Descriptionary

Sinis the giant who used pines to catapult victims against the side of a mountain; slain by Theseus.

Sirens the deities who entranced sailors to their deaths by their songs.

Sisyphus king of Corinth; condemned to relent­lessly roll a heavy stone to the peak of a hill, where it always fell back down again.

Sol see Helios.

Sphinx a winged monster having the head of a woman and the body of a lion; killed those who could not answer her riddle; killed herself when Oedipus answered it correctly.

Styx the river on which Charon ferried souls to Hades.

Tantalus the king who, condemned to Hades, underwent the torture of standing in water that always receded when he tried to drink it.

Tartarus the underworld below Hades.

Tellus Roman goddess of earth.

Terminus Roman god of boundaries and land­marks.

Terpsichore goddess of choral dance and song. Terra Roman goddess of earth. Thanatos the personification of death.

Theseus son of Aegeus; slew Minotaur, Procrustes, and Sinis.

Titans the original gods before the Olympians. Triton son of Poseidon.

Uranus personification of the sky; father of the Cyclopes and Titans.

Venus see Aphrodite.

Zeus (Jupiter) the ruler and father of all the Olym­pian gods; son of Cronus and Rhea.

Monsters and Fabulous Creatures

(Also see greek and roman mythology) Abaia in Melanesian mythology, a great eel who caused floods whenever a fellow fish in his lake was caught.

Aitvaras Lithuanian flying dragon hatched from the egg of a cock, considered a good household spirit.

Alan Philippine half-human, half-bird who lived in gold houses in forests and hung upside-down from trees.

Alicha in Siberian mythology, a beast who lived in the sky and swallowed the sun and moon periodi­cally.

Amarok a giant wolf in the mythology of Eskimos.

Ammut an ancient Egyptian creature, part hippo and part lion with the jaws of a crocodile; it ate the hearts of sinners.

Anubis jackal-headed Egyptian god and judge of the dead.

Apop in Egyptian mythology, a sea serpent hiding in darkness.

argopelter a beast of American lore; it lived in the trunks of trees and threw pieces of wood at innocent passersby.

Argus in Greek mythology, a hundred-eyed mon­ster; its eyes were ultimately used to decorate the peacock's tail.

bagwyn heraldic beast with the tail of a horse and the horns of a goat.

baku in Japanese mythology, a tapirlike creature that feeds on the bad dreams of humans.

banshee in Irish and Scottish legend, a spirit having one nostril, a large front tooth, long, streaming hair, webbed feet, and red eyes from continuous weeping and wailing. According to legend, she washes the clothes of a man destined to die and, if caught wash­ing by a mortal, must disclose the name of the man and grant three wishes.

baobhan sith a Scottish evil spirit appearing as a beautiful girl in a green dress, which hides her deer­like hooves. She and others seduce young men and suck their blood.

basilisk a 6-inch-long desert serpent described by Pliny and others. A glance from this creature caused death, as did its poisonous breath. It could itself be killed by a weasel, by a cock crowing, or by seeing its own reflection in a mirror.

behemoth in the Apocrypha, a large beast some­times identified as a hippo. Now taken to mean any large beast.

bergfolk Scandinavian fairies and brownies and the like; the evil outcasts of heaven who live in banks, mounds, and mosses; they could make themselves invisible or change their shape, and were frequently accused of stealing corn and ale.

boggart a mischievous, brownielike spirit that haunts the north of England.

brollachan a creature or spirit without form, responsible for mysterious occurrences.

brownie a small, shaggy, humanlike creature with shabby clothing. In England and Scotland, brown­ies took bread and milk in exchange for household labor; some had the magic ability to settle swarming bees.

bugaboo a small, evil creature that comes down chimneys and snatches naughty children; a favorite of baby-sitters.

bunyip an Australian man-killer who lived in deep pools and streams.

Caecus in Roman mythology, a cave-dwelling, fire- breathing half-beast, half-man who killed humans and aligned their heads in its lair. The son of Vulcan, slain by Hercules.

calygreyhound heraldic, antelopelike beast having the forelegs and claws of an eagle and the rear legs and feet of an ox.

Centaur in Greek mythology, a creature with a human front and the body and hind legs of a horse; known for its benevolence and wisdom.

Cerberus the three-headed dog with serpent manes that guarded the gates of Hades; kidnapped by Hercules.

cetus a sea monster with the head of a greyhound and the body of a dolphin.

ch'i-lin a Chinese unicorn.