1.SIRENS
The sirens unlike the popular custom, within the Greek tradition were marine geniuses, half women and half birds. His ancestry is unclear. According to the most common versions of the myth, are daughters of Melpomene (Muse of tragedy) and Acheloos (God of the namesake and firstborn River of the dioses-rios). But other versions make them daughters of Achelous and Sterope, or Terpsichore (Muse of poetry and dance) or of the God Phorcys. According to the version of Libânio, born of the blood of Acheloos, which was spilled by Heracles (Hercules).
The first mention referred to sirens is in the Odyssey, when Odysseus faces his singing in the sea. Here are just two, but other traditions speak of three: (Parthenope) Pisinoe, Aglaope (Leucosia), and Telxiepia (Ligia) or even four: Teles, Redne, Molpe, and Telxiope.
The sirens are known that his specialty was the music. It is believed that one played the lyre, another sang and the other played the flute.
For the poet and mythographer Ovid, sirens have not always had that way, but they initially were very beautiful women companions of Persephone (Goddess of the underworld) and companion of Hades, until she was kidnapped by Hades. When the kidnapping happened, they asked the gods to give them wings to go in search of his friend. Another version says that his transformation was a punishment of Demeter by failing to defend her daughter of Hades and prevent the kidnapping. Also it is said that Aphrodite removed them their beauty, they despised the arts of love.
There is a legend that tells that after the metamorphosis, they vied with the Muses, and these very offended, robbed them and were crowned with their spoils.
According to the most widespread myth, lived in a Mediterranean island that traditionally is located off the southern Italian coast, more specifically against the island of Sorrento and the music played attracted sailors, as stunned by the sound they lost control of the boat that crashed against reefs. Then the sirens devoured the reckless navigators.
Several heroes passed through his Unbowed Island, thanks to stunts or some God's help. In the case of the Argonauts, tells which passed very close to the island of the sirens, but that Orpheus, who had a reputation for beautifully singing (Greek hero) made use of his talent with so much harmony and so melodious which hearkened not unto them by what were saved from their terr ible destination. Butes (one of the Argonauts) could not withstand the temptation and threw into the sea, but Aphrodite rescued him.
In the same way, Odysseus (Ulysses), fertile in tricks, as they would approach the dreaded, by Council of Circe Island, ordered his men that taparan ears with wax, and which could not with the curiosity to listen to them, became tied to the mast with order that happened what happened, they do not suffer it. When listening to the songs of the sirens wanted released but his companions did not allow it. Legend, that the sirens blasted by his failure, jumped into the sea and died drowned.
Then, sirens went on to be considered deities of the beyond, and was supposed to sing for the blessed in the fortunate Islands. That was how they went to represent the celestial harmonies and this is how they draw them in coffins and sarcophagi.
2.OGRE
An ogre measuring about 3 meters high, has the skin of dark green or even purple, and filled with warts. It is also abundant hair very dark body. Its foul smell is perceptible enough distance.
The ogres live in tribes and adapt well to any climate, so they can be found in mountains, Plains, and secarrales.
An ogre lives from ambushes, raids and looting. His intelligence is not too high, so you can't expect to use many tactics of combat. The smarter ogres of his tribe will be considered leaders.
They are very greedy beings, so are always hunting and capture of humans, elves and dwarves to keep them as prisoners and stealing their belongings. Prisoners of the ogres tend to be used as slaves or as food.
There are, in addition to common ogres, two types of ogres:
OGRE Mage (Eastern OGRE)
These ogres have blue, green or brown skin, but of course always in tone. Your hair also tends to be colored blue or green, but darker. They are higher and intelligent than common ogres. They dressed in Oriental clothing and some are true experts in the martial arts. Oriental ogres avoid using physical force whenever possible, by what will attack or will be defended using the magic. They can cast spells to create darkness, polimorfizarse in humans, become invisible, gaseous form (very useful when they need to flee) and create a cone of cold. If they have to fight they will do it with a nagatana or a scimitar, or even with the whip.
Merrow (aquatic OGRE)
These ogres inhabit caves in freshwater and, although they can live out of water for a few hours, rarely rise to the surface. They have a blue-green color that allows them to camouflage themselves completely between the waters. His body is covered with scales, and they have hands and webbed toes. Its nature is evil and they are much more aggressive and ferocious than common ogres.
They should not be confused with the merrow of Irish mythology; aquatic beings more like a triton or a water Elf.
3.HARPIES
The Harpies, also known as Raptoras, are daughters of Thaumas (son of Gea, Earth and Ponto, the sea) and the oceanid, Electra (Companion of Persephone, daughter of ocean and Tethys), and belong to the pre-Olympian divine generation.
These winged geniuses tend to be two: Aello, also called Nicotoe, and Ocypete. A third, Celaeno is sometimes included. Their names correspond to its nature, because the first name means storm, the second flying-fast and the third dark as a thundercloud.
Its most common representation is winged women or birds with female head and sharp claws. Thought that they lived in the Strophades Islands in the Aegean Sea. But the poet Virgil placed them at the gates of hell with the other monsters.
The Harpies, kidnap children and souls. It was the custom to use his image on the tombs simulating the rape of the soul.
His best known legend is that of King Fineo. They say that it weighed on him the curse that all that was opposite the Harpies, especially food snatched it is. Everything that could not be littered it with their excrements. When the Argonauts came, the King asked them to release him from the Harpies. Thus Zetes and Calais pursued them until they were forced to flee flying.
Moreover, the fate wanted them to die at the hands of the sons of Boreas (North wind), who were with the Argonauts, and if they not reached them, those who were to die they were. During the Chase, the first fell into the river of Peloponnese, which is followed by calling Harpis, and the second managed to reach the Islands Equinades, who called themselves since then, Strophades or islands of the return. But Hermes (the Messenger of the gods) came to his aid and forbade the death of the Harpies, for they were servants of Zeus.
In return for the pardon they received, they promised to leave in peace King Fineo and hid in a cave in Crete. According to another version, the sons of Boreas died chasing the Harpies. In addition the Harpies appear in different myths or legends, which have always how stole the children or young women.
Said that the Union of them with the Cefiro dios-viento, spawned several horses: xanthus and Balius, two heavenly horses of Achilles (the Trojan hero) that were as fast as the wind; and Flogeo and Harpagus, horses of the Dioscurs (Castor y Pólux, heavenly twins).
4.SPHINX
It was believed that the Sphinx was a female monster which was attributed woman's face; chest, legs, and tail of a lion; and in addition it had wings like a bird of prey.
It is assumed, in certain versions which is the daughter of Echidna (Viper with woman's body, but with a tail of serpent instead of legs) and other (several-headed dog, which belonged to Geriones, and who was killed by Heracles). In other variants is the daughter of Typhoon (youngest son of Gea and Tartar).
Some minor traditions attributed the paternity of the Sphinx the King of Thebes, Layo (father of Oedipus) or the beocio Ucalegon.
Hera sent the Sphinx at Thebes, to punish the city for the guilty love Layo by Chrysippus, son of Pelops (believes that this was the first homosexual relationship). So the Sphinx was established in one of the mountains to the West of Thebes, and thence devoured all the humans who were to his reach and tormented the country.
Before eating to travelers, it imposed upon them puzzles impossible to resolve, with the condition that if they responded to them, it does not devour them. All fail in the difficult enterprise, until it was Oedipus.
The most common Riddle of the Sphinx was: would what be it goes first with four, then two, and then with three legs and becomes weaker as it has more legs? But there was another who was also very often and it was: there are two sisters one which begets another, and this in turn leads to the first. The answer to the first is man, as he crawls as a child walking adult and old anda cane. The answer to the second is day and night, since the day in Greek is feminine.
According to the legend, Oedipus might surprisingly solve both puzzles. The Sphinx, broken and defeated, was launched into the void from the top of a rock, then committed suicide. Given this, Thebes makes King Oedipus and asked to get married with his Queen Jocasta, who really was the mother of Oedipus.
Other interpretations tell it was Oedipus, who a time that he responded Riddle, thru the monster with his spear, or the same pushed him by the abyss.
5.MINOTAUR
The Minotaur was a monster with the body of man and head of bull that was born from the union of the Cretan Queen Pasifae and the fabulous white bull that Poseidon had given her husband the King Minos. Despite the order to sacrifice it in his honor, Minos disobeyed God and kept him in his court with disastrous consequences. Minos was ashamed both of the existence of this creature, whose name meant "Bull of Minos", who locked him in a complex called labyrinth built by Daedalus. There, the creature had seven young men and seven Athenian maidens to devour every nine years. Theseus, with the help of the daughter of Minos, Ariadne, ended this practice when he sought out the beast in the labyrinth and ended with her, finding then the output thanks to the thread that her lover had given him upon entering the complex.
The story of the Minotaur and his conception seems to be linked to the cult of the bull in the Cretan society between the years 2000 and 1450 B.c. There are many images of men and women dancing and doing acrobatics on the backs of the animal in the excavations carried out in the Palace of Knossos. Perhaps there is also a ritual where he would have to fight a bull (see Ariadne, Daedalus, Europe, Minos, Pasifae, and Theseus).
6.CYCLOPS
The Cyclops were giant with one eye in the middle of the forehead. The first Cyclopes were the sons of Uranus and Gaya, gods of heaven and Earth respectively. They were trapped in the body of their mother because of the fear that his father had that could dethrone him. After the titan Cronos grabbed the throne his father Uranus, they were freed for a time, but soon returned to be confined in Tartarus, the most distressing part of the underworld. Zeus, son of Cronos, delivered them forever, as he and his brothers needed your help to control the universe in the battle of the Titans against Cronos and the other Titans. Thanks in part to the Cyclops, Zeus and his brothers managed to win. Cyclops, in gratitude for his release, forged Zeus his rays, Poseidon the Trident and Hades helmet that made him invisible. The image of the Cyclops as artisans that helped Vulcan remained for all antiquity. Horacio, Roman poet of the century I a.C, referred repeatedly to "powerful forgings of the Cyclops in the famous volcano Etna. According to Virgil, it was in the depths of the volcano where forged armor of Aeneas. The walls of Tiryns and Mycenae Greek cities had been built by the Cyclops.
Homer presents a very different picture in the Odyssey. On his return from Troy, Odysseus came to an island inhabited by Cyclops, maybe Sicily. It was «confident no laws or ideas» beings on the cultivation of plants, relying on the grace of the gods. They didn't have any technical quality, but they were little hospital primitive shepherds. The Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, devoured six men of Odysseus and kept the rest of the crew locked in a cave in order to devour them where there was hunger. Odysseus, who assured him to Polyphemus its name «nobody», meaning got drunk it and nailed him in his eye a lit stake. When the other Cyclopes heard him shout, said fellow that «nobody» had nailed him a stake in the eye, which made everyone believe that he had gone crazy. This allowed Ulysses and his men flee the cave hidden in the skins of sheep (see Odysseus and polyphemus).
The evil Cyclops and cannibals of Homer since then were model Giants for a multitude of children's stories, from Roald Dahl to the Brothers Grimm.
7.CHIMERA
The Chimera is another fantastic animal from Greek mythology. She was the daughter of Typhoon (youngest son of Gea) and Echidna (Viper).
It is a mixture between the head of a lion, bust of goat and Serpent tail, but also he has represented with several heads, a goat and a lion. The most terrifying of this creature is that it expelled fire mouth, so it was almost invincible and extremely dangerous.
The King of Caria, Amisodares grew up and his place of residence was Patara.
Chimera asotaba with his fire and committing looting, stealing herds in the city of Lycia. Why, asks the King Yóbates to Belerofonte (Greek hero, the son of Poseidon) to the mate. In addition, the King intended to double rid of Belerofonte because his son asks him in a letter.
Bellerophon who was a favourite of the gods, was to fight the chimera accompanied by the winged horse Pegasus (son of Poseidon and the Gorgon). He is told in the legend that Belerofonte, using his cunning, put a piece of lead at the tip of his spear.
When faced with the fire of the chimera, it made that gets the lead and it could kill the beast.
The name of chimera was also used to call a Sicilian nymph who fell in love with the beautiful Dafnis.
8.GORGONAS
The Gorgons were three monsters and Stheno and Euryale, Medusa is called. The three were daughters of marine deities Phorcys and Ceto. Of the three, only the latter was deadly, but was considered the Gorgon par excellence.
These monsters head was surrounded by snakes, they had large tusks, hands of bronze and Gold wings. His gaze was so penetrating that he dared to look them in the eye was turned into stone. They belong to the pre-Olympic generation. They lived in the extreme west, not far from the country of the dead. Everyone feared them, and Poseidon was only able to join Medusa and give him two sons: the winged horse, Pegasus and Chrysaor.
Legends focuses on jellyfish, because according to tradition it was always monster, there is another that, was a beautiful young woman who dared to compete with Athena in beauty, so the goddess became the Gorgon. Another version tells that as Poseidon dared to violate the girl in one of the temples of Athena, it punished Medusa.
Perseus was his killer, by Council of Athena, or - according to other traditions - by order of the tyrant Polydectes. This hero managed to cut off his head to soar in the air thanks to the winged Sandals of Hermes, and I don't look it, used as a mirror his glossy coat. From now on, Athena took the head of the Gorgon in his shield and became invincible. In addition, Perseus was left with blood, to which is attributed magical qualities: which sprung from the left side was a deadly poison and the right healing and rose to which to drink it. On the other hand, her hair did flee to the largest army.
Many mythologists, Medusa symbolized the evil character of the woman that the Greeks gave him, and represented the mujer-demonio, a mother who gives the death, to the dark side of femininity.
9.HYDRA OF LERNA
Herecles received instructions from Eurystheus to kill the Lernaean Hydra, an aquatic snake living in a swamp near Lerna, Argos, in the Peloponnese near. The Hydra had nine heads, although some sources claim that they were even more. It was an extremely poisonous creature and even his breath was fatal. With the help of Athena, Heracles found the Lair of the monster and began to fight against it. Whenever cut you one head, sprang two or three in place. Besides Heracles was also attacked by a crab or a giant lobster that Hera had sent to help the Hydra. The hero, cornered, appealed to his cousin Iolaos, which had led him to Lerna. While Heracles is full of lobster, Iolaos set fire to several trees. With lighted branches it set fire to the wounds caused by Heracles whenever you cut one head. So they managed to kill the snake, but before leaving the swamp, Heracles soaked the tips of their arrows with the poisonous blood of the monster to have since a deadly weapon. The Hydra and lobster, which ultimately help him, ascended to the sky thanks to Athena and resulted in the constellations Hydra, the serpent, and Cancer, the crab.
Due to help from Iolaos, Eurystheus refused to death from the Hidra had been a job fully done by Heracles. Some sources claim that the works were ten at the beginning, by imposing the last two because of the negligence of the own hero.
10.Typhoon
Typhoon or Tifeo was a monster terrifying, resulting from a union between Gaya (mother earth) and Tartarus, the deeper and more inhospitable place of the underworld. His strength was as of an ox and had 100 heads of snake with black tongues and eyes of fire that sprouted from its shoulders. All their heads had their own voices, indescribable sound. One could speak the language of the gods, while others could be bellowing like a bull, roaring like a lion, other barking like a pack of hounds or make strange siseantes sounds... The noise was terrifying and with them Typhoon sought to dominate the world.
When you put your eyes on the typhoon, Zeus, the God of gods, did shake the foundations of Olympus. Its rays and the monster fire caused such uproar in the Earth, in the seas and in the sky than even Hades and the Titans in Tartarus sat crying and trembling with fear. Zeus gathered all his lightning and Thunder and descended from Olympus to hit Typhoon and each and every one of his 100 heads. In flames, the monster fled and collapsed, causing fires and destroying everything that he touched. Zeus expelled Typhoon to Tartarus and locked there also thereafter to the fierce roster, which could endanger humanity.
That is the origin of the name of the typhoon, in the sense that we give today.
In another version of the myth, Zeus had more striving to eliminate Typhoon, because in a moment of the battle the monster snatched his sickle and cut off tendons, leaving him lame forever. Typhoon was made later with lightning and thunder of Zeus and asked other monsters that they keep them next to the tendons. Then Hermes tricked the monster and endowed with mobility Zeus again. God went to Olympus to take more lightning and Thunder and led to Typhoon mount NISA, where was the victim of trap hurdida by the Moirae (see Moirae, the), who advised him to eat human flesh to become even stronger. But this food seriously weakened it. A confrontation between the King of the gods and the Monster took place in mountains in Thrace, which culminated with Zeus chasing Typhoon by the southern coast of Italy and burying the monster under the island of Sicily, where until today the Mount Etna volcano continues emiti Endo hot and poisonous breath of the monster.
According to another story, after the onset of Typhoon, the gods fled terrified to Egypt and hid it pretending to be animals. Apollo became Dionysus in deer, Crow, Hera, Artemis in cat in white cow, fish in Aphrodite and Hermes in ibis. Even Zeus took a new form, changing himself in a RAM, reason by which the God Amon of the Egyptians is identified with Zeus and is represented with the horns of a RAM. According to the historian Herodotus, Typhoon died in Egypt at the hands of Apollo, which is identified with Horus, son of the God of death and resurrection, Osiris in Egypt.
Before being finally defeated, Typhoon was the father of a horde of monsters, born of his union with the snake Echidna. They were born the chimera, the dragon Ladon, the Sphinx, the boar Cromion, the lion of Nemea and Eagle eating Prometheus liver.
