MORE LEGENDARY CREATURES FROM GREEK MYTHOLOGY

NEMEAN LION

The Nemean lion was a vicious monster in Greek mythology that lived

at Nemea. It was eventually killed by Heracles. It could not be killed

with mortal weapons because its golden fur was impervious to attack.

Its claws were sharper than mortal swords and could cut through

any armour.

SPHINX

With the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the

face of a woman, she is mythicized as treacherous and merciless.

Those who cannot answer her riddle suffer a fate typical in such

mythological stories, as they are killed and eaten by this ravenous monster.

ERINYES

Literally translated to ”the avengers” from Greek, these were known as

the female deities of vengeance. A formulaic oath in the Iliad invokes

them as “those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has

sworn a false oath”.

CHARYBDIS

The daughter of Poseidon and Gaia; Charybdis is a huge bladder of a

creature whose face is all mouth and whose arms and legs are flippers.

She swallows huge amounts of water three times a day, before belching it

back out again, creating large whirlpools capable of sinking large ships.

HARPIES

These winged spirits whose name literally means: “that which snatches”

are known for their proclivity for stealing food. In fact, Zeus used them

to punish a king called Phineus by trapping him on an island with a bunch

of food and a large group of harpies. Phineus was constantly tortured by a

buffet he could never eat because it always got stolen away.

SATYR

Satyrs have goat-like features such as hindquarters and horns and are

often depicted playing flutes and holding cups of wine. They epitomize

the essence of having a carefree life as they make music and

drink all they want.

SIRENS

Dangerous and beautiful creatures, they were often portrayed as

femme fatales who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting voices to

shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.

GRIFFIN

The Griffin is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs

of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle’s talons as its front

feet. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the

eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially

powerful and majestic creature.