What is an euryale?

[Millstone85]

In classical Greek mythology, Euryale was one of the three Gorgons, the others being Stheno and Medusa. The latter was famously slain by Perseus, who used the fact that looking at Medusa through a polished shield would not result in petrification.

In D&D, there is a whole species called medusas. And not only does the petrifying gaze of a medusa bounce on reflective surfaces, but the medusa risks turning itself into stone that way. Not the most dignified end, that.

Also, a gorgon is that weird bull/armadillo thing, for some reason.

But then comes a card of the Deck of Many Things. It is called "Euryale" and its illustration features a medusa. Or does it? Going by 5e art, it seems that D&D medusas have legs, whereas the creature on the card has both snakes for hair and the lower body of a serpent.

Could it be a different creature, called an euryale? Has that been a thing in previous editions? Or am I reading too much into this?

Bonus question: Is there a precedent for yuan-ti malisons, which come in all combinations of human and snake, resembling medusas?

[Kitten Champion]

After a brief Google search, there's a variety of Medusa - the Greater Medusa - in 2e that resembles a Lamia.

Pathfinder evidently made their own Greater Medusa called the Euryale as a stronger version of the Medusa which maintained the serpentine lower torso from the 2e depiction.

[Millstone85]

After a brief Google search, there's a variety of Medusa - the Greater Medusa - in 2e that resembles a Lamia.

You mean they have the head, torso and arms of a human, mounted on the body of a lion?

Pathfinder evidently made their own Greater Medusa called the Euryale as a stronger version of the Medusa which maintained the serpentine lower torso from the 2e depiction.

Ah, I see. I suppose this may or may not have influenced the new design of the card.

Well, thank you.

[RedWarlock]

Depictions of Medusa/gorgons have often included a serpentine tail instead of legs.

One of the more prominent versions of this was the 1981 Clash of the Titans which had Medusa with a serpentine tail. I haven't seen any prior depictions from mythology where she was serpentine below, and I suspect D&D drew most of their influence from that film. (She's scaled all over in the film, whereas most classical artwork, painting/sculpture, give her human skin.)

[TeChameleon]

Also, a gorgon is that weird bull/armadillo thing, for some reason.

It sounds like the gorgon got mixed up with the Catoblepas, which shares the whole petrifying gaze bit.

Bonus question: Is there a precedent for yuan-ti malisons, which come in all combinations of human and snake, resembling medusas?

... unless I'm misremembering, that sounds a lot like some of the modern interpretations of the Nagas, which come in all variants between 'snake with human head' to 'human torso on a snake body/tail'.

[Bohandas]

Its like medusa

[Millstone85]

It sounds like the gorgon got mixed up with the Catoblepas, which shares the whole petrifying gaze bit.

... unless I'm misremembering, that sounds a lot like some of the modern interpretations of the Nagas, which come in all variants between 'snake with human head' to 'human torso on a snake body/tail'.

Well, the catoblepas and the naga are yet other creatures in D&D.

[TeChameleon]

Well, the catoblepas and the naga are yet other creatures in D&D.

... now that I think about it, the old Heroes of Might and Magic III game also did a 'scaly bovine with petrifying gaze' thing and called it a gorgon, so the idea isn't limited to TSR/WotC. I still think it's getting a gorgon conflated with a catoblepas, though (at least the mythical version, dunno what's up with the D&D versions).

[Psyren]

The "Euryale" question seems to be resolved - so here's why D&D gave "Gorgon" to the metal bull thing instead of to the medusa.

[TeChameleon]

Huh. So looks like I was kinda-sorta at least partially right. Good enough for me

[Tiktakkat]

The metal bull with poison breath gorgon is from a book, The Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes, from 1607.
It is said to be called a catoblepas by the Greeks, which is related to it being unable to lift its head and look forward or up.

[Psyren]

The metal bull with poison breath gorgon is from a book, The Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes, from 1607.
It is said to be called a catoblepas by the Greeks, which is related to it being unable to lift its head and look forward or up.

Sort of - both the metal bull gorgon and the catoblepas are in the original Monster Manual. Check the link I posted for more detail/theories.