Medusa greek mythology biography

Goddess from Greek mythology

For other uses, see Medusa (disambiguation).

In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα, romanized: Médousa, lit. 'guardian, protectress'),^[a] also called Gorgo (Ancient Greek: Γοργώ)^[b] or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons.

Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her was turned to stone.^[4] Medusa and her Gorgon sisters Euryale and Stheno were usually described as daughters of Phorcys and Ceto; of the three, only Medusa was mortal.

Medusa was beheaded by the Greek hero Perseus, who then used her head, which retained its ability to turn onlookers to stone, as a weapon^[5] until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield.

In classical antiquity, the image of the head of Medusa appeared in the evil-averting device known as the Gorgoneion.

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