Meet the female monster from Ancient Greece mythology, and one of the Gorgon sisters. With a head of snakes instead of hair, it’s hard to resist a look. However, with a single glaze in the eyes any man would be immediately transformed into stone.

What was once a golden-haired maiden with a future of marriage to Poseidon, quickly turned sour. After forgetting her vows, she was dealt with the brutal punishment of having venomous snakes for hair. He once gentle eyes transformed into blood-shot glazes that not only disgusted, but also struck intense fear into any onlooker.

Should a man’s eyes wander away from her greenish tinted skin to her eyes, he would be turned to stone. Yet, that wouldn’t stop the hero Perseus (son of Zeus) from taking his chances at beheading her; which, he did successfully of course.

In today’s times, a Medusa tattoo isn’t the most popular choice among men, however it’s still quite prevalent. Though, the meaning behind this design can greatly vary.

For starters, there’s the admiration of Perseus’ charming tale of heroism; you could attribute it to a symbol of protection. The same is true for his helm of darkness, which provided a safe passage of escape from the other two Gorgon sisters.

Another interesting meaning revolves around what happened after Perseus had beheaded Medusa. I’m talking about the idea of revenge, as he later traveled to meet Atlas, the king of Mauretania. At an earlier date in time, he had been refused hospitality. The insult was not taken lightly, and revenge was finally served by turning the king into stone.

There you have it, a lot of interesting bits about the story of Medusa. Perhaps you’ll enjoy this collection of 80 Medusa tattoo designs for men below. Each gives a unique glance back into Ancient Greece mythology with plenty of inspiration for ideas.