Euryale (Gorgon)
creatureImmortal Gorgon sister whose cry of grief when Medusa was beheaded was said to have invented the mourning flute.
The Myth
Her scream of grief was so piercing that Athena modeled the aulos (double flute) on its sound. When Perseus beheaded Medusa, Euryale's wail echoed across the earth. Athena heard it and created the first mourning flute (aulos) to replicate the sound. Pindar tells this version in Pythian 12. The aulos became the standard instrument at funerals, processions, and dramatic performances. Euryale and Stheno chased Perseus but could not catch him. Their immortality was both their strength and their curse — they could never die, never rest, and never stop grieving. Euryale's name means "wide-roaming," suggesting she still searches for Medusa's killer.
Parents
Phorcys, Ceto
Symbols
Fun Fact
Pindar credits the invention of the mourning flute to Athena imitating Euryale's grief — music born from a monster's scream.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
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