Medusa

The Gorgon with a Stony Stare

Medusa was one of three sisters called the Gorgons. Their names were Stheno, Euryale and Medusa, and only Medusa was mortal. Early Greek artists did not always make her look like the beautiful snake-haired woman we often see today. Gorgons could have huge staring eyes, tusks, tongues, wings and frightening faces designed to shock anyone looking at them. That face was called a gorgoneion. Strangely, it was also used as protection. Greeks placed Gorgon faces on shields, armour, temples and other objects because something terrifying could be used to frighten other dangers away.

Medusa’s most famous story belongs to Perseus. King Polydectes sends the young hero to fetch her head, probably expecting him never to return. Luckily, Perseus receives magical help. Athena gives him a polished shield that works like a mirror, while other divine gifts include special sandals, a magical bag and Hades’ invisibility cap. Perseus reaches the sleeping Gorgons and looks only at Medusa’s reflection. Guided by Athena, he cuts off her head and escapes from her immortal sisters. At the moment Medusa dies, the winged horse Pegasus and the warrior Chrysaor spring from her body because Poseidon was their father.

Centuries later, the Roman poet Ovid told a different and much sadder version. In his story Medusa had once been a beautiful young woman. After Neptune attacked her in Minerva’s temple, Minerva transformed her hair into snakes. This version is extremely famous today, but it is important to remember that it is later than the earliest Greek accounts. Perseus eventually gives Medusa’s head to Athena, who places it on her aegis where its frightening power becomes protection. That is what fascinates me about Medusa. Depending on the story or picture, she can be a deadly monster, a victim of unfair treatment or a protective symbol. Very few mythological characters have changed meaning so much while keeping exactly the same unforgettable stare.

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