The Petrifying, Apotropaic Gaze and Matrixial Vulva of Medusa, alongside Genital Display Figures

ALBAN G. M. E.

JOURNAL OF FEMINIST STUDIES IN RELIGION, sa.1, ss.49-67, 2023 (AHCI) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2023
  • Doi Numarası: 10.2979/jfemistudreli.39.1.04
  • Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF FEMINIST STUDIES IN RELIGION
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, Periodicals Index Online, ATLA Religion Database, Gender Studies Database, Humanities Abstracts, Index Islamicus, MLA - Modern Language Association Database
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.49-67
  • İstanbul Kültür Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This review of ten articles, books, and chapters on the mythic Medusa and genital display figures illustrates Medusa's petrifying and apotropaic gaze and her engulfing vulva, or eye blazoning her matrixial force, as her severed head demonstrates her abiding pro-creative, indomitable force. Through a history of women held under scrutiny while feared by patriarchy, with men projecting their own fear of castration onto them, the Medusa figure emerges as stun-ningly uncastrated, asserting her force and returning her stony gaze in the reflexive action pivotal to this myth. Objectified under the male gaze, her vulva faces the viewer, her inspirational force born through the birth of Pegasus even as she is crushed in rape and death. The mythic Medusa and vulva display women persistently retain their hold on the male unconscious in rising above castiga-tion, asserting their amazing procreative force over life and death, enabled through Medusa's stunning tale and transfixing gaze.