When you read the word "gorgon," what image comes to mind?

[The_Peyote_Coyote]

Another vote for the D&D creature.

[AClockworkMelon]

@Oakminster

I’d expect a large, bull-like creature, possibly metallic, with a petrification special attack, either by gaze or breath. Dunno where my Monster Manual is, but it is definitely not at the office, so I can’t check quicky.

This is exactly it for me. Before I’d ever heard of the gorgons from Greek myth, when I was a little squirt, I had a collection of D&D books and in the Monster Manual a gorgon was a metal bull. So now whenever I hear or read “gorgon” that’s what comes to mind first.

[gaffa]

Without reading the OP or any replies, my answer is “Joan Rivers”.

[Ranchoth]

Medusa. After that, Dr. Pulaski. (Damnit, SF Debris!)

[Arrogance_Ex_Machina]

@Oakminster

I’d expect a large, bull-like creature, possibly metallic, with a petrification special attack, either by gaze or breath. Dunno where my Monster Manual is, but it is definitely not at the office, so I can’t check quicky.

Seconding this one. Was surprised it wasn’t an option in there somewhere given how many there were.

[DocCathode]

Cal Meacham is an expert on gorgons and has an advanced degree in optics.

Am I the only one thinking of a secret garden of statuary and a petrification ray?

[Maserschmidt]

@Chronos

I see no way those cards could have any significance to a D&D game-- D&D monsters are a lot more complicated than just two numbers (they’re a whole bunch of numbers). I’ve no clue what Maserschmidt’s cards are from.

Those are playing tiles from the classic* board game “Titan”.

• and here by “classic” I mean “obscure”

[Der_Trihs]

@Silver Tyger Girl

@Tapioca_Dextrin

Wasn’t Gorgon Batman’s police buddy

I’m hoping this is a whoosh, but that’s Jim Gordon.

Picture: Two supervillains hiding behind a corner, several other fallen statues of villains can be seen in the background.

“Gordon. it was Gordon we were supposed to go after you idiot!”

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

@foolsguinea

What? I don’t read the threads before posting on, “What do you think of first,” questions, & this was similar to one.He’s Peruvian, you schmendrik.Stop abusing the bonobos.

I did not abuse the bonobo. It was happy and well-fed until the moment it was murdered and its corpse fed to the other prisoners.

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

@Arrogance_Ex_Machina

Seconding this one. Was surprised it wasn’t an option in there somewhere given how many there were.

As I at least implied upthread, I have never played Dungeon & Dragons. Oak’s post was the first I’d heard of that gorgon usage.

[Roderick_Femm]

@The_Devil_s_Grandmother

You’ve got it backwards: Jack in the country and, Ernest in town. That, my dear boy, is the whole truth plain and simple.

The truth is rarely plain, and never simple.

Anyway, rats! That’s what I get for trying to show off. Cut me some slack for being (probably) older than you. Oh, wait, I just noticed your user name. I believe that makes you older than, well, everyone.
Roddy

[Dan_Norder]

@CalMeacham

1.) The Classical (i.e, really old) image of the Gorgon does NOT have snakes for hair. Sometimes it’ll have snakes in its hair, but usually not.

I came here to say that. Well, it would have been more “Sometimes it’ll have snakes around its head separate from the hair and later artists seem to have gotten that confused and made snakes instead of the hair, and then later that became the sole defining characteristic for the character for the vast majority of people.”

I guess being very well read on mythology (and having run a web site about mythology until I sold it off and it got gutted) doesn’t mean that much when the guy who wrote a whole book devoted to the topic is already here. I don’t agree with every last thing in his book (I think a few years back I told him on these boards that I thought the astrological parts were doubtful, before I knew “CalMeacham” was the author), but overall I can recognize he’s done a tremendous amount of solid research. It’s a damn shame his ideas haven’t been cited elsewhere more often.

Getting off topic here, but how our schools approach teaching mythology really needs to be completely overhauled. All too many people are stuck on memorizing one well-known fact about each character, or one well known version of a story, and all too often those are very late versions that have little in common with the original myths and that culture’s beliefs. It’s like someone in a history class writing a paper on President Lincoln’s most important accomplishments based solely upon the ''Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" YouTube clip.

[Ranchoth]

@DocCathode

Cal Meacham is an expert on gorgons and has an advanced degree in optics.

Am I the only one thinking of a secret garden of statuary and a petrification ray?

Let’s hope he’s not a fan of Charles Stross…

[MegaBee]

First image is the Inhuman from Marvel Comics. Second image is the scaly bull with the petrification breath. Third image is the smokin’ hot lady with scaly skin and snakes for hair that turns you to stone with her gaze.

[Intergalactic_Gladiator]

1-5 and 9. Classic gorgons from Greek myth, from what I’ve read in my youth and from watching Clash of the Titans. Scaly, ugly, snakey, turn you into stone, hideous, fanged, snake women.

But then I started thinking about Medusa from the Marvel comics and she’s pretty hot.

So now I’m confused a little, should I be thinking about the hot inhuman or the ugly snakewoman? What should I do? So hot, but so deadly. So yummy or so killy?

Screw it, I’ll see if there are any pics of hot Medussa cosplyers.

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

@Intergalactic_Gladiator

1-5 and 9. Classic gorgons from Greek myth, from what I’ve read in my youth and from watching Clash of the Titans. Scaly, ugly, snakey, turn you into stone, hideous, fanged, snake women.

But then I started thinking about Medusa from the Marvel comics and she’s pretty hot.

So now I’m confused a little, should I be thinking about the hot inhuman or the ugly snakewoman? What should I do? So hot, but so deadly. So yummy or so killy?

Screw it, I’ll see if there are any pics of hot Medussa cosplyers.

Comics-Medusa is BOTH yummy and killy, not just the first.

[CalMeacham]

@DocCathode

Cal Meacham is an expert on gorgons and has an advanced degree in optics.

Am I the only one thinking of a secret garden of statuary and a petrification ray?

You’ll keep quiet if you know what’s good for you. Medusa knowsc where you live.

[CalMeacham]

I guess being very well read on mythology (and having run a web site about mythology until I sold it off and it got gutted) doesn’t mean that much when the guy who wrote a whole book devoted to the topic is already here. I don’t agree with every last thing in his book (I think a few years back I told him on these boards that I thought the astrological parts were doubtful, before I knew “CalMeacham” was the author), but overall I can recognize he’s done a tremendous amount of solid research. It’s a damn shame his ideas haven’t been cited elsewhere more often.

Awww…you’re too kind. My book is starting to be cited by more and more folks, including a recent authoritative book on Perseus, so I’m feeling better about it. I really do have to get cracking on the other two books on mythology I’ve wanted to write – I’ve got a bookcase full of notes already gathered.

[kenobi_65]

@Miller

The D&D gorgon. Also what I think of when I hear the word.

Me, too. Woman with snakey hair who can turn you to stone is what I’d refer to as a medusa.

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

@kenobi_65

Me, too. Woman with snakey hair who can turn you to stone is what I’d refer to as a medusa.

So you honestly didn’t know that Medusa was the name of a particular Gorgon (one of three)?

I’m quite surprised to hear of people who lacked that knowledge. I guess I foolishly assumed that everyone read Bulfinch’s & Hamilton’s mythologies during their formative years.