Medusa uncoiled: the victim behind the myth
The first of a series debunking Femme Fatales.
We’ve all heard of Medusa: the hideous and terrifying monster woman with living snakes in place of hair. She is also regarded as one of Greek mythology’s most famous femme fatales, luring men to their deaths with a single look. The tale of the hero Perseus finally beheading this vile monster is as old as time, but is there more to the story than what is usually recounted?
In October 2020, a seven-foot #MeToo Medusa sculpture, created by Argentine-Italian artist Luciano Garbati in 2008, was unveiled across from the New York courthouse where Harvey Weinstein stood trial. Unlike previous sculptures which show Perseus as the hero who beheaded the evil Gorgon, this one shows a naked Medusa standing tall and firm, holding the head of Perseus. Perhaps, however, it would have been more astute for her to hold the head of Poseidon, or Athena, for that matter. Why, you may ask? Let me tell you the real story of the Medusa.
‘There is peace here, as there always is by the sea. Even for those who have come, as Medusa did, to hate it.’
― Natalie Haynes, Stone Blind
Once upon a time, in Ancient Greece, lived three sisters, the daughters of the sea gods Phorkys and Keto. They were also known as the three Gorgons. Two of the sisters, Stheno and Euryale, were ‘monsters’ by birth, whereas the third, who was named — you guessed it — Medusa, was surprisingly born a beautiful mortal. She was praised by Ovid, who wrote one of the more comprehensive accounts of Medusa and Perseus in his Metamorphoses, as being of stunning beauty, especially captivating for her luscious blonde hair. According to various accounts, she was just as beautiful on the inside, known to be gentle-natured, kind and loyal, especially to the Goddess she worshipped: Athena.
Indeed, Medusa served as a priestess to Athena, for whom she swore a vow of chastity and complete allegiance. Her days were filled with her priestess duties and she was said to be fully content. However, her destiny would take a turn for the worse. One day, as she was gathering water for service in Athena’s temple, Poseidon caught sight of her and became enraptured by her beauty. He tried to seduce her, but Medusa refused in honour of her vow. Yet, when did that ever stop one of the Ancient Greek Gods? Poseidon forced himself upon her on the temple steps, just as she tried to run into the temple for protection.
Medusa begged Athena for forgiveness, but the virgin Goddess became enraged by one of her priestesses having broken her vow of purity, especially within her own temple. Instead of comforting her priestess or directing her rage at the true culprit — Poseidon — she punished Medusa by cursing her to be the most frightening and ugliest of all the Gorgons. Her blonde locks transformed into poisonous snakes, her teeth became fangs and the very eyes that had captivated the hearts of men would now turn them into stone. Her sisters ran to her defence, but the curse had already taken hold.
Following her curse, Medusa was cast away to a far-off island and the fact that she would turn anyone she looked at into stone made her exile complete. One can imagine that this gentle, sweet girl suffered greatly from her new isolation. Nevertheless, the story of her fate reached far and wide, all the way to the ears of King Polydectes of Seriphus, who, in an attempt to lure the young Perseus away from his mother, Danaë, so that he could marry her, sent him on a quest to capture the head of Medusa. Perseus sought the help of Hermes and Athena — of all people — and, together with the nymphs, they aided him in obtaining winged sandals to fly him to where the gorgons lived; the cap of Hades, which offered invisibility; a curved sword; and a mirrored shield.1
The rest is history (kind of). Long story short — Perseus succeeded in his quest and beheaded Medusa. His adventure continued, but later on, he offered Medusa’s head to Athena, who placed it on her shield for protection. Her blood was also used to either take lives or raise people from the dead, depending on which side it was taken from. Throughout mythology, her head was used as a weapon that protected many male heroes. In fact, her name was probably derived from the Ancient Greek word for ‘guardian’. How ironic.
Did you know? 🧐
Pegasus is actually Medusa’s child with Poseidon. He emerged during the brutal act of Perseus cutting Medusa’s head off, along with his brother, the giant, Chrysaor. Disney obviously left out that little titbit.
What can we learn from Medusa’s story?
Ask anyone about Medusa, and most likely, the first image that will pop into their minds is one of a horrible monster who was made so because of her vanity and arrogance. The story we are usually fed is one of a girl who was so in love with her own beauty that she would boast about it at every opportunity. One day, she visits the Parthenon (Athena’s temple) and proclaims that it is wasted on the Goddess and would fare better with her for inspiration. Naturally, Athena overhears her, and overcome with wrath, replaces Medusa’s beauty with a monstrous appearance as punishment for her vanity. That’s the ‘child-friendly’ version — reminiscent of the story of the evil queen in Snow White — that we are traditionally told.
When you learn the true story of Medusa, it’s hard not to be angry at how the story is currently upheld and not feel empathy for her. Medusa was not a monster. She was a victim. Her story was a tragic one, but it is as relevant now as it was then. Still today, women who go before the justice system to denounce a rape are presumed to be lying until proven truthful, scrutinised by the public and legal system as they plead their case. As I touched on in my recent article, the first questions that are usually asked, whether overtly or not, around a rape case are intended to, at least partially, shift the blame onto the victim, as Athena did: ‘What were they wearing? Were they flirtatious? etc.’ That is why so many female victims are afraid to speak up, out of fear of being judged or blamed.
In effect, the real tragedy behind Medusa’s story is less the act itself but the fact that she was not offered any support, not even from the goddess who was supposed to be the protector of virgin women and a symbol of justice. I’d like to think that this has changed and that as women we all stand in solidarity with victims of abuse, but the fact is that, more often than not, we continue to victim-blame and doubt those who choose to speak up. It’s easier to deem them monsters than to deal with the complex truth of their abuse, which usually dissolves the image of the male hero we had wished to believe in (memories of Johnny Depp’s 2022 defamation trial against Amber Heard spring to mind, for instance).
I hope that by re-framing our idea of some of the most misjudged femme fatales (seemingly dangerous, mischievous and seductive women) throughout history and mythology, we can learn to not always take the stories we’re told as fact and dig a bit deeper. For now, I feel I owe Medusa an apology. I believed the story of the vain maiden without once attempting to learn more about her. Medusa, I’m sorry. 🐍
STAY TUNED FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF MY NEW FEMME FATALES SERIES SOON!
If you like this article, please do me a favour and tap the heart at the top or bottom of it. It makes it easier for others to find Femme Factale and makes my day. ❤️