Medusa was once a beautiful woman with long hair. She was a priestess at the temple of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. One day, Poseidon, the god of the sea, saw her and decided to rape her. In anger, Athena punished Medusa by turning her into a monster with snakes for hair. Anyone who looked at her face was turned to stone.

Medusa was banished to live alone on an island. She became a terrible monster who killed anyone who came near her. Many brave warriors tried to kill her, but they were all turned to stone.

One day, the hero Perseus was tasked with killing Medusa. He was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. He was given a shield that was as reflective as a mirror and a sword that was sharp enough to cut through anything. He used the shield to look at Medusa's reflection and cut off her head with the sword.

After he killed Medusa, Perseus used her head as a weapon in battles. He eventually gave it to Athena, who placed it on her shield.