Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 3,1): Zeus god of the dark sky (earthquake, clouds, wind, dew, rain, meteorits): Text and notes (Cambridge, 1940)

846 The aigts and Gorgoneion of Athena

including J. F. Lauer1, F. L. W. Schwartz2, C. Dilthey3, and

W. H. Roscher4, have equated its scowling features with those of

the storm-cloud, partly because the word aigts is found in the sense

of ' a rushing storm5,' partly because Quintus Smyrnaeus late in the

fourth century A.D. compares the crash of Athena's aigts with the

roll of thunder6. A. de Gubernatis7 in milder mood makes Medousa

1 the evening aurora.' Others again drop from heaven to earth and

offer a zoological explanation. F. T. Elworthy8 argues at length

that the Gorgon must have been a cephalopod, the octopus, and

L. Siret9 assures us that the aigts worn by god or goddess was

his ubiquitous cuttle-fish10. T. Zell11 is equally insistent that the

Gorgoneion was the face of a gorilla. K. Gerogiannes12 derives it

from a lion's head. O. Jahn13, less daring but more discreet, stresses

its use as an amulet potent to ward off the evil eye. Jane Harrison

suggests that it was a ritual mask worn for prophylactic purposed

and R. G. Collingwood15 labels it 'an apotropaic mask.' Finally-

H. T. Rose16 is inclined to think it' a nightmare, a face so horrible

If

that the dreamer is reduced to helpless, stony terror.' I am myseI

1 J. F. Lauer System der gricchische?i Mythologie Berlin 1853 p. 324.

2 F. L. W. Schwartz Der Ursp?-ung der Mythologie Berlin 1860 pp. 34, 63, 85-

3 C. Dilthey in the Ann. d. Inst. 1871 xliii. 214. .g
* W. H. Roscher Die Gorgonen und Verwandtes Leipzig 1879 p. 10 ff., id- in

Lex. Myth. i. 1698 ff.

5 First in Aisch. cho. 591 f. Tvravd de Kai ireSofSafiova Kaveixoevr &v | aiyiSw <PPa
k6tov, then in Pherekr. p.vppi-qKdv6puTvoi frag. 9 (Frag. com. Gr. ii. 314 Meineke)
Souid. s.v. alyts' Kwraiyls. ^epeKpdrijs Mvp/j.7]Kavdpwirois ■ olp.01 Katcodai/xuv, cut^ tft^
(F. V. Fritzsche cj. alyls, aiyls ipxerai, which is possible, but uncertain). See fur
H. Stuart Jones in the new Liddell and Scott s.v. aiyls.

6 Quint. Smyrn. 14. 457 f. Sfipaxe 5' aiyh aVcura Trepl aT-qBeaaiv dvd<xar]S, | °^oV
<TTepoirri<nv eirLfipe'fiei affireros aiOr/p. Tzetz. in Lyk. Al. 17 (p. 17 f. Scheer) has .£{[c
fetched attempt to interpret Perseus' decapitation of Medousa in terms of atniosp
phenomena (cp. supra p. 746).

7 A. de Gubernatis Zoological Mythology London 1872 i. 305. ^ii

8 F. T. Elworthy 'A Solution of the Gorgon Myth' in Folk-Lore 1903 xiv. 212
with pis. 6 and 7 and figs. 1—27, id. ib. 1905 xvi. 350 f. with two figs.

0 L. Siret Questions de chronologic et d'ethnographie ibiriques Paris 1913 '• 4^3'

10 Supra i. 87 n. 4. tgii

11 T. Zell Wit ist die auf Korfu gefundene Gorgo zu vervollstatidigen? Be

pp. 50—125 ('Die Deutung des Gorgonen-Mythus'). mtf^

12 K. Gerogiannes in the 'E<f>.'Apx- 1927 — 1 928 pp. 128—176 with 31 figs- (suin
in the Am. Journ. Arch. 1931 xxxv. 457).

13 O. Jahn in the Ber. sacks. Gesellsch. d. Wiss. Phil.-hist. Classe 1855 P- 59' ^ ^13

14 J. E. Harrison in J. Hastings Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics Edinbur

vi- 33°a—33*a- KttU"'1*"
16 R. G. Collingwood—J. N. L. Myres Roman Britain and the Engl'*'1 J

Oxford 1936 p. 255 f.

16 H. J. Rose A Handbook of Greek Mythology London 1928 p. 29 f-