WHY CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY? MEDUSA S LOOK Pilar Torres Carmona
What is this object? 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) Look at the picture below Pilar Torres Carmona 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? Pilar Torres Carmona
She has got wings Her hair looks like snakes. 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 Aegis with Medusa s head
Making out a meaning What did this story mean to ancient Greeks? Consider: 1. Medusa s look: - ugly, awful, horrible 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 scaring, frightening To ward off/scare off the enemies
Therefore... 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 (2 nd century AD). Archaeological Museum, Konya (Turkey)
Plaça del Duc de Medinaceli, 7 2 1 Carrer Ferran, 30 Medusa s heads in Barcelona 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 19 th century (1852, 1810 and 1900 respectively). Find an explanation for this motif to be represented on their houses façades. Carrer de la Ciutat, 7