Medusa was a gorgon, one of the three gorgon sisters. She was ugly, with snakes for hair. Anyone who looked into her eyes turned to stone. She used to be beautiful. A fair maiden and as a priestess of Athena, her life was supposed to be as beautiful as herself. But soon she fell for Poseidon, forgetting her vows. Because of this, Athena had to punish her. She turned every lock of blonde hair into a venomous snake. Her eyes were now bloodshot, radiating fear and disgust. She ran away from her home, never to return. She went to Africa, where snakes began to fall from her head. That is how Africa got its venomous reptiles. She kept turning people to stone until Perseus, son of Zeus, killed her.
