Myth and Medusa is a 2D animated short retelling of Ovid’s interpretation of the character Medusa. In this version, Medusa is a priestess to the Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva. One night, Neptune, the god of the sea, visited Medusa at the temple and attempted to seduce her. When she refuses his advances, he rapes her (off-screen). Later that night, Minerva herself comes to the temple. Minerva’s acolytes were to remain virgins, and Medusa had sex within the temple (albeit forced). Unable to take revenge on Neptune, she transforms Medusa into the creature of legend.

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The story surrounding the myth of Medusa is as fascinating as the legendary mythological figure herself. Created by the Greek poet Homer, she was described as, "Fearsome and Terrible." Details would vary in the retelling, but most included snakes for hair, golden wings, scaly skin, tusks like a boar, and the ability to turn people to stone with a glance. 

Centuries later, the Roman poet Ovid would reboot the character. Originally just another monster, here she was given a tragic backstory where she was raped by Neptune (god of the sea) and unjustly punished by Minerva (goddess of wisdom). Ovid changed her from a monster (and occasional guardian) into a moralistic tale of the temptation of a woman's beauty and lustful ways, which was consistent with the Roman Catholic views of the time. This is the reason that Roman names of the gods (Neptune and Minerva) are used in the short as opposed to the more commonly known Greek names (Poseidon and Athena).
 

While Medusa remains an extremely popular character, her origins are rarely explored in popular media. This short provides a modern look at Ovid's interpretation of the story.  It retains many of the original details and characteristics which have been excised from most modern depictions. 
This short is also intended as a gateway to discuss an extremely difficult topic: sexual assault. According to the National Sexual Assault Hotline, over 60,000 children and over 433,000 adults are victims of “substantiated or indicated” sexual abuse. (www.rainn.org/statistics) 
 

Animation is a great tool for opening discussions about difficult subjects (death in Bambi and the Iron Giant, divorce in Up and Luca, etc.) and so the subject felt appropriate for an animated adaptation. Though the actual assault happens off-screen, the topic is handled with seriousness and sensitivity.
 

Myths have always been about teaching lessons and shaping behavioral patterns. The myths that endure do so because the characters have something to teach us. In the case of Medusa, her story shows that sometimes the true monsters are not the ones that carry the label.

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