character
Greek
Medusa
The snake-haired Gorgon whose gaze turned anyone who looked at her to stone.
Origin
Originally a beautiful priestess of Athena, Medusa was either cursed or transformed (versions vary, and modern retellings often frame her as a victim of Athena's punishment after Poseidon assaulted her in the temple). The hero Perseus killed her by using a polished shield as a mirror to avoid her gaze. Her severed head retained its petrifying power.
Modern usage
Shorthand for a paralyzing stare ('she gave me a Medusa look') and, in contemporary feminist writing and art, a reclaimed symbol of rage at injustice. The logo of Versace and the face of countless tattoos.
Tags
monster
gaze
victim