Medea, daughter of the Colchian King Aeetes, niece of Circe, and granddaughter of the Sun God Helios, is known for dedicating her life to medicine and… love. Consumed by passion for the Greek hero Jason, Medea betrayed her father and set sail for Hellas with her lover. Unfortunately, a series of misfortunes awaited her there.
In the Western European tradition, Medea earned a reputation as a mystical murderer. According to the ancient Greeks, her entire story is one of cruelty and profound tragedy. Driven by her love for Jason, she first showed him how to complete her father’s impossible tasks. When Jason failed to receive the Golden Fleece from Aeetes, she stole it and fled with him. On the voyage to Greece, Medea and Jason lured her brother, Absyrtus, who had been sent to capture the Argonauts, onto the ship Argo. They killed him, dismembered his body, and cast the pieces into the sea, a strategic maneuver to force the pursuers to stop and collect the remains. At the site where the Colchian prince was buried, the fortress of Apsaros arose, known today as the Gonio Fortress.
According to the Ancient Greek version, these were far from Medea’s only misdeeds. She lived in exile with Jason and their children in Corinth until Jason betrayed her by marrying Princess Glauce, daughter of King Creon. He abandoned Medea, shaming her with his actions. Her unquenchable thirst for revenge led to a treacherous plan: she feigned support for Jason’s marriage to gain his trust, then murdered King Creon and his daughter. According to Seneca’s version, Medea also stabbed her own children and threw their bodies from the palace roof before fleeing Corinth in a chariot drawn by dragons.
Following this horrific act, Medea found refuge in Athens under the protection of the aging King Aegeus. She married him and bore a son named Medus. However, Theseus, Aegeus’s legitimate son and the hero who defeated the Minotaur, soon returned to Athens. Fearing Theseus would take the throne instead of her own son, Medea attempted to poison him. Just as Theseus raised the poisoned cup to his lips, Aegeus recognized him by his sword and knocked the cup away. Medea’s plan failed, and she was forced to flee once more, taking Medus with her.
Eventually, Medea returned to her homeland in Colchis, where, according to some accounts, she overthrew her own brother, who had usurped the throne, and installed her son Medus as king. It is believed that the region of Media in Asia was named in his honor.
As we can see, in Greek myths, Medea is not only the prototype of the scorned woman but also the image of a powerful sorceress who will stop at nothing for power and revenge.
But here is the catch: In Georgia, the image of Medea has a completely different connotation!
The Georgian Medea
Medea, or Mediko, is one of the most magical female names in Georgia. It is a mysterious name, full of charm. Those who bear it are typically extraordinary, strong, and beautiful women who move through life with great dignity. In Georgia, the name is highly popular because it is primarily associated with wisdom, medicine, and healing.
Interestingly, ancient Georgian mythology has an equivalent to the Greek myth of Prometheus: the hero Amiran, who, like Prometheus, stole fire from the gods to give to humanity. Their stories are remarkably similar.
However, no matter how closely one studies Georgian mythology, there is no native equivalent to the story of Medea and Jason, nor a myth of the Golden Fleece. Ethnographer Nugzar Antelava suggests that such myths may have existed once but were lost over time. Personally, I am certain they were once known to the people, but the Georgian version of Medea was entirely different: it contained no revenge, no poisonings, and no murders.
I suspect that, starting with Euripides’ tragedy, it became beneficial for the ancient Greeks to vilify the powerful Colchian princess. By turning this woman, who possessed secret knowledge of sorcery and medicine, into a symbol of evil and treachery, they engaged in a classic example of xenophobia combined with “black PR.” Even in antiquity, it was convenient to blame one’s sins and failures on foreigners. This was especially true for foreign women, who could easily be accused of witchcraft and brought to judgment.
But in Georgia, no such tales were told of Medea. This is why the mythical Colchian princess is held in such high esteem here: her name is linked exclusively to positive qualities. To Georgia, Medea is the founder of medicine and a great healer.
Notably, the art of folk healing has always been highly developed in Western Georgia. To this day, there are families whose medicinal recipes are incredibly popular, legendary ointments and tinctures whose secrets have been guarded for centuries.
During our journey, we constantly heard stories of healers who could stop a slithering snake with a single incantation or make warts and blemishes vanish forever. These stories demonstrate how strong the faith in ancient wisdom remains in Georgia.
A friend of mine once recalled a conversation with a folk healer he had sought out for help. When he asked how she knew all these ancient secrets, she replied simply: “They say we once had a woman named Medea. That is where it all began.”
A Modern Medea
In Zugdidi, we were advised to meet with an herbalist named Mzia Mosia, and we hurried to pay her a visit.
Accompanied by her two amusing pinschers, this beautiful elderly woman was waiting for us in the garden by the gates of her large house. She then led us up the grand staircase directly into a room where a variety of medicinal herbs were laid out on a table, emitting a fragrant aroma. It felt as if we had stepped into an alpine meadow whose scents some invisible magician had amplified a hundredfold.
Mzia Mosia, a music teacher by profession, enthusiastically took us on a tour of her healing kingdom and allowed us a glimpse behind the scenes of her “sorcery.”
“Look, this is St. John’s wort, and this is self-heal. Aren’t the inflorescences beautiful? This herb helps with the heart,” Mzia explained. “Here we have yarrow; it has an antibacterial effect and is often drunk together with St. John’s wort. From marshmallow flowers, we make tinctures and syrups for bronchitis. Over here is primrose, it has a sedative effect. And this herb is gentian; it helps the stomach and regulates blood sugar. This is endro, or madder, the root we use to dye eggs at Easter, but it also helps to remove kidney stones. Here is lemon balm, and this is nettle, which is excellent for purifying the blood and increasing hemoglobin.”
The study of herbs and their healing properties is a profound science! Mzia Mosia, a fifth-generation herbalist, learned it from her ancestors as well as from books. Before Mzia, her mother handled the medicine; she passed away not long ago at the age of 94. Before her mother, Mzia’s great-grandfather was the herbalist.
Mzia’s mother, Margo, even certified her qualifications with an official diploma from the Tbilisi Association of Folk Medicine, which she received at the age of 65 after passing the relevant exam. Mzia proudly presented her mother’s diploma and books to us: “She gained her knowledge from these textbooks. The professors in Tbilisi were shocked by her expertise!” Margo collected herbs herself until her final days.
Mzia showed us a video: moving with difficulty through her garden, Margo used long scissors to cut the necessary ingredients.
“Since childhood, I could never walk past medicinal herbs!” Mzia confessed. “But I never intended to pursue this seriously. However, after Margo died, her patients began coming to me, asking for help. Many people knew my mother; she treated patients who traveled to her from Tbilisi, America, and Moscow!” Thus, her mother’s legacy led Mzia into this vocation.
Now, she gathers the herbs herself, prepares medicinal blends and tinctures, and even makes her own apple cider vinegar, a universal health remedy. “For this, the apples must be slightly underripe and tart,” Mzia explained. “Apple cider vinegar helps with high blood pressure, reduces swelling, cleanses the kidneys, and helps break down fat.” Meanwhile, a tincture of dwarf elder, Sambucus ebulus, is her panacea for stomach and intestinal issues.
Georgia is rich in various types of clay, some of which are used in folk medicine. In Samegrelo, white and gray clays are common. These are used for baths and masks for problem skin or as a hair remedy for dandruff. Mzia’s mother even made clay tablets for diabetics to cleanse the body and lower blood sugar levels.
Mzia collects her herbs in ecologically clean regions. “In the mountains, the herbs are purer and more potent; they must be gathered in the morning or evening when it is dry,” she told us. She has a group of like-minded women who travel with her on pilgrimages to the country’s monasteries. Along the way, they stock up on herbs.
Some of her working material grows right in her backyard, alongside cucumbers and tomatoes. The herbalist demonstrated the differences between plants, for example, between common mint and peppermint. The former is used for tea, but only peppermint is suitable for medicine.
“Look, this is celandine. We call it the ‘Blood of Christ.’ When you break the fresh stem, a liquid as red as blood comes out. See? It helps against papillomas and other skin growths.” This, it turns out, is how people escaped such ailments in the past!
Finally, Mzia treated us to a delicious cold melon, incredibly refreshing in the summer heat. We were eager to know if the healer had her own recipe for youth and health. “Unfortunately, our health depends heavily on our genes and heredity,” Mzia explained. “Faith in God, a kind heart, and right thoughts, free of hatred and malice, are what help a person live a long and happy life.”
And what about Medea? What is the modern Megrelian healer’s opinion of her famous Colchian colleague? “All of Georgia respects Medea,” Mzia replied without hesitation. “All our knowledge of medicinal herbs comes from her. Our people value her greatly, and even children know how much Medea gave to Georgia. That is why I strive to continue her work.”
By Tatjana Montik
Tatjana Montik, journalist, author, and passionate admirer of Georgia, has spent the past 15 years living in and reporting on this captivating South Caucasus country. See more of her experiences in her new travel diary and cultural guide, Georgia: A Tapestry of Time and Space.
