Typhon
Mean, hard bastard. I don’t know why Echidna put up with him. Up himself as well. He challenged Zeus. That went well. He ended up imprisoned under Mount Etna.
Continue reading →Echidna
In a sense, I rather fancy Echidna. She is beautiful, from the waist up, but from there down, it is all snake. Not my ideal woman, after all. She is known as the “mother of monsters”… “And in a hollow … Continue reading →
Cerberus
Not a very nice doggie. Three heads, each as nasty as the other. I would much rather a Staffy or a Labradoodle. Pretty nasty by nature, guard-dog of the Underworld. When Orpheus went to rescue his wife Eurydice from the … Continue reading →
Hydra
The Lernaean Hydra was a venomous, serpentine monster with multiple heads and regenerative powers. It resided in the swamps of Lerna, believed to be an entrance to the Underworld. Slaying the beast was the second of the famous Twelve Labours … Continue reading →
The Sphinx
In Greek mythology, the Sphinx is a treacherous and merciless being with the head of a woman, the haunches of a lion, and the wings of a bird. She challenges those who encounter her to answer a riddle, and kills … Continue reading →
Orthrus
According to Hesiod, Orthrus was the father of the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion, though whom Hesiod meant as the mother, whether it is Orthrus’ own mother Echidna, the Chimera, or Ceto, is unclear. Yes, it can get a bit … Continue reading →
Pan
A very naughty boy. Randy little sod. He does things to goats. A god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, music, and a companion of the nymphs, as many as he could get his hands on. He has the hindquarters, … Continue reading →
The Chimera
It is hard, in Greek mythology, to know who is up whom, and who is paying the rent! According to Hesiod, the Chimera’s mother was a certain ambiguous “she”, which may refer to Echidna, in which case the father would … Continue reading →
Ladon
Ladon was a serpent-like dragon that twined and twisted around the tree in the Garden of the Hesperides and guarded the golden apples. He was either the progeny of Phorcys and Ceto, or of Typhon and Echidna. According to one … Continue reading →
Helios
Helios is the Sun itself. His name comes from the Greek word for “Sun” (Ἥλιος). Helios is often shown with a crown of sun rays. He drives a horse-drawn chariot across the sky. Helios was also a guardian of oaths … Continue reading →
Selene
Not monstrous, rather lovely, just for a change. Selene (Ancient Greek: Σελήνη) is the goddess and personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene (Ancient Greek: Μήνη), she is traditionally the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister … Continue reading →
Pandora
Pandora (Greek – Πανδώρα), another real sweetie, not a monster at all. The myth of Pandora’s box (jar). Pandora was the first mortal woman. Her name means ‘all-gifted’. She was a mortal, given all gifts by the gods. Each of … Continue reading →
Chaos
Greek: Χαος or Χαεος. It would seem trite to present an image of Chaos. The ancient Greeks described the goddess Chaos (Χαος) as the personification of primordial emptiness, the space that existed before time. Chaos is not a goddess, or not just a … Continue reading →
Heracles – everyone’s hero.
A large and handsome gentleman, but, at least according to this statue, not very well endowed. Ancient Greek Ἡρακλῆς (Herakles), meaning “glory of Hera”. Pronounced approximately as /hɛː.ra.klɛ̂ːs/ (“Heeraklees”), featuring an initial aspirate “H” sound and distinct classical vowel lengths. … Continue reading →
The Nemean Lion
Oh, this could confuse a stupid person like me, and oh my – the incest! Hesiod writes that the Nemean lion is the offspring of Orthus and an ambiguous “she”. This “she” is often understood as probably referring to either … Continue reading →
Pauline Hanson
Perhaps the most horrible beast in the Bestiary. Since her address to the National Press Club (17th June 2026), and before, she has managed to insult every single person in Australia – men, women, workers, students, teachers, university graduates, immigrants, … Continue reading →