Realms Of Gold The Novel: Gorgon-Medusa Anse

Gorgon-Medusa Anse - The British Museum

A Gorgon-Medusa anse (handle) the British Museum, similar to the massive handle of the Vix Krater in Chatillon-sur-Seine, Burgundy.

photo: Terry Stanfill

Although I've always thought that the Vix Krater's Gorgon-Medusa, with her snake legs split to wrap around the vessel, was melusina in her "dark" aspect. It was only recently that I was struck with the similartiy of the two names, Medusa and Melusina. If the D is removed from Medusa and L substituted we have melus--to which the suffix ina or ine is added to mean "little." From my understanding of southern Italian dialect, it occurred to that there's a consonantal shift here--from the d to the L--fairly common in the southern Italian dialects.

i.e. Sicilia bedda,. for Sicilia Bella

Giuseppe di Stefano, Sicilia Bedda

Terry Stanfill, born in West Haven, Connecticut, is a first generation American of Italian descent. She received a degree in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Connecticut.

For her efforts in raising funds for the restoration of San Pietro di Castello, the ancient cathedral of Venice, the President of Italy honored her with the Ordine al Merito, Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana, and Commendatore. She is Vice President Emerita of Save Venice, Inc, and was founder of The California Chapter of Save Venice, Inc.

Terry Stanfill is a founding director and Life Trustee of Los Angeles Opera. She is a Governor Emerita of the board of The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California as well as a Reader, her subject of research, the Normans in Southern Italy and Sicily in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries inspired her to write her first novel, The Blood Remembers.

Terry is married to Dennis Stanfill, former CEO of Twentieth Century Fox, and MGM.

Their daughter Francesca Stanfill Nye, is a novelist and journalist.

Their son, Dennis, is partner and managing director of HBDesign, Singapore.

Pages

The images you'll see as you scroll down to the current text are all part of the story telling in my novel, Realms of Gold:Ritual to Romance.

Bianca Caldwell, pen name, Bianca Fiore, is a writer for an art magazine. In each of her monthly stories she describes an object used in ancient ritual.

Gorgon-Medusa Anse - The British Museum