Harpy

Harpy.

Harpies (meaning "snatchers") were female monsters who caused mischief, tormented wrongdoers, and carried souls to the underworld. They were known for their hideous appearance and smell.

Appearance

In earliest accounts, the Harpies were not monstrous, they were simply spirits who represented windy or stormy weather, and they were depicted as beautiful young women with wings.

Over time, however, they developed into terrifying beasts. They had long, fair hair and the faces and upper bodies of women, but the wings, tails, legs, and claws of birds of prey, with sharp talons made of metal. They were always ravenously hungry, and would steal food or even eat their victims before carrying away their souls. The Harpies were repulsive to look at, and they spread filth everywhere they went. They stank so much that whatever they touched gave off a terrible smell.

Overview

There are several different stories of how many Harpies there were and where they came from. According to the Greek poet Hesiod, they were the daughters of Thaumas, who was a son of Gaia, the earth goddess. In Hesiod's account, the Harpies were the sisters of Iris, the personification of the rainbow and a messenger of the gods. Although one widely accepted source is that they were the daughters of Typhon, another of Gaia's sons, and Echidna, a monster who was half woman and half snake.

To the ancient Greeks, the Harpies represented the punishment that came from displeasing the gods and they were sometimes referred to as "the hounds of Zeus", but they were also associated with unfairness and random bad luck. Like the winds that they originally embodied, the Harpies could come out of nowhere, ruin plans, and destroy people's lives. People blamed them for storms and for any small objects or items of food that mysteriously went missing.