BEINGS 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.