those celebrating. Ave Venus, and if not celebrating, have a lovely Friday and a wonderful fall!
Now, I posted about spooky moments/horror in Greek mythology on @androphonos-theoi, and said I would discuss the Roman side of things here. Very first, we must discuss the elephant in the room:
Medusa. Medusa is a controversial figure, to say the least, but the very fact that everyone agrees on is she is a woman with serpents for hair whose gaze turns those who look upon it to stone. There are different versions of her myth, but I am here to talk about the Roman version - at least, ONE Roman version.
That is the thing that must be covered first: Ovid’s Metamorphoses were never a religious text. They were a story he was writing, like any author today. They were never used religiously. In fact, he was exiled for his provocative stories. But they are popular for a reason.
His take on Medusa’s story is one that’s become quite famous: Medusa was raped in Minerva’s temple by Neptune. As punishment, Minerva turned Medusa into a monster. When Perseus slew her, Pegasus and Chrysaor sprang from her neck.
There’s already horror in this - gendered violence, assault, and victim blaming on Minerva’s part. Add to that, looking at anyone turns them to stone. That is also horrific.
But it is important for us to know that Ovid was never writing religiously - he wrote for an audience, he wrote stories. This happened all the time in Ancient Rome. Even texts like The Aeneid weren’t used religiously - even though it may have been believed that Aeneas, son of Venus, was an ancestor to Romulus and the founder of Lavinium, Vergil’s story itself was not a sacred text like the Bible or Quran. Rome did have sacred texts, such as prophecy scrolls that were consulted during times of distress. There were also augurs and haruspeces (unsure how to pluralize that, someone who performs haruspicy) who would divine the future.
This all being said, much like I commented upon in the Greek post, I think a story like this can be used religiously - as a way to reflect on the Dii and how they are never truly only one thing. Even Bona Dea, the good goddess, can be something else. Silvanus had rites that were said to cause miscarriage. Vesta’s fire can burn down a forest if left unattended.
If there is anything you take away, I would like it to be the gift of contemplation. Texts don’t have to be religious to spark spiritual thoughts. - 🔥
