Magical Critters and Monsters

The Furies

• Three female monsters of vengeance.• They pursued people guilty of horrible crimes.• Wings, bloody eyes• Greek: Erinyes• Roman: Dirae• Sometimes called “the Kindly Ones” (to

protect yourself from their wrath!)

Satyrs

• Satyrs were goat/human hybrids• Roman term: fauns• Associated with the gods Pan and Dionysus• Associated with nature and wilderness

Minotaur

• The Minotaur was a half-man, half-bull monster

• Lived in a labyrinth on the island of Crete• Killed by the hero Theseus with the help of

Princess Ariadne (who gave him string)

Centaurs

• Centaurs have the bodies of horses and the torsoes of men

• Very wild and uncivilized• Chiron, trainer of heroes (including Achilles),

was a different type of centaur who was very wise

Medusa• Medusa was one of 3 Gorgons• She was cursed by Athena and changed from a

beautiful woman into a horrible monster with snake hair

• Her gaze turned people to stone• Killed by Perseus• Pegasus, the winged horse, sprang from her

blood

Hydra

• Serpent-monster with multiple heads• Each head cut off grew 2 more• Killed by Hercules with help from his nephew:

Hercules sliced and the nephew burned the stumps

Lotus Eaters

• Inhabitants of an island where the magical lotus plant grows

• The lotus causes sleepiness and lack of interest in doing anything

• In the Odyssey, Odysseus has to rescue some of his men from the Lotus Eaters

Hades

• God of the underworld (not “hell”)• Roman name: Pluto• Drew lots with his brothers Zeus and Poseidon

to determine who would rule the sky, sea, and underworld

• Not really “evil” in our modern sense