Although, as you said, there is much more to tell about Medusa, I greatly appreciate that you gave a pretty comprehensive presentation in under 50 minutes. Your video essay will inform all my future Medusa reading and viewing. Many thanks!
Listening to this while cooking our Christmas dinner and it is absolutely fascinating! Adore these deep dives you're creating - I can only imagine the amount of work that goes into them.
Hi Jean, what a fabulous video! I've been fascinated for thirty years by the innumerable and always changing forms Medusa takes in modern culture. The 19th Century novelist George Eliot was so smitten with the psychological resonances of Medusa's story and the terrible mournful beauty of the Rondanini Medusa she mentions her dozens of times in her journals and at key points in her novels. Every painting of Medusa seems to bring out another element of her story. Just two days before your video came out I posted "Mythology Now: Medusa in Art, Fashion, and Film: Caravaggio, Klimt, and the Clash of the Titans." If you have the time to take a quick look I think you might find it fascinating since it covers similar ground as you do but with more emphasis on Medusa's representations in the visual arts. There are some stunning Medusa works out there. At any rate you do a fabulous job of presenting Medusa as layered, changeful and beautifully complex figure. Thomas.
this was so fascinating! video essays like this really give me a little dose of what i miss from university: hearing passionate, knowledgeable people give lectures 😍
Loved this! I really love how a lot of overlooked women in myth are getting explored and given more complexity and a voice in modern day literature/tv/art. I think the Percy jackson movie is the first place I seen her character come alive in a live action setting (even though I have never read the books!) but she’s always been a staple character to me as the woman with snakes for hair which I’ve obviously picked up somewhere growing up. Can’t wait for more of these - thank you for all the work you put into it! 🐍
Loved this video essay! I never looked into the Medusa mythology in such depth, or how her depiction has morphed over the centuries. Love the recommendations for modern retellings that are properly reclaiming her story, thank you!
34:45 in the late 1970's or early 1980's comic book artist and fine illustrator Barry Smith drew Medusa holding the head of a slain Perseus drawn in a Neo Pre-Raphaelite style. The image is easily found online. Credit should be given to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby who in 1965 brought us Marvel's Medusa who started as a villain and later join the Fantastic Four as one of the good guys.
Something interesting you may notice about Medusa is even after Perseus beheads her he actually uses her head to PROTECT women. Specifically he uses it to save his love interest/wife Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus and her former betrothed Phineas (whom we can guess she wasn't too thrilled about marrying) when he causes a fight at their wedding, and again on King Polydectes when he abused and tried to force his mother Danaë into marrying him while on the very quest he'd sent him on under the pretense of marrying a princess Hippodamia and demanding horses as a wedding gift (and in some tellings threatening to banish anyone who can't deliver, so Perseus will be separated from his mother and can't help around house) and Perseus unable to afford horses just says to name the gift, which of course Polydectes picks Medusa's head.
This video essay was wonderful. Thank you! My first experience of Medusa was when my Dad took me to see Clash of the Titans back in the 80s. She both scared me and intrigued me - and I hated when she was decapitated. However that film sparked a passion in me for all things ancient, eventually leading me to read Classics at uni. I will definitely look forward to more video essays in the future.
Thank you so much for giving time to make this video essay, I learned so much and would love more! As someone who wished to have studied ancient myths but never had the chance, this is a gold mine. Interesting enough, the showrunner Lauren Faust was supposed to make a Medusa movie for Sony (I think it was?) but there were disagreements and she decided to end the project. It always interested me what she wanted to do with the character and what Sony didn't like.
I loved this video essay! Thanks so much for putting all the work in! My personal favorite Medusa story is Create My Own Perfection by E.H. Timms because it recontextualizes her as aroace. This is one of the stories where Athena turns Medusa into a gorgon to protect her, but for me the significant part of the story is Medusa *chooses* to become a gorgon so that she is no longer an object of sexual desire. It kind of takes on the femme fatale aspect of Medusa's myth and explicitly rejects it. Any aroace reading of mythology is going to be my favorite, as an aroace person, though. It's the same reason I have more fondness for Artemis and Hestia than any of the other gods and goddesses. Though I think I've seen more aroace interpretations of Artemis than of Hestia, who I've really only seen in Percy Jackson.
Thank you for this fascinating in-depth essay, I learned so much and would love to watch more videos like this in the future. I appreciate the work that went into this!
This video was amazing! Both extremely informative and entertaining; I particularly loved the integration of modern Medusa/gorgon references from all areas of entertainment (film, cartoons, toys, funkos etc.)!
Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I loved looking at the way mythological characters have permeated every area of culture, especially toys aha.
My image straight away is a betrayed young woman, abused by others because I’ve always sought out the stories behind the snakes. However if I relied on media alone she’d be a snake haired evil villain with no backstory Also, excellent video! I loved the deep dive! 😊
I'm so thrilled you did this video essay, very timely for me because I've recently gotten Here, the World Entire and have been a bit entranced lately with the story of Medusa lately. Thanks so much for taking the time to create this. Very interesting and very good!
Loved this video essay! Medusa has always been a favorite to learn about. I was waiting for you to mention the American tv series Hercules with Kevin Sorbo. That show and it’s spin-off are what got me interested in mythology as a kid. I am sure they butchered it…but it was fun to watch! Thank you for putting the time into doing this. I am looking forward to reading some of the books mentioned.
This was amazing! I was expecting to learn a lot about Medusa from this video but I never thought I'd find it inspiring and eye-opening. I never considered how important Medusa is as a part of culture. Looking forward to more video essays!
Thank you so much for taking time to film this! I really enjoyed learning more about Medusa. When I think of Medusa, my first thought is always her snake hair. I appreciate the ancient background you relayed. She has more of a story than I realized.
She does! The ancient versions are so complex and it's a shame there was a period where she was being super condensed into something so one dimensional.
Thank you for this essay. It is so interesting and throughtful. Enjoy the deep dive and the look at how different eras and generations interpret and tell mythic stories.
Whenever I hear the word “Medusa” I think of jellyfish because that’s what they’re called in my native tongue, and in many others, I believe. They do look like beautiful floating heads with snake hair :) It was a great video and I hope you make more in the future
Loves this 💜!! it was fascinating!! I read 'Here, The World Entire' and 'Medusa' by Jessie Burton and loved both of them. I had only know her as someone that was just to be defeated, from early as primary school. So reading those felt special, learning backstory, being able to emphasie, see the vulnerability and strength. felt so rewarding and empowering to read. So thank you for sharing your love for them, definitely need to read 'Stone Blind'.
Ohhh! I just started the video, but I want to say up front THANK YOU FOR THIS! I've been thinking a lot about the Medusa story lately because I just read Mermaid of Black Conch and the description of her tail seemed almost serpent like, and the reason she was cursed (male attention and female jealousy) really brought Medusa to mind. 🧜🏽♀️🐍
I just read The Mermaid of Black Conch this summer! Beautiful read, especially with the use of Carribean dialect. I totally see what you mean and I hope you enjoy the rest of your read!!
I haven’t read Mermaid of the Black Conch but I’ve been meaning to! I wonder if there is any inspiration taken from Maman Dlo as she is a Caribbean mythical figure who has a serpents tale and guards over bodies of water. She is super cool!
This is such an interesting look at how her depiction has changed and I learned a lot from this! A perfect video to listen to while having a nice coffee break♥️
Great video! I am fascinated by this topic! Classical World is always full of surprises and we have a lot of research about it. I like your perspective when you analise myths, it is more focus on cultural and social history than the psychological side. Thank you for this essay! 🥰
This is really excellent! 1981 Clash of the Titans is definitely my first version of Medusa. One of the most recent pop culture versions that comes to mind is from the Amazon Prime ad that’s been airing frequently in the US, not sure if they’ve been playing the same one in the UK.
This is so interesting! I was born in 2000, so well after Medusa's depiction of having a snake tail, but I had never heard of that before. This seems almost unthinkable as I was a kid heavily interested in Greek myths and so consumed a lot to do with them. I even remember doing a project on Perseus and Medusa when I was around 13 years old. She's always been interesting to me even before hearing about the feminist reclamations, perhaps because strong (read: villainous) women grabbed my attention the quickest. It didn't even matter to me that she was to be defeated, only that she existed in the first place was empowering enough. Here the World Entire is definitely on my to read list. I hope I see more video essays from you in the future!
Yes! I'd love to see more mythology deep-dives. I'd love a video on original "unhinged-woman" Medea, I find her one of the most fascinating characters from mythology.
Heya! Ages (years?!) ago in a haul you mentioned a book about the minotaur and the maze at Knossos. I'm reading The Great Sea at the moment and I'd love to read a book dedicated to Knossos next. Long story short, if you see this and can recall the book I would really appreciate it 😅 Have a lovely bank holiday weekend x
This was SOOO interesting!! Thanks you! My first introduction to Medusa was the original Clash of the Titans. I thought she was badass but I was also rooting for Perseus because he was the depicted hero. Only recently through contemporary retellings have I actually learned her story and now I’m a Medusa stan.
This was excellent. You've done a wonderful job with this video. I don't know how many people saw it but there was a tv show called Atlantis in the 2010s that I thought had a very interesting depiction of Medusa, and although I already knew the myths and had seen Clash of the Titans, the way she was depicted there stayed with me
Yaaay been waiting for this since you mentioned it. I read Medusa by Jessie Burton this year and I'm obsessed, together with discovering Garbati's sculpture 'Medusa with the Head of Perseus' as another What If. Thank you for making this! (From a Long time Lurker) x
This was so interesting. It fun to look how different myths have evolved over time. I really want to pick up Here, The Entire World and Medusa now. I’m excited for any other thing you do like this.
This was awesome! I am very interested in the idea of the monstrous feminine and I feel like Medusa has come to be a very popular depiction of that. Very cool and excellent to have more background. Please continue to do video essays
I actually recently bought a book on the monstrous feminine in film by Barbara Creed and now I’m really intrigued to see if she will mention Medusa. It is such an interesting topic in general like you say. If you have more book recs let me know!
@@JeansThoughts ooh I will check that out! I do think Siren Queen by Nghi Vo is a fiction book that handles themes related to the monstrous feminine very well.
The first images in my head when I think of Medusa is a green head with snakes. Then I think of Perseus slaying her and taking her head. Having studied classics in secondary school (and at A-Levels) I would have thought I’d have a better understanding of the ancient myths surrounding Medusa. It was always about the heroes’ stories we would study and just a mention of the women in the story. This is such a fascinating video. The modern interpretations of Medusa are very informative to my idea of who Medusa is. It is lovely to see that change as a result of your videos and book retellings.
WOW. I'll be rewatching this often. I've loved Medusa forever. I wear her pendants. Her pictures and figurines adorn my home. For someone like me, this is the GREATEST presentation on Medusa that I've ever seen. Thank you for sharing.
0:25 Growing up, Medusa was an evil monster that Perseus had to kill. She was one of the villains in Perseus story. She was ugly with snakes for hair and people would turn to stone if they looked at her. When I read Percy Jackson I got to know a bit of her backstory and got a more nuanced picture of her. I have since learnt more about her story. I am currently listening to Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes. She talks about Medusa as a symbol and how her story has been portrayed through history. She points out how Medusa is simultaneously strikingly beautiful and a monster. Even in the Percy Jackson movie she's played by Uma Thurman, a very beautiful woman. She also talks about how Medusa could be a metaphor for the male gaze, how she is so beautiful that men (or at least some body parts 🍆) turn to stone when looking at her. Medusa is victim of misogyny, victim blaming and the gods' bruised egos. Again and again the Olympians get pissed off at each other and take out their anger on innocent mortals and minor deities. Medusa is just one of many examples.
Medusa (just like all other gorgons) was actually originally meant to be ugly, and her being a victim was the result of a Roman writer (Ovid) who hated authority (and the greek gods).
Thanks so much! This was very informative, engaging and inspiring. +1 to the idea of ancient witches and witchcraft as a topic. The trojan war would also be great. I feel like that is a very difficult story or stories to get to grips with.
well this was brilliant! loved seeing you talk in depth about a subject that you clearly have expertise in. I must have grown up in the Medusa renaissance because I’ve always thought of her as misunderstood, and not solely monstrous
My favourite depiction of Medusa as a child came from a book called Voyage of the Basset. The art in the book is absolutely gorgeous and had a big impact on my little brain.
What pops into my head when I hear "Medusa" is Rubens painting of her severed head. A museum in my city had a big Rubens exhibition a couple of years back and I remember vividly how I read the text about Medusas myth next to this painting and being shocked how it did not resemble the pop culture medusa at all but was about a woman being punished for being raped (and Perseus being sent to kill her in the end). If I remember correctly the text said she was punished by Athena because the rape took place in one of her temples or something like that, not sure where this part came from.
Loved it! Such great work 👏🏼🌟 So interesting to hear from both the ancient myth and art to modern pop culture. A note on how we see Medusa today. There was a Hercules series on Disney Channel which had an episode about Medusa where she is depicted as a woman with snakes for hair and green skin and a purple dress and that is how I’ve always pictured her 😅 the power of Disney 😆
What’s fun about that episode is she’s a monster but she longs for human companionship but there’s the whole turning people to stone thing and apparently the other monsters r the only people she can’t turn to stone. And after saving Hercules from drowning (Ariel…) she finally beseeches the gods for help and Hades and Aphrodite appear. Aphrodite says real friendship comes from loving each other for who you are feather than looks and offers her magic glasses to block her petrifying powers while Hades goes Ursula and offers to turn her human by day and she turns into a gorgon every sunset to work for him by night until she finds a true friend who likes her for who she is then he’ll make her human permanently. Of course she pulls an Ariel and takes Hades’ deal (contract signing and everything) but later Hercules finds out and comes to terms with it and they get together What I love with that episode is that there’s a quote “Monsters are closer than they appear” Teaches the lesson that the people we might be afraid of or demonize aren’t that different from us.
My first image of Medusa is an odd one. As a very young child, our favorite move was Voyage of the Unicorn (I have not met many people who have watched it haha) and the Medusa in that was a gorgeous elegant lonely woman who just wanted to be a part of a family. The father character ended up falling in love with her and they had her eyes be almost like a disability, that she was able to live with with glasses. I have no idea if that is good representation or if it has aged well. I haven’t watched the movie in a very long time. But that beautiful elegant Medusa is always my Medusa
I really hope it’s not too cringy 😅 I have very vivid memories of parts of it, but it’s been so long since I’ve watched it, I have no idea if it’s nostalgia filtered
The Clash of the Titans (original) is definitely the image in my mind! Also the depiction of her on the cover of "Gods, Men, and Monsters from the Greek Myths" by Michael Gibson stands out to me... it was my favorite book when I was in middle school.
I love the story of Medusa. Her life is so tragic. Raped and then punished for being very beautiful. It also shows how women were treated as objects. I really enjoyed your deep dive into the legend that is Medusa. 😊
As a child, the 1980s Clash of the Titans film was the first time I met Medusa. Then probably the Percy Jackson film with my son! I am 100 pages into Natalie Haynes’ Stone Blind so this video is timely! Thank you!😊❤
Loved it! Such great work ❤ I remember an asian movie (a thing it's asian) were a father and a kid travel to ancient Greek or the world of mythology meeting the gods and in some point they meet with medusa and become friends. In the end of the movie she go back with them to their world. I'm no sure if that is the plot (I was too little when I watch this movie) but I want to know If I other people watched this movie and know the name of it.
I’m loving hearing about everyone’s different niche experiences of encountering Medusa I’ve never come across myself! Thanks for sharing this, I might have to do some googling!
I haven’t seen it as it only came to the UK years ago before I knew what it was but I NEED TO SEE IT. I’m hoping to go to New York next year so I definitely will see it if I do or if it comes to the UK again.
If it was a few years ago, the first thing coming to mind with "Medusa" would be the classic tale of the monster being slayed by the hero. Nowadays I see her more like a tragic figure that was mistreated by those around her, and made to be something that she isn't(a monster)...and also a possible lesbian icon due to all the comics/stories I've read where she ends up as a figure of feminine power and resistance against "thr patriarchy", and in those stories she is usually paired with a blind innocent girl. I personally like the ones that actually Medusa is so beautiful that whoever looks at her ends up petrified by her beauty, or the ones where young men, looking to "prove themselves by slaying a monster" in their rush to become famous heroes in legends, simply attacks her for being different(or for being a woman with powers) and end up dead or turned to stone as punishment.
I enjoyed this so much! I bought Here, the World Entire last year after watching a video where you mentioned it, so maybe this is my prod to finally read it. Also, you might be interested to know (if you don't already) that Medusa has become a somewhat common tattoo for survivors of sexual assault.
Oooh yay well I hope you enjoy it!! It's really emotional and well done. Also I did know that! I think it's wonderful that Medusa's image has found that level of significance for so many.
I know this video is over 1 year old, but seeing as you mentioned you were kind of disappointed with the depiction of Medusa in the Percy Jackson movies, I would love to hear your opinion about how they changed her character in the new Disney+ tv show if you have seen it. Personally, I think it brought her closer to the original myths and it added more depth to her as a person and not as a monster, but I'm not an expert on Greek Mythology and I would like to see what one thought about it
Re: her punishment in Ovid's version, punishing a priest for being sexually assaulted would line up with Roman practice with the vestal virgins. Ancient Greeks often saw no difference between rape and consensual acts in terms of morality if the stock poses used in pottery are anything to go on. These are stories from a very different world and culture. The past is a foriegn country, they do things different there. But also I am dissapointed by discussing Ovid without discussing his anti-authoritarian themes. The gods in his stories are these petty and spiteful beings that play with peoples lives. The medusa story in Ovid is notably more tragic than those from early, her origin as a monster is his invention. Ovid was not a friend to the Augustian regime and the gods acting as capricous dictators can very well be read as his comment on Augustus.
As wonderful as this conversation on myth was, the reality of what the "Medusa" (women of Medea) were is far more interesting and telling of how strong women were before the time of the tales telling. You should look into the "chemical muse", i think it would lend greatly to you understanding of your historical/mythical understanding of the character known as "Medusa". I'll give you a hint though to get you started, the hair is an allegory far more potent than depicted in appearance and is quite the practice...and a very interesting "mystery". I hope this finds you doing well.
Hello, I wanted to ask you about one thing. I remember a while back was a tumble post about the theory of why some houses in ancient Rome or Greek I don't know which had depictions of medusa. The post's conclusion was that it symbolised the places where a woman may seek help from her husband etc. Do you think it was completely made up? I never fact-checked it. :(
I’ve never heard of this in academia tbh, and tumblr is notorious for making up myth facts aha. But always worth doing some more research. I’m dubious though. There are lots of Gorgon head stone symbols in Greece and Rome and the general consensus is they have a similar function to the evil eye, to ward of evil from a home.
@@JeansThoughts Please don't. 😀 I love all your videos, but in this one you shine. It is obvious you love your field of study, and that is just so cool. 😊 Bookish and scholarly is a great combo. 😉
Second comment for after the video! I am really disappointed in myself for not knowing that SA was a part of Medusa’s story. I had known that she was turned to a Gorgan because of Athena’s jealousy. I’m really sad that my knowledge has been clean washed. Thank you so much for this video, it really has opened my eyes to Medusa as a nuanced character
Although, as you said, there is much more to tell about Medusa, I greatly appreciate that you gave a pretty comprehensive presentation in under 50 minutes. Your video essay will inform all my future Medusa reading and viewing. Many thanks!
Loved this lecture! Please do more! ❤️
My lecturing experience finally coming in useful :D
Listening to this while cooking our Christmas dinner and it is absolutely fascinating! Adore these deep dives you're creating - I can only imagine the amount of work that goes into them.
Hi Jean, what a fabulous video! I've been fascinated for thirty years by the innumerable and always changing forms Medusa takes in modern culture. The 19th Century novelist George Eliot was so smitten with the psychological resonances of Medusa's story and the terrible mournful beauty of the Rondanini Medusa she mentions her dozens of times in her journals and at key points in her novels. Every painting of Medusa seems to bring out another element of her story.
Just two days before your video came out I posted "Mythology Now: Medusa in Art, Fashion, and Film: Caravaggio, Klimt, and the Clash of the Titans." If you have the time to take a quick look I think you might find it fascinating since it covers similar ground as you do but with more emphasis on Medusa's representations in the visual arts. There are some stunning Medusa works out there.
At any rate you do a fabulous job of presenting Medusa as layered, changeful and beautifully complex figure. Thomas.
I loved this video essay 🙌 the format and explanation is easy to understand for perhaps other people who are new to ancient and Greek myths.
this was so fascinating! video essays like this really give me a little dose of what i miss from university: hearing passionate, knowledgeable people give lectures 😍
Loved this! I really love how a lot of overlooked women in myth are getting explored and given more complexity and a voice in modern day literature/tv/art. I think the Percy jackson movie is the first place I seen her character come alive in a live action setting (even though I have never read the books!) but she’s always been a staple character to me as the woman with snakes for hair which I’ve obviously picked up somewhere growing up. Can’t wait for more of these - thank you for all the work you put into it! 🐍
Loved this video essay! I never looked into the Medusa mythology in such depth, or how her depiction has morphed over the centuries. Love the recommendations for modern retellings that are properly reclaiming her story, thank you!
34:45 in the late 1970's or early 1980's comic book artist and fine illustrator Barry Smith drew Medusa holding the head of a slain Perseus drawn in a Neo Pre-Raphaelite style. The image is easily found online. Credit should be given to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby who in 1965 brought us Marvel's Medusa who started as a villain and later join the Fantastic Four as one of the good guys.
Something interesting you may notice about Medusa is even after Perseus beheads her he actually uses her head to PROTECT women. Specifically he uses it to save his love interest/wife Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus and her former betrothed Phineas (whom we can guess she wasn't too thrilled about marrying) when he causes a fight at their wedding, and again on King Polydectes when he abused and tried to force his mother Danaë into marrying him while on the very quest he'd sent him on under the pretense of marrying a princess Hippodamia and demanding horses as a wedding gift (and in some tellings threatening to banish anyone who can't deliver, so Perseus will be separated from his mother and can't help around house) and Perseus unable to afford horses just says to name the gift, which of course Polydectes picks Medusa's head.
This video essay was wonderful. Thank you! My first experience of Medusa was when my Dad took me to see Clash of the Titans back in the 80s. She both scared me and intrigued me - and I hated when she was decapitated. However that film sparked a passion in me for all things ancient, eventually leading me to read Classics at uni. I will definitely look forward to more video essays in the future.
Thank you so much for giving time to make this video essay, I learned so much and would love more! As someone who wished to have studied ancient myths but never had the chance, this is a gold mine.
Interesting enough, the showrunner Lauren Faust was supposed to make a Medusa movie for Sony (I think it was?) but there were disagreements and she decided to end the project. It always interested me what she wanted to do with the character and what Sony didn't like.
I saw that when I was doing my research and I'm so sad it never happened! That would have been really interesting.
I loved this video essay! Thanks so much for putting all the work in!
My personal favorite Medusa story is Create My Own Perfection by E.H. Timms because it recontextualizes her as aroace. This is one of the stories where Athena turns Medusa into a gorgon to protect her, but for me the significant part of the story is Medusa *chooses* to become a gorgon so that she is no longer an object of sexual desire. It kind of takes on the femme fatale aspect of Medusa's myth and explicitly rejects it. Any aroace reading of mythology is going to be my favorite, as an aroace person, though. It's the same reason I have more fondness for Artemis and Hestia than any of the other gods and goddesses. Though I think I've seen more aroace interpretations of Artemis than of Hestia, who I've really only seen in Percy Jackson.
Please continue these essays! This was very insightful and interesting!
Thank you for this fascinating in-depth essay, I learned so much and would love to watch more videos like this in the future. I appreciate the work that went into this!
This video was amazing! Both extremely informative and entertaining; I particularly loved the integration of modern Medusa/gorgon references from all areas of entertainment (film, cartoons, toys, funkos etc.)!
Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I loved looking at the way mythological characters have permeated every area of culture, especially toys aha.
My image straight away is a betrayed young woman, abused by others because I’ve always sought out the stories behind the snakes. However if I relied on media alone she’d be a snake haired evil villain with no backstory
Also, excellent video! I loved the deep dive! 😊
I'm so thrilled you did this video essay, very timely for me because I've recently gotten Here, the World Entire and have been a bit entranced lately with the story of Medusa lately. Thanks so much for taking the time to create this. Very interesting and very good!
Oh yay that is perfect timing! I hope you enjoy Here the world entire, it is really emotive!!
This was so interesting! Looking forward to your future video essays :D
I’m so pleased you think so! I’m so excited to film more of them!
Loved this video essay! Medusa has always been a favorite to learn about. I was waiting for you to mention the American tv series Hercules with Kevin Sorbo. That show and it’s spin-off are what got me interested in mythology as a kid. I am sure they butchered it…but it was fun to watch! Thank you for putting the time into doing this. I am looking forward to reading some of the books mentioned.
This was amazing! I was expecting to learn a lot about Medusa from this video but I never thought I'd find it inspiring and eye-opening. I never considered how important Medusa is as a part of culture. Looking forward to more video essays!
I am so pleased to hear this! Thank you ☺️
Thank you so much for taking time to film this! I really enjoyed learning more about Medusa. When I think of Medusa, my first thought is always her snake hair. I appreciate the ancient background you relayed. She has more of a story than I realized.
She does! The ancient versions are so complex and it's a shame there was a period where she was being super condensed into something so one dimensional.
Fantastic video essay! Please do more.
Thank you for this essay. It is so interesting and throughtful. Enjoy the deep dive and the look at how different eras and generations interpret and tell mythic stories.
I find the development of different myths so fascinating!
Whenever I hear the word “Medusa” I think of jellyfish because that’s what they’re called in my native tongue, and in many others, I believe. They do look like beautiful floating heads with snake hair :) It was a great video and I hope you make more in the future
Really love seeing long form content from you Jean! Excited to see this is the way your channel is going
Loves this 💜!! it was fascinating!! I read 'Here, The World Entire' and 'Medusa' by Jessie Burton and loved both of them. I had only know her as someone that was just to be defeated, from early as primary school. So reading those felt special, learning backstory, being able to emphasie, see the vulnerability and strength. felt so rewarding and empowering to read. So thank you for sharing your love for them, definitely need to read 'Stone Blind'.
Ohhh! I just started the video, but I want to say up front THANK YOU FOR THIS! I've been thinking a lot about the Medusa story lately because I just read Mermaid of Black Conch and the description of her tail seemed almost serpent like, and the reason she was cursed (male attention and female jealousy) really brought Medusa to mind. 🧜🏽♀️🐍
I just read The Mermaid of Black Conch this summer! Beautiful read, especially with the use of Carribean dialect. I totally see what you mean and I hope you enjoy the rest of your read!!
I haven’t read Mermaid of the Black Conch but I’ve been meaning to! I wonder if there is any inspiration taken from Maman Dlo as she is a Caribbean mythical figure who has a serpents tale and guards over bodies of water. She is super cool!
I really enjoyed this video essay. I appreciate your insight and interpretation of all these texts. I can't wait to see more :)
Also the fact that you know about Mama Glo from my country is amazing ^_^
I love her myth! She is amazing ^_^
absolutly loved this. I've always been drawn to medusa so this was great for hearing new and old perspectives.
This is such an interesting look at how her depiction has changed and I learned a lot from this! A perfect video to listen to while having a nice coffee break♥️
Aw this is the nicest thing to hear. Also it is so interesting how she has changed and developed throughout time, never consistent.
Great video! I am fascinated by this topic! Classical World is always full of surprises and we have a lot of research about it. I like your perspective when you analise myths, it is more focus on cultural and social history than the psychological side. Thank you for this essay! 🥰
This is really excellent! 1981 Clash of the Titans is definitely my first version of Medusa. One of the most recent pop culture versions that comes to mind is from the Amazon Prime ad that’s been airing frequently in the US, not sure if they’ve been playing the same one in the UK.
This is so interesting! I was born in 2000, so well after Medusa's depiction of having a snake tail, but I had never heard of that before. This seems almost unthinkable as I was a kid heavily interested in Greek myths and so consumed a lot to do with them. I even remember doing a project on Perseus and Medusa when I was around 13 years old. She's always been interesting to me even before hearing about the feminist reclamations, perhaps because strong (read: villainous) women grabbed my attention the quickest. It didn't even matter to me that she was to be defeated, only that she existed in the first place was empowering enough. Here the World Entire is definitely on my to read list. I hope I see more video essays from you in the future!
I loved watching this video essay and I’m definitely looking forward to more like this in the future. Thank you!!
Jean, I love this format! Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us :)
Yes! I'd love to see more mythology deep-dives. I'd love a video on original "unhinged-woman" Medea, I find her one of the most fascinating characters from mythology.
I LOVE Medea, I’ve always wanted to write a novelisation of her story too aha. I shall add this to the list.
I really enjoyed this, would love to see more of this type of video!
I’m so glad and this is so wonderful to hear!
Absolutely loved this video! Thank you for sharing your expertise with us, it is so fascinating and I think you have a gift for teaching/speaking!
That is the absolute kindest thing to say thank you!
Heya! Ages (years?!) ago in a haul you mentioned a book about the minotaur and the maze at Knossos. I'm reading The Great Sea at the moment and I'd love to read a book dedicated to Knossos next. Long story short, if you see this and can recall the book I would really appreciate it 😅
Have a lovely bank holiday weekend x
This was SOOO interesting!! Thanks you! My first introduction to Medusa was the original Clash of the Titans. I thought she was badass but I was also rooting for Perseus because he was the depicted hero. Only recently through contemporary retellings have I actually learned her story and now I’m a Medusa stan.
Don't get me wrong, the ancient Greeks would have often rooted for Perseus too so you weren't alone ^_^. But yay for joining the Medusa fan club!
This was excellent. You've done a wonderful job with this video.
I don't know how many people saw it but there was a tv show called Atlantis in the 2010s that I thought had a very interesting depiction of Medusa, and although I already knew the myths and had seen Clash of the Titans, the way she was depicted there stayed with me
Yaaay been waiting for this since you mentioned it. I read Medusa by Jessie Burton this year and I'm obsessed, together with discovering Garbati's sculpture 'Medusa with the Head of Perseus' as another What If. Thank you for making this! (From a Long time Lurker) x
Garbati’s sculpture really seems like the perfect companion to Medusa by Burton. It really is the rise of the what if!
@@JeansThoughts long live the What If! Thanks again for making this - just finished and a perfect, cosy start to the weekend. Have a good one x
This was so interesting. It fun to look how different myths have evolved over time. I really want to pick up Here, The Entire World and Medusa now. I’m excited for any other thing you do like this.
I love Here the world entire. It was my first Medusa retelling and really did everything I hoped a retelling would!
This was awesome! I am very interested in the idea of the monstrous feminine and I feel like Medusa has come to be a very popular depiction of that. Very cool and excellent to have more background. Please continue to do video essays
I actually recently bought a book on the monstrous feminine in film by Barbara Creed and now I’m really intrigued to see if she will mention Medusa. It is such an interesting topic in general like you say. If you have more book recs let me know!
@@JeansThoughts ooh I will check that out! I do think Siren Queen by Nghi Vo is a fiction book that handles themes related to the monstrous feminine very well.
I’ve been waiting for this!! :D
I need to know where you bought your mug. Love it!!!
Love this! Please do more! You are brilliant!
I’ve literally just started editing my hades and Persephone essay ♥️☺️
The first images in my head when I think of Medusa is a green head with snakes. Then I think of Perseus slaying her and taking her head.
Having studied classics in secondary school (and at A-Levels) I would have thought I’d have a better understanding of the ancient myths surrounding Medusa. It was always about the heroes’ stories we would study and just a mention of the women in the story.
This is such a fascinating video. The modern interpretations of Medusa are very informative to my idea of who Medusa is. It is lovely to see that change as a result of your videos and book retellings.
WOW. I'll be rewatching this often. I've loved Medusa forever. I wear her pendants. Her pictures and figurines adorn my home. For someone like me, this is the GREATEST presentation on Medusa that I've ever seen. Thank you for sharing.
Wow this is such a wonderful comment, I'm so honoured!
@@JeansThoughts And it's your FIRST presentation too? It's unbelievably well done. I've subscribed. I'll be back.
0:25 Growing up, Medusa was an evil monster that Perseus had to kill. She was one of the villains in Perseus story. She was ugly with snakes for hair and people would turn to stone if they looked at her.
When I read Percy Jackson I got to know a bit of her backstory and got a more nuanced picture of her. I have since learnt more about her story.
I am currently listening to Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes. She talks about Medusa as a symbol and how her story has been portrayed through history. She points out how Medusa is simultaneously strikingly beautiful and a monster. Even in the Percy Jackson movie she's played by Uma Thurman, a very beautiful woman. She also talks about how Medusa could be a metaphor for the male gaze, how she is so beautiful that men (or at least some body parts 🍆) turn to stone when looking at her.
Medusa is victim of misogyny, victim blaming and the gods' bruised egos. Again and again the Olympians get pissed off at each other and take out their anger on innocent mortals and minor deities. Medusa is just one of many examples.
Medusa (just like all other gorgons) was actually originally meant to be ugly, and her being a victim was the result of a Roman writer (Ovid) who hated authority (and the greek gods).
Thanks so much! This was very informative, engaging and inspiring. +1 to the idea of ancient witches and witchcraft as a topic. The trojan war would also be great. I feel like that is a very difficult story or stories to get to grips with.
OK I'm loving the growing enthusiasm for an ancient witchcraft video aha.
This was really excellent! Thank you Jean.
That means so much!
well this was brilliant! loved seeing you talk in depth about a subject that you clearly have expertise in. I must have grown up in the Medusa renaissance because I’ve always thought of her as misunderstood, and not solely monstrous
Yay the reclaiming is working! This is great to hear.
My favourite depiction of Medusa as a child came from a book called Voyage of the Basset. The art in the book is absolutely gorgeous and had a big impact on my little brain.
Ooh I hadn't heard of this. I'll have to look it up!
I wrote my bachelor thesis on this topic, such an interesting video!
Oh that’s super cool! What was your title!?
@@JeansThoughts Medusa: How the Mythological Monster became a Feminist Icon :)
@@Fran-uj6py brilliant!
This was so interesting, thank you for sharing! 💛
Really enjoyed this and would love to see more in the future.
This is so wonderful to hear!
What pops into my head when I hear "Medusa" is Rubens painting of her severed head. A museum in my city had a big Rubens exhibition a couple of years back and I remember vividly how I read the text about Medusas myth next to this painting and being shocked how it did not resemble the pop culture medusa at all but was about a woman being punished for being raped (and Perseus being sent to kill her in the end). If I remember correctly the text said she was punished by Athena because the rape took place in one of her temples or something like that, not sure where this part came from.
Loved it! Such great work 👏🏼🌟 So interesting to hear from both the ancient myth and art to modern pop culture.
A note on how we see Medusa today. There was a Hercules series on Disney Channel which had an episode about Medusa where she is depicted as a woman with snakes for hair and green skin and a purple dress and that is how I’ve always pictured her 😅 the power of Disney 😆
What’s fun about that episode is she’s a monster but she longs for human companionship but there’s the whole turning people to stone thing and apparently the other monsters r the only people she can’t turn to stone. And after saving Hercules from drowning (Ariel…) she finally beseeches the gods for help and Hades and Aphrodite appear. Aphrodite says real friendship comes from loving each other for who you are feather than looks and offers her magic glasses to block her petrifying powers while Hades goes Ursula and offers to turn her human by day and she turns into a gorgon every sunset to work for him by night until she finds a true friend who likes her for who she is then he’ll make her human permanently. Of course she pulls an Ariel and takes Hades’ deal (contract signing and everything) but later Hercules finds out and comes to terms with it and they get together
What I love with that episode is that there’s a quote “Monsters are closer than they appear”
Teaches the lesson that the people we might be afraid of or demonize aren’t that different from us.
My first image of Medusa is an odd one. As a very young child, our favorite move was Voyage of the Unicorn (I have not met many people who have watched it haha) and the Medusa in that was a gorgeous elegant lonely woman who just wanted to be a part of a family. The father character ended up falling in love with her and they had her eyes be almost like a disability, that she was able to live with with glasses. I have no idea if that is good representation or if it has aged well. I haven’t watched the movie in a very long time. But that beautiful elegant Medusa is always my Medusa
OK I have never heard of this film and now I have to find it. It sounds like such a fascinating version of the story and not a bad one either!
I really hope it’s not too cringy 😅 I have very vivid memories of parts of it, but it’s been so long since I’ve watched it, I have no idea if it’s nostalgia filtered
The Clash of the Titans (original) is definitely the image in my mind! Also the depiction of her on the cover of "Gods, Men, and Monsters from the Greek Myths" by Michael Gibson stands out to me... it was my favorite book when I was in middle school.
Loved the video, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us! Just a tiny thing I caught was that the sculptor is Argentinian and not Italian.
Oh thank you that was such a silly mistake of me to make! I was clearly stuck on the 16th century sculpture 🤦♀️
This was amazing. Can you do the witches Circe and Medea next?
Ancient witches and witchcraft would be a great topic! I'll add it to the list. Hecate too!
@@JeansThoughts Definitely Hecate too. Thank you!
Great video. Keep them coming.
Thank you!
I love the story of Medusa. Her life is so tragic. Raped and then punished for being very beautiful. It also shows how women were treated as objects. I really enjoyed your deep dive into the legend that is Medusa. 😊
YES to your video essays!!!
♥️
First thought on Medusa.. head of snakes and unfairly punished. So excited for this video Jean. Please do more.
Really interesting... I wish you do more of this.
Noted ;)
As a child, the 1980s Clash of the Titans film was the first time I met Medusa. Then probably the Percy Jackson film with my son! I am 100 pages into Natalie Haynes’ Stone Blind so this video is timely! Thank you!😊❤
As someone who doesn't know ANYTHING about any myths this is really great and very informative 😍 please keep making them. Thank you so much🥰
Yay I’m also glad to hear it was accessible!
The Medusa from Clash of the Titans was the first version that came to mind. Thanks for such an interesting video.
This does not surprise me! It’s wild how massive an impact that one film has had on Medusa’s image!!
Thank you so sooo much for this video essay 🧡❤️❤️❤️👑👑👑
You're welcome!
I loved this ❤ Could you please make one for Persephone?
A hades and Persephone video is actually the next one I was planning on working on, with lots of Persephone!
This was fantastic, I did not know that about Versace
Yes I love sharing new facts aha!
Thank you, this was a treat!
This was amazing! 😊
Oh thank you!
loving your video, do u have Medusa in your children´s books?
Loved it! Such great work ❤
I remember an asian movie (a thing it's asian) were a father and a kid travel to ancient Greek or the world of mythology meeting the gods and in some point they meet with medusa and become friends. In the end of the movie she go back with them to their world.
I'm no sure if that is the plot (I was too little when I watch this movie) but I want to know If I other people watched this movie and know the name of it.
I’m loving hearing about everyone’s different niche experiences of encountering Medusa I’ve never come across myself! Thanks for sharing this, I might have to do some googling!
What is your thoughts on the musical hadestown?
I haven’t seen it as it only came to the UK years ago before I knew what it was but I NEED TO SEE IT. I’m hoping to go to New York next year so I definitely will see it if I do or if it comes to the UK again.
If it was a few years ago, the first thing coming to mind with "Medusa" would be the classic tale of the monster being slayed by the hero.
Nowadays I see her more like a tragic figure that was mistreated by those around her, and made to be something that she isn't(a monster)...and also a possible lesbian icon due to all the comics/stories I've read where she ends up as a figure of feminine power and resistance against "thr patriarchy", and in those stories she is usually paired with a blind innocent girl.
I personally like the ones that actually Medusa is so beautiful that whoever looks at her ends up petrified by her beauty, or the ones where young men, looking to "prove themselves by slaying a monster" in their rush to become famous heroes in legends, simply attacks her for being different(or for being a woman with powers) and end up dead or turned to stone as punishment.
I enjoyed this so much! I bought Here, the World Entire last year after watching a video where you mentioned it, so maybe this is my prod to finally read it. Also, you might be interested to know (if you don't already) that Medusa has become a somewhat common tattoo for survivors of sexual assault.
Oooh yay well I hope you enjoy it!! It's really emotional and well done. Also I did know that! I think it's wonderful that Medusa's image has found that level of significance for so many.
really loved this video :)
♥️
one of my fav song is Medusa by Kailee Morgue
When I hear Medusa, I think of the Carol Ann Duffy poem (which I love)
!!! I love Monster High !!!
I know this video is over 1 year old, but seeing as you mentioned you were kind of disappointed with the depiction of Medusa in the Percy Jackson movies, I would love to hear your opinion about how they changed her character in the new Disney+ tv show if you have seen it. Personally, I think it brought her closer to the original myths and it added more depth to her as a person and not as a monster, but I'm not an expert on Greek Mythology and I would like to see what one thought about it
I prefer the version where she has always been a gorgon.
What I find interesting is that we still describe beautiful people as gorgeous and stunning but talk of Medusa as ugly.
She is a Kandake & her hair is loccs & she was so beautiful that Men froze when they seen her because of it(turning into stone). She was a warrior.
Not really but nice reimagined modern version of her.
Re: her punishment in Ovid's version, punishing a priest for being sexually assaulted would line up with Roman practice with the vestal virgins. Ancient Greeks often saw no difference between rape and consensual acts in terms of morality if the stock poses used in pottery are anything to go on. These are stories from a very different world and culture. The past is a foriegn country, they do things different there.
But also I am dissapointed by discussing Ovid without discussing his anti-authoritarian themes. The gods in his stories are these petty and spiteful beings that play with peoples lives. The medusa story in Ovid is notably more tragic than those from early, her origin as a monster is his invention. Ovid was not a friend to the Augustian regime and the gods acting as capricous dictators can very well be read as his comment on Augustus.
As wonderful as this conversation on myth was, the reality of what the "Medusa" (women of Medea) were is far more interesting and telling of how strong women were before the time of the tales telling. You should look into the "chemical muse", i think it would lend greatly to you understanding of your historical/mythical understanding of the character known as "Medusa". I'll give you a hint though to get you started, the hair is an allegory far more potent than depicted in appearance and is quite the practice...and a very interesting "mystery". I hope this finds you doing well.
Now, I've never heard of a Medusa complex ..
off topic but girl ur so pretty!!
Great video. I just read The Song of Achilles and I’d love to hear more about them - especially with queer reference. ❤
Hello, I wanted to ask you about one thing. I remember a while back was a tumble post about the theory of why some houses in ancient Rome or Greek I don't know which had depictions of medusa. The post's conclusion was that it symbolised the places where a woman may seek help from her husband etc. Do you think it was completely made up? I never fact-checked it. :(
I’ve never heard of this in academia tbh, and tumblr is notorious for making up myth facts aha. But always worth doing some more research. I’m dubious though. There are lots of Gorgon head stone symbols in Greece and Rome and the general consensus is they have a similar function to the evil eye, to ward of evil from a home.
@@JeansThoughts thank you for replay ♡♡♡
I need to grow up and stop belive in tumblr fairytales :D
@@MrRinNeko Aha no growing up needed! Tumblr is a tricky platform, and there are some creators who post well cited things!
This is the best video ever! 🥰
Aw stop I’ll cry 😭♥️
@@JeansThoughts Please don't. 😀 I love all your videos, but in this one you shine. It is obvious you love your field of study, and that is just so cool. 😊 Bookish and scholarly is a great combo. 😉
A Black Woman with Locks not snakes for hair
Second comment for after the video! I am really disappointed in myself for not knowing that SA was a part of Medusa’s story. I had known that she was turned to a Gorgan because of Athena’s jealousy. I’m really sad that my knowledge has been clean washed. Thank you so much for this video, it really has opened my eyes to Medusa as a nuanced character
Medusa was a gorgon by birth and had a consensual relationship with Poeidon, at least in the Greek versions.
I imagined Medusa from the Powerpuff Girls.