empusa greek mythology

Kelli is an empousa, who are the servants of the goddess Hecate. [2], The Empusa has been defined in the Sudas and by Crates of Mallus as a "demonic phantom"[a][3] with shape-shifting abilities. Empusa are one of the two races born between Vida and Zanalpadna. Definition, Synonyms, Translations of Empousai by The Free Dictionary It could assume different forms, and was sent out by Hecate to frighten travellers. They use the form of a young woman to lure the men to their deaths. [7] This empousa confessed it was fattening up the student she targeted to feed on him, and that she especially craved young men for the freshness and purity of their blood,[7] prompting an interpretation as blood-sucking vampire by Smith′s Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1849). Empusae often seduced men (especially sleeping men) in order to feed on their flesh and blood. In the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, the Empousai first appear in The Battle of the Labyrinth as servants of Hecate who had, by that time, joined the Titan Army.[e]. However, similar creatures were common in eastern traditions (e.g., Chinese, Hindu) centuries before Empusa made her first appearance. Empusa is a shape-shifting female demon from Greek mythology. When in human form she appears as a pretty African American girl with curly hair. The empuses are best known for their appearance in Aristophanes's The Frogs, in which they scared Dionysus and Xanthias on their w… Empusa ii. [5], The Empusa is also said to be one-legged,[4] namely, having one brass leg,[b] or a donkey's leg, thus being known by the alias Onokole. [15], According to Robert Graves, Empusa was a demigoddess, the beautiful daughter of the goddess Hecate and the spirit Mormo. They may look like humans at first. She is played by Sarah Alexander. Empusa is a demigoddess of Greek mythology and was the beautiful daughter of the goddess Hecate and the spirit Mormo. Έμπουσα, "Empousā", of unknown meaning ["An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon", Liddell and Scott] ) is a demigoddess of Greek mythology. [3][4] Thus in Aristophane's plays she is said to change appearance from various beasts to a woman. 1 History 2 Spells 3 Powers and Abilities 4 Notes and Trivia 5 Appearances An Empusa killed a coven of five witches in London by draining their emotions, leaving them powerless. As a group, they assumed the role of the singular Empusa, daughter of Hecate and the spirit Mormo. Xanthius thus sees (or pretends to see) the empousa transform into a bull, a mule, a beautiful woman, and a dog. Empousa or Empusa was a female spirit in Greek mythology. They were believed to usually appear with one leg of brass and the other of a donkey. Species [14] A field study (Charles Stewart, 1985) finds that empousa is a term that is rarely used in oral tradition, compared to other terms such as gello which has a similar meaning. Greek mythology tended to be malleable over time, and demigods and goddesses tended to change in quality, form, virtues, and responsibilities. 294, Eccles. Empusa is referenced in Rudyard Kipling's narrative poem "Tomlinson". In true form, she has completely white skin, flaming hair, fangs, one bronze leg and one donkey leg, and red eyes. Empusa is a main antagonist turned heroine in the novel Grecian Rune by James Matthew Byers. Empusa in classical mythology, an evil spirit or demon supposed to be sent by Hecate. Boasting about her skill, she infuriated Athena, who appeared and contested her. In Greek mythology, Empusae were a mix of demigoddesses and vampiric demons, who were servants of Hecate. The slave also reassures that the being indeed had one brass (copper) leg, and another leg of cow dung[c] besides. The empuses were sent by Hecate to guard roads and devour travelers (Hecate was also the goddess of roadsides). In later incarnations she appeared as a species of monsters commanded by Hecate. Top Ten: Most Terrifying Monsters Of Greek Mythology 10. She feasted on blood by seducing young men as they slept (see sleep paralysis), before drinking their blood and eating their flesh. It scared to death or ate anybody that traveled along the paths or roads it inhabited. Empusa or Empousa (Ancient Greek: Ἔμπουσα; plural: Ἔμπουσαι Empousai) is a shape-shifting female being in Greek mythology, said to possess a single leg of copper, commanded by Hecate, whose precise nature is obscure. When she spotted a man sleeping on the road, she attacked him, little knowing he was Zeus, king of the gods. empusae). Antiquity provides us with shape-shifting, blood-sucking succubi (the Greek empousa or Latin lamia), maidens who return from the dead to fulfill their thwarted sexual destiny, and witches who either resuscitate the dead for prophetic purposes or surreptitiously remove vital organs, leaving the apparently intact victim to die shortly afterwards. In Wicked Wings by Keri Arthur, the villains are three empusae who are eating the flesh of their prey. The origin of the figure is unclear. In Greek mythology, Empusae were a mix of demigoddesses and vampiric demons, who were servants of Hecate. In later incarnations she appeared as a species of monsters commanded by Hecate (known in English as an empuse). She was initially based on vampires and was said to feast on blood by seducing young men as they slept, before drinking their blood and eating their flesh. The empusae were sent by Hecate to guard roads and devour travelers (Hecate was also the goddess of roadsides). They had a leg of bronze and a hoofed foot of a horse. The example was from Arachova (Parnassus) and published by Bernhard Schmidt [de] (1871)[12][13] Schmidt only speculated that oral lore of empousa might survive somewhere locally. Empusa In ancient Greek mythology, the Empusa (or Empousa) was a female supernatural monster or demoness. (Aristoph Ran. Percy describes the hair as "curly hair like Medusa's". The Empusa/Hecate is said by Aristophanes to appear with coiled snakes in that summoned form. They have appearances that look as if praying mantises and women have been combined, and they have a pair of sickle arms in addition to a pair of arms that look like those of a human. [7] In a different passage of the same work, when Apollonius was journeying from Persia to India, he encountered an empousa, hurling insults at it, coaxing his fellow travellers to join him, whereby it ran and hid, uttering high-pitched screams. She was portrayed by Sarah Alexander. She is often associated or grouped with the demigoddesses Lamia and Mormo, who were likewise related as types of spectres in later mythology (the lamias and mormolyceas, respectively). However, the empusa is basically impossible to beat early game, so players usually give it a wide berth, recreating the whole reason the monsters exist in the first place; to make the player avoid them. Empusa definition: a female demon | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples In Primal, Empusa is among the Wraith-Aristocrates, a fast travelling race of demons, and the wife of the main-antogonist in the third world. Empusa ( Ancient Greek: Ἔμπουσα, Empousa, of unknown meaning) is a demigoddess of Greek mythology. The first, The "Apollonius of Tyana" article from the, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, Lexicon: post Ludolphum Kusterum ad codices manuscriptos. Empusa (along with Lamia and Mormo) is one of the three witches in the film Stardust (dir. (Aristoph Ran. 4.) According to some records, the Empousai ran and hid, uttering a high-pitched scream at the sound of insults. … Hecate sent Empusa to harass travelers. They are similar in appearance to vampires, but have one shaggy donkey leg and one made of bronze. It can also mean a specter. In appearance, she probably resembled Mormo and Lamia. As a group, they assumed the role of the singular Empusa, daughter of Hecate and the spirit Mormo. Apoll. 1094.) But like praying mantises, it seems that they have a limited ability to fly and they are unable to fly freely over long distances. General Information Empusa is a character in Faust, Part Two by Goethe. Whenever a traveler addressed the Empusa with insul… [2], According to 1st century Life of Apollonius of Tyana, the empousa is a phantom (phasma) that took on the appearance of an attractive woman and seduced a young philosophy student in order to eventually devour him. Demigoddess, Succubus. In later Greek mythology, her role was reduced to a species of Hecatea spectre called an empuse or empusa (pl. Athena weaved four scenes in which the … She feasted o… EMPU′SA (Empousa), a monstrous spectre, which was believed to devour human beings. There are three versions of the myth. Empusa is a demi-goddess of Greek mythology. She is credited to be the first vampire-type creature in western mythology. Her mother was probably Hectate. She appears during the Classical Walpurgis Night as Mephisto is being lured by the Lamiae. Source for information on Empusa: The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable dictionary. Arachne in Greek mythology was a weaver who challenged Athena and was consequently transformed into a spider. https://mythology.wikia.org/wiki/Empusa?oldid=116834. The Sphinx Known from: The Legend Of Oedipus Confronted by: Oedipus The first creature on our list is the sphinx; a monster that was said to have the body of a lion, the head of a woman, and the wings of an eagle.The sphinx is perhaps known best for her role in the legend The Empousai is based on the real mythology of Empusa. In later Greek mythology, her role was reduced to a species of spectre called an empuse or empusa (pl. Empusa Ἔμπουσα, Empousa, of unknown meaning) is a demigoddess of Greek mythology.In later incarnations she appeared as a species of monsters commanded by Hecate (known in English as an empuse).. She is often associated or grouped with the demigoddesses Lamia and Mormo, who were likewise related as a kind of spectres in later mythology (the lamias and … When their Whitelighter Noah arrived, the Empusa tried … They are sent by Hecate to guard roads and devour travelers. In later incarnations she appeared as a species of specters commanded by Hecate (known in English as an Empusae). [1] In Late Antiquity, the empousai has been described as a category of phantoms or spectres, equated with the lamiai and mormolykeia, thought to seduce and feed on young men. The Lamiae and Mormolyceia, who assumed the form of hands… In ancient Greek mythology, Empusa was the beautiful daughter of the goddess Hecate and the spirit Mormo. In later incarnations she appeared as a species of monsters commanded by Hecate (known in English as an empuse ). I would like to request a change in the charybdis's spawning, though. Empusa (Greek mythology) Please provide your name, email, and your suggestion so that we can begin assessing any terminology changes. Empusa Pennata, common names Conehead Mantis in English and Mantis Palo in Spanish, is a species of praying mantis in genus Empusa. The primary sources for the empousa in Antiquity are Aristophanes's plays (The Frogs and Ecclesiazusae) and Philostratus's Life of Apollonius of Tyana. The Empusae are sometimes described as having donkey-like features. [17] In Neil Gaiman's novel Stardust the witches are not given individual names. 294, Eccles. Whenever a traveller addressed the monster with insulting words, it used to flee and utter a shrill sound. Empusa (_gr. In later incarnations she appeared as a species of monsters commanded by Hecate (known in English as an empuse). In the Greek myth, this female demon is usually described as having one prosthetic leg, made of brass and the other leg of a donkey; from the waist up, Empusa is a human-like creature, with hideous blemishes and blotches on … The Empusa is a creature with origins in Greek mythology, legend and folklore. [d][4], By the Late Antiquity in Greece, this became a category of beings, designated as empusai (Lat. 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