Seen above is Lamia, the Serpent Woman by Anna Lea Merritt. Be wary of her beauty, for she means to consume you. In mythology, Lamia is a mistress of Zeus and her affair with him angered Hera so much that she transformed Lamia’s children into monstrous beings. Grief-stricken, Lamia devours any child she finds, thus becoming a monster herself. Like…
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Monstrous Women
I was browsing a bookstore and found an aisle offering boxed sets of movies packaged with the books they were based on. A little girl picked up Frankenstein and handed it to her mother, who rolled her eyes. “You don’t want that. That’s for boys.” I assume the mother had never heard of Mary Shelley. Seriously, MARY SHELLEY. Mary Shelley’s…
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Waterhouse and Transformations
After my post about Clytie changing into the sunflower, I’ve been pondering transformations. Lamia is perhaps my favorite example of a dramatic transformation. Based on the poem by John Keats, Waterhouse depicts Lamia after she has transformed from serpent to woman. I adore the vivid imagery of Keats’ poem (She was a gordian shape of dazzling hue…) but I also recommend…
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Lamia Broadcast
In my previous post I mentioned the adaptation of Keats’ Lamia on BBC Radio 4. The broadcast can be purchased and downloaded from AudioGo. Thank you Cathy Baker for sharing the link with me! I downloaded and listened to it and it is a beautiful reading and a perfect way to start my morning.
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Lamia
I just discovered that in January there was an adaptation of Keats’ Lamia on BBC Radio 4. I’m sorry that I missed that. Lamia is one of my favorite works, here are two passages I enjoy the most. (You can read the complete poem here) Lamia has vivid imagery: “She was a gordian shape of dazzling hue, Vermilion-spotted, golden, green,…
