Medusa, a figure in Greek mythology, was known for her ability to turn men to stone and her hair made of snakes. She was turned into a monster by Athena after being raped by Poseidon. Perseus defeated her by cutting off her head, which was later used as an ornament on Athena’s shield. Medusa’s blood reportedly gave birth to all venomous snakes in Africa and was made into a powerful medicine. She is still seen as an image of terrible womanhood.
Medusa is a well-known figure in Greek mythology who is perhaps most famous for her ability to turn men to stone and her hair made of snakes, which are often described as hissing entities with their own minds, rather than mere ornaments for hair. As you can imagine, many people see her as a monster, and she wasn’t the kind of creature she would want to meet, for obvious reasons. The Greek hero Perseus finally defeated Medusa by cutting off her head, using her reflection as a guide for her sword.
The myth has evolved a lot over the centuries. It is generally accepted that his parents were Phorcys and Ceto, and that he had two sisters; the three sisters were collectively known as the Gorgons. Medusa, however, didn’t get off to a horrific start. She was supposedly quite beautiful and in many myths she is described as a beautiful fresh-faced maiden, until she was raped by Poseidon in a temple of Athena.
Athena was so angry about this that she punished Medusa by turning her into a hideous monster, with hair made of snakes and the ability to turn onlookers to stone. Her name, incidentally, translates as “ruler” or “protector.” Her face often appears on talismans that are meant to protect people from evil by warding off evil; such talismans are known as apotropes.
Various versions of her story state that she was pregnant when she was killed by Perseus, and possibly also asleep. In any case, Perseus had help from her; Hermes and Athena helped him figure out how to kill the infamous Gorgon, and as payment, Perseus brought her head to Athena, who used it as an ornament on her shield.
In some stories, Medusa’s blood served as the seed of Pegasus, the winged horse god from Greek mythology. Her blood also reportedly gave birth to all the venomous snakes in Africa and, in some accounts, was made into a powerful medicine with the ability to raise the dead. However, she lives on as an image of terrible womanhood, and in some parts of the West, angry women are described as Gorgons or Medusas.
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