1. Kikimora.

A witch with a very funny name - Kikimora - is a house spirit, a kind of brownie, only female. Her presence can be recognized by wet footprints on the floor. Why is kikimora considered a witch with whom it is better not to deal? In fact, kikimora is harmless, but if you don’t respect it, it can turn your house upside down: break dishes, scatter things. Therefore, you better respect this witch.

2. Pickaxe, or Circe

Circe, one of the famous characters in Homer's Odyssey, was a witch who lived on the island of Aea. Her hobby was turning passing fishermen into various animals - wolves, lions and others. Before this, she drugged them. When Odysseus found himself on the island, Circe turned his people into pigs, but she could not bewitch Odysseus himself, since he had a magical plant from the gods. After this, he made Circe swear that she would not betray him, and until his return to Ithaca, Odysseus and his men were under Circe's protection.

3. Fairy Morgana

Few people know the heroine of the legend of King Arthur, Fairy Morgan. The myths tell that she constantly perfected her magic in order to destroy Queen Guinevere, who one day drove her out of her court. Fairy Morgana tried to betray Sir Lancelot, Guinevere's lover, and upset all the plans of King Arthur. In the end, she does make peace with King Arthur and brings him to Avalon after his final battle.

4. The Sorceress of Endor

The Witch of Endor may not have been evil. According to legend, King Saul came to her for advice on how to defeat the Philistines. She called for help the ghost of the prophet Samuel, who did not answer this question, but said that victory would be for the king, after which he would go to the next world to his three deceased sons. Wounded in battle, Saul killed himself out of fear. And although the sorceress did not force Saul to kill himself, she was involved in his death.

5. Jenny Greenteas

If you've been to England, you've probably heard about the evil witch Ginny. This witch drowned people young and old for fun. According to other legends, she ate children and the elderly. They also say that she was a real sadist who loved to enjoy the pain of her victims. According to the description, she had a green face and sharp teeth. Usually they used it to scare children so that they would behave well and not go far into the water.

6. Chedip

Chedip is a woman who died during childbirth or committed suicide. She is the Indian equivalent of a succubus. Chedip rides a tiger in the moonlight and when entering the house, no one suspects that she is there. Chedip sucks the life out of every person through their toes and disappears without a trace.

7. “Prophetic Sisters” or Three Witches

Macbeth" is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays with amazing characters, filled with magic, fear, betrayal. Its first characters, who set everything in motion, are the Prophetic Sisters. They personify the destructive force that makes Macbeth spin in a spiral of paranoia and corruption, and then go to Scotland to war for the sake of killing one person. In other words - the Sisters of Fate are the personification of evil.

8. Bell Family Witch

The Bell Family Witch is the most famous witch in American folklore. It is her story that everyone tells around the fire. It is believed that she was a poltergeist who came to the home of John Bell Sr. in 1817 and began attacking members of his family. As a result, she poisoned John Bell himself with poison disguised as medicine.

9. Hecate

Hecate is the daughter of the titan Persian, the Greek goddess of witchcraft, witches, and poisonous plants. To this day, many Greek polytheists worship her. It is believed that the concept of the evil eye came from her. Many temples were erected in her honor. And one of her names, “Chthonia,” means “from the underworld.” Why is she considered so intimidating? Thanks to the fact that she is a witch. If it existed, it would hardly approve of the burning of witches at the stake. After all, many of those women were innocent.

10. Grayi\ Morai

The Graii and Morai are trinities of different types of witches, and they are often confused.
The Morai weave the tapestry of fate, and the fate of every person is tied to their tapestry, even the fate of immortals.
The Grays are three evil sisters, relatives of the Gorgons, who have knowledge of the unknown and of fate, but they do not control it.

T. Khatib, A.D. Singh, H.S. Dua. The Graeae sisters: one eye for three // Br. J. Ophthalmol. – 2012. – Vol. 96.– P. 161.

The phenomenon of reflection originates in our ability to see objects. Almost all natural light comes from the stars, including the Sun. Light reflected from objects is focused on the retina of the eye, creating visual images that allow you to see various objects. Light, its reflection and the ability of the eye to see objects were often used in legends and myths. One of them is the myth of Perseus.

The Delphic Oracle prophesied the death of the king of Argos, Acrisius, at the hands of his grandson. To prevent this from happening, he imprisoned his daughter Danae in prison, where the Greek god Zeus appeared to her in the form of golden rain, after which Danae gave birth to a boy named Perseus.

Having learned about this, Acrisius put Danae and the child in a wooden chest and threw them into the sea. The waves washed the chest onto the shore of the island of Serifos, where the woman and her son were found by a fisherman named Dictis. His brother was the ruler of the island, Polydectes. After some time, he began to court Danae, but Perseus was wary of this and tried to keep the ruler away from his mother.

Meanwhile, Polydectes hatched a plan to remove Perseus from the island by humiliating him. To do this, he organized a grand celebration, supposedly in honor of his engagement to Hippodamia. By law, Perseus was obliged to present the ruler with a gift, but since he had nothing, the young man promised to give Polydectes everything he wanted. He wished to receive as a gift the head of Medusa the Gorgon, a creature whose gaze turned a person to stone.

The goddess Athena, who patronized Perseus, gave him a highly polished shield and a sharp sword, and also advised him to find the Hesperides, who knew how to defeat Medusa. Athena took Perseus to the Graia sisters, who knew where to find the nymphs. The three blind sisters had only one eye for all of them, for the possession of which they constantly had to fight each other. The stubborn sisters did not want to share information with Perseus, so the young man had to steal the eye at the moment when they passed it on to each other. He promised to return the eye in exchange for information about the Hesperides. The sisters had no choice but to direct Perseus to the nymphs. They, in turn, gave the young man an invisibility cap so that he could hide from the eyes of Medusa’s sisters, a pair of sandals for quick movement and a bag in which he could safely store the severed head of the Gorgon.

Once in the cave where Medusa lived and seeing her sleeping, Perseus used the shield as a mirror in which the Gorgon was reflected so that she could not turn him into stone. Drawing his sword, the young man cut off the monster’s head and went to the island of Serifos with the trophy.

The way home lay through Ethiopia, where Perseus managed to save Princess Andromeda from the sea serpent, whom he then married. Returning to the island, the young man learned that in his absence Polydectes had treated his mother unworthily. Entering the master's room, Perseus took out the head of Medusa the Gorgon and turned him into stone. n

Witches and witchcraft have fascinated the minds of everyone, from angry villagers wondering why their women have gained a sense of independence, to the average man in the street wondering whether the herbal tea he drank last night was a potion or just really bad tea. For generations, witches have been seen in folklore as objects of wisdom and evil.

10. Kikimora

Kikimora, whose name is very funny to pronounce, is a domestic spirit who, above all, must be respected. She is the female equivalent and wife of a male brownie or family spirit, and her presence always appears as wet marks. So what makes a kikimora a witch you shouldn't date? Usually, she is quite harmless, but if she is not respected, she will whistle, break dishes and throw things around. If you don't want all your things to be broken, respect this witch.

9. Pickaxe or Circe (Circe)

The famous character in Homer's Odyssey, Circe, was a witch who lived on an island called Aeaea. She had a rather peculiar hobby - she turned passing sailors into wolves, lions and all sorts of other animals after stupefying them with drugs. Well, some people like to collect stamps, others like to turn people into animals. It's not for us to judge her.

When Odysseus visited Aeaea, Circe turned his men into pigs, but the gods gave Odysseus a magical plant that prevented Circe from drugging him. After he made Circe swear that she would not betray him, Odysseus and his men lived for a year under Circe's protection before attempting to sail back to Ithaca.

8. Morgan Le Fay

Most people are vaguely familiar with the legend of King Arthur and his companion the sorcerer Merlin, but few of us remember the heroine of the legend named Morgana the Fairy. In the myths, she works tirelessly on her magic to destroy the good Queen Guinevere, who drove her out of court when she was younger. She tries to betray Guinevere's lover, Sir Lancelot, and thwart the plans of King Arthur's knights. The final fate of Fairy Morgana is unknown, but she eventually makes peace with King Arthur and brings him to Avalon after his final battle.

7. Witch of Endor

The Witch of Endor was not necessarily evil, but the fate she spoke of could not be ignored. According to legend, King Saul went to the Witch of Endor to get answers to questions about how to defeat the Philistines. The sorceress of Endor summoned the ghost of the prophet Samuel, who did not tell him how to defeat the Philistines, but predicted that they would defeat him, and he would go to the next world to his three deceased sons. Saul, who was wounded in battle the next day, killed himself out of fear. And while the sorceress did not technically force Saul to commit suicide, she was undoubtedly involved in his death.

6. Jenny Greenteeth

Depending on where you've heard stories from people in England, you may know about this cruel witch known as Ginny, Jinny, Jeannie, or Wicked Jenny. Jenny Greenteas was a witch who deliberately drowned people young and old just for fun. In some legends, she devours children and the elderly. In other legends, she is simply a sadist who enjoys the pain her victims experience. She is often described as having a green complexion and razor-sharp teeth. As with many other creepy characters from folklore, she was probably used to scare children into behaving and staying close to the water's edge, swimming in the pools in the afternoon. But the moral of the story is: stay away from the green river witches.

5. Chedipe

Ah, Chedip. Who are you: a witch, a vampire or something else? In any case, this is not a beautiful lady under the moonlight. A chedip is a woman who has died during childbirth or committed suicide and who is the Indian equivalent of a succubus. She rides a tiger in the moonlight, and when she enters the house, not a soul wakes up to notice her. Then she sucks the life out of each person through their toes - yes, through their toes - and disappears without a trace.

4. “Prophetic Sisters” or Three Witches (Weird Sisters)

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most outstanding plays, with a ton of amazing characters, and it's also filled with magic, betrayal, and fear. But the very first characters in history are those who set everything in motion - the Prophetic Sisters. And yes, they are certainly more than strange, but in this case “strange” means “fateful”, so they are more likely “Sisters of Fate”. They act as a destructive force and don't just send Macbeth into a spiral of corruption and paranoia, they send all of Scotland to war just to remove one man from power. And this is the real evil.

3. Bell Witch

The Bell Family Witch is the most famous witch in American folklore, and her story is exactly the kind told around the campfire. The Bell Family Witch was allegedly a poltergeist that appeared in the home of John Bell, Sr. in 1817. The Bell family witch attacked family members and often cursed at the family. She eventually poisoned John Bell Sr., leaving behind a bottle of poison disguised as medicine. We must remember to burn some sage today.

2. Hecate

Hecate was the Greek goddess of witchcraft. She was also the goddess of witches, witchcraft, poisonous plants, and many other witchcraft attributes. Hecate was the daughter of the Titan Perses and is still worshiped by some Greek polytheists. It is said that the very concept of the evil eye came from her, and shrines in her honor were erected to moderate the wrath of evil demons and spirits in Greek myth. One of her names “Chthonia” means “from the underworld”.

So what makes her so terrifying? Well, first of all, she is the goddess of witchcraft. If she existed, she probably wouldn't be too kind to Europe's (or Salem, Massachusetts's) ancient habit of hating and burning/killing "witches" (who were most likely just poor innocents). The fact that we've turned witches from scary wise women who can hurt and heal people into beautiful women on TV who use magic to pass exams would probably annoy her.

1. Graeae/Morai

So which witches will top this list? Of course, the spinners of fate themselves. The Grays and the Moiras (Morai) are trinities of witches of different types who understand the vagaries of fate, and based on the fact that they are often confused, we will talk about both trinities. The Morai weave the tapestry of fate, and the fate of every person is tied to their tapestry, even the fate of immortals.

The Graias, on the other hand, were three evil sisters, related to the Gorgons (Medusa and her two lesser-known sisters). The Grays were not the friendliest creatures, but they had one eye for everyone, which they passed on to each other. The Grays also had knowledge of the unknown and of fate, but they did not control it. So which ones are worse? Sisters of Medusa, or those who could cut your thread of life? Probably, dear reader, it’s better to stay away from both trinities.

10. Kikimora

Kikimora, whose name is very funny to pronounce, is a domestic spirit who, above all, must be respected. She is the female equivalent and wife of the male brownie or family spirit and her presence always appears as wet marks. So what makes a kikimora a witch you shouldn't date? Usually, she is quite harmless, but if she is not respected, she will whistle, break dishes and throw things around. If you don't want all your things to be broken, respect this witch.

9. Pickaxe or Circe (Circe)

The famous character in Homer's Odyssey, Circe, was a witch who lived on an island called Aeaea. She had a rather peculiar hobby - she turned passing sailors into wolves, lions and all sorts of other animals after stupefying them with drugs. Well, some people like to collect stamps, others like to turn people into animals. It's not for us to judge her.

8. Morgan Le Fay

Most people are vaguely familiar with the legend of King Arthur and his companion the sorcerer Merlin, but few of us remember the heroine of the legend named Morgana the Fairy. In the myths, she works tirelessly on her magic to destroy the good Queen Guinevere, who drove her out of court when she was younger. She tries to betray Guinevere's lover, Sir Lancelot, and thwart the plans of King Arthur's knights. The final fate of Fairy Morgana is unknown, but she eventually makes peace with King Arthur and brings him to Avalon after his final battle.

7. Witch of Endor

The Witch of Endor was not necessarily evil, but the fate she spoke of could not be ignored. According to legend, King Saul went to the Witch of Endor to get answers to questions about how to defeat the Philistines. The sorceress of Endor summoned the ghost of the prophet Samuel, who did not tell him how to defeat the Philistines, but predicted that they would defeat him and he would go to the next world to his three deceased sons. Saul, who was wounded in battle the next day, killed himself out of fear. And while the sorceress did not technically force Saul to commit suicide, she was undoubtedly involved in his death.

6. Jenny Greenteeth

Depending on where you've heard stories from people in England, you may know about this cruel witch known as Ginny, Jinny, Jeannie or Wicked Jenny. Jenny Greenteas was a witch who deliberately drowned people young and old just for fun. In some legends, she devours children and the elderly. In other legends, she is simply a sadist who enjoys the pain her victims experience. She is often described as having a green complexion and razor-sharp teeth. As with many other creepy characters from folklore, she was probably used to scare children into behaving and staying close to the water's edge, swimming in the pools in the afternoon. But the moral of the story is: stay away from the green river witches.

5. Chedipe

Ah, Chedip. Who are you: a witch, a vampire or something else? In any case, this is not a beautiful lady under the moonlight. A chedip is a woman who has died during childbirth or committed suicide and is the Indian equivalent of a succubus. She rides a tiger in the moonlight and when she enters the house, not a single soul wakes up or notices her. She then sucks the life out of each person through their toes - yes, through their toes - and disappears without a trace.

4. “Prophetic Sisters” or Three Witches (Weird Sisters)

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most outstanding plays, with a ton of amazing characters, and it's also filled with magic, betrayal, and fear. But the very first characters in history are those who set everything in motion - the Prophetic Sisters. And yes, they are certainly more than strange, but in this case “strange” means “fateful”, so they are more likely “Sisters of Fate”. They act as a destructive force and don't just send Macbeth into a spiral of corruption and paranoia, they send all of Scotland to war just to remove one man from power. And this is the real evil.

3. Bell Witch

The Bell Family Witch is the most famous witch in American folklore, and her story is exactly the kind told around the campfire. The Bell Family Witch was allegedly a poltergeist that appeared in the home of John Bell, Sr. in 1817. The Bell family witch attacked family members and often cursed at the family. She eventually poisoned John Bell Sr., leaving behind a bottle of poison disguised as medicine. We must remember to burn some sage today.

2. Hecate

Hecate was the Greek goddess of witchcraft. She was also the goddess of witches, witchcraft, poisonous plants, and many other witchcraft attributes. Hecate was the daughter of the Titan Perses and is still worshiped by some Greek polytheists. It is said that the very concept of the evil eye came from her and shrines in her honor were erected to moderate the wrath of evil demons and spirits in Greek myths. One of her names “Chthonia” means “from the underworld”.

1. Graeae / Morai

So which witches will top this list? Of course, the spinners of fate themselves. The Graii and Morai are trios of witches of different species who understand the vagaries of fate, and since they are often confused, we will talk about both trinities. The Morai weave a tapestry of fate, and the fate of every person is tied to their tapestry, even the fate of immortals.

The Graias, on the other hand, were three evil sisters, related to the Gorgons (Medusa and her two lesser-known sisters). The Grays were not the friendliest creatures, but they had one eye for everyone, which they passed on to each other. The Grays also had knowledge of the unknown and of fate, but they did not control it. So which ones are worse? Sisters of Medusa or those who could cut your thread of life? Probably, dear reader, it’s better to stay away from both trinities.

List of monsters, demons, giants and magical creatures of ancient Greek mythology

Cyclops- in ancient Greek mythology, giants with a large, round, fiery eye in the middle of their forehead. The first three Cyclops were born by the goddess Gaia (Earth) from Uranus (Sky). In ancient times, Cyclopes were personifications of thunderclouds, from which the “eye” of lightning sparkles.

Cyclops Polyphemus. Painting by Tischbein, 1802

Hecatoncheires - the children of Gaia and Uranus, hundred-armed giants, against whose terrible power nothing can resist. Mythical embodiments of terrible earthquakes and floods. The Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires were so strong that Uranus himself was horrified by their power. He tied them up and threw them deep into the earth, where they went on a rampage, causing volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The presence of these giants in her womb began to cause terrible suffering to Earth-Gaia, and she persuaded her youngest son, the titan Cronus (“Time”), to take revenge on his father, Uranus, by castrating him. Cron did it with a sickle.

From the drops of blood of Uranus that spilled during castration, Gaia conceived and gave birth to three Erinny- goddesses of vengeance with snakes on their heads instead of hair. The names of Erinny are Tisiphone (the killing avenger), Alecto (the tireless pursuer) and Megaera (the terrible).

The Goddess of the Night (Nyukta), in anger at the lawlessness committed by Kron, gave birth to terrible, monstrous creatures: Tanata (Death), Eridu(Discord) Apata(Deception), Ker(goddesses of violent death), Hypnos(Dream), Nemesis(Revenge), Gerasa(Old age), Charona(carrier of the dead to the underworld).

Phorcys- the evil god of the stormy sea and storms. In ancient Greek mythology, the children of Phorcys were considered to be the monsters Gorgons, Grays, Sirens, Echidna and Scylla.

Keto- the evil goddess of the sea depths, sister and wife of Phorcys. Both of them personified the majestic and terrible phenomena of the sea

Grayi- personification of Old Age. Three ugly sisters: Deino (trembling), Pemphedo (Anxiety) and Enyo (anger, horror). Gray from birth, they have one eye and one tooth for three. This eye was once stolen from them by the hero Perseus. In exchange for the return of the eye, the Grays had to show Perseus the way to Medusa the Gorgon.

Skilla(Scylla - “Barking”) is a terrible monster with 12 paws, six necks and six heads, each of which has three rows of teeth. Scylla makes a continuous high-pitched bark.

Charybdis- the personification of the all-consuming abyss of the sea. A terrible whirlpool that absorbs and spews out sea moisture three times a day. The ancient Greeks believed that Scylla and Charybdis lived on opposite sides of the Strait of Messina (between Italy and Sicily). Odysseus sailed between Scylla and Charybdis during his travels

Gorgons- three sisters, three winged snake-haired monsters. The names of the Gorgons are: Euryale (“jumping far”), Stheno (“mighty”) and Medusa (“mistress, guard”). Of the three sisters, only Medusa was mortal, who had the ability to turn everything to stone with her terrible gaze. She was killed by the hero Perseus. The look of the dead Gorgon Medusa, which retained its magical power, later helped Perseus defeat the sea monster and save the beautiful Andromeda.

Head of Medusa. Painting by Rubens, c. 1617-1618

Pegasus- winged horse, favorite of the muses. Conceived by Medusa the Gorgon from the god Poseidon. While killing Medusa, Perseus jumped out of her body.

Sirens- in ancient Greek myths, monsters that have a beautiful female head, and the body and legs are bird-like (according to other stories - fish-like). With their enchanting singing, sirens lured sailors to their magical island, where they tore them into pieces and devoured them. Only the ship of Odysseus passed this island safely. He ordered all his companions to cover their ears with wax so as not to hear the voices of the sirens. He himself enjoyed their singing, tightly tied to the mast.

Odysseus and the Sirens. Painting by J. W. Waterhouse, 1891

Echidna(“Viper”) is a gigantic half-woman, half-snake of a ferocious character, with a beautiful face and a spotted snake body.

Tavmant- god of sea wonders, underwater giant. The harpies were considered his daughters.

Harpies– in ancient Greek mythology – the personification of destructive storms and whirlwinds. Monsters that have the wings and clawed feet of a vulture, but the chest and head are female. They suddenly swoop in and disappear. They kidnap children and human souls.

Typhon(“Smoke, Chad”) is a terrible monster born of Gaia-Earth. The personification of gases that burst from the bowels of the earth and cause volcanic eruptions. Typhon entered into a struggle with Zeus for power over the universe and almost won it. In ancient Greek myths, Typhon is a giant who had a hundred hissing dragon heads with black tongues and flaming eyes. Zeus blew off all of Typhon's heads with lightning and cast his body into the abyss of Tartarus.

Zeus throws lightning at Typhon

Kerber(Cerberus) is a terrible three-headed dog, the son of Typhon and Echidna. The guardian of the exit from the underworld of Hades, who does not let anyone out of there. Hercules, during his eleventh labor, took Kerberus away from the bowels of the earth, but then he was returned back

Orff- a monstrous two-headed dog, the son of Typhon and Echidna, the father of the Sphinx and the Nemean Lion. It belonged to the giant Geryon and was guarded by his magical bulls. Killed by Hercules during the abduction of these bulls (tenth labor).

(“Strangler”) - in ancient Greek mythology (as opposed to Egyptian) - a monstrous maiden with the body of a dog, the wings of a bird and a woman’s head. Having settled near the city of Thebes in Boeotia, the Sphinx devoured young men who could not solve her riddle: “who walks in the morning on four legs, in the afternoon on two, and in the evening on three.” The hero Oedipus solved the riddle, and the Sphinx then threw herself into the abyss.

Sphinx. Detail of a painting by F. C. Fabre. Late XVIII - early XIX centuries.

Empusa- in ancient Greek mythology, a night ghost, a woman with donkey legs, who could take on a wide variety of guises (most often a cow, a beautiful girl or a dog with one leg of copper and the other of dung). She sucked blood from sleeping people and often devoured their flesh.

Lamia- in ancient Greek myths, the daughter of Poseidon, with whom Zeus entered into a relationship. Zeus's wife, Hera, was angry at this, deprived Lamia of her beauty, made her an ugly monster and killed her children. In desperation, Lamia began to take children from other mothers. She ate these children. Since then, she has regained her beauty only in order to seduce men, and then kill them and drink their blood. Falling into a mad frenzy, Lamia can only fall asleep after taking out her own eyes and putting them in a bowl. In later fairy tales, lamias were a special kind of creature, close to medieval vampires.

Nemean lion - son of Typhon and Echidna. A huge lion with skin that no weapon could pierce. Strangled by Hercules during his first labor.

Hercules kills the Nemean lion. Copy from the statue of Lysippos

Lernaean Hydra - daughter of Typhon and Echidna. A huge snake with nine heads, in which, instead of one severed, three new ones grew. Killed by Hercules during the second labor: the hero, having cut off Hydra's head, cauterized the severed area with a burning brand, causing new heads to stop growing.

Stymphalian birds - monstrous birds fed by the god Ares with copper beaks, claws and feathers, which they could throw to the ground like arrows. They ate people and crops. Partially exterminated, partially driven away by Hercules during his third labor.

Kerynean fallow deer - a doe with golden horns and copper legs, who never knew fatigue. She was sent as a punishment to people by the goddess Artemis to the ancient Greek region of Arcadia, where she rushed through the fields, devastating crops. Caught by Hercules during his fourth labor. The hero chased the doe for a whole year and overtook her far in the north, at the source of the Istra (Danube).

Erymanthian boar - a huge boar who lived in Arcadia, on Mount Erymanthes, and terrified the entire area. The fifth labor of Hercules was that he drove this boar into deep snow. When the boar got stuck there, Hercules tied it up and took it to King Eurystheus.

Hercules and the Erymanthian boar. Statue of L. Tuyon, 1904

Horses of Diomedes – the mares of the Thracian king Diomedes ate human flesh and were chained to stalls with iron chains, because no other fetters could hold them. During his eighth labor, Hercules took possession of these monstrous horses, but they tore apart his companion, Abdera.

Geryon- a giant from the island of Erithia located on the western edge of the earth. Had three torsos, three heads, six arms and six legs. Performing his tenth labor, Hercules reached Erithia on the golden boat of the solar god Helios and entered into battle with Geryon, who threw three spears at him at once. Hercules killed the giant and his two-headed dog Orff, after which he drove the magical cows of Geryon to Greece.

Periphetus- in ancient Greek mythology, a lame giant, son of the god Hephaestus. He lived in the mountains near the cities of Epidaurus and Troezena and killed all passing travelers with an iron club. Killed by the hero Theseus, who from then on carried the club of Periphetus with him everywhere, like Hercules carried the skin of the Nemean lion.

Sinid- a ferocious giant robber who killed people he met, tying them to two bent pine trees, which he then released. The pines, straightening up, tore the unfortunate people apart. Killed by the hero Theseus.

Skiron- a giant robber who lived on the edge of one of the rocks of the Greek Isthmus. Forced passers-by to wash their feet. As soon as the traveler bent down to do this, Skiron threw him off the cliff into the sea with a push of his foot. The bodies of the dead were devoured by a gigantic turtle. Sciron was killed by Theseus.

Kerkion- a monstrous giant who challenged Theseus to a wrestling match. Theseus strangled him with his hands in midair, just as Hercules Antaeus once did.

Procrustes(“Puller”) - (another name is Damast) a ferocious villain who laid people who fell into his hands on his bed. If the bed was short, Procrustes cut off the unfortunate man’s legs, and if it was long, he stretched him to the required size. Killed by Theseus. The expression “Procrustean bed” has become a common noun.

Minotaur- son born of the wife of the Cretan king Minos, Pasiphae, from an unnatural passion for a bull. The Minotaur was a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull. Minos kept him in the Labyrinth, which was built by the great master Daedalus in the capital of Crete, Knossos. The Minotaur was a cannibal and fed on criminals sentenced to death, as well as boys and girls who were sent to Crete from Athens as tribute. Killed by Theseus: he voluntarily went to Minos among the doomed “tributaries”, killed Minos in the Labyrinth, and then safely emerged from this tangled structure with the help of the Minotaur’s sister, Ariadne, who was in love with him, and her thread.

Theseus kills the Minotaur. Drawing on an ancient Greek vase

Laestrygonians- in ancient Greek myths, a tribe of cannibal giants who lived on one of the islands, past which Odysseus sailed. The Laestrygonians strung the captured sailors on stakes like fish and carried them away to be devoured, and their ships smashed them by throwing huge stones from the rocks.

Pick(among the Romans Circe) is the daughter of the sun god Helios, the sister of the evil king of Colchis Eetos, from whom the Argonauts stole the Golden Fleece. An evil witch who lived on the island of Ee. Friendly luring travelers into her home, she treated them to delicious dishes mixed with a magic potion. This potion turned people into animals (most often into pigs). Odysseus, who visited Kirk, escaped from her witchcraft with the help of a moth flower received from the god Hermes. Odysseus entered into a love affair with Kirka, and she had three sons from him.

Kirk hands Odysseus a cup of witchcraft potion. Painting by J.W. Waterhouse

Chimera(“Young goat”) - in ancient Greek mythology, a monster with the head and neck of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a snake. Killed by the hero Bellerophon.

Styx(from the common Indo-European root “cold”, “horror”) - the personification of primitive horror and darkness and the goddess of the river of the same name in the underground kingdom of Hades. Lives in the far west, in the abode of the night. Lives in a luxurious palace, whose silver columns reach into the sky.

Charon- among the ancient Greeks, the carrier of the souls of the dead across the River Styx. A gloomy old man in rags, with feverishly looking eyes. The name is sometimes translated as "sharp-eyed."

Python(from the word “rot”) - a terrible dragon that owned the Delphic sanctuary in ancient times. Python, like Typhon, was the son of Gaia. Python encircled the surrounding area of Delphi with seven or nine rings of his long body. The god Apollo entered into battle with him and killed Python by firing 100 (according to other ancient Greek myths - 1000) arrows. After this, the Delphic sanctuary became the temple of Apollo. His prophetess, Pythia, is named after Python.

Giants- sons of Gaia-Earth. 150 terrible monsters with dragon tails instead of legs and human bodies. The giants were covered with thick hair and had long beards. Gaia gave birth to them either from drops of blood from the severed genital organ of Uranus, or from the seed of Tartarus, or on her own, angry that