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Fantasy: July 04, 2007 Issue [#1804]

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Fantasy


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  Edited by: zwisis
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

In the last newsletter we discussed three of the offspring of Greek mythology's Echidna – the “Mother of All Monsters”. This issue I want to highlight the remaining offpring produced by Echidna and her partner Typhon. The most famous fruit of their liaison is undoubtedly “The Sphinx”. There are distinct differences between the Greek and the Egyptian Sphinx, and I will feature the latter in a future issue about Egyptian mythology.


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Letter from the editor

Greek mythology’s Sphinx is a unique creature, a demon of bad luck and destruction. She’s probably one of the most famous symbols of Ancient Greece, and is a common feature on vases and stone reliefs dating back many centuries. She was usually pictured as a winged lion with a woman’s head, although some artists added a serpent’s tail to her body. The Goddess Hera summoned the Sphinx, supposedly to punish the city of Thebes for allowing King Laius to get a way with a crime. Laius had apparently violated a youth named Chrysippus, son of Pelops, and carried on ruling despite his dreadful crime. The Sphinx arrived from her home in Ethiopia. At Thebes she asked all who passed her by what has become history’s most famous riddle:

“What creature walks on four feet in the morning, on two at noon and upon three in the evening?”

She strangled anyone unable to answer. To occupy her time the Sphinx would ravish the fields around Thebes and terrorise the local residents. One day a man named Oedipus arrived, seeking to enter the city. The Sphinx asked him her famous question. Oedipus answered:

“Man – as a baby he crawls on all fours, then walks on two feet as an adult, and uses a cane in his old age”.

Aggrieved that someone was finally able to solve her riddle, the Sphinx threw herself off the high rock she’d perched upon for so many years and died. Another Greek version claims she devoured herself. Whatever the outcome Oedipus had saved Thebes from the Sphinx, and he moved on to meet his own destiny in that city.

The Teumessian Fox

Thebes also suffered under the torment of the Theumessian Fox, which was sent to punish the descendants of Kadmos, who lived in the city. It’s not clear what Kadmos did to cause such rage among the Greek gods, but the Thebians retaliated by excluding any member of the family from ruling Thebes. The giant fox preyed upon the citizens of Thebes, forcing them to send it a monthly meal in the form of a child. The ruler of Thebes, Creon, set the hero Amphitryon the seemingly impossible task of destroying the beast. Amphitryon fetched a magical dog called Laelaps, who was guaranteed to catch everything he chased. The problem was the Theumessian Fox could not be caught. It fell to Zeus to solve this contradiction of fate, and he turned the uncatchable fox and that unavoidable fox into stone.

The Nemean Lion

This dreadful creature lived at Nemea, and was renowned for his tough skin, so thick no weapon could harm him. He had been terrorising the local population for years, attacking and killing people and livestock and generally causing great hardship. Hercules’ cousin Eurystheus set him the first of his twelve labours – he was to slay the lion and recover its impermeable skin. When Hercules first encountered the lion he tried to slay it using his bow and arrows, a club made from olive wood and a bronze sword. None of these weapons had any effect upon the Nemean Lion. As a last resort brave Hercules seized the lion, wrestled it to the ground and choked it to death by thrusting his arm down its throat.

Encouraged by his success and slaying this dreadful creature, Hercules set about skinning the Nemean Lion. This proved an impossible task, and Hercules began to despair he’d fail to complete his first task. The goddess Athena took pity upon the hero, and disguised as an owl managed to help Hercules realise the Nimean Lion’s claws would be the best tools for cutting the hide. Because the skin was so strong Hercules used it as armour. When Eurystheus caught sight of Hercules wearing his new armour he was so frightened he hid himself in a large bronze jar and communicated with Hercules through a messenger.

Orthrus

Like his brother Cerberus, Orthrus was supposedly a two headed dog who walked upright. One head faced forward, the other looked backward. His owner was a Titan named Geryon, who had three bodies below his single head. Orthrus and the shepherd Eurytion were tasked with guarding Geryon’s magnificent herd of red cattle living in Erytheia, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. Hercules’ tenth labour was to retrieve the prized herd of cattle, because Eurystheus wanted to offer them to the goddess Hera. Hercules had by this time gained a lot of experience, and used his powerful arrows to kill Orthus, Eurytion and Geryon before bringing the cattle back to Eurystheus.

Ladon

As protector of the Garden of the Hesperides, Ladon was a fearful creature. He had many heads – some say as many as 100 – and each head spoke in a different voice. Ladon guarded a tree that produced golden apples, entwining himself around the branches and leaves to protect its unique fruit, which if eaten bestowed eternal life upon its consumer. Enter Hercules, tasked with collecting the apples as the last of his twelve labours. Hercules killed Ladon with ease, picked the apples and delivered them to Eurytheus.

Ethon

As the tormentor of Prometheus, the giant eagle Ethon was a truly dreadful being. When Zeus caught Prometheus stealing fire from Mount Olympus the god punished the unfortunate titan, chaining him to a rock. By day Ethon would swoop down to Prometheus and eat his liver. At night there was some respite because the liver regenerated. The following morning Ethon would be back, eating the new liver. Prometheus’s wife and son tried their hardest to chase away the monstrous eagle while tending to the chained Prometheus, but it wasn’t easy. On his way to retrieve the golden apples, Hercules came across this dreadful scenario. Needless to say Hercules killed Ethon and freed Prometheus. After thanking Hercules for freeing him from this torture Prometheus ate Ethon’s liver…

I should point out there are many versions of each of these stories. Although the basics of each myth do not change, some of the finer details and explanations are rather different. The fact that each myth has survived a few thousand years proves just how powerful fantasy writing can be. All these stories – and I include Hercules’ Labours here – have stood the test of time, and still serve as inspiration for fantasy writers today. I admit some knowledge of Prometheus, golden apples and the Nemean Lion, but until I researched this newsletter I’d not come across the specific characters like Ladon, Orthus and the Teumessian Fox. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about them, and that they’ve given you some ideas for your own fantasy writing.

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The next Fantasy newletter I edit is out on August 1, 2007 and will feature Dragons - thank you, ladystardust for your suggestion.


Editor's Picks

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 prometheus's torment Open in new Window. (E)
themed on the trajedy of tragic heroes, symbalizing the greak myth of prometheus.
#1265193 by im 16, and need incouragment Author IconMail Icon


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In Ancient Greece a young man learns of his grand destiny.
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Ask & Answer

spook Author Icon
This is my favorite newsletter, because you are so informative. I love learning new things about old favorites. Keep it up!
I love the research and the different things I learn writing this newsletter. I’m glad you do too. Thank you for your encouragement.

likenion
Your series of fantasy newsletters has been extremely helpful and satisfying, so you must not worry about my own expectations. Keep up the good job and whenever you feel out of ideas for creatures. You just need to look around a bit, because there is always and interesting myth to discover.
Keep writing!
This series has been very interesting indeed, because Greek mythology is full of relatively unknown creatures and stories. And every single one has some feature that can be adapted for a modern fantasy story. Thank you for you input.

faithjourney
Hey, I wanted to let you know this is a great newsletter, and very educational as well! I have thoroughly enjoyed the profiles on fantasy creatures. I was wondering if you have anything on elves? I'm fairly new here (just joined about a month ago) so I may have missed it. Thanks!
Welcome to the site! And thank you for your kind comments. I have thought about featuring elves at some stage, because they are a fascinating character for any fantasy story. You may also find something if you check the newsletter archives:

Ladyoz Author Icon
Another great newsletter - thank you. In Australia, an "echidna" is the cutest little spiny anteater you ever saw *Bigsmile*
Okay, it may look cute but perhaps it has a dark side? Wouldn’t that make an interesting story? Perhaps the original ‘Mother of all Monsters” didn’t die, but took on a different form? Or maybe creature behave differently depending on which hemisphere they visit. After all she was evil in Greece in the Northern Hemisphere – perhaps she’s the complete opposite in the Southern Hemisphere?

Thanks for stopping by!

darkin
Great Newsletter!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

billwilcox
Echidna was one bad mother! Sometimes I wonder if perhaps I married her *Laugh* Great newsletter!
I guess it’s safe to assume Mrs Wilcox doesn’t read this newsletter…

nomlet Author Icon
The Greeks seem to have been very much into family trees, for both their gods and monsters. I didn't realize Cerebrus, Hydra and Chimera were siblings. But my favorite part to this newletter was the opening quote: "...half a nymph with glancing eyes and fair cheeks...," I almost swooned at my desk!
Yes, that quote was wonderful, and just proves how deceptive first impressions can be. I actually thought those three siblings were pretty nasty. Having research the remaining six I think this is one family nobody wants to move in next door!

ladystardust
What an interesting and informative newsletter! I've been a fan of Greek mythology since grade school.
Looking forward to more creatures and beasts!
Thank you for writing in and for your request. I too have loved Greek mythology since childhood. I find amazing how petty and spiteful their gods could be.


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