Medusa

In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () 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. Medusa and her Gorgon sisters Euryale and Stheno were usually described as daughters of Phorcys and Ceto; of the three, only Medusa was mortal.

AI overview

Medusa is a figure from Greek mythology, typically depicted as a woman with living snakes instead of hair whose gaze could turn anyone who looked at her into stone. She matters as a foundational character in Western mythology, notable for being the only mortal among her three Gorgon sisters and serving as a central figure in famous Greek myths and stories.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Deity.type: Greek
Deity.name: Medusa
Deity.image: Gorgona pushkin.jpg
Deity.caption: Classical Greek gorgoneion featuring the head of Medusa; fourth century BC
Deity.parents: Phorcys and Ceto
Deity.siblings: The Hesperides, Stheno, Euryale, The Graeae, Thoosa, Scylla, and Ladon
Deity.consort: Poseidon
Deity.children: Pegasus and Chrysaor

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image: Berlin Painter ARV 197 11 Gorgo pursuing Perseus (05).jpg

Show 4 more facts

Commons category: Medusa
Commons gallery: Medusa
name in native language: Μεδουσα
P8168: Eleusinion

Sources (1)

wikidata.org

via Wikidata · CC0

~20 min read

Article

18 sections

Contents

Mythology
Modern interpretations
Historical
Psychoanalysis
Feminism
Nihilism
Art
Flags and emblems
Science
In popular culture
Myth sources
Primary myth sources
Mentioned in
See also
Notes
References
Sources
External links

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 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.