Kalon Kakon
By E J Hornby
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alon Kakon, meaning a beautiful evil describes the mindset with which the ancient Greek male-dominated society viewed women. The ancient Greek myths of gods and goddesses that we have read, told, and know well commonly reflected this concept – blaming women for the issues faced by men. Since antiquity, we as women have been blamed and punished for the wrongdoings of men. Told to remain in man’s shadows.
The goddesses in this book all suffered under a misogynistic mindset. Their stories are tales of woe. But there is more to their stories that this project will explore through the lens of femininity. These goddesses represent stages of womanhood that we have all or may all come across in our lifetimes. These women are not evil, or the villains, but victims.
It is time to rewrite these stories.
It is time to embrace being beautifully evil.
Embrace Kalon Kakon.
edusa has periodically been represented as a monster with with snakes for hair, and her violent death celebrated as a triumph. However, the commonly told story is only told from the point of view of Perseus; the hero who killed her in her sleep. From a woman’s point of view, the story is greatly different.
Medusa was a Priestess of Athena, residing in her temple. She was depicted as a beautiful young woman whom men lusted after, but she chose to remain a virgin in loyal service to Athena. Poseidon became enamoured by Medusa’s beauty and one night broke into the temple of Athena to rape her.
Instead of feeling compassion for her traumatised priestess, Athena took away Medusa’s beauty, turning her into a gorgon who took the life of anyone who looked at her. She was banished to a remote island and given the infamous snakes for hair that could turn those who looked to stone. Medusa was reduced from a beautiful and dedicated priestess to a hideous monster who could never be looked at again.
Athena had given her a life of isolation, but even in her grief she only chose to take the lives of the men who came to harm her, never harming women.
Many men came to slay what they saw to be a monster and a threat, but in truth she was just a girl, punished for being a victim.
Her story and appearance today have been adopted by women. Medusa stands as a symbol of protection. Protection from evil men for all women. An evil to fight all evil. A Kalon Kakon.
