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Gorgon

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

In Greek myth, a monstrous female figure—most notably Medusa—with snakes for hair whose gaze turns onlookers to stone.

Detailed Definition
Gorgons had snakes for hair and turned onlookers to stone; Medusa was mortal and slain by Perseus. They symbolize primal fear and feminine power. Poets reference Gorgons to evoke horror, the gaze of death, and the paradox of beauty and terror in mythic imagery.
Example
Example in poetry:
Hesiod’s Theogony describes the Gorgons, including Medusa, as snake-haired monsters; Ovid’s Metamorphoses recounts Perseus beheading Medusa; In Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound, Gorgons guard the earth’s edge; Later allegory uses the Gorgon to symbolize petrifying terror; In Renaissance art-poetry, the Gorgon represents the danger of forbidden sight.
Additional Notes
Gorgons, especially Medusa, are snake-haired monsters whose gaze turns men to stone. Hesiod presents them as immortal; Ovid makes Medusa mortal and tragic. Students should analyze Medusa’s post-Ovidian evolution into a symbol of female rage and victimhood. Perseus’s use of reflection critiques direct confrontation. Related: Perseus, Athena, apotropaic imagery.
Also Known As
Gorgon the Dread Visage Medusa’s Sisterhood Snaky-Haired Terror Petrifying Gaze Medusa
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