The Unusual Creatures of Greek Mythology
Greek myths are often about the gods and goddesses and the human heroes that had superhuman talents and completed near impossible tasks. However, you’ll also notice that some of the characters in Greek mythology are neither god nor human. These supernatural creatures and beasts find their way into important myths. Some are scary monsters while others are enchanting and gentle. Here are some of the most popular and unusual creatures of Greek mythology:
The Nymphs
The Nymphs were pretty women that liked to fall in love. They lived in caves, trees, and rivers. They didn’t live forever but they stayed forever young.
The Sirens
The Sirens were three sea nymphs who looked like beautiful girls with the wings, legs, and feet of birds. They played instruments and sang songs. The Sirens were dangerous because their songs enchanted anyone who listened. The songs caused sailors to shipwreck on the cliffs of the Sirens’ island.
The Satyrs
The Satyrs were half man, half goat. They were considered to be party animals.
The Centaurs
The Centaurs were half man, half horse. The Centaurs were known for drinking too much and becoming violent and obnoxious. However Chiron, the king of the centaurs, was unlike the others. He lived away from the others on Mount Pelion and was a well-known teacher. He taught math, archery, music, and healing.
The Gorgons
The Gorgons were female monsters that had hair made of snakes. Anyone who looked at their faces would be turned to stone. Two of the three Gorgons were immortal. The third, Medusa, was mortal and eventually killed by Perseus who chopped off her head.
The Sphinx
The Sphinx sat atop the high walls that surrounded the Greek city of Thebes. She had the face and hair of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of a bird. She asked anyone that tried to enter Thebes a riddle. If the person answered wrong she would rip him apart and eat him. When Oedipus came to the gates and finally answered a riddle correctly, The Sphinx was so mad that she killed herself.
The Harpies
The Harpies were half woman, half bird. They had sharp claws and swooped down to Earth to grab whatever they wanted. They were blamed whenever children went missing.
The Hydra
The Hydra was a huge serpent that had many heads. When a head was cut off, two grew back in its place. It devoured villagers of the city of Lerna and their herds of cattle. Heracles finally killed The Hydra as one of his Twelve Labors.
The Griffin (Gryphon)
The Griffin had the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. The Griffin guarded gold and other treasures. Zeus owned two griffins to protect his throne on Mount Olympus.
Categorized in: Greek Mythology
This post was written by Greek Boston
