Cypriot Mythology - Mythical Creatures

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Giants

Alcyoneus - One of the giants of the Gigantomachy (the cosmic battle between Giants and the Olympians). He was a known opponent of Heracles.

Almops - A giant son of Poseidon and the half nymph Helle.

Aloadae - Giants Otos and Ephialtes, sons of the Thessalian princess Iphimedia and Poseidon. They are said to have kidnapped Ares during the Gigantomachy.

Argus - a hundred-eyed giant. He was tasked to guard Io from Zeus by Hera.

Asterius - A giant killed by Athena.

Athos - A giant known for the creation of Mount Athos, an important point in Eastern Orthodox monasticism.

Chthonus - A giant.

Cyclopes - One-eyed giants.

Damysus - The fastest giant.

Echion - A giant with the ability to change the direction of the winds.

Enceladus - A traditional opponent of Athena during the Gigantomachy.

Gigantes - Giants of great strength and aggression.

Eurytus - A giant killed by Dionysus during the Gigantomachy.

Gegenees - six-armed giants.

Geryon - A giant. Descriptions of the giant vary, however, many agree that he had multiple heads, bodies, legs, and/or feet.

Hecatonchires - Three giants with 100 arms and 50 heads each. They were Briareos/Aegaeon, Cottus, and Gyges.

Laestrygonians - A tribe of giant cannibals led by their king Antiphates.

Mimas - A giant.

Pallas - A giant.

Orion - A giant huntsman that was turned into a constellation.

Periboea - A giant princess.

Picolous - A giant slain by Helios.

Polybotes - A giant that fought Poseidon during the Gigantomachy.

Porphyrion - The king of giants.

Thoon - A giant clubbed to death by the Morai.

Tityos - A giant.

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Hybrids and Monsters

Aeternae - A race of creatures with bony saw-toothed protuberances sprouting from their heads.

Amphisbaena - An ant-eating serpent with a head on each end.

Basilisk - A snake that kills those who look into its eyes.

Catoblepas - a horned buffalo-like creature with toxic breath and looks that could turn people to stone.

Centaur or Centauride - A creature with the head and neck or a giraffe, the torso of a human, and the lower body of a horse.

Cerastas - horned serpents.

Cerberus - Hades' pet, a three-headed dog. He guards the gates to the Underworld.

Cetus or Ceto - large sea creatures, often depicted as serpentine fish in Greek art.

Charybdis - A sea monster whose mouth created deadly whirlpools.

Chimera - A three-headed, fire-breathing monster. Chimeras are described as having the head of a lion, the body of a snake, and the head of a goat protruding from its back.

Crocotta or Cynolycus - A deadly creature with a lion's neck, a stag's body, cloven hooves, and a mouth with a body ridge in place of teeth. It calls people by name in a human voice and devours them upon approaching.

Griffin - creatures with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagleHarpies - Creatures with the torso, head, and arms of a woman and the talons, wings, and tail of a bird.

Hippalectryon - a half-horse, half-rooster.

Hippocampus - A half horse (upper body), half-fish (lower body). They were created by Poseidon.

Hydra - A serpent-like creature with many heads. The Lernaean Hydra which guarded the Underworld was killed in Heracles' second labor.

Ichthyocentaurs - Marine centaurs. They had the upper bodies of men, the lower fronts of horses, and the tails of fish. Foam and abyss were personified as the Ichthyocentaurs Aphros and Bythos.

Ipotane - half-horse, half-human creatures considered to be the original centaurs.

Maticore or Androphagos - A creature with the body of a lion, a human face with three rows of teeth, and the wings of a bat or dragon. They can also shoot spikes from their tails.

Minotaur - a creature with the head of a bull and body of a man. He lived in Daedelus' labyrinth and was killed by Theseus.

Odontotyrannos - A creature larger than an elephant with a horse-like head and three horns on its forehead.

Onocentaur - A half-human, half-donkey.

Ophiotaurus - A half-bull, half serpent.

Orthrus - Cerberus' two headed sibling who was killed by Hades.

Ouroboros - An immortal circular being so big it eats itself. It is usually a snake or a dragon.

Pegasus - A winged, divine stallion. He is the son of Medusa and Poseidon.

Phoenix - A fire-bird that bursts into flames and is reborn from its ashes.

Pyraustas - dragons said to live in flames on Cyprus.

Satyrs/Satyresses - Creatures with human upper bodies and the hindquarters of a goat. They are typically companions of Pan and Dionysus.

Scylla - A Nereid (a sea-nymph) transformed into a tentacled monster with many heads.

Scythian Dracanae - A female monster with twin serpents as the lower body.

Sea goats - Creatures with the front half of a goat and the back half of a fish.

Skolopendra - A giant sea monster with a crayfish-like body and long nostril hairs.

Sphinx - A creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon. This variation is known as the Androsphinx, while the Criosphinx has the head of a ram and the Hieracosphinx has the head of a hawk.

Stymphalian birds - Man-eating birds with bronze beaks and metallic feathers that could be shot at victims.

Tarandos - A deer-like creature with the ability to change fur-color to blend in like a chameleon.

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Races, Spirits, and Daemons

Arae - Female spirits of curses.

Ceuthonymus - a daemon of the Underworld. He is the father of Menoetes, guard of Hades' cattle.

Charon - The ferryman of the Underworld who transports the dead across the River Styx.

Daemons - guiding spirits. Agathodaemons were spirits of luck and protection; cacodaemons were evil spirits; and eudaemons were kind spirits.

Daemones Ceramici - Five malevolent spirits of pottery. There was Syntribos, the shatterer; Smaragos, the smasher; Asbestos, the charrer/scorcher; Sabaktes, the destroyer, and Omodamos, crudebake.

Demogorgon - A demon of the Underworld.

Derceto - A mermaid goddess of fertility.

Diomedes of Thrace - Son of Ares and Cyrene, owner of man-eating horses.

Dryad - female-like tree spirits.

Eidolon - A human-like phantom.

Empusa - A female demon who preyed on human blood and flesh. She was said to have had flaming hair, one brass leg, and one donkey leg.

Euronymos - the daemon of rotting corpses in the Underworld.

Gello - A female demon said to cause infertility, miscarriage, and infant mortality.

Ghosts/shades/spirits - a human-like shadow of a dead person.

Gorgons - Female monsters that had snakes for hair. Notable Gorgons are Euryale, whose scream could kill; Medusa, whose gaze could turn people to stone; and their sister Stheno.

Graeae - Three old sisters who had one tooth and one eye among them.

Keres - Goddesses who personified violent death.

Kobaloi - Mischievous sprites who enjoyed tricking and frightening mortals. They are Dionysus' companions.

Merpeople - humans with fish tales that lure adventurers into the water to drown them.

Nymph - female nature deities that personify nature.

Panes - Nature-spirits with the heads and torsos of men, legs and tails of donkeys, goatlike faces, and horns.

Philinnion - An unwed maiden who rose from death to consort with a human.

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Animals

Acanthis - The daughter of Hippodamia and Autonos who turned into a thistle finch.

Actaeon - A man turned into a deer by Artemis after he was found spying on her while bathing. He was eaten by his own hunting dogs.

Actaeon's dogs - Dogs that ate Acteon after he was turned into a deer.

Argos - Odysseus' dog, known for his speed, strength and his superior tracking skills.

Aethon or Caucasian Eagle - a giant eagle, offspring of Typhon and Echidna.

Aetos Dios - The giant golden eagle of Zeus.

Aëdon - Daughter of Pandareus and Ephysus. She was turned into a nightingale after accidentally killing her own son.

Alcyone - A Thessalian princess turned into halcyon birds.

Alectryon - A young man turned into a rooster that never forgets to announce the rising sun by Ares. He was asked to stand guard outside the door while Ares indulged in illicit love with Aphrodite, but fell asleep and allowed Helios to walk in on the couple.

Alkyonides - The seven daughters of Alcyoneus, transformed into halcyons by Amphitrite after they threw themselves into the sea after their father's death.

Amalthea - Golden-haired female goat. She was the foster mother of Zeus.

Ampelus - A leopard with no tail that afflicts women with an unexpected ailment if seen.

Anemoi - Collective name for the gods of the four directional winds in horse-shape drawing the chariot of Zeus. The gods are Boreas, Eurus, Notos, Zephyrus or Zephyr.

Arion - The immortal horse of Adrastus, which could run at fantastic speeds. Was said to eat gold.

Ascalaphus - A screech owl, custodian of the orchard of Hades.

Autonous - The owner of a large herd of horses who was turned into a stone-curlew.

Calydonian Boar - A boar sent by Artemis to ravage Calydon.

Cercopes - Mischievous monkeys.

Ceyx - transformed by gods into halcyon birds. He was the husband of Alcyone.

Clazomenae Boar - A winged sow that terrorized the Greek town of Klazomenai in Ionia.

Cornix - Daughter of Coroneus, turned into a crow by Athena.

Coronis - Daughter of Coroneus, turned into a crow by Athena.

Corvus - A raven which served Apollo.

Cretan Bull/Marathonian Bull - The bull Pasiphaë fell in love with. Father of the Minotaur.

Crommyonian Sow - A wild pig that ravaged the region around the village of Crommyon between Megara and Corinth. He was slain by Theseus.

Cycnus - A friend of Phaethon that sat by the river Eridanos mourning his death. He was turned into a swan to relieve his pity.

Delphin - A dolphin who found Amphitrite for Poseidon. Poseidon placed him in the sky as the constellation Delphinus.

Dionysus' Panthers - Panthers that draw the chariot of Dionysus.

Dolphins of Taras - A dolphin that saved Taras, who is often depicted mounted on a dolphin.

Dionysus' Leopard - Dionysus is often shown riding a leopard.

Donkey of Hephaestus - Hephaestus was often shown riding a donkey.

Donkey of Silenus - Donkey ridden by SilenusDiomedes Birds - Diomedes' companions were transformed into seabirds.

Elaphoi Khrysokeroi - Four immortal golden-horned deer sacred to the goddess Artemis.

Erymanthian Boar - A giant boar which Heracles was sent to retrieve as one of his labors.

Ethiopian Pegasus - Horned, winged horses native to Ethiopia.

Gadflies - Insects sent by the gods to sting wicked mortals for their cruel acts.

Gerana/Oenoe - A queen of the Pygmy who was transformed by the goddess Hera into a crane.

Golden Dog - A dog that guarded the infant god Zeus.

Giant turtle - A giant man-eating sea turtle.

Guard Dogs of Hephaestus Temple - A pack of sacred dogs that guarded the temple of Hephaestus at Mount Etna.

Hellhounds - Monstrous dogs that guard the Underworld. Cerberus and his brother Orthus are hellhounds.

Hippodamia - The wife of Autnous, turned into a lark.

Horses of Achilles - Immortal horses Balius and Xanthus.

Horses of Ares - Immortal fire-breathing horses Aethon, Konabos, Phlogeous, and Phobos.

Horses of Eos - Immortal horses owned by the dawn-goddess, Eos. They are Lampus and Phaethon.

Horses of Erechtheus - Immortal horses owned by the king of Athens, Erechtheus, named Podarkes and Xanthos.

Horses of Dioskouroi - The immortal horses of the Dioskouroi (the twin brothers Castor and Pollux). Harpagos, Kyllaros, Phlogeus, and Xanthos.

Horses of Hector - Horses of Trojan prince Hector. Aethon, Lampus, Podargus, and Xanthus.

Horses of Helios - Immortal horses of the sun-god Helios. Abraxas, Aethon, Bronte, Euos, Phlegon, Pyrois, Sterope, and Therbeo.

Horses of Poseidon - Immortal horses of the god Poseidon.Scythian horned donkeys - Horned donkeys from Scythia. Their horns held water from the river Styx.[7]

Hydra - A water-snake turned constellation by Apollo.

Karkinos or Carcinus - A giant crab that fought Heracles alongside the Lernaean Hydra.

Lion of Cithaeron - A lion which was killed by Heracles or Alcathous (myths vary).

Laelaps - A female dog destined always to catch its prey.

Little Owl - The bird of goddess Athena.

Maera - The hound of Erigone, daughter of Icarius of Athens.

Mares of Diomedes - Four man-eating horses of Diomedes. Dinus, Lampus, Podargus, and Xanthus.

Myrmekes - Large ants that guarded a hill that had rich deposits of gold.

Myrmidons - Ants that transformed into humans.

Nemean Lion - A lion whose skin was impervious to weapons. It was strangled by Heracles.

Nyctimene - Princess of Lesbos, turned into an owl by Athens.

Ocyrhoe - daughter of Chiron and Chariclo.

Ornithes Areioi - A flock of birds that guarded the Amazons' shrine of Ares on a coastal island in the Black Sea.

Philomela - An Athenean princess turned into a swallow.

Procne - Athenean princess turned into a nightingale.

Rhea's Lions - The lions drawing the chariot of Rhea.

Snakes of Libya - Giant snakes whose skins were used by the Amazons for protective devices.

Snakes of Hera - Giant snakes sent by Hera to kill Heracles as an infant.

Sirens - Bird-like women that sang songs to lure sailors to their deaths.

Spartae - A malevolent spirit born of violence.

Swans of Apollo - The swans that draw the chariot of Apollo.

Strix - Birds of ill omen that fed on human flesh and blood.

Tereus - A Thracian king turned into a hoopoe.

Teumessian fox - A giant fox destined never to be hunted down.

The Cattle of Geryon - Cattle guarded by Orthrus.

The Cattle of Helios - Immortal cattle of oxen and sheep owned by Helios.

The black-skinned cattle of Hades - Cattle owned by Hades and guarded by Menoetes.

The Ceryneian Hind - a deer with golden horns and brass hoofs. This deer is sacred to Artemis and the task of killing it was one of Heracles' twelve labors.

Trojan Horses or Trojan Hippoi - Twelve immortal horses owned by the Trojan king Laomedon.

Taraxippi - Horse-frightening horses.

Triple-bodied Daemon - A winged monster with three human bodies that end in serpent-tails.

Triton - A merman, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite.

Typhon - A monster with snake-coils for limbs. This monster has fathered several children with his mate Echidna.

Unicorns or Monocerata - Large horse-like creatures with a spiraling horn on their foreheads.

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Vampiric Creatures

Corinthian Lamia - A vampiric demon who seduced Menippos and consumed his flesh and blood.

Lamia - a child-eating monster.

Mormo or Mormolyceae - A creature who preyed on children.

Mormolykeia - Female daemons who attend to Hecate.

Lycanthropes

Agriopas - A writer who was said to have tasted the viscera of a child and was turned into a wolf for ten years.

Damarchus - An Olympic boxer said to have changed into a wolf for Lykaia and remained as one for ten years.

Lycoan - The king of Arcadia who was turned into a wolf by the gods as punishment for serving his son's flesh at a festival.

Lykos - A wolf-shared hero enshrined by the court.

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