Greek Mythological Creatures.pdf

In Greek mythology, there is a magnificent world where strange animals and monsters live their own lives. They are born and die in unique ways, and they live to torment and confront humans and Gods! The Greek mythological monsters are non-existent, imaginary beings formed wholly by the merciless human imagination. Each monster generally combines some realistic components of various living species and some fictitious traits; they commonly figure in minor roles in Greek myths, either as an impediment that great heroes must conquer or, less frequently, as a hero who comes to their help.

1. Greek
MythologicalCreatures
By:FaithBrigette B. OtadoyVIII-NARRA

2. The mythology of the ancient Greeks is jam-packed
with stories about strange and wondrous animals.
They are shown on pottery, in sculpture, and in
literary history, and they usually wreak havoc on the
best-laid schemes of the Greek heroes, although they
may also be useful in certain instances. Hercules,
Odysseus, Theseus, Perseus, Bellerophon, and Jason
all had to battle monsters that were frequently
hybrids of other, more recognizable species or were
completely odd. Of course, the heroes typically
prevailed, and their encounters with these creatures
made them appear even more heroic. The inventive
mix of creatures also meant to reflect the disarray of
both animal and alien worlds in the Greek vision of
the universe, and maybe also the exotic natureof
distant lands. The success of Greek heroes over these
dreadful animals was an amusing metaphor for the
Greek way of life's apparent superiority, the triumph
of light over darkness, reason and order over chaos.

3. THE KHIMAIRA (Chimera) was a three-
headed monster who terrorized the
Anatolian region of Lykia(Lycia). It was
a strange fire-breathing beast with the
body and head of a lion, the head of a
goat emerging from its back, goat
udders, and a serpent for a tail.
King Iobatestasked the hero
Bellerophon with slaying the beast. He
charged into combat on the back of the
winged horse Pegasos, driving a lead-
tipped lance into the beast's burning
neck, strangling it on molten metal.

4. HYDRA LERNAIA (Lernaean Hydra)
was a nine-headed water-serpent who
haunted Lerna's wetlands. Herakles
(Heracles) was dispatched to destroy her
as one of his twelve labors, but for every
head he beheaded, two more sprouted.
Therefore, with the assistance of Iolaos
(Iolaus), he cauterized the wounds and
prevented regrowth by applying flaming
brands to the amputated stumps. During
the battle, he crushed an enormous crab
beneath his heel that had come to help the
Hydra. Hera later set the Hydra and the
Crab among the stars as the
Constellations Hydra and Cancer.

5. The enormous, three-headed hound of Haides
known as KERBEROS (Cerberus) guarded the
underworld's entrances and forbade the dead
spirits from escaping.
A three-headed dog with a serpent's tail, a snakes'
mane, and lion's claws was how Kerberos was
pictured. Others claim that he had fifty heads,
however it's possible that this number includes the
serpents in his mane. As one of his twelve labors,
Herakles (Heracles) was tasked with retrieving
Kerberos, a mission he completed with the help of
the goddess Persephone.
From the Greek terms kêrand erebosof ancient
times, Kerberos' name may have meant "Death-
Daemon of the Dark".

6. Three terrifying sea nymphs known as THE
SEIRENES (Sirens) used a seductive song to entice
sailors to their deaths. They were once
Persephone's handmaidens, and Demeter granted
them bird forms to aid in the hunt after she was
covertly taken by Haides. They ultimately gave up
and relocated to Anthemoessa, an island known for
its flowers.
The poet Orpheus assisted the Argonauts in
avoiding danger by drowning out the Seirenes'
music with singing, allowing them to pass without
incident. Later, as his troops waxed their ears,
Odysseus sailed by, tethered firmly to the mast.
The Seireneshurled themselves into the water and
drowned because they were so distraught to see a
guy hear their song and yet escape.
The Seirenswere shown as birds with female
upper bodies or only their heads. They were
portrayed in mosaic art using only bird legs.

7. KHARYBDIS (Charybdis) was a sea
monster that swam in a massive
whirlpool next to the monster
Skylla's cliffs in the Straits of
Messina (Scylla). With her thrice
daily sucking and expulsion of
waters—mentioned by Homer—
imagined as the source of the three
high and low tides of the day, she
was likely the daimon of the tides.
The genesis of Kharybdisis
described in a number of different
ways in the ancient Greek scholia
on Homer's Odyssey. In one, she
was a wave-wielding daughter of
Gaia (Earth) and Pontos (Sea), who
besieged the land. In a fit of rage,
Zeus kidnapped and bound the sea
creature. She was a ravenous
woman who stole Herakles' animals
in another story.
Zeus used a thunderbolt to toss
her into the water as a result of
this.
To swallow like Kharybdiswas
the meaning of the Greek word
ekcharubdizô. This word was
created by Pherekydesto denote
persons who were gluttons,
according to Hesykhios(s.v.
anepothe).
Kharybdiswas perhaps a close
relative of Skylla's mother Keto
Trienos, also known as "the Sea-
Monster Thrice," and the
grandmother of the Sicilian giant
Polyphemos.

8. FIN.