Mythography | Greek Creatures and Chimerae in Myth and Art

home | greek | creatures | hybrids

Greek Hybrid Creatures

A hybrid is a composite of or two or more species of animal and/or human. Strange as they may appear, the Greeks were endlessly fond of fabricating these creatures - one will recognize hybrids in the earliest myths and legends, not to mention inhabiting numerous works of art. For the Greeks especially, these beings of the imagination must have had great significance, in that they represented the uncivilized forces in nature that opposed mankind.

centaur | in Greek mythology and art, the centaur has the torso of a human combined with the body of a horse

cockatrice | this creature was also known as a basilisk ("king of serpents"), and its very glance could kill; the cockatrice was composed of a dragon's tail and assorted poultry parts

giants (gigantes) | these fierce and frightening beings were the offspring of Gaia (the Earth)

griffin | according to myth, the griffin was a creature with a lion's body attached to the head, wings, and claws of an eagle

harpy | harpies had female torsos melded with vulture parts; the name harpy is derived from the Greek word that means "snatcher"

satyr (faun) | satyrs were often the companions of Dionysos, and these creatures were depicted in myth and art with the legs of goats and bestial natures

sirens | women with bird-like bodies; sirens were legendary for luring sailors by singing their enchanted songs

Related Information - Mythical Monsters

Search Mythography
For best results, use lower case queries in Altavista's syntax... search help!

Do you have a specific question about Greek mythology? Then try the Mythography forum!

Who's Who in Classical Mythology

This book is a great source for information about Greek and Roman mythology! Organized alphabetically, this who's who features information about over 1200 of the most intriguing characters - and creatures - from Classical myth and legend.

The Bibliography

If you want more recommended resources for information about Greek myths, visit the books section - it lists books about mythology, art, literature, and more.

Copyright © 1997-2008 Loggia.com. All rights reserved.
No part of this website, including text and images, may be reproduced or copied in any form
or by any means without the express prior written permission of Loggia.com.