WHY CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY?
MEDUSA’S LOOK
Pilar Torres Carmona
IES Narcís Monturiol, Barcelona
What is this
object?
Look at the picture below
It is a plate
When was it
made?
It was made in
about 600 BC
Where was it
found?
It was found at
Kameiros, on
the island of
Rhodes
(Greece)
Where is it
kept?
It is kept at
the British
Museum in
London
Orientalising plate, ca. 600 BC from Kameiros (Rhodes).
British Museum, London (United Kingdom)
What is depicted
on the plate?
There is a
monster/fabulous
creature depicted
on the plate
What does it look
like?
-Is it male or
female?
-What has she
got on her
shoulders?
-What is she
doing with her
mouth?
-What are her
eyes like?
-What about her
hair?
Her hair
looks like
snakes.
She has got
wings
Her eyes are
wide open,
staring fixedly
at the viewer.
Her mouth is
wide open, her
tongue and
tusks sticking
out.
What is her name?
Medusa
The story of Medusa
There
were
three
Gorgons, called Stheno,
Euryale, and Medusa,
all daughters of two
sea-gods, Phorcys and
Ceto. Only the last one,
Medusa, was mortal;
the other two were
immortal. These three
monsters lived in the
far West, not far from
the Kingdom of the
Dead.
Gorgons, Attic black-figure
lekythos, ca. 530 BC.
Cabinet des Medailles de la
Bibliothèque nationale de France,
Paris (France)
Their heads were entwined with snakes;
they had huge tusks, hands of bronze
and golden wings. Their eyes flashed
and their gaze was so penetrating that
anyone who encountered it was turned
to stone.
Gorgon, Attic black-figure
amphora, ca. 520-510 BC
Musée du Louvre, Paris (France)
Perseus set off for the
West to kill Medusa. After
many adventures, Perseus
finally found Medusa’s lair.
To avoid looking at her, he
used his polished shield as
a mirror. He killed the
Gorgon while she was
asleep.
Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571)
Perseus, Florence (Italy)
Perseus followed by the Gorgons after the
murder of their sister Medusa.
Black-figure dinos from Etruria, ca. 580 BC
Musée du Louvre, Paris (France)
Athena
Jamahiriya Museum, Tripoli (Libya)
Athena made use of Medusa’s head
by fixing it to her shield, or to the
centre of her aegis. In this way, her
enemies found themselves turned to
stone merely by looking at the
goddess.
Adapted from: Pierre Grimal, The Dictionary of
classical Mythology, Blackwell Publishing, 2005
shield
Pilar Torres
Pilar Torres
Aegis with Medusa’s
head
Making out a meaning
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What did this story mean to ancient Greeks?
Consider:
1. Medusa’s look:
- ugly, awful, horrible
scaring, frightening
2. Medusa’s gaze effect:
- to turn into stone, petrifying
paralysing
3. Medusa’s head on Athena’s shield or aegis
- both of them defensive weapons
To ward
off/scare
off the
enemies
Therefore...
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Ancient Greeks believed that fear was
an effective weapon to ward off or
scare off their enemies or evil in
general.
Medusa’s gaze is a metaphor for the
paralysing and protective power of
fear.
At the same time, ugliness was
synonymous with evil –or evil
synonymous with ugliness.
Of course, that is one possible
explanation, not the only one!
Look at the picture below
Considering the
interpretation of the
story of Medusa,
think of a reason why
someone would
choose this motif to
decorate his/her
tomb.
(Clue: in ancient
times, wealthy people
were buried along
with valuable
objects, so that
there were many
tomb robbers.)
Sarcophagus with relief representing
Medusa’s head (2nd century AD).
Archaeological Museum, Konya (Turkey)
2
Plaça del Duc de Medinaceli, 7
1
Pilar Torres
Carrer Ferran, 30
Medusa’s heads in Barcelona
Pilar Torres
3
Look at these heads of Medusa. They
are decorative motifs over some
buildings’ main entrance (1 and 2) or at
a balcony entrance (3). Wealthy
bourgeois families had these houses
built in the 19th century (1852, 1810
and 1900 respectively). Find an
explanation for this motif to be
represented on their houses’ façades.
Carrer de la Ciutat, 7
Pilar Torres
Finally, look at these pictures and discuss
the following questions with your
partner/s. After you have discussed
them they will be discussed by the whole
class.
Tattoo and Piercing Medusa
Barcelona. March 7 2008
The Academy of hair and beauty,
Derby (England) Nov 8 2008
Pilar Torres
sign
shutter
Pilar Torres
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Where is Medusa’s head represented?
What kind of shop are these?
What element of Medusa’s story has been
chosen here?
Does this element have a positive or a negative
meaning here?
In your opinion, what do people think about
other people who have tattoos, piercings or
their hair done in dreadlocks?
Do you think that there is a different concept
of beauty here –an ”alternative beauty”?
How has Medusa’s motive changed from ancient
times to nowadays?
Do you think that knowing Medusa’s story has
helped you understand your environment
better?
Photograph sources
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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Gorgon_Kamei
ros_BM_GR1860.4-4.2.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Gorgones_Cdm_Paris_27
7.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Gorgon_Louvre_F230.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Dinos_Gorgon_Painter_Lo
uvre_E874.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Benvenuto_Cellini%27s_P
erseus.jpg
Athena, Jamahiriya Museum, Tripoli (Libya), photograph by Pilar
Torres (August 2007)
Sarcophagus with relief representing Medusa’s head (2nd century
AD). Archaeological Museum, Konya (Turkey), photograph by Pilar
Torres (August 2008).
Medusa’s heads in Barcelona: Plaça del Duc de Medinaceli, 7; Carrer
Ferran, 30 and Carrer Ciutat, 7, photographs by Pilar Torres (2008).
The Academy of Hair and Beauty, in Derby and Medusa Tattoo and
Piercing, in Barcelona, photographs by Pilar Torres (2008).