Tag Archives: greek

The Keres: Panic Dread and Gloom

When the Greek god Zeus created the very first woman, he made her charming, graceful, and beautiful. He gave his creation a very special mission. Pandora’s objective was to  inundate the world with mischief and misery and bring suffering to man. Zeus gave Pandora a gift to help her accomplish her mission. A jar (box) full of evil spirits.
Of all the spirits who lived in the jar the Keres were among the most vile. They often inhabited battlefields. In Hesiod’s Shield of Heracles they are described as “Black Dooms gnashing their white teeth, grim-eyed, fierce, bloody, terrifying (creatures who) fought over the men who were dying for they were all longing to drink dark blood. As soon as they caught a man who had fallen or one newly wounded, one of them clasped her great claws around him and his soul went down to Hades. And when they had satisfied their hearts with human blood, they would throw that one behind them and rush back again into the battle and the tumult.”
While they enjoyed the battlefield, the Keres didn’t discriminate. They brought panic, dread, and gloom to any place they could find suffering. The Keres visited cities  devastated by plague and famine as well. Whenever the Keres came to town, they left a trail of gore and decimated bodies in their wake.
Email
Posted in Creature, Greek, Monster, Myths | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Lamia

According to Greek mythology, Lamia, queen of Libya, went on an extended trip to Delphi. While she was there, she had an affair with Zeus and bore him children.

Hera, Zeus’ wife, was not happy about this situation. She placed a curse on Lamia that prevented her from closing her eyes, then forced her to eat those children. (*note)

Madness and grief twisted Lamia’s body so that from the waist down she assumed the shape of a snake. Hideously disfigured, Lamia slithered into a cave.

Obsessed with replacing her lost children, Lamia lured children into her cave. Her transformation into a monster was so complete that she was no longer able to control herself. Once the children were close, she unhinged her jaw and devoured them whole.

In some parts of the world, parents still describe the mysterious death of an infant by saying ‘the child was strangled by Lamia.’

* In contemporary times we would expect the wronged woman to skip over the curse and get right down to the revenge. Things were more civilized a long time ago. Curses always came first.

Email
Posted in Greek, Monster, Myths | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Callicantzaro: Vampires Love Christmas

The Greek vampire the callicantzaro can only pursue its activities on Christmas Day and the 12 days following. At other times of the year the callicantzari roam the netherworld. More than most, they look forward to the Christmas holiday when they are finally able to emerge from the darkness and seize people. Unlike most European vampires the callicantzaros don’t bite. They tear their victims apart with their fingernails.

Children born during the week between Christmas and New Years are ‘feast-blasted’ and are at risk to become vampires themselves. Many even believe that the child is a vampire who has yet to show his or her true nature. Feast-blasted children are usually regarded with fear and hostility.  Some have reported that the children rush around with amazing speed and their nails grow long like talons. Small callicantzari are particularly prone to attack their own brothers and sisters.

 

During the Seventeenth Century, the soles of ‘at risk’ children’s feet were put in the fire until the nails were singed and could no longer grow into talons. Some vestiges of this ritual are still practice among Aegean islanders. Ho ho ho.
Email
Posted in Greek, Superstitions, Vampire | Tagged , , | Leave a comment