The Making of Medusa: Why does she haunt popular art & culture?

Uncover Medusa’s lost past, from protective goddess to monster, and explore power, patriarchy, and why she endures. With Q&A. Medusa is often imagined today as a symbol of female rage or defiance – a monstrous woman turned against the male gaze. But this familiar image is only the final chapter in a far older, stranger story. Long before she was transformed by Athena or slain by Perseus, Medusa appeared as a powerful protective figure: a grinning face on pottery, shields, and thresholds, believed to ward off danger. This talk uncovers Medusa’s forgotten history, tracing her transformation from guardian to monster to victim. It explores how creation, sexuality and death animate her image, and why her terrifying powers were stripped away. Through comparisons with serpent-women across mythic traditions, we’ll examine why the fusion of women and snakes has endured for millennia, and how ancient chthonic female forces were absorbed into patriarchal systems. Rather than offering a simple story of empowerment or victimhood, this talk asks why Medusa still haunts art and popular culture – and what her survival says about us today. Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat! Follow us on IG @seedtalks Speaker Bio: Dr. Natalie Lawrence is a historian of science and author of Enchanted Creatures: Our Monsters and Their Meanings (W&N, 2024; Pegasus 2025),