Talos, the face of the original sardonic grin

 Surely you’ve heard of the “sardonic grin.” Have you ever wondered where the expression comes from?

At the root is the Greek word for “Sardinian.” But the ancient authorities gave different accounts of how the Sardinians came to be known for the grin.

Procopius, the Byzantine historian, thought it was because the Sardinians — before Roman times — used an herb to put down elderly people who could no longer care for themselves. Oenanthe crocata, hemlock water-dropwort, can cause the muscles of the face to contract, producing the macabre grin.

I grew up among folks who feared lockjaw. I have heard witnesses describe agonizing cases of tetanus. Doctors call the sustained spasm of the facial muscles risus sardonicus.

But I like Robert Graves’s explanation. Graves retells the myth of a bronze servant with a bull’s head named Talos. He served King Minos of Crete, the symbol of Minoan civilization. The civilization fell to the Sardinians in the misty era of history.

In myth, Talos did his best to prevent the catastrophe. Since he was bronze, he threw himself into the fire until he glowed red. He then welcomed the invaders with a big grin and open arms — bear hugs for all.

You might say it was a warm welcome, if you said it sardonically. Merriam-Webster says that “sardonic” means “disdainfully or skeptically humorous: derisively mocking.” 

• Source: Robert Graves, The Greek Myths: 1; Penguin Books, 1975.