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The symbolism of the Medusa head and some aspects of the mythology related to it have engaged the interest of psychoanalytic writers (Ferenczi3, Freud5, 6, Flugel4, Jones,9 Coriat2 and Reik10). The features dealt with in this literature have been the appearance of the head — a horrible face with writhing snakes instead of hair — and the fact that if one looks directly at it he is turned to stone. The trend of interpretation related to these features has been concerned with the castration complex and polyphallic symbolism. Regarding the castration complex the particular aspect dealt with has been the absence of the penis in the female and the psychological consequences deriving from this fact. Although in the literature there are slight variation from this general theme, the interpretations of the Medusa symbolism are in the main connected with this facet of psycho-sexuality.
In the course of therapy with a 23 year old single woman who had been in treatment slightly over two years for an anxiety hysteria of moderate severity, there appeared dream material and associations bearing on the Medusa head and features of the related mythology. This material did not appear to be directly concerned, in the context in which it appeared, with the castration complex and polyphallic symbolism. The material which presented itself seemed more to focus on the theme of competition between women. This stimulated a survey of the pertinent psychoanalytic literature and the related mythology. The mythology in regards to the