Medusa

Hello and welcome to this episode of Fab Figmentals. 

I’m Lindsey Morse, your guide through the realm of curious creatures, magical monsters, and beautiful beasts. Each episode, we dive into the folklore and history of a different legendary creature and share a story about it.

I’ve been looking forward to this week’s episode for quite some time. This week, we’re going to feature one of the most terrifying monsters from classical mythology: Medusa.

Medusa’s horrible, snake-framed visage has made an indelible imprint on history, and even though her legend has been around for 3000 years or more, her’s is still a household name. 

She’s most famous for her mane of living, venomous snakes, which sit atop her head in place of hair. And her ability to turn onlookers to stone is legendary.

What you might not know is that Medusa has two sisters, who also have snake-y hair and share Medusa’s petrifying gaze. Collectively, these ladies are known as the Gorgons. We’ll get into their origin story later in the episode, but it’s important to note now that— of the three sisters— Medusa is the only mortal— for all we know the other two are still tucked away in a Greek lair somewhere. 

Medusa’s story is intertwined with that of Perseus, the demi-god who slayed her. And our story today centers around them both. But before we dive start story time, let’s talk a little bit more about Perseus. 

Perseus is the son of Danaë, a Greek princess, and Zeus, king of the gods of Mount Olympus, who appeared to Danaë in the form of a shower of gold and impregnated her. A fun little family fact about Perseus is that he’s both the great-grandfather and half-brother of the hero Hercules. Zeus got around. 

Anyway, Danaë’s father, the king of Argos, had been warned by an oracle that he would one day be killed by his daughter’s son, so he wasn’t too thrilled when Perseus joined the family. In an effort to keep himself safe, he cast his daughter and grandson out to sea in a wooden chest. The two washed up on the shore of an island in the Aegean Sea. 

After a relatively quiet childhood, Perseus ran into some trouble. The king of the island, a man named Polydectes, fell in love with the beautiful Danaë. But Perseus didn’t believe the king to be honorable, so he did what he could to keep the two apart.

This didn’t really fly with Polydectes, so he devised a plan to get Perseus out of the picture: he threw a banquet, and asked all of his guest to bring him a horse as a present. Perseus, not having a horse to give the king, offered instead any other gift of the king’s choosing. So, the king asked Perseus for Medusa’s head. 

Polydectes was sure that this quest would surely get Perseus out of the way. But, with a little luck— and some family connections— remember he is Zeus’s son— Perseus was able to set out on his quest with some very special gifts to aid him. From his father, he received an adamantine sword, Hades gave him the “Cap of Darkness,” a hat that would cloak him in invisibility, Athena gave him a shiny shield, Hermes his winged sandals, and he was also given a knapsack that could safely contain Medusa’s dangerous head. 

Our story today follows Perseus on his quest to slay Medusa, and we’re going to join up with him en route to find the Gorgons. 

The version of the myth we’re going to share is by James Baldwin, and it was originally published in 1895 in a collection called Old Greek Stories. 

Please be advised that the stories we share are often more Brothers Grimm than Mother Goose; they may not be appropriate for little ears. Additionally, this episode includes a mention of sexual assault. It’s not graphic, but it is there. Please skip to the next episode if this might be triggering for you.

Now, here we go.

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With the sharp sword at his side and the bright shield upon his arm, Perseus flew bravely onward in search of the dreadful Gorgons; but he had the Cap of Darkness upon his head, and you could no more have seen him than you can see the wind. He flew so swiftly that it was not long until he had crossed the mighty ocean which encircles the earth, and had come to the sunless land which lies beyond; and then he knew that the lair of the Gorgons could not be far away.

He heard a sound as of some one breathing heavily, and he looked around sharply to see where it came from. Among the foul weeds which grew close to the bank of a muddy river there was something which glittered in the pale light. He flew a little nearer; but he did not dare to look straight forward, lest he should all at once meet the gaze of a Gorgon, and be changed into stone. So he turned around, and held the shining shield before him in such a way that by looking into it he could see objects behind him as in a mirror.

Ah, what a dreadful sight it was! 

Half hidden among the weeds lay the three monsters, fast asleep, with their golden wings folded about them. Their brazen claws were stretched out as though ready to seize their prey; and their shoulders were covered with sleeping snakes. The two largest of the Gorgons lay with their heads tucked under their wings as birds hide their heads when they go to sleep. But the third, who lay between them, slept with her face turned up towards the sky; and Perseus knew that she was Medusa.

Very stealthily he went nearer and nearer, always with his back towards the monsters and always looking into his bright shield to see where to go. Then he drew his sharp sword and, dashing quickly downward, struck a back blow, so sure, so swift, that the head of Medusa was cut from her shoulders and the black blood gushed like a river from her neck. Quick as thought he thrust the terrible head into his magic pouch and leaped again into the air, and flew away with the speed of the wind.

Then the two older Gorgons awoke, and rose with dreadful screams, and spread their great wings, and dashed after him. They could not see him, for the Cap of Darkness hid him from even their eyes; but they scented the blood of the head which he carried in the pouch, and like hounds in the chase, they followed him, sniffing the air. And as he flew through the clouds he could hear their dreadful cries and the clatter of their golden wings and the snapping of their horrible jaws. But the Hermes’ Magic Slippers were faster than any wings, and in a little while the monsters were left far behind, and their cries were heard no more; and Perseus flew on alone.

Perseus soon crossed the ocean but he did not stop, for, now that he had the head of Medusa safe in the pouch at his side, he must hasten home. Straight east he flew over the great sea, and after a time he came to a country where there were palm trees and pyramids and a great river flowing from the south. Here, as he looked down, a strange sight met his eyes: he saw a beautiful girl chained to a rock by the seashore, and far away a huge sea beast swimming towards her to devour her. Quick as thought, he flew down and spoke to her; but, as she could not see him for the Cap of Darkness which he wore, his voice only frightened her.

So Perseus took off his cap, and stood upon the rock; and when the girl saw him with his long hair and wonderful eyes and laughing face, she thought him the handsomest young man in the world.

"Oh, save me! save me!" she cried as she reached out her arms towards him.

Perseus drew his sharp sword and cut the chain which held her, and then lifted her high up upon the rock. But by this time the sea monster was close at hand, lashing the water with his tail and opening his wide jaws as though he would swallow not only Perseus and the young girl, but even the rock on which they were standing. He was a terrible fellow, and yet not half so terrible as the Gorgon. As he came roaring towards the shore, Perseus lifted the head of Medusa from his pouch and held it up; and when the beast saw the dreadful face he stopped short and was turned into stone; and men say that the stone beast may be seen in that selfsame spot to this day.

Then Perseus slipped the Gorgon's head back into the pouch and hastened to speak with the young girl whom he had saved. She told him that her name was Andromeda, and that she was the daughter of the king of that land. She said that her mother, the queen, was very beautiful and very proud of her beauty; and every day she went down to the seashore to look at her face as it was pictured in the quiet water; and she had boasted that not even the nymphs who live in the sea were as handsome as she. When the sea nymphs heard about this, they were very angry and asked great Neptune, the king of the sea, to punish the queen for her pride. So Neptune sent a sea monster to crush the king's ships and kill the cattle along the shore and break down all the fishermen's huts. The people were so much distressed that they sent at last to ask the Pythia what they should do; and the Pythia said that there was only one way to save the land from destruction,-that they must give the king's daughter, Andromeda, to the monster to be devoured.

The king and the queen loved their daughter very dearly, for she was their only child; and for a long time they refused to do as the Pythia had told them. But day after day the monster laid waste the land, and threatened to destroy not only the farms, but the towns; and so they were forced in the end to give up Andromeda to save their country. This, then, was why she had been chained to the rock by the shore and left there to perish in the jaws of the beast.

While Perseus was yet talking with Andromeda, the king and the queen and a great company of people came down the shore, weeping and tearing their hair; for they were sure that by this time the monster had devoured his prey. But when they saw her alive and well, and learned that she had been saved by the handsome young man who stood beside her, they could hardly hold themselves for joy. And Perseus was so delighted with Andromeda's beauty that he almost forgot his quest which was not yet finished; and when the king asked him what he should give him as a reward for saving Andromeda's life, he said:

"Give her to me for my wife.”

This pleased the king very much; and so, on the seventh day, Perseus and Andromeda were married, and there was a great feast in the king's palace, and everybody was merry and glad. And the two young people lived happily for some time in the land of palms and pyramids; and, from the sea to the mountains, nothing was talked about but the courage of Perseus and the beauty of Andromeda.

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So where in the world did Medusa and her serpent-haired sisters come from? 

The Gorgons were the children of two ancient sea deities, and they started out life as relatively normal-looking young women. Medusa, in fact, was a great beauty, known for her lovely hair. She was as faithful as she was beautiful, and when she grew up she became a priestess in one of the temples dedicated to the goddess Athena, goddess of wisdom and military victory, choosing for herself a life of chastity and servitude. 

But, as we know, this is now how she was destined to live out her days.

Behind the scenes, conflict was brewing on Mount Olympus. Poseidon, aka Neptune, was feuding with Athena. Both had competed for the honor of being the patron god of Athens. And Athena won, which probably isn’t too much of a surprise given that the city is named for her. To say Poseidon held a grudge about this is an understatement. 

What follows is, in my opinion, one of the cruelest scenes from classical mythology— and there are a lot. In an effort to humiliate Athena, Poseidon desecrates her temple by raping Medusa on the temple floor. Medusa calls out to Athena for help and forgiveness, but Athena is livid at her. Athena perceives Medusa’s assault as a personal betrayal, and sets out to take revenge. In an act of retribution, Athena transforms Medusa’s beautiful hair into snakes, and changes her into the monster we know today. Medusa’s sisters, who stand with her, are likewise punished. 

I could have cut off today’s story right after Perseus escapes with Medusa’s head, but I thought it was important that we look at the next chapter of Perseus’ journey for a couple of different reasons. 

First of all, I think it’s interesting to look at Medusa and Andromeda, side by side. Both women— at one time at least— were great beauties. And, in both cases, they suffer at the hands of Poseidon. Medusa, who wished to live her life serving Athena, is abandoned by the goddess and turned into a monster after she’s raped by Poseidon. Andromeda, whose mother goes a step too far when boasting of her beauty, is chained to a rock and left to be eaten by a sea monster sent by Poseidon. One woman is killed by Perseus and the other rescued. Despite their similarities, one ends in ruin and the other gets a happy ending. They’re interesting foils, don’t you think? 

Next, the scene with Andromeda and the sea monster gives us a glimpse at the true power of Medusa. She is not only a deadly monster in life, but also in death, for her head retains its dangerous abilities even after it’s removed from her body. As we saw in the story, Perseus uses the head of Medusa to kill the sea monster. Later, he also uses the head to kill one of Andromeda’s former suitors, and he even brings it back home to do away with Polydectes, the island king responsible for Perseus’ quest, when he discovers the king has been abusing his mother in his absence. 

Ultimately, Medusa’s head makes its way to Athena, and the goddess set it upon Zeus’ shield, which she often carried. This shield became a sort of good luck charm, and Athena often kept it by her side. While Medusa’s story is certainly a tragic one, I find the outcome bittersweet. It’s poignant, I think, that after being cast out of the temple and cursed to live as a monster, at the end of her story Medusa is reunited with the goddess she once pledged her life to serve. 

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Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of Fab Figmentals!

Research, writing, and sound editing are done by me, Lindsey Morse. Niall Cooper assists with writing and editing. Our theme music was created by the wonderfully talented Graeme Ronald. 

New episodes drop every Wednesday. Make sure to subscribe to the show to get new episodes as soon as they’re available.

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If you like learning about creatures that lurk in the shadows, perhaps you’d be interested in learning more about humanity’s darker side. If so, please also check out our sister show, Assassinations Podcast.

Thanks again for listening, and I hope you’ll join me next week, when we’ll explore the mythology and lore surrounding the golem, a magical creature from Jewish folklore that’s brought to life from clay and mud. 

We’ll see you next time.