Eyes bulging, mouth full of teeth, lolling tongue. Snakes for hair and a gaze that will turn you to stone. Medusa. The gorgon. The monster. You might know Medusa from the movie Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, where Percy is attacked by the monstrous Uma Thurman whilst surrounded by her petrified victims. Or more recently, Assassins Creed Odyssey, where you must kill the squealing Medusa while running away from her deathly stare. Some of you may associate Medusa with the Greek hero story of Perseus. Perseus, who required the assistance of two Gods and multiple divine objects to kill the ‘monster’ that was Medusa, whilst she slept, with her back turned. Many of us know the story of the snake headed monster. But who was Medusa? Did she always have snakes for hair? What is her story? And why, as a survivor of sexual assault, is her story so important?
Medusa was the daughter of the primordial sea gods Phorcys and Ceto. She was the mother of Pegasus and Chyrsaor – along with a shit load of snakes from Libya. Her two immortal sisters, Sthenno and Euryale, were also gorgons. Medusa however, was mortal, and not born a gorgon. Little is known of her backstory; I mean how interesting could it be? She never had snakes for hair, she couldn’t turn living creatures to stone, it didn’t even involve a Greek hero like Perseus. While definitely not the earliest, the most detailed backstory for Medusa can be found in book IV of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. According to Ovid, Medusa was an exceptionally beautiful woman, and any man who glimpsed her striking hair asked for her hand in marriage. All except one - Poseidon. Olympian God of the Sea - Poseidon, was so enamored with Medusa’s beauty that he followed her in to the Temple of Athena, and as Ovid describes, brutally rapes her. Virgin goddess Athena was so angered by this desecration to her temple that she punishes not Poseidon, but Medusa, cursing her to become the monster we all know today. Now Medusa, unable to look upon any living entity without turning them to stone, hides away in a cave near her two sisters, where she may live her life in isolation and not cause anyone harm.
Surprised? Were you aware that Medusa’s story was an early written account of victim blaming? Medusa’s story is not just a myth from ancient Greece, it is the story of many sexual assault and sexual abuse survivors today. Although having ancient origins, Medusa’s story transcends time. Her story is the current experience of many in an Australia, where it is estimated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that one is five Australian women will experience sexual assault in their lifetime.
Medusa’s rape resulted in her curse. Now seen as monstrous. One to be feared. One to be hunted. This same curse drove Medusa into isolation. The same isolation a victim of sexual assault may seek. For what is just a moment to a perpetrator, is for a survivor, a lifetime curse of potential anxiety, sexual anxiety, social anxiety, self-harming, self-blaming, self-shaming, depression, PTSD, dissociation, suicidal thoughts, and isolation. And what of Medusa’s protector - Athena? Athena chose to curse Medusa instead of protecting her. Just as our protector has and still continues to curse many victims. Our protector – the legal system.
Medusa’s story - her curse, has been used since the age of ancient Greece to tell the epic tale of the hero Perseus. Truth is, nearly all of Medusa’s victims were petrified by her stare after Perseus (requiring divine assistance) decapitated her. Perseus murdered a woman whilst she slept, then chose to use her curse as a weapon. Who is the real monster here?
The story of Medusa is simply one of a woman who was sexually assaulted, cursed to become a monster, then finally objectified for nearly 3000 years. Her story is our story. In my sculpture, my Medusa does not have her famous snakes for hair. She is not hidden away in a cave. I have given my Medusa back her hair. I am lifting my Medusa’s curse. I am bringing my Medusa back from isolation, so that she may open her eyes and once again see the world.
Medusa was someone.
I am someone.
You are someone.
References and inspirations for both carving and poem;
1. Metamorphoses by Ovid
2. Here, the World Entire by Kya Hayward
3. Warriors, Witches, Women by Kate Hodges
4. Pandora’s Box by Natalie Haynes
5. Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! Podcast by Liv Albert
6. My therapist Mark – thanks for guiding me through this piece
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