Lamia: The Deadly Infant-eating Monster of Ancient Greek Mythology
Lamia started as a beautiful young queen who fell in love with Zeus, according to Greek folk traditions. However, certain circumstances changed her appearance into an ugly monster who tormented both children and adults.
She was powerful and was known to roam at night due to her insomnia, certain circumstances changed her appearance into an ugly monster who tormented both children and adults. Keep on reading to discover the myth of Lamia, the beast who scared children.
What Is Lamia?
Lamia was an ugly monster who ate children after she lost her own offspring to Hera, the Queen of the gods. Later, Lamia became a shape-shifting phantom who ate young men after seducing them. The Greeks told the story of Lamia to their children to frighten them.
The Origin Myth of Lamia
Lamia was an enchanting queen who ruled over the kingdom of Libya. She was believed to be the daughter of King Belus of Egypt and Queen Lybie of Libya. Her beauty attracted several suitors including the serial philanderer Zeus who won her heart and the two began an affair that produced several children. Zeus then took her to Lamos, a town in Italy that was famous for flesh-eating giants known as Laestrygonians and that was where Lamia derived her name.
She was powerful and was known to roam at night due to her insomnia. Later, Hera, the wife of Zeus, found out about the couple and fumed with rage. Therefore, Hera punished the couple by either killing or kidnapping their offspring.
The Eyes a Blessing or a Curse
Hera cursed Lamia with insomnia or the inability to shut her eyes so she could always mourn her children without sleeping. Lamia went mad in search of her children everywhere but they were nowhere to be found. Out of vengeance and desperation, she began to devour any child that she could find, since she had lost hers. The more she fed on children, the uglier she became until she was completely unrecognizable.
However, other sources say that her lover, Zeus, blessed her with the gift of prophecy and the ability to take out her eyes and put them back. Zeus also endowed her with the ability to change her shape. Thus, Lamia’s supernatural powers included the ability to open her eyes.
The Story According to Diodorus of Sicily
Diodorus narrated that Lamia was a beautiful but cruel queen of Libya who was born in a cave. When she grew up, she ordered her soldiers to murder all the kidnap and murder all the children in her kingdom. Due to her wicked ways, her physical appearance gradually changed until she became an unrecognizable monster.
Diodorus continued that Lamia consumed a lot of alcohol and was always drunk, thus her citizens were free to do anything that they wished. She couldn’t observe anything that was going on around her which gave rise to the saying that Lamia removed her eyes and put them in a bottle.
Ancient Greek Traditions
In ancient Greek traditions, the monster has been viewed in different circumstances and the story has been told from different perspectives. Lamia has been seen as a child devourer, and as a seductress both in Apollonius of Tyana and in the Metamorphoses of Apuleius.
As a Child-devourer
According to historians, the Lamia name was used by the ancient Greeks to scare their children into being of good behavior. Children who threw tantrums or went against their parents’ rules were often told that Lamia would come and devour them if they continued misbehaving.
The Lamia demon did not cut her victims into pieces but preferred to swallow them whole. Most children who fell victim were not recorded through a few tales exist where a boy was rescued from the belly of the monster.
Another name for Lamia was Mormo and Gello but both of them seem to have different functions. For example, while Lamia swallowed children, Gello attacked the reproductive circle and caused infertility, miscarriage, and the death of infants. However, all of them were used to frighten children into behaving well.
As a Seductress in Apollonius of Tyana
As the years went by, Lamia’s role shifted from being a child devourer to one who feasts on the flesh of men after sleeping with them.
In the popular ancient Greek book Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Lamia was referred to as empoussai, a phantom that seduced young men and ate them. Written by the Greek writer, Philostratus, the book follows the life of the Pythagorean philosopher, Apollonius. The book detailed how Lamia seduced one of the young disciples of Apollonius. Apollonius warns his pupil that he was dating a snake and not a real person.
According to the book, Lamia was in the habit of fattening up her victims while creating illusions of big mansions with many forms of entertainment. She then arranged a wedding feast where she and her victim would exchange vows. Once the vows were exchanged, Lamia would reveal her true identity and devour her victims.
However, in the book, Apollonius came to the aid of his student by revealing Lamia’s true identity. Once his student realized who he had fallen in love with, the illusions disappeared and Lamia vanished.
As a Seductress in The Metamorphoses of Apuleius
In the book, The Metamorphoses of Apuleius, there were two witches referred to as lamiae. These witches, the sisters Panthia and Meroe, tried to suck the blood of a man named Socrates when he tried to escape after Meroe had seduced him. The two sisters caught up with him and thrust a knife into his neck and collected the blood that flowed into a bag. They then cut out his heart and replaced it with a sponge.
Though these sisters were not exactly Lamia, they shared similar qualities like seducing their victims and feeding on them afterward. Therefore, they were compared to Lamia and given the plural version of the name lamiae.
Similar Spirits to Lamia
Other spirits have similar characteristics to Lamia from ancient sources that may have other names. In some instances, they are referred to as lamia or simply have no name.
Poine of Argos
A typical example is Poine of Argos which was a spirit sent down by Apollo to devour the children of Argos as punishment. One source of the myth referred to Poine, which means punishment, as Lamia while other sources referred to it as Ker. In the myth, Apollo impregnated Psamathe, the daughter of the king of Argos. Psamathe gave birth but the child died in infancy.
The king found out about Psamathe’s pregnancy and executed her for being promiscuous. This angered Apollo who sent Poine to destroy the children of Apollo. Poine had a female face and feminine features like breasts. Her body was serpentine and a snake protruded out of her forehead.
Poine would attack the children while they were in their bedrooms and kidnap them. However, she was killed by the Coroebus of Argos.
The Cannibalistic Monsters of Libya
An ancient Libyan myth featured a colony of cannibalistic monsters whose upper body was feminine and their lower body was serpentine. These creatures had a frightening look with the hands of a beast. Though they were not named lamia, some scholars believe that they may have been inspired by the Lamia of Greek mythology.
Different Lamias: Middle Ages Traditions
During the Medieval Age, the term lamia was used to refer to a group of beings and not necessarily an individual. The Greek grammarian, Hesychius of Alexandria, defined lamia as ghosts or even fish. The book of Isaiah also used the term lamia which was translated to mean Lilith, the primordial female demon.
Christians in the ninth Century also warned about Lamia who they thought was a seductive female spirit. The archbishop of Reims, known as Hincmar, believed that the lamiae were dangerous spirits that caused chaos and breakdown of marriages. He listed them as part of the female reproductive spirits of the Middle Ages, commonly referred to as “geniciales familae.”
Sybaris
Another monster who shared similarities with Lamia in the Middle Ages was the giant Sybaris who lived in a cave on Mount Cirphis and fed on both humans and animals. This monster, also known as Lamia, terrorized the people of Delphi, thus they sought answers from the god Apollo as to how to end the terrors. Apollo told them the only way to pacify the beast was to sacrifice a young man to her. The people on Delphi settled on a handsome lad called Alkyoneus as the sacrifice for Sybaris.
On the day of the sacrifice, Alkyoneus was led to the mountain where the beast dwelt but the procession met the brave Eurybarus who fell in love with Alkyoneus. Eurybarus then offered to die in place of Alkyoneus and the people of Delphi agreed. Thus, Eurybarus was prepared for the sacrifice and taken to the mouth of the cave of the deadly monster. Once there, Eurybarus entered the cave, got hold of Sybaris, and threw her off the mountain.
However, Sybaris fell and hit her head against the foot of the mountain and died. From the spot where Sybaris fell sprung a fountain which the locals referred to as Sybaris. As for the same story in comparison with Lamia, the end of her isn’t clear.
Medusa
There were strong comparisons between Lamia and Medusa with some people suggesting that Medusa ate humans. Medusa was a human female with wings and part of the Gorgon sisters who had poisonous snakes on their heads. Unlike Lamia, anyone who looked into the eyes of Medusa immediately became stone. Medusa was killed by Perseus under the instruction of King Polydectes.
The Berbers of North Africa worshipped Medusa as part of their religion, according to the Greek historian Herodotus. The novelist Dionysus Skytobrachion also wrote that Medusa was from Libya making a connection between her and Lamia of Libya. Some people envisaged Medusa as a serpent and this also helped in drawing the link to Lamia. In some accounts of the Medusa myth, Medusa and her sisters had one eye that they could remove and share between themselves just as in the case of Lamia who also had a removable eye.
Lamia, the Daughter of Poseidon
According to several accounts, this Lamia was the daughter of Poseidon who fell in love with Zeus and gave birth to a Sibyl. Many scholars thought the Libyan Lamia, which we encountered earlier, was the same as this Sibyl but other scholars differ. This Lamia gave birth to the monster Scylla who was also a man-eater.
Lamia as Hecate
Some scholars in the Middle Ages also compared Lamia to Hecate due to the various mothers of the sea monster, Scylla. Some versions of Scylla’s myth mention Lamia as the mother of the sea beast while other accounts say Hecate was her mother. Depictions of Hecate with snakes also fueled the comparison with Lamia.
Hecate was the goddess of witchcraft, night, crossroads, graves and ghosts in ancient Greek religion. She was named as part of the empousa (a female shape-shifting monster) which was sometimes referred to as Lamia.
Lamia Compared to Lamashtu
Some drew a comparison between the monster and the Mesopotamian demon, Lamashtu, with many believing the myth of Lamia had its roots in Lamashtu. Lamashtu was an evil goddess who plagued women’s fertility. According to the legend, Lamashtu was responsible for labor pains and would often snatch the children during breastfeeding.
Just like Lamia, Lamashtu would feed on the flesh of the children, chew their bones, and drink their blood. Lamashtu was the daughter of the Mesopotamian god Anu and was depicted as having the head of a lioness and the body of a hairy bird with long talons. She was also featured holding snakes, a pig, and a dog.
The Smell of Lamia
One notable description of Lamia from the Medieval Age is the foul stench that emanated from her. According to the Greek philosopher, Aristophanes, the lamiai had testicles and a strong pungent smell that gave her their hideout away. He also referenced the nauseating foul stench of urine that they poured on Aristomenes, the friend of Socrates, the man whose heart they removed.
Modern Age Representations of Lamia
During the Renaissance period, the term Lamia came to mean people who were incompetent in some academic pursuits, especially philosophy. For example, the Italian scholar, Poliziano, wrote a book titled Lamia which was a mockery of people who held themselves as philosophers but were incompetent in the discipline. However, during the 15th Century, the term referred exclusively to witches.
Description of Lamia
In his 17th Century book, History of Four-footed Beasts, the English cleric Edward Topsell described Lamia as featuring the face and breast of a woman while her legs were that of a goat. He also depicted Lamia as having two huge smelly testicles which gave off a stench similar to sea calves. The body of the lamia was covered in scales.
Modern Adaptations of the Myth
The English poet John Keats adapted Philostratus’ literary work in his book Lamia and Other Poems. American writer, Tristan Travis, wrote a book titled Lamia in which the monster devoured sex offenders in the city of Chicago.
The 2009 movie, Drag Me to Hell, featured Lamia as the main antagonist who tortured its victims for days before they are dragged to hell. In the book, The Demigod Diaries, Rick Riordan, described the monster as possessing bright green eyes and thin arms with long claws. In the TV series, the Witcher, the Lamia weapon is a spiky whip that tears the flesh of its victim.
Modern Folk Traditions
The myth of Lamia is still narrated in modern Greek folklore and the creature still has all its ancient characteristics including killing children and sucking blood. It is also a gluttonous monster that thrived in a filthy environment. Many traditions told of how the Lamia seduced young men and feasted on them and were compared to demons like Succubus and vampires.
The Basque Mythology of Lamia
As already stated, other civilizations also had their version of Lamia and though all versions had some similarities, they had marked differences. In one version of the Basque myth, Lamia was a monster with the head and face of a woman, had beautiful long hair and feet like a duck. They were mostly sighted at the shores hoping that men would pass by so they can tempt them with their allure. Another version portrayed the lamia as a hardworking creature who helped anyone who brought them gifts.
For instance, if a farmer gave them food at night, the lamia would eat it and by the time the farmer returns to the farm the next day, the Lamia would have plowed the entire farm. Other accounts featured the lamia as bridgebuilders who constructed the edifices overnight. Also known as lamiak, it was believed that they left the river they inhabited if they did not finish the bridge by daybreak. However, when the people started building churches near the areas where the lamiak lived, the lamiak disappeared and never returned.
Many areas in the Basque Country are related to the lamiak. For example, Lamikiz in the town of Markina-Xemein, Laminaputzu in the Zeanuri municipality, Lamirain in the Arano village and Lamusin in the village of Sare.
The City of Lamia
A city in central Greece is named after the creature who was the daughter of Poseidon and queen of the Trachineans. Other historical accounts of the city indicate that it was instead named after the occupants of the surrounding areas called the Malians. During the age of Antiquity, the city was the center of trade as it connected the south of Greece to Southeastern Europe. Thus, many civilizations fought to control the city and take advantage of its strategic location.
To prevent occupation by foreign forces, the citizens fortified the city but it was not enough to dissuade the Aetolians, Macedonians, and Thessalians from attacking it. The city was finally brought to its knees by the Romans in the early part of the 2nd Century BC. Later, the Macedonians took control of the city until the Greek states joined forces and fought with the Macedonians. The war, known as the Lamian War, came to an end when the Macedonians ordered a reinforcement of 20,000 soldiers and the Greeks lost their champion, Leosthenes.
Located on the slopes of Mount Othrys, Lamia is a thriving agricultural hub due to its fertile soil that supports plant growth and animal rearing. The city has a football club, PAS Lamia, that was established in 1964 and plays in the Greek premier soccer competition, popularly referred to as the Greek Super League.
Other Greek Myths
According to the Greek comic playwright, Aristophanes, Lamia was based on a real person who killed children. In his plays, he described Lamia’s reproductive organs as having a foul stench leading to speculations over Lamia’s gender. Heraclitus also believed that it was Hera who plucked the eyes of Lamia from their sockets as punishment for sleeping with her husband.
Conclusion
So far, this article has covered many versions of the Lamia story and has discussed her features and roles across many traditions and civilizations. Here is a recap of all that we’ve discovered in this article:
- According to ancient Greek mythology, Lamia was a monster that haunted women during childbirth and devoured them once they were born.
- The story of the Lamia was mostly told to recalcitrant children, to scare them, and to ensure good and responsible behavior.
- The myth of Lamia indicates that she was a beautiful princess of Libya who was punished by Hera to kill her own offspring for having an affair with her husband Zeus.
- The creature was also known to seduce young men and sleep with them after which they fed on their hearts, gnawed their borns, and suck their blood.
- The city of Lamia in Central Greece, known for its arid land that supports its agricultural activities, was named after the monster including the city’s football club, PAS Lamia.
The story of Lamia is still told today to keep children in check and the creature still maintains most of her traditional features including devouring children and sucking their blood. The Lamia is also compared to the succubi and is depicted as having the torso of a woman with a serpentine lower body.
