WHY CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY?
MEDUSA’S LOOK
Pilar Torres Carmona IES Narcís Monturiol, Barcelona IES IES Narcís What is this Pilar Torres Carmona object? Look at the picture below
It is a plate Monturiol
When was it , Barcelona
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)
IES IES Narcís Pilar Torres Carmona
What is depicted
on the plate? Monturiol There is a
monster/fabulous
, Barcelona 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?
She has got Her hair wings looks like
snakes.
, Barcelona , Her mouth is Her eyes are wide open, her wide open, tongue and staring fixedly Monturiol tusks sticking at the viewer.
out.
Pilar Torres Carmona Torres Pilar Narcís IES What is her name?
Medusa
, Barcelona ,
Monturiol
Pilar Torres Carmona Torres Pilar Narcís IES 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
, Barcelona , the Kingdom of the Gorgons, Attic black-figure Dead. lekythos, ca. 530 BC.
Monturiol Cabinet des Medailles de la Bibliothèque nationale de France,
Paris (France)
Pilar Torres Carmona Torres Pilar Narcís IES 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.
, Barcelona ,
Gorgon, Attic black-figure Monturiol amphora, ca. 520-510 BC
Musée du Louvre, Paris (France)
Pilar Torres Carmona Torres Pilar Narcís IES 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)
, Barcelona , Perseus followed by the Gorgons after the murder of their sister Medusa.
Black-figure dinos from Etruria, ca. 580 BC Monturiol
Musée du Louvre, Paris (France)
Pilar Torres Carmona Torres Pilar Narcís IES 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
, Barcelona , Monturiol Aegis with Medusa’s
head
Pilar Torres Carmona Torres Pilar Narcís IES Making out a meaning
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
, Barcelona , To ward off/scare off the
Monturiol enemies
Pilar Torres Carmona Torres Pilar Narcís IES 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
, Barcelona , synonymous with ugliness. Of course, that is one possible
Monturiol explanation, not the only one!
Pilar Torres Carmona Torres Pilar Narcís IES 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
, Barcelona , tomb robbers.)
Monturiol Sarcophagus with relief representing Medusa’s head (2nd century AD).
Archaeological Museum, Konya (Turkey) IES Narcís Narcís IES Pilar Torres Carmona Torres Pilar 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
, Barcelona , built in the 19th century (1852, 1810 and 1900 respectively). Find an
Monturiol explanation for this motif to be represented on their houses’ façades.
IES Narcís Narcís IES Pilar Torres Carmona Torres Pilar Carrer de la Ciutat, 7