Medusa

More about Medusa

Medusa once had charms; to gain her love
A rival crowd of envious lovers strove.
They, who have seen her, own, they ne'er did trace
More moving features in a sweeter face.
Yet above all, her length of hair, they own,
In golden ringlets wav'd, and graceful shone.
– Ovid, Metamorphoses

Metamorphoses : In this work, Ovid describes Medusa as originally being a beautiful maiden. Her beauty caught the eye of Poseidon, who desired her and proceeded to ravage her in Athena’s shrine. When Athena discovered the sea god had ravaged Medusa in her shrine she sought vengeance by transforming Medusa’s hair into snakes, so that anyone who gazed at her directly would be turned into stone.

Medusa was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who was sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphus. The gods aided Perseus in this task and using a mirrored shield, to avoid being turned into stone, he beheaded her using a sword and escaped using sandals with gold wings, and a helm of invisibility.