Chapter 3 | SNAKE HAIR
Medusa is a monstrous figure from Greek mythology. Her hair is made of dangerously writhing serpents. She was once a beautiful young woman, but the goddess Athena was so jealous of her beauty that she enchanted Medusa’s hair. At the same time, Athena caused anyone who looked at Medusa to instantly turn to stone. Thus, Medusa was forever deprived of friendship and love.
Ultimately, Medusa was killed by Perseus, who held his shining shield up to her like a mirror, causing her to suddenly see herself and freeze in fear for a moment (picture above). Just then Perseus cut off her head. Such a cruel story!
Medusa’s hair is still depicted in various ways in art today, including animations and films. Sometimes the images are pure horror, and sometimes almost fashionable. In an ancient Roman floor mosaic (image above), the snakes are still neatly arranged like a wreath around the head, but in most artworks, the snakes twist and turn erratically, sometimes even biting each other. Overlapping one snake with another is a fun exercise in itself.
EXTRA: Draw your own variation of Medusa with her snake-like hair.
