33 Medusa Quotes About The Greek Mythological Figure

Medusa was one of the three monsters known as Gorgons in Greek Mythology.

Medusa used to be a beautiful priestess who was turned into a horrid monster with green skin and live snakes for hair due to Athena's curse. Athena made her this monster because she broke her oath of celibacy.

Medusa is one of the most famous evil monsters from Greek mythology. Every person to gaze into her eyes instantly turns to stone.

Some people have also interpreted Medusa as a symbol of woman empowerment and freedom. We've collected the best quotes about myths of Medusa in literature. If you're in search of more quotes from Greek mythology, then check out these Hercules quotes and Greek quotes.

Best Medusa Quotes

Here are the best quotes about 'Medusa the Gorgon'.

1. "Freud was a hero. He descended to the Underworld and met there stark terrors. He carried with him his theory as a Medusa's head which turned these terrors to stone."

- R. D. Laing.

2. "My dirty-blonde hair doesn’t slither and hiss, but the men around me are as cold and hard as stone."

- Skye Warren.

3. "You only have to look at the Medusa straight on to see her. And she's not deadly. She's beautiful and she's laughing."

- Helene Cixous.

4. "If a woman shows too often the Medusa's head, she must not be astonished if her lover is turned into stone."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

5. "Think about Medusa, with the snakes. If you shoot a movie in Europe, the financiers are three snakes, and they all have opinions. In Hollywood there are, like, 20 snakes."

-  Daniel Espinosa.

6. "I saw the rocks where long ago, Above the sea that cries and breaks, Swift Perseus with Medusa's snakes, Set free the maiden white like snow."

- Sara Teasdale.

7. "Turn bad thoughts into concrete so you can build a strong foundation."

- Antonia Perdu.

8. "The hair upon the Medusa's head is frequently represented in works of art in the form of snakes, and these once again are derived from the castration complex."

- Sigmund Freud.

9. "You may gaze at her reflection in still waters of the lake, but don’t look at her directly or death will be your fate."

- Angel Witch.

10. "'How many times do you see your orphanage roommate be able to turn someone into stone?' 'Every time I look in the mirror.'"

- Ana Franco.

11. "The terror of the Medusa is thus a terror of castration that is linked to the sight of something."

- Sigmund Freud.

12. "You’re probably wondering: why were Medusa’s kids a golden warrior and a winged horse? And how had they been stuck in Medusa’s body all those years? Heck, I dunno."

- Rick Riordan.

13. "Who knows, perhaps poetry travels this route, also the route of art, for the sake of such a breathturn? Perhaps it will succeed, as the strange, I mean the abyss and the Medusa's head, the abyss and the automatons, seem to lie in one direction."

- Paul Celan.

14. "In mythology, the Medusa can petrify people with a look, which is a good thing, I think. But the Medusa is a unique symbol, something strong."

- Donatella Versace.

15. "He stared at Medusa and Medusa stared at him, and in this moment that made his dreams come true."

- S.J. Kincaid.

16. "Fascinated by the glitter of gain, man gazes at the Medusa-like face of greed and stands petrified."

- Manly Hall.

17. "The television, that insidious beast, that Medusa which freezes a billion people to stone every night, staring fixedly, that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little."

- Ray Bradbury.

18. "I don't even remember killing Medusa. I don't remember anything."

- Rick Riordan.

19. "You read any Greek myths, puppy? The one about the gorgon Medusa, particularly? I used to wonder what could be so terrible that you couldn't survive even looking at it. Until I got a little older and I figured out the obvious answer. Everything."

- Mike Carey and Peter Gross, 'The Unwritten'.

Medusa Greek Mythology Quotes

Read the best quotes from Greek mythology about Medusa.

20. "When Medusa looks in the mirror, she sees the Lady of Sorrows."

- Mason Cooley.

21.  "Pegasus, poetry, was born of Medusa when her head was cut off."

- Joseph Campbell.

22. "The luminous winged stallion of the Greeks (Pegasus) emerged from the life force of womanly wisdom in its darkest, most disturbing aspect."

- Linda Kohanov.

23. "Turn around, and keep your eyes closed shut, For if the Gorgon, Medusa, does appear, and you see her, You would never be able to return upward."

- Dante Alighieri.

24. "Pegasus's dad was Poseidon, the god of the sea, and his mom was Medusa, an evil Gorgon who had fangs and lizard skin and living snakes for hair. And you thought your family was weird."

- Evan Kuhlman.

25. "A priestess I was, the pride of Athena. Now I’m banned to live the life of a beast."

- Grave Digger.

26. "I thought Medusa had looked at you, and that you were turning to stone. Perhaps now you will ask how much you are worth?"

- Charlotte Bronte.

27. "Most people know who Pegasus is, for instance, but few realize that he was born from the blood of snake-headed Medusa immediately after she was slain by Perseus."

- Linda Kohanov.

28. "You're glad your dad is alive. You feel good that he's claimed you, and part of you wants to make him proud. That's why you mailed Medusa's head to Olympus."

- Rick Riordan.

29. "If the delicate flower liked to play Medusa, maybe Karina could take on the role of Perseus."

- Lexi Blake.

30. "Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium—the lair of Medusa. She’d talked with that same accent, at least until Percy had cut off her head."

- Rick Riordan.

31. “She was usually represented as a winged female creature having a head of hair consisting of snakes; unlike the Gorgons, she was sometimes represented as very beautiful.”

– Britannica.

32. "Beauty is that Medusa's head which men go armed to seek and sever, and dead will starve and sting forever."

- Archibald MacLeish.

33. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, boy! That was Medusa's curse alone. She was the most hideous one in the family."

- Rick Riordan.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Medusa quotes then why not take a look at Ancient quotes, or Medea quotes.