The classical Roman poet Ovid was portrayed her as an astounding beauty in Temple of Athena. She attracted the attention of the sea god Poseidon, who taking after the tradition began by he and his brother Zeus, raped Medusa. Athena, beginning the tradition of blaming the victim, transformed Medusa into a hideous monster, with snakes for hair, bronze claws and enraged eyes that could turn man into stone.
Medusa and her sisters fled Greece, as they were not only shunned for their unsightly appearance, but because their petrifying gaze left a trail of victims wherever they went. The legend has it they escapped to Africa, where as the count of deaths began to rise, the disdain for the Gorgons multipled. This lead to a turn in their personalities, a reflected hatred fitting their outward appearance.
She was then murdered by Perseus, who on the orders of King Polydectes, was to retrieve her severed head. Using a mirrored shield given to him by none other than Athena, Hermes' winged sandles and Hades' Helm of Invisibility. He watched Medusa in the shield's reflection and lobbed off her noggin with Hephaestus' sword. From her neck were born her children, the winged horse Pegasus and the giant Chrysaor.
Perseus escaped the enraged Stheno and Euryale on the back of Pegasus. The blood that dripped from her severed head onto the sands of the Sahara gave birth to the snakes that crawl the African soil. Perseus used her powers to stop the Titan Atlas while delivering his trophy back to Polydectes.
He then discovered Polydectes ruse. As Perseus' mother hid from
Over time artists would soften their representation of the Medusa. She would be seen as more of a sypathetic figure than a monster. Her transformation into monsterhood can be seen as a renewal of strength after her victimizations. Her image became a symbol of Feminism, representing the rage within a woman.
The Aegis gave birth to the Gorgoneion, an apotropaic symbol that warded off evil. Buildings would be adorned with motifs of her visage. The flag of Sicily bears a Triskelion, the Medusa's head surrounded by three legs shaped like the triangular island.
Unfortunately, depth isn't a strong suit in the Final Fantasy series, especially for a random fiend. Final Fantasy would borrow from the early concepts of the hideous monster, sans the wings of gold. As in the legend, they are most known for turning the heroes into stone. In Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, where Stheno makes her lone appearance, they also have the ability to poison with their horrific claws.
Final Fantasy takes the base notion of the Gorgons as frightening beasts. Unlike Sirens who lure their prey with beauty and charm, the Medusa are more direct, attacking in hordes. Here, they literally represent an instant death.
However, Final Fantasy never touches on the depth of the myth, beyond a few cosmetic references. To be honest, her story has so many interpretations, it would be quite the feat to do it justice. That in it of itself is another tragedy. Hopefully, the mere existence of Medusa in this series will enlighten the players into learning more about this magnificent tale and all the theories that surround that surround the story.
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