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Medusa was a female figure in Greek Mythology. Medusa was originally a beautiful human woman who was turned into a Gorgon monster by Athena, the Goddess of War and Wisdom, for a punishment and also out of jealousy and envy, Athena also helped the demi-god hero, Perseus later kill Medusa.

Genealogy and Family[]

Medusa is the only mortal child of Phorcys and Ceto, ancient sea gods. Her siblings are The Graeae, Stheno, Euryale, Ladon and Echidna.

Story[]

Medusa decided to become a priestess of Athena, serving the goddess in her temple in Athens. She shortly became famous in the city for her beauty and was considered as having even more beautiful hair than Athena. This made Athena become very jealous of Medusa and bitter towards her. One day Medusa became spotted by Poseidon, the God of the Sea, whilst she was walking across the shoreline of the sea, and he became immediately enamoured with her, he pursued Medusa who frightened, ran away into the Temple of Athens, but Poseidon followed Medusa, capturing and raping her. When Athena came back to her temple and realised what had happened, she turned Medusa into a Gorgon as a punishment for her breaking the rule of never having intercourse in a temple despite her not being responsible for this and a rape victim (likely Athena used this as an excuse to punish Medusa whom she was jealous of). Medusa's two older sisters, Euryale and Stheno who defended Medusa, opposing Athena's command, were also turned into Gorgons with their sister. From then on Medusa was known as a hideous monster who would turn whoever looked at her face into stone and killed many people due to this power.

One day when Perseus, a demi-god son of Zeus was sent on a mission of obtaining the Gorgon Medusa's head by a Greek King, he sought help on defeating the monster from Athena, who trained him and gave him her weapons and shield. Managing to shield his face from Medusa, he killed her through decapitating her with the sword, and out of Medusa's corpse came her children by Poseidon, Chrysoar, a red giant, and Pegasus, a winged horse.

Personality and Appearance[]

Medusa was an innocent person despite her very harsh fate in life. As a human she was loyal and devout to Athena and fulfilled her priestess duties. Even as a Gorgon, she vowed to never turn any women into stone due to her respect for Athena.

As a human, she was normal for her species, youthful and attractive with nothing ugly about her. Being turned into a Gorgon by Medusa, she would later appear with snakes for strands of hair, Athena may have also morphed her face and other body parts too, as when she became a Gorgon, she was described as so ugly that anyone who looked at her would be turned into stone.

Skills and Abilities[]

Relationships[]

Trivia[]

Medusa's name means 'protectress' in Greek.

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