  |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, strong drug use, extremely traumatic themes, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
Lamia is a figure in Greek mythology who began as a beautiful mortal queen who angered the Olympian gods when she had an affair with the chief god Zeus - in a fit of jealous rage, his wife Hera (a goddess known for her cruelty) cast a curse upon the queen and killed her children.
Driven insane by the deaths of her children Lamia became a child-eating demon that devoured many children.
In the original myth, her face was said to become horribly deformed as a result, but in later tellings of the tale, she takes on serpentine features (a trait that has remained associated with her).
In order to try and relieve Lamia of some of her grief, Zeus removed her eyes, so that she could earn temporary relief from the haunting memories of her children's demise. The reason why Lamia got temporary relief when her eyes were removed because Hera cursed Lamia with images and memories with the death of her children that haunted her everytime she fell asleep the images and memories kept Lamia awake so Zeus gave her the ability to remove her eyes whenever she tries to rest.
Later, the figure of Lamia became a sort of bogeyman figure told to frighten children into good behavior, the idea of a child-killing demon can also be found in the Biblical demon Lilith.
While Lamia is known to take children from their mother and devour them in some stories it is said that Lamia will also target pregnant women tearing open their bellies and eating the fetuses of the unborn child.
Despite her transformation into a hideous monster Lamia still remained queen of Libya and her soldiers remained loyal to her so loyal that they carried out any order she gave them. After her transformation Lamia order her soldiers to kidnap children from their mothers so their queen would eat them her soldiers carried out this order with out question.
Although she was queen of Libya and lived in ancient Greece in some stores it says that Lamia was born in Egypt and Zeus brought her over Lamos Italy where the two of them fell in love and had many children. Before getting turned into a monster Lamia was a mortal human queen who came from Egypt her parents were also mortal royalty as well her father was Belus king of Egypt and her mother was Lybie queen of Libya.
Over the years there have been many different stories of Lamia some mention her as a mortal queen and others mention her as monster who eat children. As the years went by some stories of Lamia have made her a seductive monster who lures young men to fall in love with her only to kill them and devour their flesh. Although she is still a monster in the stories where she eats young men Lamia is much more beautiful in those tales however in the stories where she devours children she is much more ugly and hideous. Regardless weather she is described as beautiful or ugly she is still a monster that eats humans.
Even though myths of Lamia originated from ancient Greek stories of her started spreading to different locations across the world Lamia was even mentioned in medieval culture. Although Lamia has been mentioned as a monster who eats humans through different stories over the years but those myths or stories she has appeared in world wide never gave an origin of how she came to be.
The stories of Lamia from ancient Greek are the only stories that explain how Lamia became the monster that many people know and fear while the other stories from across the world portray her as a monster with no origin story of how she came to exist.
It is possible that Lamia is immortal since her stroy has been passed down through many generations in many different cultures. The reason why she could possibly be immortal because the Lamia who has appeared in stories from different cultures is the same Lamia from ancient Greek. Another reason why she could be immortal because in some stories where heroes rescue young men and children from her there is nothing that mentions about Lamia dying from her encounter with the heroes unlike most other monsters.
While Lamia was the queen of Libya some stories say that the city Lamos was named after her reson for this is because it was home to a race of man eating giants known as the Laestygonians who ate humans just like Lamia. Despite it being home to man eating giants Lamia and Zues traveled to the city to have their children there and after Hera cursed Lamia she became a man eating monster just like Laestygonians. After becoming a monster Lamia took charge of Laestygonians becoming their leader who they followed and worshiped.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- There are some versions of Lamia drinking blood of children and young men instead eating them these versions of her are featured in Marvel comics and DC comics.
- In DC comics and Marvel comics Lamia is similar to a vampire rather than a bogeyman since she drinks blood in both sources.
- Some myths claim that Lamia was the daughter of Poseidon or the daughter of Hecate in the Percy Jackson series, God of War series and DC comics.
- Lamia being the daughter of Hecate is something that was in a few myths which impaired the idea for the Percy Jackson series and DC Comics.
- Now Lamia being the daughter of Poseidon comes from a few myths told in Greek Mythology and is also featured in a comic book from the God of War series.
- Some fantasy franchises such as Elder Scrolls and others made Lamia a race of monsters rather her just being one monster like in ancient Greek.
[]
 Villains
| ||
|
Gods Titans Primordials Gigantes Monsters Mortals | ||
