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What is a Gorgon?

In Greek mythology the Gorgons are monstrous women. According to Hesiod they were three sisters, of whom Medusa, the most famous, was slain by the hero Perseus. In Archaic and early Classical art, the Gorgons were portrayed as winged female creatures; their hair consisted of snakes. They were round-faced and flat-nosed, with tongues lolling out, and had large projecting teeth.