MEDUSA
Greek Mythology
A Gorgon
One of the Gorgons, and the only one who was mortal. Her gaze could turn whoever she looked upon to stone. There is a particular myth in which MEDUSA was originally a beautiful maiden. She desecrated Athena's temple by lying there with Poseidon. Outraged, ATHENA turned MEDUSA'S hair into living snakes.
Medusa was killed by the hero PERSEUS with the help of ATHENA and HERMES. He killed her by cutting of her head and gave it to ATHENA, who placed it in the center of her Aegis, which she wore over her breastplate.
From MEDUSA'S dead body the giant CHRYSAOR and the winged horse PEGASUS, her son by POSEIDON, sprang forth.
In a late version of the MEDUSA tale (related by the Roman poet Ovid) MEDUSA was originally a beautiful woman. She had sex with — or was raped by — POSEIDON in ATHENA'S temple. Upon discovery of the desecration of her temple, Athena changed Medusa's form to match that of her sister Gorgons as punishment. Medusa's hair turned into snakes and her glance would turn all living creatures to stone. More ancient Greek writers imagined Medusa and her sisters as beings born of monstrous form.
While MEDUSA was pregnant by POSEIDON, she was beheaded in her sleep by the hero Perseus who was sent to fetch her head by King Polydectes of Seriphus. With help from ATHENA and HERMES, who supplied him with winged sandals, HADES' cap of invisibility, a sickle, and a mirrored shield, he accomplished his quest. The hero slew Medusa by looking at her reflection in the mirror instead of directly at her to prevent being turned into stone. When the hero severed MEDUSA'S head, from her neck two offspring sprang forth: the winged horse Pegasus and the giant Chrysaor. PERSEUS used MEDUSA'S head to rescue ANDROMEDA, kill Polydectes, and, in some versions, petrify the Titan ATLAS. Then he gave it to Athena, who placed it on her shield Aegis. Some say the goddess gave MEDUSA'S magical blood to the physician ASCLEPIUS, some of which was a deadly poison and the other had the power to raise the dead.
SOURCE: Wikipedia