Mysterious Monsters From Ancient Legends

Grey_Wolf · 07-12-2005, 10:17 AM

I'm at the moment reading AA Attanasio's King Arthur-quartet in which he mentions something called a Lamia - a vicious pair of shapeshifters which has to be kept in an urn and the keeper has to have protective band around his/her throat so that the Lamia won't attack him/her . Have any of you ever read about this before.

trolls' bane · 07-12-2005, 10:20 AM

No...I have heard of some creature that stings you and you get the taste of vinegar in your mouth. It actually exists too. Don't ever want to meet one. *shudder*

Lief Erikson · 07-12-2005, 10:45 AM

I've read at least three Arthur books, and seen a few films, but never heard of those creatures before. Who is AA Attanasio?

Grey_Wolf · 07-12-2005, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lief Erikson

I've read at least three Arthur books, and seen a few films, but never heard of those creatures before. Who is AA Attanasio?

Here's a site:

http://www.aaattanasio.com/

This is the only author in who's book I've ever read about these creatures.

Grey_Wolf · 07-12-2005, 11:22 AM

Lamia

Lamia (lamiai) were harmful spirits who killed infants & seduced sleeping men. One myth tells that the original Lamia was a beautiful queen of Libya, daughter of Belus and Libya, who won Zeus' heart. Hera became jealous of this union & retaliated by killing all her children who were fathered by Zeus. In anger and frustration, Lamia retreated to a cave where she unleashed her wrath by killing the offspring of human mothers, usually by sucking the blood of the children. These actions transformed Lamia's beauty into ugliness, but she was able to briefly regain her beauty to seduce men, & is said to have drunk their blood.

Philostatus described an account of the lamiai in his Life of Apollonius. This tale told of how one of Apollonius' students, Menippus, was attracted to a beautiful rich woman who first appeared to him in an apparition. The apparition gave him details on where to find the girl. Menippus fell in love with the girl and told Apollonius about the event. When they confronted the girl, Apollonius told Menippus, "And that you may realize the truth of what I say, this fine bride is one of the vampires (empusai), that is to say of those beings whom may regard as lamiai and hobgoblins (mormolykiai). These beings fall in love, and they are devoted to the delights of Aphrodite, but especially in the flesh of human beings, and they decoy with such delights those whom they mean to devour in their feats."

Apollonius then proved his point to Menippus by confronting the lamiai. As he revealed each element, her disguise faded, and soon she admitted her plans and her habit of feeding "upon young and beautiful bodies because their blood is pure and strong."

The word lamia appears to have many connotations in folklore. She is sometimes associated with Adam's first wife, Lilith, in Jewish folklore. In Isaiah 34, "lilith" is translated as a screeching owl or night monster in many different translations. Most demonologists considered the lamia to be minor spirits who disturbed sleep in some way.

(taken from this site: http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/deliri...logy/lamia.asp)

trolls' bane · 07-12-2005, 11:30 AM

Well, I think I've decided that I never wish to meet one.

Spock · 07-12-2005, 12:28 PM

Indeed, what a horrid creature. I'd never run across this before and it's my "learn one for the day" item.

Lief Erikson · 07-12-2005, 01:17 PM

The creature sounds rather like the African shapeshifters. They're animals that according to myth can take on the appearance of people, thus decieving people until they have a chance to devour them.

There was a tale of a woman who was betrothed to an attractive and wealthy young man. She was enamored with him, but her brother thought the man was a shapeshifter. Because of that, the brother attended her and her bridegroom on their honeymoon.

When the bridegroom left (they were in a forest) the brother erected a large fence of bushes around himself and the bride. Then they waited. A huge pack of wolves assailed them, having been summoned by the shapeshifter, and the bride realized her brother had been right. They returned home in safety.

Of course, it's quite possible that the wolves simply ate the bridegroom while he was out for a walk . . . but that's not important

.

Spock · 07-12-2005, 01:20 PM

..what would Odo say.

07-12-2005, 10:17 AM	#1
Grey_Wolf Elf Lord Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mirkwood, well actually I live in North-west Scania, Sweden Posts: 9,481	Mysterious Monsters From Ancient Legends I'm at the moment reading AA Attanasio's King Arthur-quartet in which he mentions something called a Lamia - a vicious pair of shapeshifters which has to be kept in an urn and the keeper has to have protective band around his/her throat so that the Lamia won't attack him/her . Have any of you ever read about this before.

07-12-2005, 10:20 AM	#2
trolls' bane Entmoot Secretary of the Treasury Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Campsite-by-Giraffe Posts: 5,408	No...I have heard of some creature that stings you and you get the taste of vinegar in your mouth. It actually exists too. Don't ever want to meet one. shudder __________________ KI6PFA Amateur Radio Operator

07-12-2005, 10:45 AM	#3
Lief Erikson Elf Lord Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Fountain Valley, CA Posts: 6,343	I've read at least three Arthur books, and seen a few films, but never heard of those creatures before. Who is AA Attanasio? __________________ If the world has indeed, as I have said, been built of sorrow, it has been built by the hands of love, because in no other way could the soul of man, for whom the world was made, reach the full stature of its perfection. ~Oscar Wilde, written from prison Oscar Wilde's last words: "Either the wallpaper goes, or I do."

07-12-2005, 11:30 AM	#6
trolls' bane Entmoot Secretary of the Treasury Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Campsite-by-Giraffe Posts: 5,408	Well, I think I've decided that I never wish to meet one. __________________ KI6PFA Amateur Radio Operator

07-12-2005, 12:28 PM	#7
Spock An enigma in a conundrum Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 6,476	Indeed, what a horrid creature. I'd never run across this before and it's my "learn one for the day" item. __________________ Vizzini: "HE DIDN'T FALL?! INCONCEIVABLE!!" Inigo: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

07-12-2005, 11:22 AM	#5
Grey_Wolf Elf Lord Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mirkwood, well actually I live in North-west Scania, Sweden Posts: 9,481	Lamia Lamia (lamiai) were harmful spirits who killed infants & seduced sleeping men. One myth tells that the original Lamia was a beautiful queen of Libya, daughter of Belus and Libya, who won Zeus' heart. Hera became jealous of this union & retaliated by killing all her children who were fathered by Zeus. In anger and frustration, Lamia retreated to a cave where she unleashed her wrath by killing the offspring of human mothers, usually by sucking the blood of the children. These actions transformed Lamia's beauty into ugliness, but she was able to briefly regain her beauty to seduce men, & is said to have drunk their blood. Philostatus described an account of the lamiai in his Life of Apollonius. This tale told of how one of Apollonius' students, Menippus, was attracted to a beautiful rich woman who first appeared to him in an apparition. The apparition gave him details on where to find the girl. Menippus fell in love with the girl and told Apollonius about the event. When they confronted the girl, Apollonius told Menippus, "And that you may realize the truth of what I say, this fine bride is one of the vampires (empusai), that is to say of those beings whom may regard as lamiai and hobgoblins (mormolykiai). These beings fall in love, and they are devoted to the delights of Aphrodite, but especially in the flesh of human beings, and they decoy with such delights those whom they mean to devour in their feats." Apollonius then proved his point to Menippus by confronting the lamiai. As he revealed each element, her disguise faded, and soon she admitted her plans and her habit of feeding "upon young and beautiful bodies because their blood is pure and strong." The word lamia appears to have many connotations in folklore. She is sometimes associated with Adam's first wife, Lilith, in Jewish folklore. In Isaiah 34, "lilith" is translated as a screeching owl or night monster in many different translations. Most demonologists considered the lamia to be minor spirits who disturbed sleep in some way. (taken from this site: http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/deliri...logy/lamia.asp)

07-12-2005, 01:17 PM	#8
Lief Erikson Elf Lord Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Fountain Valley, CA Posts: 6,343	The creature sounds rather like the African shapeshifters. They're animals that according to myth can take on the appearance of people, thus decieving people until they have a chance to devour them. There was a tale of a woman who was betrothed to an attractive and wealthy young man. She was enamored with him, but her brother thought the man was a shapeshifter. Because of that, the brother attended her and her bridegroom on their honeymoon. When the bridegroom left (they were in a forest) the brother erected a large fence of bushes around himself and the bride. Then they waited. A huge pack of wolves assailed them, having been summoned by the shapeshifter, and the bride realized her brother had been right. They returned home in safety. Of course, it's quite possible that the wolves simply ate the bridegroom while he was out for a walk . . . but that's not important . __________________ If the world has indeed, as I have said, been built of sorrow, it has been built by the hands of love, because in no other way could the soul of man, for whom the world was made, reach the full stature of its perfection. ~Oscar Wilde, written from prison Oscar Wilde's last words: "Either the wallpaper goes, or I do."

07-12-2005, 01:20 PM	#9
Spock An enigma in a conundrum Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 6,476	..what would Odo say. __________________ Vizzini: "HE DIDN'T FALL?! INCONCEIVABLE!!" Inigo: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Ancient Cultures	Falagar	General Messages	111	05-24-2007 01:37 AM
Whats on your Bookshelf?	hectorberlioz	General Literature	135	02-12-2007 07:26 PM
Harry Potter Now In Ancient Greek	Spock	Harry Potter	6	08-19-2005 01:30 AM
7 Ancient Wonders of Middle Earth	webwizard333	Middle Earth	24	11-15-2002 05:09 PM