Perseus
Ancient Greek mythology
Greek mythological hero, son of Zeus and Danaë, best known for slaying the Gorgon Medusa using a polished shield (a mirror) given to him by Athena to avoid her petrifying gaze. The Perseus narrative is foundational to the Western mirror-as-protective-instrument and mirror-as-weapon traditions.
Connection to Taylor Swift
Perseus's use of a polished shield-as-mirror to overcome Medusa is the foundational Western myth of the mirror as defensive/strategic instrument. In the context of mirrorball, where Taylor's speaker becomes the mirror as performer, the Perseus story sits in the deep background of the mirror-as-agent tradition.
Notable Works
- Featured in Hesiod's Theogony, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and Pseudo-Apollodorus's Library; visual tradition includes Caravaggio's Medusa and Cellini's Perseus with the Head of Medusa.
Appears in the Archive
Context within the Archive
Perseus and Medusa
Angela & Uncle Jerry discuss the Perseus and Medusa myth as part of the folklore of mirrors. Uncle Jerry notes that Perseus polishes his shield (or in some versions carries a bronze mirror) to view Medusa's reflection without being harmed, connecting to the idea that 'the reflection cannot hurt us' and 'the reflection in the mirror is not the true us', which maps onto the song's question of whether fame is ever the true self.