Just victims of circumstance?

Retelling the tale of the Medusa has been a labour of love for one Cyprus-based author. Alix Norman has a read

What if the Greek heroes are villains? What if our idols of myth and legend are not, in fact, the champions we believe them to be? And what if, gods forbid, the monsters of old are not fearsome fiends but just victims of circumstance?

Medusa Through the Eyes of the Gorgon is one author’s effort to make us rethink the Greek legends of old, to reconsider what we’ve always thought to be true. An enchanting portrayal of the legendary Medusa, the novel charts her life – the incidents and tragedies that make her one of the most feared figures of Greek myth.

“It’s the story of Medusa, but reimagined,” explains author Skevi Philippou. “If you look into the legend of the Gorgon, you find it’s not quite as black and white as you believe. In fact, Medusa may appear to be one thing – a monster – but she’s really something quite different…”

In the traditional legend, Medusa – daughter of an ancient marine deity, and one of the three Gorgon sisters – terrorises the island of Sarpedon (or possibly the deserts of modern-day Libya; scholars tend to disagree on her exact location!), turning passersby to stone with her gaze. With venomous snakes for hair and a visage that’s literally petrifying, it’s easy for us to cheer for Perseus, the hero who eventually slays Medusa. But there’s a lot more to this myth than one first suspects…

Originally beautiful and wise beyond her years, our protagonist was the victim of circumstance, says Skevi. “Medusa is raped by Poseidon on the alter of Athena. But,” she reveals, “instead of punishing Poseidon, Athena turns on Medusa, transforming her into a monster, feared by all. It’s hardly fair, is it?” she asks. “There’s no crime there on Medusa’s part, and yet she’s condemned to live out her life as a sinister monster, meeting a grisly end at the hands of Perseus.”

A mesmerising interpretation of the myth, Skevi’s portrayal of Medusa takes us on a journey of discovery. “Our protagonist discovers she possesses the astonishing gift of sight, along with an abundance of compassion and love for humanity,” she explains. “An oracle in all her glory, she’s condemned – through no fault of her own – to a fragmented, monstrous form. Shunned as an outcast, driven to the brink of sanity by the gods, her deadly stare forbids any hope of human contact. She’s transformed,” says Skevi, “into the repulsive monster everyone fears they too could become, holding up a mirror to the gods. And to us.”

Written from the point of view of Medusa herself, the book is Skevi’s interpretation of the story. “This is a legend; it’s up to us to decipher the truth, and I’ve interpreted the myth from the angle of the Gorgon,” she explains. “Most of what we read in the conventional legend is written from the standpoint of the hero – Perseus. But in Medusa Through the Eyes of the Gorgon, we challenge our beliefs: Perseus is not the champion at all. In fact, he’s in two minds about killing Medusa – yes, he wants to be the hero and cover himself in glory, but on the other hand, he’s not really convinced of her guilt…

“This injustice is a familiar story,” Skevi continues. “We see it playing out in real life even today. Look at all those famous people on the internet, in the papers: we worship their acclaim and their acumen, but do we ask how they’ve achieved that greatness; who they might have trodden on to get where they are today?”

38-year-old Skevi admits she has always been drawn to the vulnerable, the misunderstood, the downtrodden. The assistant to the Chief Rabbi of Cyprus for the last 10 years, she’s worked on many projects – both professionally and in her personal time – that help those less fortunate, including the Friendship Circle (which fed countless families in need during the worst of the pandemic), the newly-launched Jewish Museum of Cyprus, and various community centres.

“I’m kind of driven by fighting injustice in this world – and, I guess, in fictional worlds as well,” she laughs. “I feel I’ve always been pulled towards projects and subjects which involve the underdog. And that includes Medusa, who kept showing up everywhere I looked – in books and online – until I decided to write her story!”

Months of research, during which Skevi painstakingly explored the myths surrounding her protagonist, kick-started the process. “I discovered that, in some ways, Medusa is a feminist symbol,” Skevi suggests. “Feminism is about equal rights, about everyone being treated fairly. And though the book is certainly not a feminist manifesto, it definitely tells the story of a character who has been treated very badly.”

Nine months in the writing – “everything flowed. It was fun to write, though emotional at times; it’s not easy to write a rape scene,” she acknowledges – Medusa is Skevi’s first published book. But it won’t be her last. “This is actually the first in a trilogy,” she explains. “The first book ends, of course, with Medusa’s death. The second begins with her psyche ascending to the void. But, not to give too much away, her soul never arrives. Instead, she’s given the chance for vengeance…”

True to form, the second book will also address the concepts of heroism and injustice. “It’s not what you think though,” says Skevi. “Medusa isn’t about to go back and kill Perseus. Instead she’ll take her revenge in the form of love. And that will set the scene for the third book, in which we move into the modern-day world.”

Already half-way through the next instalment, Skevi plans to release the second book in 2022. Giving those who haven’t yet had a chance to enjoy the first a chance to catch up. Beautifully written, with a captivating plot which sweeps the reader from darkness to light, Medusa Through the Eyes of the Gorgon will challenge all your perceptions of what it truly means to be a hero. Or a monster!

Medusa Through the Eyes of the Gorgon is available from the Academic and General Bookshop in Larnaca, and on amazon.com in both print (€10) and on Kindle (€3)