#creature series

[mkw-writes]

Creature Series: Harpies

Harpies Attack King Phineus. Attica, c. 450 BCE.

What Are They?

Harpies are half-bird, half-human female monsters from Greek mythology. They were a personification of storm winds and were known to be thieves, taking things at the command of Zeus. They are referred to as “The Hounds of Zeus” for this reason.

Physical Description

Their physical description varies through the centuries, and depends on who you ask. Originally, they were beautiful women with wings; over time, however, their description morphed into that of hideous and disgusting monsters.

Description by Hesiod:

Beautiful maidens with lovely fair hair, who flew as swiftly as the wind or birds in flight.

Description by Virgil:

Harpies are described as “bird-bodied, girl-faced things” by Virgil; their droppings are said to be “abominable,” their hands are like talons, and their faces are haggard with insatiable hunger.

Behavior

The harpies were originally wind spirits, specifically personifications of the destructive forces of storm winds, and known for stealing and kidnapping at the behest of the gods. They were cruel and violent, and were used to torment those who offended the gods in some way.

Harpies and King Phineus of Thrace

The most famous story involving harpies is that of King Phineus, who was given the gift of prophecy and subsequently blinded by Zeus for revealing his secret plans.

Zeus trapped the blinded king upon an island and cursed him to live surrounded by a feast he can never eat, as the harpies will either snatch the food from him or foul it in some way.

Phineus was saved from this torment when Jason and the Argonauts arrived and, in return for giving them directions, set the Boreads upon the harpies to drive them away. In some stories the harpies died, in others both the harpies and the Boreads died; and in some versions both lived, either by coming to a truce or through the intervention of the gods.

Harpies in Other Works

Dante’s Inferno

Dante depicts the harpies as infesting the woods where those who die by suicide are tortured in hell for eternity.

He describes them with the following:

“They have broad wings, with razor sharp talons and a human neck and face, / Clawed feet and swollen, feathered bellies; / they caw / Their lamentations in the eerie trees.”

Resources

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpy

https://mythopedia.com/topics/harpies

https://www.worldhistory.org/Harpy/

[rennsdeaddoves]

Nem of Iken

Nem is the oldest daughter to a single peasant mother living a far way's away from the banks of the Nile 1800 years in the past, in the small village of Iken. At this time the gods had not yet abandoned the mortals they loved so much.

Nem was an entertainer for the Pharaoh of her time, and she was the Prince's favourite, this made her position in the capital and palace pretty safe, though she couldn't be saved from everything. she still had to deal with the grand entertainer's abuse.

Though Nem is not the classical “oh I’m a woman so I’m suffering with my three young brothers and sick mother” NO. this bitch is stealing gold from the pharaoh to pay for healing herbs for her mother since her brothers are still a little to young to do anything (their only boys)

after a rough start to the nigh Nem discovers that the pharaoh is looking for Ahmet who was sealed 200 years prior. two guards chase her into the desert and beat her to near death where Khonshu picks her up and makes her his moon knight.

her suit much to Khonshu's surprise is different from the normal one. but considering that Nem has become a high priestess of his temple and not a priest it was bound to be slightly different. underneath her outer clothing and the wrappings is some pieces of armour to protect her vital points.

[ourworldofwonders]

Supernatural creatures in film/TV 1/? VAMPIRES

[wairrorangel]

[snapsicle]

Creature Series #1 : The Blue Monster 

The Blue Monster is a creature that can come in the form of anything that can be loosely described as a Blue Monster. Whether it be the blue variety of Monster Energy, a toy or character that can be classified as a “Blue Monster”, or any of the Blue Monster line of household products. The usual form of the Blue Monster is pictured above. The Blue Monster is not a malevolent creature, but it can be described as “Mischievous”. Persons who have come into contact with The Blue Monster first have to come into contact with The Blue Monster physically, be it drinking, using or touching the creature. Later in the day, Persons describe an extreme feeling of being watched, and waking up with thin, scabbed, minor scratches on their stomach. Under the floorboards, there is a neatly carved message: “YOU’RE DISGUSTING! SIGNED, THE BLUE MONSTER.” 

[trainwreckgenerator]

taaco twins creature series

day 2 of 14 -  💧 … draw as mermaid

(from this prompt list)

day 1 / day 3

[mkw-writes]

Creature Series: The Night Mare

The Nightmare, by Henry Fuseli, 1781. (One of the most famous depictions of the night-mare, aka the night-hag.)

What Are They?

A ‘mare’ is a malevolent supernatural entity in Germanic and Slavic folklore, known for sitting or walking on a person’s chest at night and causing nightmares and sleep paralysis. Many other cultures have a similar concept, which is typically a superstitious explanation for sleep paralysis and bad dreams.

The word ‘nightmare’ used to refer specifically to sleep paralysis, evolving over time to the more general usage we see today.

The night-mare is also known as the night-rider, the ride-by-night, and the night hag; a person who is affected by the mare may be said to be “hag-ridden.”

Physical Description

The mare may be a demon, the spirit of a dead person, or a living person either projecting their spirit from their body or physically transforming in the night.

When the mare is a living person they are said to be able to be identified in a wide number of ways, including but not limited to: possessing an unusually thick and dark unibrow, having a “bad foot,” or being the eldest or youngest child of seven.

The mare is frequently depicted as a woman, but may be male or female. It may choose to appear in the form of an animal, and when it does it often takes the form of a cat or a bird.

Hag-Ridden

Also known as: witch-ridden, haint-ridden

The victim will feel the sensation of being pressed into the bed, unable to move or make a sound. They may or may not see a figure sitting or standing atop them. They tangle the hair and cause the sufferer to sweat or even develop bruises.

The night-mare is sometimes said to torment horses as well. When this happens the horses grow restless, sweat and do not sleep during the night. Their mane and tail may also become tangled.

This version may be a result of the language confusion caused by ‘mare’ the spirit and ‘mare’ the female horse, which have different root words.

In some regions even trees are said to be affected by the mare, resulting in tangled branches. A variety of small, twisted pine trees that grow in wet areas and on coastal rocks are known as mare-pine (martaller) in Swedish and nightmare-pine (Alptraum-Kiefer) in German.

Resources

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_hag

https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/night-mare-and-being-ridden-hag-009073

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare_(folklore)