Mythical Creatures Series
Echidna is best known as the mother of monsters because most of the monsters in Greek mythology were mothered by her, including Chimera. She is a very powerful creature and someone who I wouldn’t want to cross paths with.
ECHIDNA
What is it?
The mixture of a serpent and a woman, this beautiful fair-faced female is a nymph from the waist up and a horrible serpent below. She grew up in her cave and used her beautiful head and torso to lure men but once they were trapped, her serpent nature took over and she ate them raw. Echidna was a drakaina – a female dragon with human-like features.
When Echidna and Typhon attacked the Olympians, Zeus beat them back and punished Typhon by sealing him under Mount Etna. However, Zeus allowed Echidna and her children to live as a challenge to future heroes. According to Apollodorus, Echidna used to “carry off passers-by”, until she was finally killed where she slept by Argus Panoptes, the hundred-eyed giant
Ability / Power
Legend says she is a terrible beast with a voracious appetite matching her enormous size. She fed on fresh meat, lived in a cave with her consort, the horrid monster Typhon, and gave birth to many more creatures including Cerberus and Orthus, the Lernaean Hydra, Chimera, Sphinx and the Nemean Lion.
She attracted males with her beautiful form and then locked them in a coil before consuming them. Many gods wanted this powerful seductress killed, so they conspired and sent the 100 eyed giant, Argus Panoptes to murder her. Also filled with the absolute fear of this formidable creature, he committed the crime while she was deep asleep.
Physical Appearance
Did you know? There is also a mammal native to Australia that is named echidna. No resemblance what so ever!
Sources:
Previous Mythical Creature Posts:
Marchosias: A Kick-Ass Creature, Ningyo: The Deadly Mermaid, Abatwa: Riding Ants To Victory, Cait Sith: It Gets Into Your Mind, Anka: The Goliath Bird, Huldra: Norse Forest Lady, iele: Romanian Nymphs Of The Air, Manticore: The Man-Eater, Hantu Demon: Legendary Spirit, Lich: Undead Necromancer, Joan The Wad: Queen of Piskies, Fomorian: Ancient Gigantic God, Rakshasa: Shape Shifter Demon, Hellhound: Guarding The Gates Of The Dead, Sleipnir: Eight-Legged Horse, Three-Legged Crow: Guiding the Lost, Afanc: Welsh Lake Monster, Tarasque: Ferocious French Dragon
Great mythic creature gallery. Great research tool. Thanks for taking the time and sharing. All the best with your writing.
Ooh! She’s like the dragon lady that lived behind the screen in the Golden Child. I always wondered what she was!
You might be right… I think I read about a she-viper in one of Anita Blake books…
Great rundown on Echidna. I had no idea that there was a source for all of the monsters in Greek mythology. They really thought these legends through, explaining everything that they could.
I think everything is tightly interweaved in mythology:)
This was such a captivating article. I love mythology and all the fascinating images it conjures up in my imagination. I look forward to following you.
Thanks Heather… look forward to seeing more of you:)
Oh, those Greeks – they get the best monsters!! I knew about the animal, the echidna, but I admit I never knew about the Greek mythology version, which surprises me considering I’ve studied Greek and Roman mythology… *shakes head at self* I definitely wouldn’t want to meet her in a dark alley…
Yeah, she sounds pretty scary, unless you were a handsome man and tricked her somehow?? Hmmm sounds difficult.
Hmm…now there’s a woman who probably shouldn’t have had kids.
Haha… very nicely put:)
I remember hearing the woman named Echidna in the Percy Jackson series and was very curious about it (knowing only the spiky little fellow that starts his life out as an adorable Puggle).
Great post!
Wagging Tales – Blog for Writers
Yeah I read somewhere that the spiky creature we know was named after this greek mythological creature… hmm need to do a bit more research into that:)