In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa was one of three Gorgon sisters - mortal, snake‑haired, and capable of turning onlookers to stone. She was slain by Perseus, who used her severed head as a shield against enemies .

But the narrative took a darker turn in Ovid’s Metamorphoses: Medusa is recast as a beautiful maiden transformed into a monster after being raped by Poseidon in Athena’s temple, with no punishment for the perpetrator, only for her . This version sparked modern reevaluations of her story.

From the 1970s onward, feminist thinkers like Hélène Cixous reclaimed Medusa - most prominently in her essay The Laugh of the Medusa - as an emblem of suppressed female rage and the power of self‑expression. Medusa has since become a potent cultural icon: symbols of female anger, resilience, and resistance against patriarchal narratives .

Artists from Sotheby’s catalogue to modern fashion (like Versace’s logo) have used her visage as an apotropaic symbol - intended to ward off evil - and as a statement of defiant femininity .

Once branded a cursed monster, Medusa today stands as a cultural icon of empowerment, challenging us to confront injustice and reframe stories told about women.