Medusa

Nationality/Culture

Greek

Pronunciation

meh-DOO-suh

Alternate Names

None

Appears In

Hesiod's Theogony, Ovid's Metamorphoses

Lineage

Daughter of Phorcys and Ceto

Character Overview

Medusa, one of three sisters in Greek mythology known as the Gorgons (pronounced GOR-guhnz), had a destructive effect upon humans. In many myths she appeared as a horribly ugly woman with hair made of snakes, although occasionally she was described as being beautiful. In both forms Medusa's appearance was deadly: any person who gazed direcdy at her would turn to stone.

Although the two other Gorgons were immortal (able to live forever), Medusa was not. One of the best-known legends about her tells how the Greek hero Perseus (pronounced PUR-see-uhs) killed her. Perseus and his mother, Danaë (pronounced DAN-uh-ee), lived on the island of Seriphos (pronounced SEHR-uh-fohs), which was ruled by King Polydectes (pronounced pol-ee-DEK-teez). The king wanted to marry Danae but Perseus opposed the marriage. Polydectes then chose another bride and demanded that all the islanders give him horses as a wedding gift. Perseus, who had no horses, offered to give Polydectes anything else. Because no man had ever survived an encounter with the Gorgons, Polydectes challenged Perseus to bring him the head of Medusa.

With the help of the goddess Athena (pronounced uh-THEE-nuh) and a group of nymphs (female nature deities), Perseus obtained special equipment for his task: a sharpened sickle, or curved blade, a cap that made the wearer invisible, and a pair of winged sandals. He also polished his bronze shield so he could see Medusa's reflection in it without gazing directly at her. Wearing the magic cap and following Medusa's reflection in his shield, Perseus crept up on the Gorgons. He cut off Medusa's head in one swipe and put it in a bag. The drops of blood that fell from the head turned into Medusa's two sons—Chrysaor (pronounced kree-SAY-ohr) and Pegasus (pronounced PEG-uh-suhs)—by the god Poseidon (pronounced poh-SYE-dun).

With the help of the magic sandals, Perseus flew off before the other Gorgons could catch him. When he reached Seriphos, he held up Medusa's head and turned Polydectes to stone. Perseus later gave the head to Athena, who mounted it on her shield.

Medusa in Context

Medusa can be seen as a reflection of the qualities that ancient Greeks felt were unappealing in women. She lived apart from men entirely and appeared to have no use for them, which was unlike the traditional image of a woman as servant and property of a man. She was also physically hideous, which the Greeks felt reflected an undesirable personality as well as a lack of beauty and grace. She even offered a fierce, direct gaze that may have seemed inappropriate or defiant if used by a normal woman.

Key Themes and Symbols

Medusa can be seen as a symbol of ugliness and solitude. She lives with her sisters and has few interactions with outsiders. The Gorgons may also represent the bonds of sisterhood, since they remain together and care for one another apart from the rest of the world. Medusa herself is unique among the Gorgons as a symbol of mortality; she is the only one who cannot live forever and is indeed slain by Perseus.

Medusa in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life

Medusa is the most popular of the Gorgons. She has appeared in art by Peter Paul Rubens, Pablo Picasso, and Leonardo da Vinci (though da Vinci's two paintings of Medusa have not survived). Perhaps the most famous images of Medusa are the headless portrait painted by Caravaggio in 1597, and the sixteenth century bronze statue of Perseus holding Medusa's head sculpted by Benvenuto Cellini. The story of Perseus and Medusa is retold in the 1981 film Clash of the Titans, in which Medusa is depicted as a grotesque woman with the lower body of a snake. The name Medusa has been borrowed for many other objects in modern life, including sea organisms, celestial bodies, ships, and even several roller coasters.

Read, Write, Think, Discuss

Corydon and the Island of Monsters (2005), by Tobias Druitt, is a tale of Corydon, a goat-legged shepherd boy taken captive by pirates who run a traveling freak show. There, Corydon meets Medusa, whose gaze does not hurt him, and the two escape the freak show, free the other captives, and make their way to Medusa's island home. Soon, however, Perseus and other glory-seeking heroes arrive to rid the island of its “monsters.” The book is the first of a trilogy; Tobias Druitt is actually a pen name for the mother and son writing team of Diane Purkiss and Michael Downing.

SEE ALSO Danaë; Gorgons; Greek Mythology; Nymphs; Pegasus; Perseus