Giants

Giants in Greek mythology

In Greek mythology the Giants were born from the body of the Earth when the blood dripped onto it from the wound of Heaven after amputation caused by Saturn . In the same way were born Furies and Mellish Nymphs .
The Giants were scary and supernatural beings . They had human form but were terrible in appearance and huge in stature with irresistible strength. Their body was scaly and ended with a lizard tail . They had thick hair and long beard . In their hairy hands they held long and shining spears . Although they had divine origin they were mortal , or at least to be killed had to be hit simultaneously by a god and a mortal . Other traditions say that some of the Giants were immortal as long they stomped on the ground where they were born. Predominant part of their birth is Pallini  in Halkidiki , an area extremely wild .


The Giants were far more by the Titans, the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires. Estimated at around one hundred. Inhabited the western shores of the ocean where were often visited by the gods and took part in their feasts. This was done in the feasts when the Giants offered hecatombs. Even on the road, when the gods encountered them they went with them.


 However, there was a time that they clashed with them, the famous the Gigantomachy(clash of the Giants). The strength of the Giants was unimaginable.They could easily peel off whole rocks and hurl them away.

Scylla

Scylla in Greek mythology

Scylla is a female monster of Greek mythology. Considered daughter of Poseidon and Gaia. She lived on the European shore of the Strait of Bosporus (the Asian coast lived another monster, the Charyvdis). Had six necks and grab corresponding sailors by passing ships. Later mythographers transferred the residence of the two monsters over the Strait of Messina between Italy and Sicily.

Both the Charybdis and Scylla involved in the legends of both Odysseus and the Argonauts, who went through those straits with few losses, because Hera asked Poseidon to sleep up, both she and Charybdis. She had nine heads that looked like a dog, hence her name.

 Scylla and Charybdis were two terrible sea monsters . The sailors who risked their travels by menacing waves and storms made up with their imagination mythical forms, raging angry and trying to destroy them. Thus were born these two scary monsters. The seamen were putting in their minds that it was not just the strong winds and the huge waves . They believed that something more was behind all this , a creature with evil soul and terrible in appearance, who seeks the loss thereof; cause this whole terrible turmoil and the weather was not accidental . It was said that Scylla and Charybdis were opposite to each other , in a narrow sea channel which, according to Homer , called Plagton Stones . This passage was quite impossible to traverse it, because of the terrible situation there by the presence of the two monsters - nor bird could fly and get away. There were many cliffs , very tall and the waves exploded on them with terrible noise. This narrow passage is placed in different places. Others say that it was at the Bosphorus , others at Cape Tainaro and others close to the Canary Islands , off the Mediterranean, viz. It was believed that Scylla and Charybdis lived on the Strait of Messina between Italy and Sicily . The two monsters were  in two reefs .

The one was so tall that the top was lost in the sky and was always covered with thick black clouds. The Scylla was hidden halfway down the precipice into the cave. She had twelve deformed legs, that rose in the air and six very long necks. The six heads were terrible, with three jaws each; namely every mouth had three rows of teeth, dripping poison. From the cave stood out her heads, which dived around the rock into the water and  grabed the great beasts of the sea, dolphins, sharks, seals and devoured them with rage.But they  also ate people if a ship dared to cross the strait. Scylla snatched so many rowers as many were her terrible mouths. Parents of Scylla were, according to tradition,  Forks and Kito, which had parents Pontus and Gaia. Children were also other the sea monsters like Echidna, the Sirens and Thoossa, which symbolized the fierce sea.Others, again, say that the parents of Scylla was the Phorbas and Hecate or Forks and Hecate.

Hecate was the daughter of Zeus, however,she was linked more with people than with the gods.Her kingdom was the sea , and when not hung around , stayed in the cave , just like her daughter , Scylla . Hecate was called otherwise and Lamia which was a beautiful queen of Libya , favored by Zeus.But, Hera , to take revenge , transformed her into a horrible monster, and later she gave birth to Scylla . Finally , another tradition holds as parents Tyfoea and Echidna . Charybdis lived on the opposite side , where there was a second hurdle , but with less height.On it had sprouted a wild fig and below the foliage was sitting the monster that his mouth vomited black water. The Charybdis could convert the narrow passage into a huge whirlpool; three times a day sucked the water three times xanavgaze with great speed. So if they happened and anyone was near the moments that sucked, had no chance to escape.

Not even Poseidon himself could intervene and help their his protege. The legend of Scylla and Charybdis created by the imagination and the stories of seafarers who believed that the terrible weather conditions were due to the existence of two horrible monsters.  Over time encountered  various stories about the original origin and their later transformation. As the years went by, people were trying to explain how they were born - They believed that they were firstly creatures on land and in the course of their lives for some reason,they  were transformed.

Sphinx

Sphinx in Greek mythology

The Sphinx is a fantastic creature of Greek mythology, closely connected with the myth of Lavdakidon namely that of Oedipus. Representations of her are being used in secure areas,as symbols of protection in the Egyptian, Greek and Roman culture. According to Hesiod she was the daughter of Chimera and Orthros or by others of Echidna and Typhon. Echidna has also spawned Cerberus, Orthros(Keeper of the herds of Geryon), the Nemean Lion, the Hydra and Fea of Krommyonas. She is also attached  Chimera, the dragon of Colchis, the guardian of the Golden Fleece, the dragon who guarded the golden apples of Hesperides and the eagle of Prometheus.
In Greek representations the Sphinx is depicted as a winged lion with a woman's head (as opposed to the Sphinx of Egypt, not feathers) or as a woman with lion soles and torso,she had serpent tail and wings of a bird. Her name derives from the word clinch.

We can recognize the Sirens from the bird's body, human's head, feet and nails which are strong and thick and can be likened to the lions. This shows perhaps a relationship that can exist between Sirens and Sphinx.
Hera and Ares sent her to her homeland, Ancient Thebes. There she stood and asked the passers "Which creature in the morning stands on all fours, at noon in two and three in the evening?". Anyone who would not solve the riddle, the Sphinx squeezed him until he died. Oedipus solved the riddle answering that the creature is the man since when is an infant walks on all fours, then lifted in both legs and walks upright in old age but uses  as a third leg a walking stick. Once Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx,she shattered off the rock that she was standing and died.
There is also another version of the Sphinx which is presented by  Pausanias. So, according to Pausanias, the Sphinx was the illegitimate daughter of Laius. Laios trusted only to her the oracle he got from Pythia and he told that it was about his wife Iokaste and her fertility. This is because Laios had many children from concubines, as he avoided commingling with Iokaste. But in one of his drunkenness he slept with his wife and  then was born Oedipus.

Thus, although he abandoned Oedipus on Cithaeron,he was keeping his reservations when one of his sons would claim the throne he sent him to Sphinx.So when she was asking the riddle,she could know if they were genuine children of Laius or not. Because the knowledge of the oracle had only those who came from the royal family,the ones who could not answer the riddle,were killed.
Oedipus before encountering the Sphinx had learned about this riddle in his sleep,so he could solve it.

Sirens

Sirens in Greek mythology

Sirens were goddesses associated with water, love and death. More precisely they act as sea demons of Greek Mythology. Depicted with a human female head and raptors body .
In the prevailing scenario they are considered daughters of the river god Achelous and the Muse Melpomene (Apollodorus) or Terpsichore (Apollonius Rhodius) or Steropi.
In another version they are considered to be daughters of the sea god Forks and their mother was Chthon (Earth). Usually they were two figures Aglaopi (brilliant in appearance) and Thelxiepeia (charming in reason) or three Parthenopi, Nicosia (white substance) and small (Clear Voice) or Aglaofonos, Molpi (melodious voice) and Thelxinoi (beautiful mind) by Hesiod. Other names given to them are Thelxiopi (charming view) and Peisinoi (persuasion of the mind).
According to the myth, the Sirens were sea nymphs (Naiads) companions of Persephone. When the Persephone was kidnapped by Hades her mother Demeter gave them the body of birds to help her in the search.
When they could no longer able to find her they settled down on an island where with their beautiful song attracted the sailors of the ships which were approaching the area and then caused their destruction.
Are first mentioned in the Odyssey as residents on the island of Anthemoessa at the Tyrrhenian Sea, at the Strait of Messina between Sicily and Calabria. Odysseus had been told by Circe about the charming song with which they traped the unsuspecting travelers, who approaching either forgot their destination or were mangled by them, so he ordered the whole crew to put wax in their ears  not to hear the song of the Sirens, and he asked to tie him to the mast so when he heard their song would not be dragged into charm.
Before Odysseus only the Argonauts had managed to go through their area when Chiron had warned Jason to get with him Orpheus who with his song surpassed in beauty the sirens and finally managed to escape without loss.

The island of the Sirens or Seirinousson is not precisely identified nor mythological. Various scholars have proposed numerous locations. However,the prevailing view was on the beach in Campania near Naples.

Minotaur

Minotaur in Greek mythology

In Greek mythology, the Minotaur was a creature with a human body and head and tail of a bull. Beyond this descriptive name, the name of the Minotaur was Asterion(=stars). Sometimes even represented as a bull with human torso, in correspondence with the Centaur. He resided in the Labyrinth, a building built by Daedalus on the order of King Minos. The Minotaur was killed by Theseus.

The birth of Minotaur

Before  Minos became king he asked Poseidon a sign to show that he,and not his brother, had to ascend the throne.The god sent a beautiful white bull and told Minos to sacrifice this bull to him. But Minos instead of this he sacrificed another bull, hoping that Poseidon will not notice.
 But the god  realized what he had done, was outraged, and made Minos' wife Pasiphae fall in love with the bull. The woman could not satisfy her passion and sought help from the engineer Daedalus.So he created a blank dummy cow in which Pasiphae went into it and the bull deceived,mated with her. From this union was born the Minotaur.
Minos, after an oracle that he took from the oracle of Delphi, asked Daedalus to build a building to be closed within the Minotaur, and he built the Labyrinth.

The end of Minotaur

The son of Minos,Androgeos took part in competitions at Panathenaia and had some victories, for which the Athenians got jealous and killed him. Minos in order to punish the Athenians declared a war, in which he won. As punishment the Athenians appointed every nine years,seven young Athenians and seven youngster Athenians to be sent to Crete and mangled by the Minotaur.
Unable to tolerate the sacrifice, Theseus, son of King Aegeus of Athens, decided to be one of the fourteen young people, to be found near the Minotaur so he can kill him. When he arrived in Crete he met Minos' daughter Ariadne,and fell in love with her.Ariadne wanting to help him gave him a ball of thread, the Ariadne's thread and advised him to tie the edge to the entrance of the labyrinth and then to unravel it, so that then, after slaying the Minotaur, to find the exit.
Theseus actually killed the monster with his sword and using the Ariadne's thread, managed to get out of the maze and returned to Athens.

Chimera

Chimera in Greek mythology

In Greek mythology Chimera refers to  a terrible monster which was breathing out  fire, had the body of a goat, a lion's head and tail of a snake. According to other descriptions, had more than one head, commonly three heads(head of a lion, goat and dragon).

According to Hesiod Chimera was the daughter of Typhon and Echidna. Chimera was joined with Matins and their descendants were the Nemean Lion and the Sphinx. The monster allegedly bred by the king of Caria Amisodoros.
Eventually was killed by Bellerophon , who was riding a flying horse, Pegasus, in Caria and had some help by goddess Athena, There are more than a description of how this killing happened. According to one, Bellerophon merely hit the monster with his spear. According to another,he used pencil, which melted by the hot breath and killed Chimera.
As residence of the monster are mentioned many areas such as Phrygia, the Indies, and even Libya. More formal but allegedly ancient Corinth and Sicyon which can be seen at the coins and shields of the soldiers.

centaurs

Centaurs in Greek mythology

The centaur is a creature of Greek mythology, probably as a virtual display of severe weather phenomena followed by observing the speed of clouds.In history and art  the centaurs are depicted with a human upper torso, and animal (horse) lower . As temperaments, but it did not seem quite balanced and presented as a primitive species that had more to animal nature rather than human heritage.
The myth puts them in Thessaly, in the literal Greek magical land of territory rich in meteorological observation data so that gave rise to the famous witches. So the mythological presence in Thessaly land initiated by a native king of the Lapiths.
In Greek art the standard depiction of the Centaurs is one that shows them attacking the Lapiths and engage in acts of rape and pillage, as in the wedding ceremony Peirithos.
In general, we could say that their presence was symbolic of unlimited and unpredictable properties of the natural world, seen from sunshine to storms and the depression of the latter, except perhaps in the case of the Centaur Chiron.
Similarly literary presence in the myth is often symbolic of cultural need to re-establish-dominance rather to what the ancient Greeks perceived as their own sphere of knowledge and influence. The ellinogeneis heroes had to establish the presence of culture in a wider world to transmit on accomplishments, taming mythical or supernatural beings, which was nothing more than demonstration of knowledge thereon.Also other non-human creatures were Scylla, Charybdis, Chimera and the Sphinx depicting the ideal knowledge observation of Greek culture to the wider world then.
Hybrid creatures such as centaurs were probably accounted the invasions of the negative aspects of the nature in the world of the jurisdiction of the Greeks.

The end of the Centaurs

Most of them were exterminated by Hercules,while the rest, enchanted by the sounds of sirens, died of hunger. The other centaurs fled. The centaur Nessus went to River Evino where harassed eroticly the wife of Hercules,Deianeira,which was later killed by him. Hercules, unwillingly, he shot to Eiliat and wounded Chiron (friend), who resigned from his immortality because of the horrible pain from the arrow that was soaked by the Hydra's blood. Centaur Omados,left for Arcadia where he harassed the sister of Eurystheus Alcyone. One of the Centaurs of Folois, Evrytionas came back in and went to Olenos of Achaia to get violently again the daughter of Dexamenos. Later he was killed by Hercules. The Centaurs were scattered from Malea to the Tyrrhenian where others died of starvation and other enchanted by the song of the sirens. 

Harpies

Harpies in Greek mythology

In Greek mythology, the Harpies were female monsters, daughters Thafmanta and sea nymph Electra and sisters of Iris, messenger of the gods. This collective name derives from the word rapture - Snatcher - rifle, . Attributed to personifications of stormy wind. As Harpies, Homer mentions only one, namely the Podargi (= Whippet), which he considers the mother of horses of Achilles, and Hesiod mentions two: Aello and Okypeti, which later added the Celaeno. Apart from these mentioned other names such as: Aellopous, Nikothoi, Okythoi, Okypodi etc. These monsters were in the form of bird head woman and unlike their sister Iris were considered messengers of Hades.

The Harpies were associated particularly with the gods of the winds Zephyrus and Boreas. Homer (Iliad II 148 ff, T 400) states that by the  union of Podargis and Zephyrus were born the famous for their speed horses of Achilles, Xanthos and Wallis and horses of Dioscuri, Flogeas(=flames) and Arpagos(=grabs).
The Harpies snatched children and souls of people. For this reason they were depicted upon the graves to hold by their nails the soul of the dead.
Apollonius Rhodius in the Argonautica (2, 178 ff) describes the Harpies as punishers of Phineas in Bithynia of Thrace. The seer Phineus had been blinded by Zeus because he was revealing his intentions to people, and also Zeus sent the Harpies,to snatch his food or splotch it with their droppings, so that Phineas would be  always hungry.He was relieved from this toremtn when the Argonauts passed through there and stopped for his  advice. The seer asked them to release him from the Harpies. So when the anthropomorphic birds showed up, the winged sons of Boreas,Calais and Zetes rose up through the group of the Argonauts, drew their swords from their sheaths and began to persecute the Harpies on the air. The fate of the two heroes required to catch the Harpies anyway,  elsewhy they  had to die, and vice versa Harpies would die only if were grabbed by,Calais and Zetes.Eventually there was a sort of compromise: One version says that the Harpies were chased by the two heroes until the Strofades(=turns). There, through the mediation of Iris as an emissary of the goddess Hera, spared their lives but promised to return to their cave in Diktys in Crete and not ever bother anymore Phineas. Another tradition claims that this promise was made only by Okypeti while Aellopous continued her flight until Peloponnese, where she drowned in the River,Tigris  which has named since then,"harpies."
The Harpies may originally have been a personification of a Cretan goddess of death, which portrayed her as a tornado. Among their  'tasks' refers to be the desire to surrender to the Erynies(=Furies), those who burdened with crimes that should be punished.