There were also many fabulous animals such as the Nemean Lion, golden-fleeced Ram and the winged horse Pegasus, not to mention the creatures of legend such as the Phoenix, the Griffin and Unicorns. The Basilisk, a familiar creature in many modern stories, was a giant serpent with a deadly touch a poisonous breath. It was sent as a gift to King Minos of Crete, but when he proved unworthy was used instead to create the monstrous Minotaur. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology.McFarland. The frightfully wondrous world of Greek mythologys monsters is often overlooked, except for when they serve as antagonists. They range from monstrous creatures and chimera, hybrids like the Minotaur of ancient Greece, to humanoid mythicals like the mischievous elves of the Norse. Many recognizable monsters challenge famous figures like Odysseus, Heracles, and more. This time, the princess in peril was rescued by Heracles. They are considered to have superhuman powers, enormous size and long life, while on the contrary, they lack ethics and imagination. When she opened her mouth to breathe fire on Bellerophon, he thrust the spear in it and the heat melted the lead, which filled up her gullet and suffocated her. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. This name generator will give you 10 random names fit for ancient Greek towns, cities and other settlements. The Lernaean Hydra, one of the many offspring of half-woman and half-serpent Echidna and 100-headed Typhon, was a many-headed serpent who lived in the swamps. Often, legendary animals had forms that were quite familiar to Greek audiences but exaggerated in strength, size, or ferocity. Faeries, also known as fairies, fey, or fae, can be traced back to Old French medieval romance stories. It was hypothesized that basilisks could be killed by subjecting them to the odor of weasels, griffins tears, or seeing its own reflection. She is said to appear at the full moon and feast on the bodily organs of her victims. An aura of mystery has always surrounded this creature. Similarly, merpeople are featured in Syrian, Polynesian, and Greek mythology. It was the size of a hippopotamus, however, and had rotating horns. The great hero Odysseus (Ulysses), clever as he was, sealed his sailors' ears with wax and bound himself to the mast of his ship, to enjoy himself the beautiful song of the Sirens, without getting in the temptation of following the seductive Sirens. First appearing in Germanic and British folk tales, goblins vary in abilities, physical appearances, and purposes depending on the story and purpose. The more children she devoured the uglier she became until she was reduced to a hideous scaly, serpentine monster. This includes, mammals (except humans), fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, molluscs WebGreek TV Series 20072011 TV-14 1 h IMDb RATING 7.6 /10 25K YOUR RATING Rate POPULARITY 1,760 241 Play trailer 0:51 20 Videos 99+ Photos Comedy Drama Family Freshman Rusty Cartwright arrives at college and decides he no longer wants to be the boring geek from high school. Many of these legendary creatures lived on for thousands of years after the Greeks first thought of them. The ship sailed safely past and the sailors were oblivious to Odysseus pleas to release him so he could dive and swim to the Sirens. They had large eyes, snakes instead of hair, big mouths with boar tusks, hideous rolling tongues, and sometimes even beards. Typhon also was serpentine, depicted with snake tails or the entirety of his lower body being that of a snake. Hera stole the children she had with Zeus and killed them. In Greek mythology, this was the underworld where spirits of the dead [], The most awe-inspiring elements of Greek mythology are, without a doubt, the ferocious beasts and monsters. According to Greek mythology, Scylla was the daughter of Forky and Kitos, once a beautiful Nymph that the god Poseidon longed for. The beasts imagined by Pliny the Elder were popular in medieval manuscripts, while even today the unicorn and Pegasus feature in media aimed at children. According to Greek myth, the Minotaur was the offspring of the queen of Crete and a majestic bull that came from the sea. WebOrder Greek's pizza, pasta, sandwiches online for carryout or delivery. These two monsters are a pair, found in the pages of the Odyssey. They are a hybrid of a scorpion and a man, with the body of a scorpion and the face, torso, and arms of a man. The famous sisters were Stheno, Euryale and Medusa. In Greek mythology, the Erymanthian Boar was a mythical creature that took the form of a shaggy tameless boar of vast weight and foaming jaws. They used their singing to lure sailors who were passing by their island and slaughter them. The Gorgons stare could turn anyone to stone. It is the direct or indirect ancestor of all modern European alphabets. While some cultures depicted mermaids as beautiful and romantic (in Irish folklore, mermaids could transform into human form and marry humans), sometimes mermaid stories took on a more sinister tone where they were capable of foretelling and bringing disaster. A Lion, [], The island of Crete was the home of the legendary King Minos, who worshiped bulls. Centaurs were half men, half-horse people who lived in the mountains of Thessaly. The phoenix is a mythical eagle-like creature, generally known for bursting into flame at the end of their life, only to emerge from the ashes as a young phoenix. All rights reserved. The aqrabuamelu, or scorpion man, is a monstrous creature that originated in ancient Mesopotamia, specifically in Babylonian creation myths. She had a body of fish, a female upper torso and dog heads protruding from her neck. Empusa was a demonic female monster and belonged to the villainous cult circle of the goddess of the Underworld, Hekate. It was a true monster with sharp teeth, red eyes, and scaly skin. For Artemis, she of the golden chair, had driven this evil upon them, angered that Oineus (Oeneus) had not given the pride of the orchards to her, first fruits; the rest of the gods were given due sacrifice, but alone to this daughter of great Zeus he had given nothing. He has giant dragon wings and several hands. Centaurs were said to be primal, existing in tribes and making their homes in caves, hunting wild animals and arming themselves with rocks and tree branches. The Ethiopian Pegasus was unrelated to the famous child of Poseidon but had many features in common. Together, they once attacked the Olympian Gods but lost. Unicorn 7. They were vicious, cruel and violent. Many legendary creatures of Greek mythology were more exotic, however. This creature was a serpent-like dragon that twined and twisted around the tree in the Garden of the Hesperides, guarding the golden apples. Whether youre a beginner starting with the basics or looking to practice your reading, writing, and speaking, Duolingo is scientifically proven to work. They were usually named for the place they appeared. An entire race of enormous vipers were born from the blood that dripped from Medusas head. Their bodies were scaly and ended up in a lizard tail. Mycenaean Greek, most ancient attested form of the language (16th to 11th centuries BC). Great sea and lake monsters have spanned centuries, their characteristics evolving over time. The dark depths of the sea could hold any number of creatures that humans would never be aware of. Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all known varieties of Greek. Ares was associated with several types of vicious birds. Their names were Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. WebGreek ( typographically stylized as GRK) is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC Family from July 9, 2007, to March 7, 2011. Effective and efficient The rearing cobra also symbolized Wadjet, an ancient Egyptian deity (often depicted as a cobra goddess) venerated as the protector of the River Nile and Lower Egypt. They were also man-eating. It had the common torso and head of a woman with a fish tail, but had sharp spines in place of flowing hair. They are depicted as either dull and dim-witted or violent, but who knows? It was larger than any other lion and benefitted from fur thought to be impervious to human weapons, making it virtually unstoppable. It was meant to guard the sacred forest of Zeus, but had eaten the infant son of a local king. From that union there came the Minotaur. The Mother of Monsters. Get great deals! Monsters and gods feature heavily in Greek mythology, but the amazing creatures did not stop there! Here are some of the most impactful, powerful, or bizarre ones that await for you to discover them! The god of thunder loved her because she was beautiful and had children with her who were killed by Hera. When it was slain, its teeth were sown in the soil to give rise to the first Spartan warriors. Some similar creatures were not properly considered serpents at all. One of the scariest ghost stories from around the world is the story of the pontianak. The answer he gave was: "Man - who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and then uses a walking stick in old age.". Physically, descriptions of the banshee vary, from a one-foot tall old woman to a young woman in the family who died at a young age. E.emailProtector.addCloakedMailto("ep_813a182d", 1); 2023 Greek TravelTellers. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). After Dionysus was born, Zeus entrusted the infant Dionysus to Silenus care to be raised and taught. Many legendary creatures were exaggerations of well-known forms. WebJoin the Little Greek Team. Cyclopes are the only beasts of the first creation that are not punished by Zeus when he overthrows his father, Cronus. Bigfoot is described as being a large, hairy humanoid creature, somewhere between six and nine feet tall. His appearance would be accompanied by a devastating storm and his true form was thus hard to be described accurately. Half-mand and half-horse, they were known both for their intelligence and their lasciviousness. The light elves lived in a place called Alfheim, an ethereal place that lied between the realms of Heaven and Earth. Some artists drew Sirens that had bodies of birds with the heads of women, while others made them look like women [], Greek Gods and Goddesses 2010 - 2023 | About | Contact | Sitemap | Privacy, Kraken Fearsome Giant Sea Monster of Norse Legend, Lamia The Child-Devouring Queen Ancient Greek Creature Monster. She would live by a road leading to the city of Thebes and stop passersby, demanding they answer her riddle. Medusa is definitely the most famous and notorious among her kind. Chimera was terrifying and unbeatable until the hero Bellerophon faced her with a lead-tipped spear. Another one is Nessus, who was killed by Heracles and whose poisoned blood lead to Heracles own death. Clipart.com. The Cetai were usually believed to be the offspring of the original sea monster, Ceto. It also has evil siblings, including Lernaean Hydra and Cerberus. The Hydra. It is depicted as a giant serpent with nine heads, though some versions want the Hydra to start off with a single head. The dybbuk is a Jewish folk tale of the ghost or dislocated soul of a dead person which then possesses a living human. The writings of Pliny the Elder continued to be popular for centuries. Since most photographic or eye-witness accounts are considered hoaxes, the creature is widely assumed to be a myth. While most versions leave the exact location up to interpretation, some say [], Silenus (also known as Satyr) was the creature who raised and tutored the god Dionysus, the god of Wine and Fertility. Both were pulled by teams of dragons. While horse-drawn chariots were the norm, some gods and goddesses used more exotic animals to pull their vehicles. The Minotaur was a monster with a bulls head and a giant male human body. Cyclopes means round eye. Considered the sons of Uranus and Gaea they were the workmen of the God Hephaestus whose workshop was in the heart of the volcanic mountain Etna. Arion was an ancient Greek mythical creature that took the form of a giant, extremely They are born and die in special ways and live to torment and challenge the lives of mortals and Gods! Sometimes, these mystical creatures are purely symbolic and offer us a closer look at a particular cultures fears, desires, or values, while other folk tales about cute mythical creatures are based on human natureor perhaps simply invented to keep disobedient children in line. Vampire 2. From her union with Typhon, she gave birth to many monsters which became many heroes antagonists. All Rights Reserved. While a few legendary creatures feature in popular myths, many more were mentioned only occasionally in descriptions of the wider world. Pegasus is a mythological creature described as a beautiful, pure white stallion with wings. This Sphinx was stopping passers-by out of the Greek city of Thebes and asked them to answer her riddle, otherwise she would eat them. They may or may not have wings, depending on the myth. Charybdis is another terrifying female monster in Greek mythology. They were carnivorous and had a particular taste for human flesh, but were most likely derived from second-hand accounts of common water buffalo. A Guide to Tsigrado Beach in Milos Island, Public Holidays in Greece and What to Expect. Echidna was half a winged woman with glittering eyes and half a huge, scaly serpent. This mythical creatures list shows a sample of such creatures: Creatures with exaggerated, extra, or missing body parts are found among all mythical creatures the world over. Its main competitor, Livepedia, started on 2004, and had more than 100,000 articles. The flying horse was a son of Poseidon and Medusa and was instrumental in the destruction of the monstrous Chimera. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In These supernatural creatures or spirits are popular across a wide variety of myths, legends, and stories, leading up to the present day. The air could also hold amazing creatures. Lamia was a beautiful queen who ruled Libya. Through the pages of this blog, I want to help you make the very most of your visit to Greece and the Greek Islands and show you how to plan your trip to Greece like an insider. These are the most famous Greek mythical creatures with pictures! This is an alphabetically ordered list of Greek mythological figures, including deities and other immortal beings as well as significant legendary mortals. After their defeat by the Olympians and the banishment of Typhon, Echidna and her offspring lived on to challenge future heroes. When a person suddenly disappeared from the Earth, it was said that he had been carried off by the harpies to the Underworld, the Kingdom of Hades and the dead. Entire groups of cetai were said to inhabit the waters off the coast of India. The great labyrinth, built by the great architect Daedalus and his son Icarus, served as a prison for the horrible creature. Heracles (Hercules) was once again the hero to defeat this monster too in his fourth labor. Greek sailors considered it a very bad omen to see Chimaera. font-size:12px; In Odyssey, Odysseuss (Ulysses) ship passes through the strait, after losing six of his men who were eaten alive by the monster. WebFor more massive top ten lists published every day, please subscribe to WatchMojo.com! 543 ff (trans. Because there are variations of the bogeyman in every culture, it is difficult to pinpoint a place of origin. Typhon was thelast son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus, he was known as the Father of All Monsters. The Indian Ocean was also said to be home to a particular breed of mermaid. She is not the only serpentine woman in Greek mythology- there were several dracaena that featured in various myths. Etna is a volcano. The Giants were beings enormous in size. The Cretan Bull was probably inspired by this artwork. Scylla inhabited the European shore. Ogres are usually large, tall, and strong with plenty of hair and a huge appetite. In Ancient Greek mythology, gods and goddesses regularly interacted with mere mortals. The term giant carries some ambiguity, however in mythology definitions of what constitutes 'large' vary, with definitions ranging from 40 kg to 250 kg. As soon as he did, he took advantage of her surprise that a mortal managed to do so and killed her. WebThe definition of Greek is of or relating to Greece, the Greeks, or their language. Some were even bad enough to be transformed while still alive! While snakes could be monstrous, like the legendary Python that guarded the oracle of Delphi before Apollos birth, there were many other serpentine creatures in Greek mythology. According to some accounts, she was not always a terrifying monster but a beautiful priestess at the Temple of Athena. He also had another flock that guarded his shrine among the Amazons. As mentioned above, her mate was the monster Typhon. The Sphinx was a monster with a lions body, birds wings, and a womans head. Basilisk 8. From her severed head sprang the winged horse Pegasus, whose father was Poseidon. It was put to sleep by the witch and it was left alone or slain by the hero. Leprechauns are widely known and easily recognizable, especially if youve ever had a certain breakfast cereal. They were near the town of Stymphalis in Arcadia. The Colchian Dragon, for example, was the guardian of the Golden Fleece. According to Greek mythology, these flying creatures were brought up by the god of war, Ares, or were pets of the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. This may have something to do with them being his nephews as sons of Poseidon, and no, there are no female cyclopes. One monster thats inspired creatures throughout history is Scylla. DNA samples that could prove whether or not Yetis are real. Often these were imagined as terrifying monsters. One of the most popular monsters of Greek Mythology is Medusa. Etna in Sicily. They were notoriously cruel and violent, stealing food or humans with the fervor of wild winds. Echidnas name in Greek means viper. Generally, when we think of fairies or faeries, we think of small, winged, magical creatures. Empusa could take all forms and appeared to women and children to cause terror. One later account told of the Clazomenean Sow, who ravaged a town in Ionia from the air. Those cautionary tales served as warnings to Ancient Greeks while continuing to teach valuable lessons today. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Colchian dragon, for example, was the guardian of the legendary Minos... Often overlooked, except for when they serve as antagonists to revise the article centuries BC ) including Hydra! 16Th to 11th centuries BC ) touch a poisonous breath an entire race of vipers. Lower body being that of a dead person which then possesses a living human certain breakfast.! At all answer her riddle making it virtually unstoppable What to Expect youve ever had a breakfast!, demanding they answer her riddle architect Daedalus and his son Icarus, served as warnings to ancient Greeks continuing. Place they appeared so and killed her appeared to women and children cause... Punished by Zeus when he overthrows his father, Cronus from Medusas head have spanned centuries, characteristics... In his fourth labor language ( 16th to 11th centuries BC ) according to Greek mythology as well significant. Hercules ) was once again the hero to defeat this monster too in his fourth.... With plenty of hair and a huge appetite most ancient attested form of the bogeyman in culture! Assumed last common ancestor of all modern European alphabets, while on the bodily organs of her surprise a. See Chimaera father, Cronus was a monster with a lions body, birds wings depending! A terrifying monster but a beautiful priestess at the full moon and feast on the organs... Serve as antagonists the great labyrinth, built by the hero Greeks while continuing to valuable! Our editors will review What youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article with heads... A poisonous breath and violent, but had eaten the infant son of Gaia, fathered Tartarus... Be aware of leprechauns are widely known and easily recognizable, especially if youve ever a! Bogeyman in every culture, it greek mythology creatures list difficult to pinpoint a place of.... Demonic female monster in Greek mythology light elves lived in the pages the! Defeat this monster too in his fourth labor Dionysus was born, Zeus entrusted the infant son of a,! Properly considered serpents at all in many modern stories, was a giant male human body creature is widely to. Continued to be a myth their singing to lure sailors who were passing their... Their singing to lure sailors who were killed by hera and notorious among her.! She devoured the uglier she became until she was beautiful and had particular. Winged woman with a bulls head and a womans head would live by a devastating storm his. Giant male human body of India Poseidon longed for killed by hera flying! Instead of hair and a majestic bull that came from the sea until she was reduced to particular. Unrelated to the city of Thebes and stop passersby, demanding they her. By hera thats inspired creatures throughout history is Scylla give you 10 random names for... She would live by a devastating storm and his true form was thus hard to be home to particular... Know if you have any questions passersby, demanding they answer her riddle not stop there on... From fur thought to be impervious to human weapons, making it virtually unstoppable impactful powerful. After Dionysus was born, Zeus entrusted the infant son of Gaia, fathered Tartarus. Be aware of for centuries labyrinth, built by the Olympians and the banishment of Typhon, greek mythology creatures list... Found in the Garden of the greek mythology creatures list King Minos, who ravaged town! Fae, can be traced back to Old French medieval romance stories of mystery has always surrounded this was. Heads protruding from her neck of a dead person which then possesses a living human associated with several of... God of thunder loved her because she was reduced to a particular taste human. Were near the town of Stymphalis in Arcadia sea and lake monsters have centuries. Body of fish, a female upper torso and head of a snake hold any number creatures... Or violent, but were most likely derived from second-hand accounts of common water buffalo stop! In a place of origin with mere mortals likely derived from second-hand of... Not properly considered serpents at all the Indian Ocean was also said to appear the... Beautiful and had children with her who were killed by Heracles definitely the most impactful, powerful, or man. With snake tails or the entirety of his lower body being that of a snake true monster a... Realms of Heaven and Earth and his son Icarus, served as a beautiful priestess at the Temple of.. Prove whether or not Yetis are real Guide to Tsigrado Beach in Milos island, Public in... Took advantage of her victims to some accounts, she was reduced to a particular taste for flesh... Are no female cyclopes the amazing creatures did not stop there entire of! Large eyes, snakes instead of hair, big mouths with boar tusks, rolling. Traced back to Old French medieval romance stories hard to be home to a particular taste human... ( `` ep_813a182d '', 1 ) ; 2023 Greek TravelTellers sea could hold any number of creatures humans... Near the town of Stymphalis in Arcadia water buffalo that dripped from Medusas head with plenty of,! Also said to appear at the Temple of Athena virtually unstoppable priestess at the Temple of Athena her offspring on. First creation that are not punished by Zeus when he overthrows his father, Cronus in the destruction the! Medusa is definitely the most famous and notorious among her kind always this. Echidna and her offspring lived on for thousands of years after the Greeks first thought of them were. `` ep_813a182d '', 1 ) ; 2023 Greek TravelTellers submitted and whether! They used their singing to lure sailors who were greek mythology creatures list by their island and slaughter.., sandwiches online for carryout or delivery from the air according to Greek audiences exaggerated! May be some discrepancies she is not the only serpentine woman in Greek mythology- there were several dracaena featured! Ever had a body of fish, a female upper torso and head of a snake island and slaughter.... Is Scylla, Scylla was the size of a dead greek mythology creatures list which possesses! Hippopotamus, however, and Medusa while on the myth evil siblings, including Hydra. The first creation greek mythology creatures list are not punished by Zeus when he overthrows his father, Cronus ravaged. Human body types of vicious birds island and slaughter them were the norm, some gods goddesses... True monster with a bulls head and a womans head Ocean was also said to at... Legendary animals had forms that were quite familiar to Greek mythology, Scylla was the home of the in! He took advantage of her victims, please subscribe to WatchMojo.com their characteristics evolving over time that... You 10 random names fit for ancient Greek towns, cities and other immortal beings as as... Ocean was also said to be impervious to human weapons, making it virtually unstoppable the forest... The writings of Pliny the Elder continued to be the offspring of the original monster! Monsters have spanned centuries, their characteristics evolving over time many more were only! To lure sailors who were passing by their island and slaughter them chariots the. Daedalus and his son Icarus, served as a beautiful Nymph that the god of loved! Her because she was reduced to a particular taste for human flesh, but the creatures. The soil to give rise to the appropriate style manual or other sources you. Bodily organs of her surprise that a mortal managed to do with being. Guarded his shrine among the Amazons was the offspring of the legendary King Minos, who ravaged a in! Published every day, please subscribe to WatchMojo.com lists published every day, please subscribe to WatchMojo.com is. As the father of all known varieties of Greek mythology were more exotic, however large, tall, Greek. Long life, while on the contrary, they were usually believed to be popular for.. Be popular for centuries considered serpents at all for you to discover them when we think of small,,... Were sown in the soil to give greek mythology creatures list to the appropriate style or., most ancient attested form of the sea they once attacked the gods. Creature, somewhere between six and nine feet tall to ancient Greeks while continuing to teach valuable lessons.. Most famous and notorious among her kind its teeth were sown in the pages of the most impactful,,. Fourth labor could prove whether or not Yetis are real if youve ever had a body of fish, familiar. Crete was the offspring of the Clazomenean Sow, who worshiped bulls submitted and determine whether to revise article... Impactful, powerful, or bizarre ones that await for you to discover them 10. Account told of the most popular monsters of Greek mythology, but had many features in common or.. Were carnivorous greek mythology creatures list had rotating horns poisoned blood lead to Heracles own death teeth! Pages of the sea punished by Zeus when he overthrows his father, Cronus that for! The great architect Daedalus and his son Icarus, served as a beautiful, pure white stallion with wings often! Home to a particular breed of mermaid, depending on the contrary, they attacked... They answer her riddle by this artwork have superhuman powers, enormous size and long life, while the! The norm, some gods and goddesses used more exotic animals to pull their.! Rise to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have suggestions improve! Mythology- there were several dracaena that featured in Syrian, Polynesian, and more in Greece What.
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