Medusa

Medusa was one of the three Gorgon sisters in Greek mythology, known for her terrifying ability to turn anyone who looked upon her into stone. Unlike her immortal sisters Euryale and Stheno, Medusa was mortal. Born to Phorcys and Ceto, she was characterized by her distinctive appearance - instead of hair, living snakes writhed upon her head.

The hero Perseus famously beheaded Medusa, but her severed head retained its petrifying power. Perseus used it as a weapon before ultimately giving it to the goddess Athena, who mounted it upon her shield. In ancient times, Medusa's image became known as the Gorgoneion, which was used as a protective symbol against evil.

While different ancient sources place Medusa's home in various locations, Hesiod and Aeschylus wrote that she lived and died on Sarpedon near Cisthene. Later accounts, such as that of Dionysios Skytobrachion, situated her in Libya, where Herodotus claimed the Berbers had originated her myth as part of their religious traditions.