GORGONS

Docter, docter, my head's got five snakes!

Earth Medusa -- Gorgon -- Medusa

GORGON

The Gorgons were three sisters from Greek mythology named Stheno, Eurayle and Medusa, the last of whom being the only mortal of the three. They were ugly creatures that would turn anyone to stone by looking at them - Medusa's appearence was the result of a curse, while Eurayle and Stheno were apparently naturally monsterous. It seems strange that Medusa was the only normal human of the three, especially when you consider that, according to some sources, they are the daughters of Typhon and Echidna, parents of other monsters such as the chimera and hydra, making Medusa the only human amongst all their children. The three Gorgons are said to have snakes for hair, although Ovid's Metamorphoses states that only Medusa had this trait.

FF3's gorgons don't appear to have any resemblence to their mythical counterparts. They can't even turn you to stone - although they can paralyse you, which is a rough approximation.

IMAGES: Ancient Greek depiction of Heracles and Iolaus fighting the hydra -- A hydra from D&D

MEDUSA

Medusa was one of the three Gorgons. She boasted that she was more beautiful than the goddess Athena, who, as punishment, turned her into a winged, clawed monster with snakes for hair. Anyone who looked at her would be turned to stone, but the hero Perseus avoided this by watching Medusa's reflection in his shield. He cut off her head, which he then used to turn his enemies to stone, and eventually gave to Athena, who attatched it to her shield, the aegis. Because of her means of death, artists often portray Medusa as just a head, as in FF3.

EARTH MEDUSA

A somewhat bizarre variation on the monster Medusa. The earth Medusa's only connection to the earth is that they can turn you to stone - an ability held by the regular Medusas.

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