ANTHONY FREDERICK SANDYS ~ MEDUSA

Medusa”

Anthony Frederick Sandys (1829-1904)

In Greek

Mythology Medusa (Greek: Μέδουσα (Médousa), “guardian, protectress”)

was a Gorgon, a cothonic female monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and

Ceto;

Only Hyginus, (Fabulae, 151) interposes a generation and

gives another cohthonic pair as parents of Medusa; gazing directly upon

her eyes would turn onlookers to stone. She was beheaded by the hero

Perseus, who thereafter used her head 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.

Source Wikipedia