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rel: Eye Contact Eurydice and Orpheus
Looking taboo is a motif (a recurring element) in mythology, folklore and works of fiction. A person is prohibited to look at something or somewhere for fear of dire consequences.
One example is Eurydice and Orpheus.
In Greek mythology Medusa had a hideous appearance so that anyone who looked upon her was turned to stone. Athena loaned Perseus her polished shield for him to view Medusa’s reflection without becoming petrified, so he circumvented the looking taboo and successfully beheaded Medusa.
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes.