Greek mythology in popular culture
Encyclopedia
Elements of Greek mythology
have appeared many times in popular culture. These elements include the gods of varying stature, humans, demigods, titans, giants, monsters, nymphs, and famed locations. Their use can range from a brief allusion to the use of the actual Greek character as a character in a work. Some types of creatures -- such as centaurs and nymphs -- are used as a generic type rather than individuated characters out of myth.
Aphrodite
Apollo
Ares
Artemis
Athena
Demeter
Dionysus
Hades
Hephaestus
Hera
Hermes
Hestia
Poseidon
Zeus
Aeolus
Circe
Eros
Euphrosyne
Flora
Hecate
Hypnos
Iris
Moirae
Morpheus
Nyx
Pan
Thanatos
Achilles
The Argonauts
The Australian Broadcasting Commission
featured Jason and the Argonauts in its The Argonauts' Club
children's program. Children listened to the afternoon radio program and interacted with the presenters, whose leader was "Jason", by sending in stories, poems, and art works, some of which were described on air. Their interaction helped them gain status within the organisation, such as "The Order of the Dragon's Tooth" and "Order of the Golden Fleece", but members were only ever known by their Ship and number (Oar) in its crew of fifty. The format was devised by author Nina Murdoch
in 1931 then revived and developed by Ida Elizabeth Osbourne
in 1941 and ran until 2 April 1972. The longest serving presenter, and "Jason" throughout, was Atholl Fleming
who died in May 1972. Warwick Lobban also referenced the Argonauts in his song "The Prospective Argonaut".
XTC
's 1982 album English Settlement
features the song "Jason and the Argonauts".
Ariadne
Castor and Pollux
Cephalus
Cephalus appears as a character called the Huntsman
in Marvel Comics who is an adversary of Hercules
.
Endymion
Eumaeus
Galatea
Jason
Maenad
Medea
Midas
Orpheus
Pandora
Perseus
Pygmalion
Theseus
Antaeus
Erinyes
Euryale
Hydra
The Hydra has featured prominently in video games of a fantasy setting:
Lamia
Lamia
makes many appearances in popular culture In the series Rosario + Vampire
, Kagome Ririko is a lamia.
In the 2006 movie Pan's Labyrinth
, directed by Guillermo del Toro
, the character of the Pale Man borrows much of its personality from the Lamia, including its predeliction for eating children and the ability to remove its own eyes.
In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, Lamia appears to molest and threaten Quentin; Quentin's ability to identify and name her is treated as proof that he has not lost his memories.
In Kathi Appelt
's novel The Underneath
, Lamia is a character called Grandmother Moccasin.
Lamia appears in AdventureQuest Worlds
. They are found in the Djinn Realm when the players head their to fight Tibicenas. Lamia is shown as a recolored and altered version of Nure-onna
.
The lamia
is a type of creature in the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy role-playing game, especially known for actively consuming musa acuminata.
Medusa
Polyphemus
Porphyrion
In the British
novel
Howards End
(1910), by E.M. Forster, Porphyrion is the name of a large insurance company based in London where one of the minor characters, Mr. Leonard Bast, works as a clerk. In this case, the classical allusion to the Greek
giant
serves as an ironic comment on the un-heroic, impersonal work with which the modern (i.e. early twentieth century) business ethic dehumanizes individuals.
Porphyrion also appears in the direct to video animated film, Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus
. Here he is the Earth Elemental Titan is the Titan's leader.
Scylla
Scylla and Charybdis appear in the 1997 miniseries
The Odyssey
directed by Andrei Konchalovsky
and produced by Francis Ford Coppola
, when Odysseus
(Armand Assante) tries to cross the Strait of Messina.
The movie Wing Commander
features a pair of space-time anomalies named Scylla and Charybdis.
In the Xena: Warrior Princess
episode "Lost Mariner," the plot revolves around the tale of Cecrops
. He eventually sacrifices himself by jumping into Charybdis to save the lives of all aboard his cursed ship.
The Police
referenced Scylla and Charybdis in their 1983 hit single "Wrapped Around Your Finger
" from Synchronicity. Track 2 on the 2008 album Shogun by Metal
band Trivium
is entitled "Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis". Also, there is a Massachusetts band called Of Blessings and Burdens who had a song called "Between Scylla and Charybdis". Part 6 of the metal band Symphony X
's song "The Odyssey"on the album "The Odyssey" is entitled "Scylla And Charybdis". Azita
has a song "Scylla and Charybdis" which is on her album "How Will You?".
The Radio Tales
drama "Homer's Odyssey: The Voyage Home" adapts the portion of Homer's epic poem featuring Charybdis and Scylla.
Scylla
Stheno
Nymph
Nymphs often appear in modern popular culture, both as generic beings and as special characters from folklore
Calypso
Oenone
Thetis
Erebus
Fortunate Isles
River Phlegethon
It is a river traveled upon by the Incarnation of War, named Mym, in the Piers Anthony
novel Wielding a Red Sword
. When Mym is lured into Hell
, he decides to incite rebellion against the forces of Satan
and uses four of the five major waterways of Hell, among which are the River Lethe, the Archeron, the River Kyoktys, and the River Styx.
Tartarus
character Wonder Woman
is one of a nation of Amazons originating from a magically-hidden island called Themyscira
, originally called "Paradise Island" from Wonder Woman's first appearance in All Star Comics
#8 (December 1941) until the character's February 1987 relaunch in Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #1.
Argos
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
have appeared many times in popular culture. These elements include the gods of varying stature, humans, demigods, titans, giants, monsters, nymphs, and famed locations. Their use can range from a brief allusion to the use of the actual Greek character as a character in a work. Some types of creatures -- such as centaurs and nymphs -- are used as a generic type rather than individuated characters out of myth.
AphroditeAphroditeAphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
- Aphrodite, referred to as "Lady Cyprian", appears in John C. Wright's Orphans of ChaosOrphans of ChaosOrphans of Chaos is a 2005 fantasy novel by John C. Wright. It is the first volume of a trilogy that continues with the novels Fugitives of Chaos and Titans of Chaos .-Plot synopsis:...
and is one of the three goddesses who will determine who succeeds to the throne of Zeus. - Venus appears in The Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of Washington is the immense fresco painted by Italian artist Constantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through the oculus of the dome in the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building. The fresco is suspended above the rotunda floor and covers an area of . The figures painted are...
, holding the transatlantic cable. - In "F. Anstey'sThomas Anstey GuthrieThomas Anstey Guthrie , was an English novelist and journalist, who wrote his comic novels under the pseudonym F. Anstey....
" novel The Tinted Venus (1885), a statue of Venus comes to life. This story was later adapted into the musical One Touch of VenusOne Touch of VenusOne Touch of Venus is a musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash, based on the novella The Tinted Venus by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, and very loosely spoofing the Pygmalion myth. The show satirizes contemporary American suburban values,...
with music by Kurt WeillKurt WeillKurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
and book written by S. J. PerelmanS. J. PerelmanSidney Joseph Perelman, almost always known as S. J. Perelman , was an American humorist, author, and screenwriter. He is best known for his humorous short pieces written over many years for The New Yorker...
and Ogden NashOgden NashFrederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
. - Venus is the heroine of John Erskine'sJohn Erskine (educator)John Erskine was a U.S. educator and author, born in New York City and raised in Weehawken, New Jersey. He graduated from Columbia University ....
humourous novel Venus, the Lonely Goddess (1949).
ApolloApolloApollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
- Apollo appears in the Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series, and is the father of a large number of campers. - In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, Apollo, as "Phoebus the Bright God" and "Destroyer", is one of the Olympians determining the children's fate.
- In The Awakening of Flora, Apollo brings the day and sanctions Flora's wedding with Zephyrus.
- Apollo appears as a main character in the novel Gods Behaving BadlyGods Behaving BadlyGods Behaving Badly is a novel by the British author Marie Phillips. It was first published by Johnathan Cape in 2007. Set in London, it tells the tale of the twelve gods of Mount Olympus living in a rundown flat as their powers wane...
in which an argument between himself and AphroditeAphroditeAphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
almost brings on the destruction of the world.
AresAresAres is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
- In Percy Jackson, Ares is an enemy of Percy Jackson.
- In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, Ares, referred to as "Lord Mavors", is a major character, owing to his wish to claim Zeus's throne, and the infludence of his plans on the children's ability to escape and survive.
- Ares is featured in the God of WarGod of War (series)God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
video game franchise as the titular 'God of War' and primary antagonist of the first game.
ArtemisArtemisArtemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
- Artemis appears in the Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
books, particularly in The Titan's CurseThe Titan's CurseThe Titan's Curse is a 2007 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the third novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Sea of Monsters...
. - In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, Artemis, called "Phoebe" and "Huntress", appears and hunts the children, from which they are only saved by Ares's intervention.
- Artemis appears in the 2005 video game God of WarGod of War (series)God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
and grants the main character KratosKratos (God of War)Kratos is a video game character from Sony Computer Entertainment'sGod of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War , which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist...
her blade, The Blade of Artemis (a blade she used to slay a Titan), as a weapon on his journey. - In the Dark-Hunter Series by Sherrilyn KenyonSherrilyn KenyonSherrilyn Kenyon is a bestselling US writer. Under her own name she writes Urban Fantasy, but is best known for her Dark-Hunter vampire series. Under the pseudonym Kinley MacGregor she wrote historicals also with paranormal elements...
, Dark-Hunters are immortal warriors who serve the Greek goddess Artemis.
AthenaAthenaIn Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
- Athena is a major recurring character in the God of WarGod of War (series)God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
video game franchise. She often guides the main character KratosKratos (God of War)Kratos is a video game character from Sony Computer Entertainment'sGod of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War , which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist...
on his journeys. She sacrifices herself in God of War IIGod of War IIGod of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
to save Zeus from Kratos and is resurrected in a higher form in God of War IIIGod of War IIIGod of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
. - Athena appears in the Percy Jackson series and is the mother of the major character Annabeth Chase.
- In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, Athena, referred to as "Lady Wisdom" and "Tritogenia", is one of the gods influencing the children's fate.
- Athena appears in The Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of Washington is the immense fresco painted by Italian artist Constantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through the oculus of the dome in the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building. The fresco is suspended above the rotunda floor and covers an area of . The figures painted are...
, instructing Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton, and Samuel F.B. Morse .
DemeterDemeterIn Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
/ Ceres
- Demeter is one of the poems in Carol Ann DuffyCarol Ann DuffyCarol Ann Duffy, CBE, FRSL is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is Professor of Contemporary Poetry at the Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Britain's poet laureate in May 2009...
's collection The World's WifeThe World's WifeThe World's Wife is a collection of poems by Carol Ann Duffy published in 1999.The World's Wife is Carol Ann Duffy's first themed collection of poems, which was first published in 1999...
. - Demeter (together with DionysusDionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
) was used as an archetype for the character Tori by contemporary artist Tori AmosTori AmosTori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
in her 2007 album American Doll PosseAmerican Doll PosseAmerican Doll Posse is the ninth studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos; it was released in 2007. Like her previous albums Strange Little Girls and Scarlet's Walk , American Doll Posse is a concept album, which entails five female personae Amos developed based on Greek mythology. Musically,...
. - In the computer game Zeus: Master of Olympus, Demeter is one of the gods to whom the player can build a temple.
- She is a character in the Percy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series. - Ceres appears in The Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of Washington is the immense fresco painted by Italian artist Constantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through the oculus of the dome in the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building. The fresco is suspended above the rotunda floor and covers an area of . The figures painted are...
, on the McCormick Reaper.
DionysusDionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
- Dionysis can be worshipped in the game Zeus: Master of Olympus.
- Dionysis is a recurring character in Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
's Percy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series, being named Mr D and is the camp director of Camp Half-Blood. - Frequently referred to by Maryann Forrester (a maenadMaenadIn Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of Dionysus , the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones"...
) as "the god who comes", as well as by several of his epithets (Bacchus, Bromios, Dendrites, Eleutherios, EnorchesEnorchesIn Greek mythology, Enorches was a son of Thyestes by his sister Daeta. He was born out of an egg and built a temple to Dionysus, who was hence called Dionysus Enorches, though Enorches may also describe the god as the dancer....
), in the HBO series True BloodTrue BloodTrue Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
. - In John C. Wright's Titans of Chaos, Dionysus ("Lord Vintner", "Lord Anacreon") is considered as a suspect for sending the Lamia to kill one of the children.
- In C. S. LewisC. S. LewisClive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
's Prince CaspianPrince CaspianPrince Caspian: The Return to Narnia is a novel for children by C. S. Lewis, written in late 1949 and first published in 1951. It is the second-published book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, although in the overall chronological sequence it comes fourth.-Plot summary:While standing on a...
, Bacchus is leader of the maenads and Silenus when they accompany Aslan. - In Roberta GellisRoberta GellisRoberta Gellis is an American writer of historical fiction, historical romance, and fantasy works. She holds masters degrees in both biochemistry and medieval literature.Many major writer of historical romance cite her as an important influence...
's Bull God, Dionysus is the love interest of Ariadne; unlike the myth, she is never in love with Theseus. He also appears in her Thrice Bound as a child that Hekate is raising. - John KeatsJohn KeatsJohn Keats was an English Romantic poet. Along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, he was one of the key figures in the second generation of the Romantic movement, despite the fact that his work had been in publication for only four years before his death.Although his poems were not...
's Ode To A NightingaleOde to a Nightingale"Ode to a Nightingale" is a poem by John Keats written in May 1819 in either the garden of the Spaniards Inn, Hampstead, or, as according to Keats' friend Charles Armitage Brown, under a plum tree in the garden of Keats House, Hampstead, London. According to Brown, a nightingale had built its nest...
rejects "charioted by Bacchus and his pards." - In John Keats's EndymionEndymion (poem)Endymion is a poem by John Keats first published in 1818. Beginning famously with the line "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever", Endymion, like many epic poems in English , is written in rhyming couplets in iambic pentameter...
, the "Song of the Indian Maid" recounts how "Bacchus and his crew" interrupted her in her solitude. - In Disney's FantasiaFantasia (film)Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...
, Bacchus is the center of the festivities in the Pastoral Symphony sequence.
HadesHadesHades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
- Hades makes several appearance in Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
books and had demigod children, Bianca di Angelo and Nico di Angelo, also takes some part in all books, especially in "The Lightning ThiefThe Lightning ThiefThe Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
" and "The Last OlympianThe Last OlympianThe Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth...
". In the follow up series Heroes of Olympus, he has another daughter, Hazel Levesque.
HephaestusHephaestusHephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes...
- Hephaestus appears in Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
as the father of some campers. He takes some role in The Lost HeroThe Lost HeroThe Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
as the father of the protagonist, Leo Valdez.
HeraHeraHera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
- Hera appears in Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
where she is one of the two goddess that do not have demi-god children, and takes on a major role in The Lost HeroThe Lost HeroThe Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
, the first of the sequel series. - In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, Hera ("Great Queen" and "Lady Basilissa") is one of the three goddess who will determine who will claim the throne of Zeus.
- Hera appears in Hercules: The Legendary JourneysHercules: The Legendary JourneysHercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
as the main antagonist to Hercules. - Hera is featured in the 2010 video game God of War IIIGod of War IIIGod of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
. She orders Hercules to attack protagonist Kratos, to which Kratos kills, and is later killed in her gardens by Kratos after mocking Pandora (who reminded Kratos of his deceased daughter). Her death kills all plant life. She also had ordered her pet Argos to stop Kratos' destruction of Greece in the 2007 video game God of War: BetrayalGod of War: BetrayalGod of War: Betrayal is a 2D side-scrolling action-adventure mobile game published by Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment and released on June 20, 2007....
.
HermesHermesHermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
- Hermes appears in the Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
novels by Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
as the father of the series' major antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
Luke Castellan. - Hermes appears in Nathaniel Hawthorn's A Wonder-Book for Girls and BoysA Wonder-Book for Girls and BoysA Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys is a children's book written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne in which he rewrites myths from Greek mythology...
, in the story "The Miraculous Pitcher." - As Trismegistus, Hermes is a major character in John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos.
- Hermes makes repeated appearances in Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
, inciting Percy to leave camp against directions, and is the father of Luke. - He is a boss in the 2010 video game God of War IIIGod of War IIIGod of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
. He taunts the protagonist Kratos and is eventually butchered (both legs cut off) by Kratos who takes his boots, the Boots of Hermes, as his own. His death releases a plague on the world. He also had a very brief appearance at the end of God of War IIGod of War IIGod of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
as he watched Kratos leading the Titans on an assault of Mt. Olympus. - Mercury appears in The Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of Washington is the immense fresco painted by Italian artist Constantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through the oculus of the dome in the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building. The fresco is suspended above the rotunda floor and covers an area of . The figures painted are...
, giving a bag of money to Robert Morris. - In The Awakening of Flora, Mercury appears to announce Hebe and Ganymede, who give the lovers immortality.
HestiaHestiaIn Greek mythology Hestia , first daughter of Cronus and Rhea , is the virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum...
- Hestia appears in Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
, particularly in The Last OlympianThe Last OlympianThe Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth...
, where she is guarding the flame that will determine the war.
PoseidonPoseidonPoseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
- Poseidon is the father of Percy Jackson of the Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series and a major character. - Poseidon—as "the Earthshaker" and "Lord Pelagaeus" -- is one of the major factions in John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos.
- Poseidon appears as one of the main antagonists in Saint SeiyaSaint Seiya, also known as Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac or simply Knights of the Zodiac, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1986 to 1991, and adapted into an anime TV series by Toei Animation from 1986 to 1989.The story follows...
, serving as the primary antagonist in the second arc of the manga series. - Poseidon appears in the God of WarGod of War (series)God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
video game franchise. He first appears in the 2005 game God of WarGod of War (video game)God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
where he tasks series protagonist Kratos with ridding his seas of the Hydra and grants him the magic, Poseidon's Rage. Kratos also acquires his trident which is used in each chronological game and lets Kratos swim under water indefinitely. He appears in the 2010 game God of War IIIGod of War IIIGod of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
as the first boss of the game. He also appears in the 2010 game God of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of Sparta is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in November 2010.Loosely based on Greek mythology and focused on protagonist Kratos, the game forms part of a saga...
and communicates to Kratos through a statue showing anger as Kratos destroyed his beloved city Atlantis. - Neptune appears in The Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of Washington is the immense fresco painted by Italian artist Constantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through the oculus of the dome in the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building. The fresco is suspended above the rotunda floor and covers an area of . The figures painted are...
.
ZeusZeusIn the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
- Zeus appears in Nathaniel Hawthorn's A Wonder-Book for Girls and BoysA Wonder-Book for Girls and BoysA Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys is a children's book written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne in which he rewrites myths from Greek mythology...
, in the story "The Miraculous Pitcher." - Zeus is a major character in the Percy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series, starting with The Lightning ThiefThe Lightning ThiefThe Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
, where the stolen lightning is his. He has a daughter named Thalia Grace and a son Jason GraceJason GraceJason Grace is a fictional character and the protagonist in Rick Riordan's The Heroes of Olympus book series, the sequel to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He first appears in The Lost Hero, the first novel of the series, as a 15 or 16-year-old boy suffering from amnesia...
who he conceived while in his roman form JupiterJupiter (mythology)In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
In Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning ThiefPercy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning ThiefPercy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film directed by Chris Columbus. The film is loosely based on The Lightning Thief, the first novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
, he is portrayed by Sean BeanSean BeanShaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
. - In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, Zeus, called "Lord Terminus", has recently died, and infighting over his throne fully occupies Olympus, and his commands with regards to the children are a determining factor in their lives.
- Zeus is a major repeating character in the God of WarGod of War (series)God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
video game franchise. He first appears in God of WarGod of War (video game)God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
and aids Kratos with the magic, Zeus' Fury. He also appears to Kratos in human disguise as The Grave Digger and does this again in the 2010 game God of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of Sparta is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in November 2010.Loosely based on Greek mythology and focused on protagonist Kratos, the game forms part of a saga...
. Also in that game, he appears as a playable character in the after-game mode. In the 2007 game God of War IIGod of War IIGod of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
, he betrays Kratos, kills him and becomes the final boss. He is featured as the final boss again in God of War IIIGod of War IIIGod of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
where he is killed by Kratos. In the 2008 game God of War: Chains of OlympusGod of War: Chains of OlympusGod of War: Chains of Olympus is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in March 2008....
, Kratos uses his weapon, the Gauntlet of Zeus. - In Disney's FantasiaFantasia (film)Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...
, Zeus interrupts the festivities with a storm in the Pastoral Symphony sequence. - In Shelley's Prometheus Unbound, Jupiter is deposed.
AeolusAeolusAeolus was the ruler of the winds in Greek mythology. In fact this name was shared by three mythic characters. These three personages are often difficult to tell apart, and even the ancient mythographers appear to have been perplexed about which Aeolus was which...
- In Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
's The Lost HeroThe Lost HeroThe Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
, the heroes go to Aeolus to discover where they must go on their quest.
Boreas
- In John C. Wright's Titans of Chaos, Boreas, the god of the north wind, is in disguise as the headmaster of the school.
- In Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
's The Lost HeroThe Lost HeroThe Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
, the questing heroes consult with Boreaus in Quebec. - John William WaterhouseJohn William WaterhouseJohn William Waterhouse was an English painter known for working in the Pre-Raphaelite style. He worked several decades after the breakup of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which had seen its heydey in the mid-nineteenth century, leading him to have gained the moniker of "the modern Pre-Raphaelite"...
's painting of a girl buffeted by the wind is titled BoreasBoreas (Waterhouse painting)Boreas is an oil painting in the Pre-Raphaelite style created in 1903 by John William Waterhouse.-Subject:The painting is titled Boreas, after the Greek god of the north wind and it shows a young girl buffeted by the wind...
. - In The Awakening of Flora, Aquilon rouses Flora with his blasts.
CirceCirceIn Greek mythology, Circe is a minor goddess of magic , described in Homer's Odyssey as "The loveliest of all immortals", living on the island of Aeaea, famous for her part in the adventures of Odysseus.By most accounts, Circe was the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid...
- Circe appears in Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
as an experimental magician who encounters Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase during their journey in "The Sea of MonstersThe Sea of MonstersThe Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
".
ErosErosEros , in Greek mythology, was the Greek god of love. His Roman counterpart was Cupid . Some myths make him a primordial god, while in other myths, he is the son of Aphrodite....
/CupidCupidIn Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
- Eros appears in John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, having temporarily held the throne of Heaven but he Mountain" is Cupid.
- Roberta GellisRoberta GellisRoberta Gellis is an American writer of historical fiction, historical romance, and fantasy works. She holds masters degrees in both biochemistry and medieval literature.Many major writer of historical romance cite her as an important influence...
's Shimmering Splendor is a retelling of Cupid and Psyche.
EuphrosyneEuphrosyne (mythology)In Greek mythology, Euphrosyne In Greek mythology, Euphrosyne In Greek mythology, Euphrosyne (Εὐφροσύνη; was one of the Charites, known in English also as the "Three Graces". Her best remembered representation in English is in Milton's poem of the active, joyful life, "L'Allegro". She is also the...
- Euphrosyne appears in John MiltonJohn MiltonJohn Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's L'AllegroL'AllegroL'Allegro is a pastoral poem by John Milton published in 1645. L'Allegro is invariably paired with the contrasting pastoral poem, Il Penseroso , which depicts a similar day spent in contemplation and thought.-Background:It is uncertain when L'Allegro and Il Penseroso were composed because they do...
. - In the opera within Girl GeniusGirl GeniusGirl Genius is an ongoing comic book series turned webcomic, written and drawn by Phil and Kaja Foglio and published by their company, Studio Foglio LLC under the imprint Airship Entertainment...
, the Heterodyne daughter who falls in love with the Storm King is Euphrosynia.
FloraFlora (mythology)In Roman mythology, Flora was a goddess of flowers and the season of spring. While she was otherwise a relatively minor figure in Roman mythology, being one among several fertility goddesses, her association with the spring gave her particular importance at the coming of springtime...
- Flora is the main character of the ballet The Awakening of Flora.
- William-Adolphe BouguereauWilliam-Adolphe BouguereauWilliam-Adolphe Bouguereau was a French academic painter. William Bouguereau was a traditionalist; in his realistic genre paintings he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of Classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female human body.-Life and career :William-Adolphe...
depicted this god in the painting "Flora and Zephyr". - John KeatsJohn KeatsJohn Keats was an English Romantic poet. Along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, he was one of the key figures in the second generation of the Romantic movement, despite the fact that his work had been in publication for only four years before his death.Although his poems were not...
's Ode To A NightingaleOde to a Nightingale"Ode to a Nightingale" is a poem by John Keats written in May 1819 in either the garden of the Spaniards Inn, Hampstead, or, as according to Keats' friend Charles Armitage Brown, under a plum tree in the garden of Keats House, Hampstead, London. According to Brown, a nightingale had built its nest...
invokes a vintage "Tasting of Flora and the country green". - Flora appears in The Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of WashingtonThe Apotheosis of Washington is the immense fresco painted by Italian artist Constantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through the oculus of the dome in the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building. The fresco is suspended above the rotunda floor and covers an area of . The figures painted are...
.
HecateHecateHecate or Hekate is a chthonic Greco-Roman goddess associated with magic, witchcraft, necromancy, and crossroads.She is attested in poetry as early as Hesiod's Theogony...
- Hekate is the main character of Roberta GellisRoberta GellisRoberta Gellis is an American writer of historical fiction, historical romance, and fantasy works. She holds masters degrees in both biochemistry and medieval literature.Many major writer of historical romance cite her as an important influence...
's Thrice Bound. - In William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, Hecate appears as the queen of witches.
Hymen
- Hymen appears in William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's As You Like ItAs You Like ItAs You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
. - Hymen is invoked in John MiltonJohn MiltonJohn Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's L'AllegroL'AllegroL'Allegro is a pastoral poem by John Milton published in 1645. L'Allegro is invariably paired with the contrasting pastoral poem, Il Penseroso , which depicts a similar day spent in contemplation and thought.-Background:It is uncertain when L'Allegro and Il Penseroso were composed because they do...
.
HypnosHypnosIn Greek mythology, Hypnos was the personification of sleep; the Roman equivalent was known as Somnus. His twin was Thánatos ; their mother was the primordial goddess Nyx . His palace was a dark cave where the sun never shines. At the entrance were a number of poppies and other hypnogogic plants...
- Hypnos appears as the primary villain in MonkeyboneMonkeyboneMonkeybone is a 2001 American comedy film that combines live-action with stop-motion animation. It was based on Kaja Blackley's graphic novel Dark Town...
portrayed by Giancarlo EspositoGiancarlo EspositoGiancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito is a Danish-born American film and television actor and director.-Early life:Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to an Italian father and African-American mother. His mother was an opera and nightclub singer from Alabama, who once appeared on the same...
. - In The Lost HeroThe Lost HeroThe Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
by Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
it is revealed that Hypnos has demigod children at Camp Half Blood. His most known child is his son Clovis.
IrisIris (mythology)In Greek mythology, Iris is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. As the sun unites Earth and heaven, Iris links the gods to humanity...
- In Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
's Percy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series, characters communicate through Iris messages. In the sequel The Lost HeroThe Lost HeroThe Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
, one of the heroes Butch is the son of Iris. - Iris appears in the Disney movie FantasiaFantasia (film)Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...
at the end of the segment featuring the Pastoral Symphony by Beethoven.
MoiraeMoiraeThe Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
- In Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
's The Lightning ThiefThe Lightning ThiefThe Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
, the three fates appear to Percy as three old women, and one of them cuts a thread. - In the 2007 video game God of War IIGod of War IIGod of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
, the Moirae (called The Sisters of Fate) appear as the next to final boss.
MorpheusMorpheus (mythology)Morpheus in Greek mythology is the god of dreams, leader of the Oneiroi. Morpheus has the ability to take any human form and appear in dreams...
- In The Last OlympianThe Last OlympianThe Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth...
, Morpheus puts the all of Manhattan to sleep for much of the book. - In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, Morpheus is the father of Colin, and the one best able to communicate to the hostage children, in their dreams.
- In the 2008 game God of War: Chains of OlympusGod of War: Chains of OlympusGod of War: Chains of Olympus is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in March 2008....
, he is the silent assailant of Persephone. In the 2010 game God of War IIIGod of War IIIGod of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
, he is featured as a bonus costume.
NyxNyxIn Greek mythology, Nyx was the primordial goddess of the night. A shadowy figure, Nyx stood at or near the beginning of creation, and was the mother of personified gods such as Hypnos and Thánatos...
- A series of young adult novels by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast known as "House of NightHouse of Night (series)House of Night is a series of vampire-based fantasy novels by American author P. C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. It follows the adventures of Zoey Redbird, a sixteen-year-old girl who has just become a fledgling Vampyre and is required to attend the House of Night boarding school in Tulsa,...
" feature Nyx as the main goddess worshiped by vampyres and young fledgling vampyres at the eponymous school. - Nyx (as Nox) is an important, if enigmatic, character in Piers AnthonyPiers AnthonyPiers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
's novel, "And EternityAnd EternityAnd Eternity is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony. It is the seventh of eight books in the Incarnations of Immortality series.-Plot summary:...
", the seventh book of his "Incarnations of ImmortalityIncarnations of ImmortalityIncarnations of Immortality is the name of an eight-book fantasy series by Piers Anthony. The first seven books each focus on one of seven supernatural "offices" in a fictional reality and history parallel to ours, with the exception that society has advanced both magic and modern technology...
" series. Seventeen years after the original completion of the series, Mr. Anthony has added an eighth book,"Under a Velvet CloakUnder a Velvet CloakUnder a Velvet Cloak is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony. It is the last of eight books in the Incarnations of Immortality series. It follows the adventures of the Incarnation of Night....
" in which Nox is the central Incarnation of Immortality. - Nyx appears in Richelle Mead's book "Succubus DreamsSuccubus DreamsSuccubus Dreams is a supernatural novel by Richelle Mead. It is the third novel in the Georgina Kincaid series, which will have six books but only currently consists of five...
" - In Kamichama KarinKamichama Karinis a Japanese manga originally written by Koge-Donbo about a seventh grade girl named Karin who finds out that she can transform into a goddess. The series began as a manga first serialized in January 2003. Kamichama Karin was serialized in the Japanese shōjo manga magazine Nakayoshi and published...
, Kirika is borrowing the powers of Nyx.
PanPan (mythology)Pan , in Greek religion and mythology, is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word paein , meaning "to pasture." He has the hindquarters, legs,...
- Pan appears in Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
The Battle of the LabyrinthThe Battle of the LabyrinthThe Battle of the Labyrinth is a 2008 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology; it is the fourth novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
as the nature god who is searched by many satyrSatyrIn Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
s.
ThanatosThanatosIn Greek mythology, Thanatos was the daemon personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in person...
- Appears in the 2010 video game God of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of Sparta is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in November 2010.Loosely based on Greek mythology and focused on protagonist Kratos, the game forms part of a saga...
as the final boss.
Skiron/Caurus
- In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, Corus is the wind god that catches Amelia in her escape and agrees to let her go.
Zephyrus
- Edmund SpenserEdmund SpenserEdmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
's ProthalamionProthalamionProthalamion, the commonly used name of , is a poem by Edmund Spenser , one of the important poets of the Tudor Period in England. Published in 1596 , it is a nuptial song that he composed that year on the occasion of the twin marriage of the daughters of the Earl of Worcester; Elizabeth Somerset...
opens with a description of the day, with Zephyrus playing a gentle breeze. - In L. Jagi Lamplighter's Prospero Lost and Prospero In Hell, Zephyrus appears as one of the wind spirits.
- William-Adolphe BouguereauWilliam-Adolphe BouguereauWilliam-Adolphe Bouguereau was a French academic painter. William Bouguereau was a traditionalist; in his realistic genre paintings he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of Classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female human body.-Life and career :William-Adolphe...
depicted this god in the painting "Flora and Zephyr". - In The Awakening of Flora, Zephyr is to marry Flora.
AchillesAchillesIn Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
- AchillesAchillesIn Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
appears in The Last OlympianThe Last OlympianThe Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth...
by Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
. Both Percy and Luke have swum in the River Styx, despite warnings by the ghost of Achilles himself. - The film TroyTroy (film)Troy is a 2004 epic war film written by David Benioff and directed by Wolfgang Petersen based on the events of the Trojan War. Its cast includes Brad Pitt as Achilles, Eric Bana as Hector.It was nominated for the Academy Award for Costume Design.-Plot:...
is centered around the Trojan WarTrojan WarIn Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
, with AchillesAchillesIn Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
as the protagonist.
The ArgonautsArgonautsThe Argonauts ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, the Argo, which was named after its builder, Argus. "Argonauts", therefore, literally means...
The Australian Broadcasting CommissionAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
featured Jason and the Argonauts in its The Argonauts' Club
Argonauts Club
The Argonauts Club was an Australian children's radio program, first broadcast in 1933 on ABC Radio in Melbourne. Its format was devised by Nina Murdoch who had run the station's Children's Hour on 3LO and stayed on when that station was taken over by the Australian Broadcasting Commission...
children's program. Children listened to the afternoon radio program and interacted with the presenters, whose leader was "Jason", by sending in stories, poems, and art works, some of which were described on air. Their interaction helped them gain status within the organisation, such as "The Order of the Dragon's Tooth" and "Order of the Golden Fleece", but members were only ever known by their Ship and number (Oar) in its crew of fifty. The format was devised by author Nina Murdoch
Nina Murdoch
Nina Murdoch was an Australian traveller, journalist, author and broadcaster. She was born Madoline Nina Murdoch, daughter of John Andrew Murdoch, a law clerk, in North Carlton, Victoria, Australia]]...
in 1931 then revived and developed by Ida Elizabeth Osbourne
Ida Elizabeth Osbourne
Ida Elizabeth Osbourne was an actor and broadcaster born in Brighton, Victoria, the only daughter of Mr and Mrs W. L. Osbourne and educated at Firbank Grammar School.-Career:...
in 1941 and ran until 2 April 1972. The longest serving presenter, and "Jason" throughout, was Atholl Fleming
Atholl Fleming
Atholl Fleming was a British actor and an Australian radio personality.He was the third of nine children of R. S. Fleming, a Scottish Baptist minister of Beckenham in Kent. After a fall as a child, he became deaf in his right ear...
who died in May 1972. Warwick Lobban also referenced the Argonauts in his song "The Prospective Argonaut".
XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
's 1982 album English Settlement
English Settlement
English Settlement is the fifth studio album by British alternative rock band XTC, released on 12 February 1982. The album reached No. 5 on the UK Album Chart and No. 48 on the Billboard 200 album chart....
features the song "Jason and the Argonauts".
AriadneAriadneAriadne , in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and was the bride of the god Dionysus.-Minos and Theseus:...
- Ariadne appears in the retelling of Theseus in Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
's Tanglewood TalesTanglewood TalesTanglewood Tales for Boys and Girls is a book by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, a sequel to A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys...
. - In the movie InceptionInceptionInception: The Subconscious Jams 1994-1995 is a compilation of unreleased tracks by the band Download.-Track listing:# "Primitive Tekno Jam" – 3:23# "Bee Sting Sickness" – 8:04# "Weed Acid Techno" – 8:19...
, Ellen Page's character is named Ariadne. She is a dream architect who designs mazes in a person's mind. - Ariadne is the main character of Roberta GellisRoberta GellisRoberta Gellis is an American writer of historical fiction, historical romance, and fantasy works. She holds masters degrees in both biochemistry and medieval literature.Many major writer of historical romance cite her as an important influence...
's Bull God. - Ariadne is a major character of Mary RenaultMary RenaultMary Renault born Eileen Mary Challans, was an English writer best known for her historical novels set in Ancient Greece...
's The King Must DieThe King Must DieFor the song by Elton John, see The King Must Die The King Must Die is a 1958 bildungsroman and historical novel by Mary Renault that traces the early life and adventures of Theseus, a hero in Greek mythology. Naturally, it is set in Ancient Greece: Troizen, Corinth, Eleusis, Athens, Knossos in...
.
Castor and PolluxCastor and PolluxIn Greek and Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux or Polydeuces were twin brothers, together known as the Dioscuri . Their mother was Leda, but Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, king of Sparta, and Pollux the divine son of Zeus, who visited Leda in the guise of a swan...
- In the anime Sailor MoonSailor MoonSailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
, Castor and Pollux were two of Nephrite's most powerful youma (demons/monsters). - In the 1997 feature film Face/OffFace/OffFace/Off is a 1997 action thriller film directed by John Woo, starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. The two both play an FBI agent and a terrorist, sworn enemies who assume the physical appearance of one another....
directed by John WooJohn WooJohn Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
, the principal villains - played by Nicolas CageNicolas CageNicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
and Alessandro NivolaAlessandro NivolaAlessandro Antine Nivola is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles in the films Best Laid Plans, Jurassic Park III, Face/Off, and the first two films of the Goal! trilogy.-Personal life:...
- are brothers named Castor and Pollux Troy. - In the book series Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
, two twin demigods, with Dionysus as their father, were named after the two. In the fourth book Castor was killed during an invasion at Camp Half-Blood. In the fifth book, Pollux became the senior counselor of his father's cabin. - In the TV series Xena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
, Castor and Pollux appear as conjoined twins appearing at a bachanalia that they throw called the Gemini Party. - In Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games Trilogy, Castor and Pollux are twin cameramen working for District 13.
CephalusCephalusCephalus is an Ancient Greek name, used both for the hero-figure in Greek mythology and carried as a theophoric name by historical persons. The word kephalos is Greek for "head", perhaps used here because Cephalus was the founding "head" of a great family that includes Odysseus...
Cephalus appears as a character called the HuntsmanHuntsman (Marvel Comics)
The Huntsman is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe who is a tracker/hunter of the Olympian Gods for Zeus. Over the years he has appeared mainly as an enemy of Hercules.-Fictional character biography:...
in Marvel Comics who is an adversary of Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
.
EndymionEndymion (mythology)In Greek mythology, Endymion , was variously a handsome Aeolian shepherd or hunter or a king who ruled and was said to reside at Olympia in Elis, but he was also said to reside and was venerated on Mount Latmus in Caria, on the west coast of Asia Minor....
- John KeatsJohn KeatsJohn Keats was an English Romantic poet. Along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, he was one of the key figures in the second generation of the Romantic movement, despite the fact that his work had been in publication for only four years before his death.Although his poems were not...
's EndymionEndymion (poem)Endymion is a poem by John Keats first published in 1818. Beginning famously with the line "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever", Endymion, like many epic poems in English , is written in rhyming couplets in iambic pentameter...
features him as the main character.
EumaeusEumaeusIn Greek mythology, Eumaeus was Odysseus's swineherd and friend before he left for the Trojan War. His father, Ktesios son of Ormenos, was king of an island called Syria. When he was a young child a Phoenician sailor seduced his nurse, a slave, who agreed to bring the child among other treasures...
- In Sir Walter ScottWalter ScottSir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
's IvanhoeIvanhoeIvanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
, the swineherd Gurth is referred to as "this second Eumaeus". - The folk metalFolk metalFolk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
group The Lord Weird Slough FegThe Lord Weird Slough FegSlough Feg is a Heavy Metal band that formed in Pennsylvania in the early 1990s and is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Taking their name from the Celtic folklore-influenced comic Sláine, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1996...
has a song about Eumaeus on its 2005 album Atavism.
GalateaGalatea (mythology)-Name "Galatea":Though the name "Galatea" has become so firmly associated with Pygmalion's statue as to seem antique, its use in connection with Pygmalion originated with a post-classical writer. No extant ancient text mentions the statue's name...
- Isaac AsimovIsaac AsimovIsaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's AzazelAzazel (Asimov)Azazel is a character created by Isaac Asimov and featured in a series of fantasy short stories. Azazel is a two-centimeter-tall demon , named after the Biblical demon....
story "Galatea" features a sculptress in love with a statue she created. - Aaron AllstonAaron AllstonAaron Allston is an American game designer and novelist of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for several role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's...
's Galatea In 2-D involves paintings coming to life.
JasonJasonJason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
- One of the major characters in Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
s The Lost HeroThe Lost HeroThe Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
is named Jason.
MaenadMaenadIn Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of Dionysus , the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones"...
s
- In C. S. LewisC. S. LewisClive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
's Prince CaspianPrince CaspianPrince Caspian: The Return to Narnia is a novel for children by C. S. Lewis, written in late 1949 and first published in 1951. It is the second-published book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, although in the overall chronological sequence it comes fourth.-Plot summary:While standing on a...
, the forces that accompany Aslan include many maenads. - In John C. Wright's Titans of Chaos, maenads are a major part of the force sent out to murder Amelia or the other children.
- Charlaine Harris'Charlaine HarrisCharlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing mysteries for over twenty years. She was born and raised in the Mississippi River Delta area of the United States. She now lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and three children...
The Southern Vampire MysteriesThe Southern Vampire MysteriesThe Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris that were first published in 2001 and now serve as the source material for the HBO television series True Blood...
series of novels and its television adaption, the HBO series True BloodTrue BloodTrue Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
(2nd season, aired in summer 2009), feature maenads in the characters of Callisto and her television representation, MaryannCharacters of True BloodTrue Blood is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris.This article includes main characters True Blood is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The...
, respectively. In the show, Maryann wishes to sacrifice a supernatural being, (Sam MerlotteSam MerlotteSam Merlotte is a fictional character from the The Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse Series by author Charlaine Harris.Sam lives in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, and is the owner of a bar named Merlotte's. Sam has strawberry blond hair with blue eyes. He is both a close...
), in hopes of summoning her god, DionysusDionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
. - In Jim ButcherJim ButcherJim Butcher is a New York Times Best Selling author most known for his contemporary fantasy book series The Dresden Files. He also wrote the Codex Alera series. Butcher grew up as the only son of his parents, and has two older sisters. He currently lives in Independence with his wife, Shannon K...
's "Last CallThe Dresden FilesThe Dresden Files is a series of contemporary fantasy/mystery novels written by Jim Butcher.He provides a first person narrative of each story from the point of view of the main character, private investigator and wizard Harry Dresden, as he recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in...
", a maenad enchants beer so as to produce wild, violent and lustful behavior. - In Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
's "Goat SongGoat Song (novelette)"Goat Song" is an award-winning science fiction novelette by Poul Anderson.This story has strong parallels to the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice-Plot summary:...
", the narrator's last words recount how he is going to meet some wild and violent women; as he is explicitly described in the story as a parallel of Orpheus, they are clearly parallel to the maenads who tore Orpheus to pieces. - In L. Jagi Lamplighter's Prospero in Hell, Miranda, Mab, and Mephisto encounter maenads while leaving the North Pole.
MedeaMedeaMedea is a woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of...
- A "Medea complex" is sometimes used to describe parents who murder or otherwise harm their children.
- Born Susie Benjamin, Medea BenjaminMedea BenjaminMedea Benjamin is an American political activist, best known for co-founding Code Pink and, along with her husband, activist and author Kevin Danaher, fair trade advocacy group Global Exchange...
, co-founder of both Code PinkCode PinkCode Pink: Women for Peace is an anti-war group that is mainly composed of women. It has regional offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and many more chapters in the U.S. as well as several in other countries...
and the international human rights organization Global ExchangeGlobal ExchangeGlobal Exchange is an advocacy group and non-governmental organization , based in San Francisco, California, United States. The group's mission is to promote human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice around the world.-History:...
, renamed herself after the Greek mythological character Medea during her freshman year at Tufts UniversityTufts UniversityTufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
. - Medea is featured in the visual novelVisual novelA is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
game and anime series Fate/stay nightFate/stay nightis a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC. An all-ages version of Fate/stay night, titled Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, was released for the PlayStation 2 on April 19, 2007, and features the Japanese voice actors from the anime series...
as an example of the Caster-class Servant. - Playwright Christopher DurangChristopher DurangChristopher Ferdinand Durang is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s.- Life :...
wrote a short spoofParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Medea. - Playwright Neil LaButeNeil LaButeNeil N. LaBute is an American film director, screenwriter and playwright.-Early life:LaBute was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Marian, a hospital receptionist, and Richard LaBute, a long-haul truck driver. LaBute is of French Canadian, English and Irish ancestry, and was raised in Spokane,...
wrote a scene in his play "Bash: Latter-Days Plays" called "Medea Redux", inspired by the myth of Medea. - Medea is one of the NPC villains in the Freedom CityFreedom CityFreedom City is a fictional, city-based campaign setting for the roleplaying game Mutants & Masterminds. It was designed by Steve Kenson, whose design philosophy for the setting seems based-on and in honor of several classic comic book icons and concepts.-Campaign history:Set somewhere on the east...
campaign settingCampaign settingA campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Mutants & Masterminds role-playing gameRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. Talos, the bronze man of Crete, is also featured as an NPC villain. - Singer/songwriter Vienna TengVienna TengCynthia Yih Shih , better known by her stage name Vienna Teng, is a Taiwanese American pianist and singer-songwriter based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Teng has released four studio albums: Waking Hour , Warm Strangers , Dreaming Through the Noise , and Inland Territory...
wrote a song entitled My Medea. - The genetic technique called Maternal effect dominant embryonic arrestMaternal effect dominant embryonic arrestMaternal effect dominant embryonic arrest is a selfish gene composed of a toxin and an antidote. A mother carrying Medea will express the toxin in her germline, killing her progeny. If the children also carry Medea, they produce copies of the antidote, saving their lives...
, which favors offspring with particular genes, is named after Medea. - In the PS2 game Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, Medea is the princess of a ruined kingdom, Trodain. She was put under a curse by a jester named Dhoulmagus and was transformed into a horse.
- In the book series The Icemark ChroniclesThe Icemark ChroniclesThe Icemark Chronicles is a series of books consisting of The Cry of the Icemark, followed by Blade of Fire, and Last Battle of the Icemark and the upcoming prequel called Redrought. The books were written by Stuart Hill from Leicester. Fox 2000 Pictures optioned the film rights to the book...
, book 2, Blade of FireBlade of FireBlade of Fire is the second novel in Stuart Hill's fantasy series, the Icemark Chronicles.-Plot summary:Blade of Fire takes place 20 years after the first novel. The story follows Thirrin's and Oskan's new efforts to repel the imposing threat of Imperial invasion, yet again at the hands of Scipio...
, Medea tries to kill her brother and betray her country. - "Medea--One Foot In Hell" is the final track on The ShowdownThe Showdown (band)The Showdown is a southern metal/metalcore band based in Elizabethton, Tennessee. While the members of the band are Christian and the band is signed to a Christian record label, the band does not consider itself a Christian act, according to guitarist Josh Childers...
's album Back BreakerBack BreakerBack Breaker is the third album from the Tennessee heavy metal band The Showdown. It's their first album with Solid State Records. Footage from the band in the process of recording the album can be viewed on their . On June 27, 2008 The Showdown released the track listing...
. - In James Owen's novel "The Search for the Red Dragon", Medea is a woman that lives on only as a reflection in a mirror. She spends most of her time in the novel talking to Peter PanPeter PanPeter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
in a cave guarded by children dressed in animal furs. - In the Woody Allen movie Annie HallAnnie HallAnnie Hall is a 1977 American romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay co-written with Marshall Brickman and co-starring Diane Keaton. One of Allen's most popular and most honored films, it won four Academy Awards including Best Picture...
, the character played by him, Alvy Singer, is lamenting Annie moving to Hollywood. Leaving a theater in an impromptu conversation with an older lady he meets on the street, she asks him, "Don't tell me you're jealous?" Alvy replies, "Yeah. Jealous? A little bit. Like Medea." - In the 2008 video game Rise of the ArgonautsRise of the ArgonautsRise of the Argonauts is a 2008 third-person action adventure video game developed by Liquid Entertainment and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
, she is an NPC, with very big breasts. - Aaron AllstonAaron AllstonAaron Allston is an American game designer and novelist of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for several role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's...
's Galatea In 2-D includes an animated painting of Medea. - In Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
's The Lost HeroThe Lost HeroThe Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
, Medea has returned from the dead and has become immortal, learning how to charmspeak to almost lead the main characters to their deaths.
MidasMidasFor the legend of Gordias, a person who was taken by the people and made King, in obedience to the command of the oracle, see Gordias.Midas or King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold. This was called the Golden touch, or the...
- Midas features in Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
's A Wonder-Book for Girls and BoysA Wonder-Book for Girls and BoysA Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys is a children's book written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne in which he rewrites myths from Greek mythology...
in the story "The Golden Touch". - In Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
's The Lost HeroThe Lost HeroThe Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
, the heroes meet Midas along their route, and discover that he did not actually learn his lesson from the Midas touch. - In the Wild CardsWild CardsWild Cards is a science fiction and superhero anthology series set in a shared universe. The series was created by a group of New Mexico science fiction authors, but it is mostly pulled together and edited by best-selling author George R. R. Martin with assistance by Melinda Snodgrass, also a...
series, one "ace" acquired the power to turn things to gold (temporarily) with a touch; he has his servants feed him by hand, which is explicitly described as avoiding Midas's problem. - In the 2010 video game God of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of Sparta is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in November 2010.Loosely based on Greek mythology and focused on protagonist Kratos, the game forms part of a saga...
, Midas is featured. Main character Kratos finds him grief stricken (as he turned his daughter to gold) in a volcano beneath Atlantis. He accidentally burns his hand off in the lava after having a hallucination believing he was at the River Styx. After chasing down Midas, Kratos uses him and throws him into the lava which turns it to gold so that he could proceed.
OrpheusOrpheusOrpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
- In The Cricket in Times Square, a character refers to the cricket as a little Orpheus and explains how Orpheus could entrance everyone and everything with his music; later, in his final concert, the cricket stills a large portion of New York City to listen to him.
- In John C. Wright's The Golden AgeThe Golden Age (novel series)The Golden Age is a science fiction trilogy by the American writer John C. Wright. It consists of three books, The Golden Age, The Phoenix Exultant and The Golden Transcendence.-Plot introduction:...
, a character took on the name Orpheus as part of the neo-romantic movement he founded, and created noumenal recordings, which created personal immortality. - In John C. Wright's Orphans of ChaosOrphans of ChaosOrphans of Chaos is a 2005 fantasy novel by John C. Wright. It is the first volume of a trilogy that continues with the novels Fugitives of Chaos and Titans of Chaos .-Plot synopsis:...
, Orpheus appears, as a man with his head separate. Other characters observe that it is impossible to bribe him, because all factions agree that he shall be the new PsychopompPsychopompPsychopomps are creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls to the afterlife. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply provide safe passage...
. - In John Myers MyersJohn Myers MyersJohn Myers Myers was an American writer, best known for his literary fantasy novel Silverlock.-Life:Myers was born in Northport, Long Island on January 11, 1906 to John Caldwell Myers and Alice MacCorry Myers and grew up in various places in New York, including New Paltz and NYC. He knew from the...
's SilverlockSilverlockSilverlock is a novel by John Myers Myers published in 1949. The novel's settings and characters, aside from the protagonist, are all drawn from history, mythology, and other works of literature....
the first character the narrator meets, and his guide, is "O. Widsith Amergin Demodocus ... Boyan Taliesin Golias." -- the "O" standing for Orpheus. - In Jim ButcherJim ButcherJim Butcher is a New York Times Best Selling author most known for his contemporary fantasy book series The Dresden Files. He also wrote the Codex Alera series. Butcher grew up as the only son of his parents, and has two older sisters. He currently lives in Independence with his wife, Shannon K...
's "Last CallThe Dresden FilesThe Dresden Files is a series of contemporary fantasy/mystery novels written by Jim Butcher.He provides a first person narrative of each story from the point of view of the main character, private investigator and wizard Harry Dresden, as he recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in...
", the maenad threatens Dresden with the fate of Orpheus. - In Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
's "Goat SongGoat Song (novelette)"Goat Song" is an award-winning science fiction novelette by Poul Anderson.This story has strong parallels to the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice-Plot summary:...
" retells the story of Orpheus as a futuristic science fiction tale; at one point, the narrator discovers the tale of Orpheus and recognizes his own story. - Roberta GellisRoberta GellisRoberta Gellis is an American writer of historical fiction, historical romance, and fantasy works. She holds masters degrees in both biochemistry and medieval literature.Many major writer of historical romance cite her as an important influence...
's Enchanted Fire retells the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.
PandoraPandoraIn Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman. As Hesiod related it, each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts...
- Pandora appears in the story "The Paradise of Children" in Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
's A Wonder-Book for Girls and BoysA Wonder-Book for Girls and BoysA Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys is a children's book written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne in which he rewrites myths from Greek mythology...
. - In John C. Wright's The Golden AgeThe Golden Age (novel series)The Golden Age is a science fiction trilogy by the American writer John C. Wright. It consists of three books, The Golden Age, The Phoenix Exultant and The Golden Transcendence.-Plot introduction:...
, a character takes the name Pandora, explaining that the true story of Pandora was that she received foresight from Prometheus, which allowed women to foresee all the plagues that would afflict their children, but also allowed them to avert them creating hope. - In Rick Riordan's The Last OlympianThe Last OlympianThe Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth...
, Prometheus gives Percy Pandora's jar and tells him to open it, freeing Elphis (hope) to surrender. Percy and the other demi-gods are unable to put it aside; it keeps coming out of storage. Percy finally gives it to Hestia, who can keep it away. - In James Cameron's movie Avatar, the planet where most of the story takes place is called Pandora.
- Pandora is mentioned in the 2005 game God of WarGod of War (video game)God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
with Pandora's Box and appears in the 2010 game God of War IIIGod of War IIIGod of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
as a key character. She is needed to pacify the Flame of Olympus (surrounding Pandora's Box) so that Kratos (main character) may once again open Pandora's Box.
Paris
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson's OenoneOenone (poem)Oenone or Œnone is a poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson in 1829. The poem describes the Greek mythological character Oenone and her witnessing of the events in the life of her lover, Paris, as he is involved in the events of the Trojan War. Oenone was inspired by Tennyson's trip to Spain, where...
is her lament that Paris deserted her for Helen. - In Aaron AllstonAaron AllstonAaron Allston is an American game designer and novelist of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for several role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's...
's Galatea in 2-D, a painting of Paris, brought to life, is used against a painting of Achilles brought to life.
PerseusPerseusPerseus ,Perseos and Perseas are not used in English. the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty of Danaans there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths of the Twelve Olympians...
- He is featured in the 2007 video game God of War IIGod of War IIGod of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
. He is on a journey to The Sisters of Fate to revive his love Andromeda. He battles protagonist Kratos as he believes Kratos is a test of the Sisters. He is killed by Kratos. - In Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
's Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
, Percy's actual name is Perseus, as the hero's namesake. - Andrew LangAndrew LangAndrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
rewrote the tale of Perseus as the anonymous "The Terrible Head" in The Blue Fairy Book. - He is the main protagonist of the 1981 film Clash of the TitansClash of the Titans (1981 film)Clash of the Titans is an American 1981 fantasy–adventure film involving the Greek hero Perseus. It was released on June 12, 1981 and earned a gross profit of $41 million domestically, on a $15 million budget , by which it was the 11th highest grossing film of the year. A novelization of the film...
as well as the remake of the filmClash of the Titans (2010 film)Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy and action remake of the 1981 film of the same name . The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010...
Phaethon
- In John C. Wright's The Golden AgeThe Golden Age (novel series)The Golden Age is a science fiction trilogy by the American writer John C. Wright. It consists of three books, The Golden Age, The Phoenix Exultant and The Golden Transcendence.-Plot introduction:...
, the hero selected the name of Phaethon; when asked to explain it, he declared that the myth was obviously wrong, as Phaethon could not have burned up the earth, which was still there, but rather obviously Jupiter had struck him down for fear that he would show that men could do what gods could.
Psyche
- In C. S. LewisC. S. LewisClive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
's retelling of Cupid and PsycheCupid and PsycheCupid and Psyche , is a legend that first appeared as a digressionary story told by an old woman in Lucius Apuleius' novel, The Golden Ass, written in the 2nd century CE. Apuleius likely used an earlier tale as the basis for his story, modifying it to suit the thematic needs of his novel.It has...
, Till We Have FacesTill We Have FacesTill We Have Faces: A Myth Retold is a 1956 novel by C. S. Lewis. It is a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche, which had haunted Lewis all his life, and which is itself based on a chapter of The Golden Ass of Apuleius...
, the narrator is Psyche's sister. - Roberta GellisRoberta GellisRoberta Gellis is an American writer of historical fiction, historical romance, and fantasy works. She holds masters degrees in both biochemistry and medieval literature.Many major writer of historical romance cite her as an important influence...
's Shimmering Splendor is a retelling of Cupid and Psyche.
PygmalionPygmalion (mythology)Pygmalion is a legendary figure of Cyprus. Though Pygmalion is the Greek version of the Phoenician royal name Pumayyaton, he is most familiar from Ovid's Metamorphoses, X, in which Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved.-In Ovid:In Ovid's narrative, Pygmalion was a...
- Pygmalion effectPygmalion effectThe Pygmalion effect, or Rosenthal effect, refers to the phenomenon in which the greater the expectation placed upon people, often children or students and employees, the better they perform...
is used in psychology to indicate when people act in according to expectations of them, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecySelf-fulfilling prophecyA self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior. Although examples of such prophecies can be found in literature as far back as ancient Greece and...
. - George Bernard ShawGeorge Bernard ShawGeorge Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
's play about a flower girl being taught to act as an upper-class woman is PygmalionPygmalion (play)Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts is a play by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can train a bedraggled Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess at an ambassador's garden party by teaching her to assume a veneer of...
.
TheseusTheseusFor other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
- In Roberta GellisRoberta GellisRoberta Gellis is an American writer of historical fiction, historical romance, and fantasy works. She holds masters degrees in both biochemistry and medieval literature.Many major writer of historical romance cite her as an important influence...
's Bull God, Theseus is a major character although, unlike the myth, he and Ariadne are never in love. - Theseus is the main character of Mary RenaultMary RenaultMary Renault born Eileen Mary Challans, was an English writer best known for her historical novels set in Ancient Greece...
's The King Must DieThe King Must DieFor the song by Elton John, see The King Must Die The King Must Die is a 1958 bildungsroman and historical novel by Mary Renault that traces the early life and adventures of Theseus, a hero in Greek mythology. Naturally, it is set in Ancient Greece: Troizen, Corinth, Eleusis, Athens, Knossos in...
and The Bull from the SeaThe Bull from the SeaThe Bull from the Sea is the sequel to Mary Renault's The King Must Die. It continues the story of the mythological hero Theseus after his return from Crete.-Plot introduction:...
. - In the 2007 video game God of War IIGod of War IIGod of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
, Theseus is a servant of The Sisters of Fate guarding the Steeds of Time. He battles protagonist Kratos to determine who is the greatest warrior in all of Greece to which he looses and is killed.
AntaeusAntaeusAntaeus in Greek and Berber mythology was a half-giant, the son of Poseidon and Gaia, whose wife was Tinjis. Antaeus had a daughter named Alceis or Barce.-Mythology:...
- In DanteDANTEDelivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
's The Divine ComedyThe Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
, Antaeus is a giant who guards the ninth circle of Hell, and lowers Dante and Virgil down to the iced-over CocytusCocytusCocytus or Kokytos, meaning "the river of wailing" , is a river in the underworld in Greek mythology. Cocytus flows into the river Acheron, across which dwells the underworld, the mythological abode of the dead. There are five rivers encircling Hades...
. - One of the stories of the Tanglewood TalesTanglewood TalesTanglewood Tales for Boys and Girls is a book by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, a sequel to A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys...
features Antaeus and the Pygmies (Chapter: "The Pygmies"). - Антей (Antaeus in RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
) is the original name of both the Oscar-II class submarineOscar class submarineThe Project 949 and Project 949A Soviet Navy/Russian Navy cruise missile submarines ....
and the Antonov An-22Antonov An-22The Antonov An-22 Antei was the world's heaviest aircraft, until the advent of the American C-5 Galaxy and later the Soviet An-124. Powered by four pairs of contra-rotating turboprops, the design remains the world's largest turboprop-powered aircraft...
transport aircraft. - There was a literary magazine, edited by Daniel Halpern, named AntaeusAntaeus (magazine)Antaeus was a literary quarterly founded by Daniel Halpern and Paul Bowles and edited by Daniel Halpern. It was originally published in Tangier, Morocco, but operations were later shifted to New York City. The first number appeared in the summer of 1970, the final issue in 1994...
. - AntaeusAntaeus (short story)Antaeus is a short story by Borden Deal. It is named after the mythological figure Antaeus, a giant who was unconquerable as long as he touched the ground....
is the title of a short storyShort storyA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by the American novelist Borden DealBorden DealBorden Deal , was an American novelist and short story writer.Born in Pontotoc, Mississippi, Deal attended Macedonia Consolidated High School, after which he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and fought forest fires in the Pacific Northwest...
. - Rick Riordan (Author of the Percy Jackson books) uses Antaeus in Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth; he describes him as fully red with wave patterns etched into his skin and teeth. He is also about five metres tall, and, like in mythology, he uses skulls from his victims to decorate a temple to his father Poseidon. Perseus kills him in the Labyrinth.
- The Irish poet Seamus HeaneySeamus HeaneySeamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
wrote two poems about Antaeus in his book 'North'. - There are two comic book characters named after Antaeus, see Antaeus (comics)Antaeus (comics)Antaeus is the name of two fictional characters from DC Comics.-Antaeus :This Antaeus was seen as a member of Maxie Zeus's New Olympians...
- The Antaeus myth features heavily in the Pat BarkerPat BarkerPat Barker CBE, FRSL is an English writer and novelist. She has won many awards for her fiction, which centres around themes of memory, trauma, survival and recovery. Her work is described as direct, blunt and plainspoken.-Personal life:...
novel RegenerationRegeneration (novel)For the 1997 film adaptation of the novel see Regeneration .Regeneration is a prize-winning novel by Pat Barker, first published in 1991. The novel was a Booker Prize nominee and was described by the New York Times Book Review as one of the four best novels of the year in its year of publication...
as a metaphor for men psychologically disturbed in World War I - The Antaeus Brotherhood is a fictional organization in the novel The Anubis GatesThe Anubis GatesThe Anubis Gates is a time travel fantasy novel by Tim Powers. It won the 1983 Philip K. Dick Award and 1984 Science Fiction Chronicle Award.- Plot summary :...
by Tim PowersTim PowersTimothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...
in which they protect 17th century London from "Sorcerous treason" relying on a connection with the ground (wearing an iron chain fixed to their ankle and dragging behind) to negate magical attacks. - Antaeus is also mentioned in Ray BradburyRay BradburyRay Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
's Fahrenheit 451Fahrenheit 451Fahrenheit 451 is a 1953 dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury. The novel presents a future American society where reading is outlawed and firemen start fires to burn books...
. - Antaeus is referenced in The Devils of LoudunThe Devils of LoudunThe Devils of Loudun is a 1952 non-fiction novel by Aldous Huxley. It is a historical narrative of supposed demonic possession, religious fanaticism, sexual repression, and mass hysteria which occurred in 17th century France surrounding unexplained events that took place in the small town of...
by Aldous HuxleyAldous HuxleyAldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
. - Antaeus is a character in Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
. He belongs to the Nox race and was portrayed by Armin ShimermanArmin ShimermanArmin Shimerman is an American actor. Shimerman is best known for playing the Ferengi bartender Quark in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Principal Snyder in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kramer's caddy Stan on Seinfeld, voicing Dr. Nefarious in the Ratchet & Clank series, and Andrew...
. - In Hercules and the Circle of FireHercules And The Circle Of FireHercules and the Circle of Fire is a made for TV movie. It was the third of five pre-series movies so it may be considered part of the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.-Overview:...
, HerculesHerculesHercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
and Deianeira encounter Antaeus during their journey. He is depicted as being made of rocks and tree bark. Like in the myth, the Earth rejuvenates him during his fight with Hercules. Deianeira realizes the truth, allowing Hercules to finally defeat him.
ErinyesErinyesIn Greek mythology the Erinyes from Greek ἐρίνειν " pursue, persecute"--sometimes referred to as "infernal goddesses" -- were female chthonic deities of vengeance. A formulaic oath in the Iliad invokes them as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath"...
- In T. S. EliotT. S. EliotThomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
's play The Family ReunionThe Family ReunionThe Family Reunion is a play by T. S. Eliot. Written mostly in blank verse, it incorporates elements from Greek drama and mid-twentieth-century detective plays to portray the hero's journey from guilt to redemption. The play was unsuccessful when first presented in 1939, and was later regarded as...
, the protagonist Harry is haunted by the Eumenides for killing his wife. - In Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
's play The FliesThe FliesThe Flies is a play by Jean-Paul Sartre, written in 1943. It is an adaptation of the Electra myth, previously used by the Greek playwrights Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides....
, the Erinyes (who represent remorsefulness) chase OrestesOrestesOrestes was the son of Agamemnon in Greek mythology; Orestes may also refer to:Drama*Orestes , by Euripides*Orestes, the character in Sophocles' tragedy Electra*Orestes, the character in Aeschylus' trilogy of tragedies, Oresteia...
and ElectraElectraIn Greek mythology, Electra was an Argive princess and daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. She and her brother Orestes plotted revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for the murder of their father Agamemnon...
for the murder of their mother ClytemnestraClytemnestraClytemnestra or Clytaemnestra , in ancient Greek legend, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Mycenae or Argos. In the Oresteia by Aeschylus, she was a femme fatale who murdered her husband, Agamemnon – said by Euripides to be her second husband – and the Trojan princess...
and her husband, King Aegistheus. - Tisiphone appears and is a major character (and the others are mentioned) in David WeberDavid WeberDavid Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Weber and his wife Sharon live in Greenville, South Carolina with their three children and "a passel of dogs"....
's book Path of the FuryPath of the FuryPath of the Fury, and the later re-issuance with new material and a full prequel novel as the omnibus In Fury Born are both stand-alone science fiction novels by David Weber covering the life and times of sympathetic female protagonist Alicia DeVries.The original Path of the Fury opens with her...
and its expanded version In Fury Born. - The sixth book of Anthony PowellAnthony PowellAnthony Dymoke Powell CH, CBE was an English novelist best known for his twelve-volume work A Dance to the Music of Time, published between 1951 and 1975....
's A Dance to the Music of TimeA Dance to the Music of TimeA Dance to the Music of Time is a twelve-volume cycle of novels by Anthony Powell, inspired by the painting of the same name by Nicolas Poussin. One of the longest works of fiction in literature, it was published between 1951 and 1975 to critical acclaim...
is entitled The Kindly Ones. - The Erinyes are the main subject of the comic book The Kindly OnesThe Sandman: The Kindly OnesThe Kindly Ones is the ninth collection of issues in the DC Comics series, The Sandman. Written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Marc Hempel, Richard Case, D'Israeli, Teddy Kristiansen, Glyn Dillon, Charles Vess, Dean Ormston and Kevin Nowlan, coloured by Danny Vozzo, and lettered by Todd Klein.The...
from comic book series SandmanSandmanThe Sandman is a figure in folklore who brings good sleep and dreams.Sandman may also refer to:-People:*Mark Sandman, singer and co-founder of the band Morphine*Charles W...
and also appear in earlier volumes. - In the book series T*Witches, three girls looking to murder Cam and Alex call themselves "The Furies", as they live in underground caves.
- They are monsters in the series Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
. - The Furies also feature in the television series Xena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
. - In the fourth season of the TV show CharmedCharmedCharmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
, Piper interferes with the Furies' business and becomes one herself. When a fury turns a witch it causes a portal of unexpressed rage to manifest itself, in this case, that of Piper's inner rage towards her sister Prue's death the previous season. - The character Anyanka from the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, draws some aspects of the Erinyes.
- In the third and fourth seasons of the TV show AngelAngel (TV series)Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, Lorne calls upon the Transuding Furies for making Caritas and the Hyperion HotelHyperion HotelThe Hyperion Hotel is a fictional home base for Angel in the television series Angel during the middle seasons of the show. The gang move into the Hyperion at the beginning of the second season, following the destruction of their offices in the finale of season one, "To Shanshu in L.A.".-History:In...
into demonDemoncall - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
violence-free zones with payment only Angel could pay. - In the computer game Freespace 2FreeSpace 2FreeSpace 2 is a 1999 space combat simulation computer game developed by Volition, Inc. as the sequel to Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War. It was completed ahead of schedule in less than a year, and released to great critical acclaim...
, the Erinyes class is a playable advanced assault fighter for the GTVA. It is considered one of the more advanced ships. - In Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's novel Rose MadderRose Madder (novel)Rose Madder is a 1995 novel by Stephen King. It deals with the effects of domestic violence and, unusually for a King novel, relies for its fantastic element on Greek mythology...
, Erinyes is the name of the blind bull which guards Rose Madder's baby at the heart of a labyrinth. - TriviumTrivium (band)Trivium is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the band has released five studio albums, eleven singles, and twelve music videos...
's fourth studio album Shogun features a song named "He Who Spawned the Furies" which lyrically deals with the tale of Cronos castrating his father and then eating his children. - Roger ZelaznyRoger ZelaznyRoger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
wrote a novelette entitled The Furies. In the tale the furies were three humans of unnatural power that set about to restore balance in the universe. It was published in his book Four For Tomorrow in 1967. - In the computer games City of HeroesCity of HeroesCity of Heroes is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the superhero comic book genre, developed by Cryptic Studios and published by NCsoft. The game was launched in North America on April 27, 2004 and in Europe on February 4, 2005 with English, German and French language...
and City of VillainsCity of VillainsCity of Villains is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the superhero comic book genre, developed by Cryptic Studios and published by NCSoft. Released on October 31, 2005 , the game is integrated with their previous release, City of Heroes...
, two humans drink from the Well of the Furies and gain godly superpowers. They also open Pandora's BoxPandora's boxPandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation around line 60 of Hesiod's Works and Days. The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora , which contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened the jar, all its contents except for one item...
, releasing the potential of human endeavour, heralding a golden age of superheroes. - A song, "The Chorus of the Furies", sung in Latin by Faith and the MuseFaith and the MuseFaith and the Muse is an American, underground gothic/darkwave band composed of two musicians, Monica Richards and William Faith. They are well regarded in the gothic music scene as innovators and icons. Their music encompasses many genres, from folk-style songs to darker compositions. Richards is...
on the album Evidence of HeavenEvidence of HeavenEvidence of Heaven is the third studio album by Faith and the Muse.-Track listing:-Credits:*All instruments and voices performed by William Faith and Monica Richards...
(Neue Ästhetik Multimedia) (19991999 in music-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
). - Francis Bacon: Seated Figure 1974. Painting.
- Helene Cixous wrote the play: 'La Ville parjure ou le réveil des Erinyes' which was performed by Theatre du Soleil (director - Ariane Mnoushkine) in 1994/5.
- In Dante's Inferno the Furies appeer, and show Dante Medusa's head when he is unable to travel further.
- The Kindly Ones is the title of a novel of Jonathan Littell.
- In the 2010 game God of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of Sparta is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in November 2010.Loosely based on Greek mythology and focused on protagonist Kratos, the game forms part of a saga...
(spelled Erinys in the game), she appears as the daughter of Thanatos and a boss. Protagonist Kratos kills her and takes her magic, the Scourge of Erinys, as his own. In the game, she is voiced by two actresses and refers to herself as "we". She can also transform into a giant eagle. - In Piers AnthonyPiers AnthonyPiers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
's XanthXanthXanth is a fantasy world created by author Piers Anthony for his Xanth series of novels, also known as The Magic of Xanth.-History:The name Xanth is in itself an unintentional pun, which matches the playful tone of the books...
novel Dragon on a PedestalDragon on a Pedestal-Plot introduction:This book centers on Princess Ivy, the 3-year-old daughter of King Dor and Queen Irene, the search for her, and the spell on Gap Chasm that caused people to forget it existed breaking apart into "Forget Whorls".-Plot summary:...
, the three Furies inflict curses on characters lacking filial piety. Irene magically returns this on them, revealing that, having sprung from the blood of their murdered father, they have neglected their father's grave.
EuryaleEuryaleEuryale , in Greek mythology, was the second eldest one of the Gorgons, three vicious sisters with brass hands, sharp fangs, and hair of living, venomous snakes. She and her sister Stheno, unlike their sister, Medusa, were not able to turn any creature to stone with her gaze...
- Appears in the 2007 video game God of War IIGod of War IIGod of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
as a servant of the Sisters of Fate. She is confronted on the Island of Creation as a boss who wants revenge for Kratos' (main character) murder of her sister Medusa, and is killed by decapitation. Her head is then used as a magical weapon to turn enemies to stone. - Appears in the sequel of the Japanese visual novel Fate/stay nightFate/stay nightis a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC. An all-ages version of Fate/stay night, titled Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, was released for the PlayStation 2 on April 19, 2007, and features the Japanese voice actors from the anime series...
, Fate/hollow ataraxiaFate/hollow ataraxiais a Japanese visual novel game created by TYPE-MOON in 2005 which is the sequel to its earlier visual novel Fate/stay night. The word ataraxia in the title is a Greek term for tranquility, giving the title the combined meaning of "empty tranquility".-Plot:The plot of Fate/hollow ataraxia is...
in one of the flashbacks of her sister Rider along with her other sister Stheno.
Hecatonchires
- Cottus plays a role in the Post-Crisis origin of DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' AmazonsAmazons (comics)The Amazons of DC Comics are a fictional all-female society of superhumans, based on the Amazons of Greek mythology. There have been three major incarnations of these Amazons, one before the Crisis, and two after. What two of these groups have in common is that they are the race which produced...
of ThemysciraThemysciraThemyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
. - Briareos is the name one of the protagonists of the Appleseed manga series and its several film adaptations.
- Briareos plays a part in the children's novel The Battle of the LabyrinthThe Battle of the LabyrinthThe Battle of the Labyrinth is a 2008 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology; it is the fourth novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
, where his name is spelled Briares. - In the 2007 game Ace Combat 6: Fires of LiberationAce Combat 6: Fires of Liberationis the sixth installment developed by Project Aces and published by Namco Bandai Games exclusively for the Xbox 360 as part of the Ace Combat franchise...
, five enemy super-weapons are named after the Hecatonchires. O - The Hecatonchires appear as the first Titan boss in the 2002 video game Rygar: The Legendary AdventureRygar: The Legendary AdventureRygar: The Legendary Adventure, known in Japan as , is a console game for the PlayStation 2 first released in November 2002. It is an update of the original Rygar released for arcade machines and various consoles. The new features are a transition to 3D graphics and portions of the environment are...
, as an entity that uses a large statue of two male figures and a rearing stallion as an exoskeleton to dwell within. The monster is also present in the WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
remake, Rygar: The Battle of Argus, where it is renamed "Hekatonkeil". - The Hecatonchires also appear as a mythological unit playable by the Atlantean civilizations in the 2003 video game Age of Mythology: The TitansAge of Mythology: The TitansAge of Mythology: The Titans is a real-time strategy computer game expansion pack of Age of Mythology. It was developed by Ensemble Studios and released on October 21, 2003....
, where they are known as the Hekagigantes. These creatures are sacred to the Titan god HeliosHeliosHelios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
. - Hecatencheires appears in the roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons as an incredibly powerful enemy capable of attacking with one-hundred long sword strikes in a single round.
- Hecatonchires (known as Hecatoncheir in the game) also appears as the Eidolon beast of Oerba Dia Vanille in Final Fantasy XIIIFinal Fantasy XIIIis a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
who can transform his arms into machine guns. - In the video game Shadow Hearts, its a special attack used by the vampire Keith Valentine.
HydraLernaean HydraIn Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra was an ancient nameless serpent-like chthonic water beast, with reptilian traits, that possessed many heads — the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even...
- In the second installment of the Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series, The Sea of MonstersThe Sea of MonstersThe Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
, the main characters battle the Hydra somewhere near Chesapeake BayChesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. In the film adaptation of the first book, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, the Hydra, disguised as five janitors and with the ability to breathe fire (as opposed to acid in the book and poisonous fumes in classical mythology), guards one of Persephone's pearls. - Hydra the RevengeHydra the RevengeHydra the Revenge is a steel floorless roller coaster at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania . It was built where the wooden roller coaster Hercules stood, which was closed for demolition at the end of the park's 2003 season...
is a Bolliger and Mabillard designed roller coasterFloorless roller coasterA floorless roller coaster is a roller coaster with trains that ride above the track and allow the passenger's legs to dangle. It is a fairly new concept in roller coaster design brought forth by manufacturers Bolliger & Mabillard. The first ever floorless coaster debuted in 1999 at Six Flags Great...
at Dorney Park & Wildwater KingdomDorney Park & Wildwater KingdomDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The park features nine roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom....
in Allentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown, PennsylvaniaAllentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
with a Lernaean Hydra theme. The name of the ride pays tribute to the "Hercules"Hercules (roller coaster)Hercules was the name of a former wooden roller coaster at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania.At the time of construction, it was the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world, but due to its poor design the ride only had a short life, operating from 1989 to 2003...
wooden roller coaster that once stood on the same spot. The theme itself is the Hydra coming back to life and seeking revenge over Hercules. It also is the only currently operating coaster to have an inversion before the main lift hill. - The Ray HarryhausenRay HarryhausenRay Harryhausen is an American film producer and special effects creator...
film Jason and the Argonauts features both Hercules and a seven-headed hydra guarding the Golden fleece (though, contrary to Greek myth, the hydra is slain by Jason, rather than Hercules, as the latter has already left the Argonaut's expedition in this re-imagined version of the story). The plot is where Jason lays a hand on the fleece, and the hydra is awakened. Strangely, it has more birdlike heads. It immediately proceeds to strangle an argonaut with its forked tail, and a brief battle ensues between it and Jason, until he thrusts his sword into its heart. - In 1997, Disney released an animated movie named HerculesHercules (1997 film)Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker...
. In the film Hercules fights the Hydra, however this hydra starts with a single head, and as the fight progresses, the monster gains dozens of heads, until all that can be seen is dozens and dozens of heads, each trying to eat Hercules. He defeats the monster by causing a rock slide, crushing the Hydra. - The 1971 TV Movie Ellery QueenEllery QueenEllery Queen is both a fictional character and a pseudonym used by two American cousins from Brooklyn, New York: Daniel Nathan, alias Frederic Dannay and Manford Lepofsky, alias Manfred Bennington Lee , to write, edit, and anthologize detective fiction.The fictional Ellery Queen created by...
- Don't Look Behind You starring Peter Lawford features a serial killer dubbed 'The Hydra' by the media, although the killer strangles his victims. To fit in with the legend the title sequence features an animation of a multi-headed reptile. - In the final book in the Beyond the Spiderwick ChroniclesThe Spiderwick ChroniclesThe Spiderwick Chronicles is a series of children's books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. They chronicle the adventures of the Grace children, twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory, after they move into Spiderwick Estate and discover a world of fairies that they never knew...
series, the protagonist faces the Wyrm King, who is a Hydra. - In the anime One PieceOne Pieceis a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since August 4, 1997; the individual chapters are being published in tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on December 24, 1997, and the 64th volume released as...
, the venom-based devil fruit allows Chief Warden Magellan to animate a Hydra. - In the My Little Pony: Friendship is MagicMy Little Pony: Friendship is MagicMy Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated television series that premiered on October 10, 2010 on the United States cable network The Hub, and is based on Hasbro's My Little Pony line of toys and animated works. The series is produced by Hasbro Studios and DHX Media Vancouver...
episode "Feeling Pinkie Keen," the ponies encounter a Hydra.
The Hydra has featured prominently in video games of a fantasy setting:
- In the 2005 game God of WarGod of War (video game)God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
, the protagonist Kratos battles an enormous Hydra as the game's first boss. It features one main head larger than the other heads and must be defeated in parts. The creature is ultimately killed when Kratos impales the main head on the mast of a ship. - Hydras may be summoned as allies in the game Age of MythologyAge of MythologyAge of Mythology , is a mythology-based, real-time strategy computer game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
and they are available to the Greeks. They are sacred to the Greek god DionysusDionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
. These hydras gain an extra head when they kill enemy soldiers and other myth units, increasing their attack capabilities. - In the game Magic Carpet 2Magic Carpet 2Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds is a 1995 computer game, the sequel to the Magic Carpet. It was developed by Bullfrog and published by Electronic Arts .-Story:...
, the Hydra is one of the new creatures that made an appearance in this second installment. - The Hydra is also a boss in the game Spartan Total Warrior, where a player must destroy the stubs of the heads to prevent them from growing back. Like God of WarGod of War (video game)God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
you must destroy the main head to kill the Hydra. - In Titan Quest: Immortal ThroneTitan Quest: Immortal ThroneTitan Quest: Immortal Throne is an action RPG developed by Iron Lore Entertainment. It is the first expansion pack to the 2006 RPG hit, Titan Quest...
, the Hydra is an optional challenging boss on Legendary difficulty and recognizable as an enormous serpentine multi-headed monster. - In the game Kingdom Hearts IIKingdom Hearts IIis an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
, Hydra is a boss in Olympus Collosium.
LamiaLamia (mythology)In ancient Greek mythology, Lamia was a beautiful queen of Libya who became a child-eating daemon. Aristophanes claimed her name derived from the Greek word for gullet , referring to her habit of devouring children....
LamiaLamia (mythology)
In ancient Greek mythology, Lamia was a beautiful queen of Libya who became a child-eating daemon. Aristophanes claimed her name derived from the Greek word for gullet , referring to her habit of devouring children....
makes many appearances in popular culture
- 'Lamia' is one of the Witches in the movie adaptation of Neil GaimanNeil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's novel Stardust. In the novel she is not named, though called the "Witch Queen". In the movie, she is portrayed by Michelle PfeifferMichelle PfeifferMichelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
. It is also the name of a woman who takes people's heat in Gaiman's novel NeverwhereNeverwhereNeverwhere is an urban fantasy television series by Neil Gaiman that first aired in 1996 on BBC Two. The series is set in "London Below", a magical realm coexisting with the more familiar London, referred to as "London Above". It was devised by Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry, and directed by Dewi...
. - Lamia feature in the Tim PowersTim PowersTimothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...
novel The Stress of Her RegardThe Stress of Her RegardThe Stress of Her Regard is a 1989 horror/fantasy novel by Tim Powers. It was nominated for the 1990 World Fantasy and Locus Awards in 1990, and won a Mythopoeic Award...
as chthonic vampires that both inspire and prey upon poets such as Keats, Byron, and Shelley. - On the GenesisGenesis (band)Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
concept album The Lamb Lies Down on BroadwayThe Lamb Lies down on BroadwayThe Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a double concept album recorded and released in 1974 by the British rock band Genesis. It was their sixth studio album and the last album by the group to feature the involvement of lead singer Peter Gabriel.-Premise:...
, the hero Rael has an encounter with "three vermilion snakes of female face", related in the track The Lamia. At the end of the song the Lamia taste Rael's blood and then die. - Lamia is a traditional monster in the Final FantasyFinal Fantasyis a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
game series produced by SquareSquare (company)was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
. - Deis, a character from the Breath of FireBreath of Fire-Mobile games:Beginning in November 2003, Capcom began releasing Breath of Fire titles specifically for mobile phone devices in Japan. Each game was developed for use on NTT DoCoMo, au, and SoftBank brand cellphones that use the i-mode, EZWEB, or BREW services...
series, is a Lamia. - In the manga Fairy TailFairy Tailis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine since August 23, 2006, and has been published by Kodansha in 29 tankōbon volumes . An ongoing anime produced by A-1 Pictures and Satelight was released in Japan on October 12, 2009,...
there is a guild named Lamia Scale with a crest of a Lamia. The guild is allied with Fairy Tail and another two guilds to defeat Oracion Seis. - The Lamia is mentioned in the Sam RaimiSam RaimiSamuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
film Drag Me to HellDrag Me to HellDrag Me to Hell is a 2009 American horror film, directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Sam and Ivan Raimi. The plot focuses on loan officer Christine Brown , who tries to impress her boss by refusing to extend a loan to a gypsy woman by the name of Mrs. Ganush...
voiced by Art Kimbro. - The Lamia in the book series Night WorldNight WorldNight World is a series of ten young-adult fantasy novels by American author L. J. Smith. The series presents a story in which vampires, witches, werewolves and shape-shifters live among humans without their knowledge...
are born vampires that can choose when they want to stop physically aging. They follow strict rules and live hidden, in the Night World, with the "made" vampires, witches, shape shifters, and werewolves. - Lamia was a demonic adversary in the television series Poltergeist: The LegacyPoltergeist: The LegacyPoltergeist: The Legacy is a Canadian horror television series which ran from 1996 to 1999. The series tells the story of the members of a secret society known as the Legacy, and their efforts to protect humankind from occult dangers...
, cast as a beautiful succubus-type spirit that preyed on men through their dreams. - In the series debut episode of "Hercules: The Legendary JourneysHercules: The Legendary JourneysHercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
" ("The Wrong Path"), a lamia is the main antagonist of a Greek village.Computer-generated imageryComputer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
with live-action footage. This technique was used to render full-body shots of the She-Demon's tail and the transformation of her victims.
Rosario + Vampire
, often shortened to , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akihisa Ikeda. The story revolves around Tsukune Aono, a boy who accidentally gets enrolled in a school inhabited by monsters and demons. He quickly befriends Moka Akashiya, a vampire who soon develops an obsession with...
, Kagome Ririko is a lamia.
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films...
, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
, the character of the Pale Man borrows much of its personality from the Lamia, including its predeliction for eating children and the ability to remove its own eyes.
Kathi Appelt
-Biography:Kathi Appelt was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina and grew up in Houston, Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University. She and her husband, a researcher in adult literacy at Texas A&M, have two grown sons. She lives in College Station, Texas....
's novel The Underneath
The Underneath (novel)
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt is the story of an abandoned cat who goes to live with a maltreated hound dog underneath a crooked old house in a bayou on the border between Louisiana and Texas...
, Lamia is a character called Grandmother Moccasin.
AdventureQuest Worlds
AdventureQuest Worlds, often shortened to AQWorlds or simply AQW, is a browser-based MMORPG or massively multiplayer online role playing game developed by Artix Entertainment in 2008. Unlike most massively multiplayer role playing games, AdventureQuest Worlds was developed entirely in Adobe Flash...
. They are found in the Djinn Realm when the players head their to fight Tibicenas. Lamia is shown as a recolored and altered version of Nure-onna
Nure-onna
A is an amphibious creature with the head of a woman and the body of a snake. While the description of her appearance varies slightly from story to story, she has been described as being 300 m in length and has snake-like eyes, long claws, fangs and long, beautiful hair. She is typically spotted...
.
Lamia (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lamia is a magical beast. The lamia was introduced in the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game's original Monster Manual sourcebook...
is a type of creature in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy role-playing game, especially known for actively consuming musa acuminata.
- In Charles StrossCharles StrossCharles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction, Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. He was born in Leeds.Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera...
's novel The Atrocity ArchivesThe Atrocity ArchivesThe Atrocity Archives contains two stories by British author Charles Stross, consisting of the short novel The Atrocity Archive and The Concrete Jungle, which won the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Novella.The stories are Lovecraftian spy thrillers involving a secret history of the 20th century,...
, a receptionist is described as "...not human. It's a lamia, a type of demon bound to act as a front-line challenge/response system for a high security installation...".
MedusaMedusaIn Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
- Medusa is played by a bass to emphasize her ugliness in Jean-Baptiste LullyJean-Baptiste LullyJean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
and Phillippe Quinault's opera, PerséePerséePersée is a tragédie lyrique with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully and a libretto by Philippe Quinault, first performed in 1682 at the Paris Opéra.-Roles:-Synopsis:...
. - Impaled NazareneImpaled NazareneImpaled Nazarene is a Finnish black metal band that incorporates elements of grindcore in their sound and punk rock in their aesthetics. The band is currently signed to Osmose Productions of France....
, a Finnish black metalBlack metalBlack metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band, have a song entitled "Curse of the Dead Medusa" on their album "All That You Fear" (2003). - The rockabilly musician Eddie MeduzaEddie MeduzaEddie Meduza was a Swedish composer and musician working mainly in the rockabilly genre. Many of his songs were about alcohol, women, and cars, quite often with obscene lyrics. Sometimes they were also politically oriented, many aimed against the Swedish Social Democrats...
(Errol Leonard Nordstedt). - AnthraxAnthrax (band)Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, an American thrash metalThrash metalThrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band, have a song entitled Medusa on their 1985 album Spreading the DiseaseSpreading the DiseaseSpreading the Disease is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Anthrax. It was released on October 30, 1985 through Megaforce Worldwide/Island Records. It was the band's first album to feature vocalist Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello.-Album information:The band produced...
. - In 1968, The Mind RobberThe Mind RobberThe Mind Robber is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in five weekly parts from September 14 to October 12, 1968...
, an episode of the BBC TV sci-fi series Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, depicted Medusa as a danger to The Doctor and Zoe in a land of fictional characters. - Alternative singer Heather DaleHeather DaleHeather Dale is a Canadian Celtic recording artist and touring musician. She records and performs primarily her own original songs, which draw their inspiration from the mythology, folklore and history of various Celtic and non-Celtic cultures...
has a song titled "Medusa" from her point of view, singing "I create my own perfection... My garden's full of pretty men who couldn't stay away." - English metalcore band Bring Me The HorizonBring Me the HorizonBring Me the Horizon are a British metalcore band from Sheffield, Yorkshire, who formed in 2004. Bring Me the Horizon constits of Oliver Sykes as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist Lee Malia, rhythm guitarist Jona Weinhofen, bassist Matt Kean and drummer Matt Nicholls...
have a song titled "(I Used To Make Out With) Medusa" on their album Count Your BlessingsCount Your Blessings (Bring Me the Horizon album)Count Your Blessings is the debut album by British band Bring Me the Horizon. The album was released on October 30, 2006 in record stores around the United Kingdom. Then in the United States nearly a year later on August 14, 2007...
. - English singer/songwriter Sheila NichollsSheila NichollsSheila Elizabeth Nicholls is a British singer-songwriter, now residing in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California.-Early years:...
has a song entitled "Medusa" on her 1999 album, "Brief Strop". - Manga series King of Thorn contains a disease named Medusa, which turns people to stone and crumble.
- In 1987, an episode of the ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
satirical puppet comedy series Spitting ImageSpitting ImageSpitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
depicted the then UK Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
as having Medusa's distinctive hair, complete with red flashing eyes and evil cackling. Unlike the rest of the series, which depicted politicians and celebrities in rubber latex puppet form, because of the complexity of this sketch, the figure of Thatcher was a Plasticine model, movement completed using stop-motion animation. - Soul EaterSoul Eater (manga)is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Atsushi Ōkubo. Set at the "Death Weapon Meister Academy," the series revolves around three teams consisting of a weapon meister and human weapon...
had the first antagonist of the series being a witch named Medusa who had power over snakes. - Medusa is featured in the novel The Lightning ThiefThe Lightning ThiefThe Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
as well as its film versionPercy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning ThiefPercy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film directed by Chris Columbus. The film is loosely based on The Lightning Thief, the first novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
. In the film version, she is played by Uma ThurmanUma ThurmanUma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
. - Medusa also appeared in the 1981 film Clash of the TitansClash of the Titans (1981 film)Clash of the Titans is an American 1981 fantasy–adventure film involving the Greek hero Perseus. It was released on June 12, 1981 and earned a gross profit of $41 million domestically, on a $15 million budget , by which it was the 11th highest grossing film of the year. A novelization of the film...
as well as the 2010 remakeClash of the Titans (2010 film)Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy and action remake of the 1981 film of the same name . The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010...
. - Medusa is featured in the visual novel game and anime series Fate/stay nightFate/stay nightis a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC. An all-ages version of Fate/stay night, titled Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, was released for the PlayStation 2 on April 19, 2007, and features the Japanese voice actors from the anime series...
as an example of the Rider-class Servant. - Medusa is the main antagonist in the action-adventure NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
video games Kid IcarusKid IcarusKid Icarus, known as in Japan, is an action platform video game for the Famicom Disk System in Japan and the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe and North America. The first entry in Nintendo's Kid Icarus series, it was published in Japan in December 1986, and in Europe and North America in...
and Kid Icarus: UprisingKid Icarus: UprisingKid Icarus: Uprising, known in Japan as , is an upcoming title for the Nintendo 3DS video game system, developed by Project Sora and to be published by Nintendo. It is the third game in the Kid Icarus series and the first since 1991's Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, a nineteen-year wait...
. - Medusa is a notorious monster in the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIFinal Fantasy XI, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
. - Medusa appears as a boss in many CastlevaniaCastlevaniaCastlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
games, most of which also include many Medusa heads as minor enemies. - In Final Fantasy XFinal Fantasy Xis a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
, the boss Yunalesca resembles Medusa in all three of her forms. - Queen of Blades, a major role in Blizzard EntertainmentBlizzard EntertainmentBlizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded on February 8, 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse by three graduates of UCLA, Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce and currently owned by French company Activision Blizzard...
's game StarCraftStarCraftStarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998. With more than 11 million copies sold worldwide as of February 2009, it is one of the best-selling...
resembles Medusa with the quote "my stare alone would reduce you to ashes.". Also, the sequel StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty has the name "Medusa" as the project code. - Medusa is the final boss in the first book of Bookworm AdventuresBookworm AdventuresBookworm Adventures is a follow-up to the word-forming computer puzzle game Bookworm from PopCap Games. Released in November 2006, Bookworm Adventures combines the "create words from sets of letters" aspect of Bookworm with several elements of a computer role-playing game...
and is also one of the bosses Codex summons at the end of game. - Medusa was the subject of episode 5 of Clash of the GodsClash of the GodsClash of the Gods was a one-hour weekly mythology television series that premiered on August 3, 2009 on the History channel. The program covered many of the ancient Greek and Norse Gods, monsters and heroes including Hades, Hercules, Medusa, Minotaur, Odysseus and Zeus.-DVD/Blu-Ray:Clash of the...
. - Medusa is the mother of Deuce Gorgon in Monster HighMonster HighMonster High is an American line of fashion dolls created by Garrett Sander with the illustrations done by Kellee Riley. They were officially released in July 2010 but made in 2007....
, however his "stone-gaze" is much weaker than his mother's, lasting only hours. - Medusa appears in the 2005 video game God of WarGod of War (video game)God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
as a mini-boss. The Goddess AphroditeAphroditeAphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
tasks KratosKratos (God of War)Kratos is a video game character from Sony Computer Entertainment'sGod of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War , which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist...
(the main character) with slaying the Queen of the Gorgons, and upon doing so, Aphrodite empowers Kratos with Medusa's severed head as a magical weapon to turn enemies to stone.
PolyphemusPolyphemusPolyphemus is the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes. His name means "much spoken of" or "famous". Polyphemus plays a pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey.-In Homer's Odyssey:...
- In music, the story of Polyphemus and Galatea was the basis for Lully's Acis et GalatéeAcis et GalatéeAcis et Galatée is an opera by Jean-Baptiste Lully. Unlike most of his operas, which are designated tragédies en musique, Lully called this work a pastorale-héroïque, because it was on a pastoral theme and had only three acts compared to the usual five...
, Handel's Acis and Galatea and Antonio de LiteresAntonio de LiteresAntonio de Literes was a Spanish composer of zarzuelas, a type of performance that mixes spoken word, song and dance...
' zarzuelaZarzuelaZarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance...
Acis y Galatea. Jean CrasJean CrasJean Émile Paul Cras was a 20th century French composer and career naval officer. His musical compositions were inspired by his native Brittany, his travels to Africa, and most of all, by his sea voyages...
's opera Polyphème is also based on the story. - The Coen brothersCoen BrothersJoel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers...
' film "O Brother Where Art Thou?", is based on the OdysseyOdysseyThe Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
, and John GoodmanJohn GoodmanJohn Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
plays the eyepatch-wearing Big Dan Teague, a reinterpretation of Polyphemus. - The Radio TalesRadio TalesRadio Tales is an American series of radio dramas produced by Generations Productions. This series adapted classic works of American and world literature such as The War of the Worlds, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Beowulf, Gulliver's Travels, and the One Thousand and One Nights...
drama "Homer's Odyssey: Tale of the Cyclops" is a dramatic retelling of the portion of Homer's epic poem featuring the cyclops Polyphemus. - There have been several Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ships with the name "Polyphemus" - see HMS PolyphemusHMS PolyphemusThree ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Polyphemus, after the Polyphemus of Greek mythology.* The first Polyphemus was a 64-gun third-rate launched in 1782, active in the Napoleonic Wars, converted to a powder hulk in 1813 and broken up in 1827.* The second Polyphemus was a wooden...
. - Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs have the species name "polyphemus" in reference to their having eyes centered in the middle of their prosomas.
- Polyphemus is a pivotal character in the second book of the Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
series, The Sea of MonstersThe Sea of MonstersThe Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
by Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
. - In Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels', Gulliver's first encounter with a Brobdignagian giant has allusions to the encounter between Odysseus and Polyphemus in Homer's 'Odyssey'.
- In James Cameron's Avatar, Polyphemus is a gas-giant planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri, which is itself orbited by the moon Pandora where the main action of the film occurs. This giant planet has a large vortex in its atmosphere, like the Great Red Spot of Jupiter but more pronounced, which resembles a cyclops' eye, thus the name.
PorphyrionPorphyrionIn Greek mythology, Porphyrion was a giant, one of the sons of Uranus and Gaia. After the Olympian gods imprisoned the Titans in Tartarus, Porphyrion was one of twenty-four anguipede giants who made war on Olympus....
In the BritishUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Howards End
Howards End
Howards End is a novel by E. M. Forster, first published in 1910, which tells a story of class struggle in turn-of-the-century England. The main theme is the difficulties, troubles, and also the benefits of relationships between members of different social classes...
(1910), by E.M. Forster, Porphyrion is the name of a large insurance company based in London where one of the minor characters, Mr. Leonard Bast, works as a clerk. In this case, the classical allusion to the Greek
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
giant
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
serves as an ironic comment on the un-heroic, impersonal work with which the modern (i.e. early twentieth century) business ethic dehumanizes individuals.
Porphyrion also appears in the direct to video animated film, Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus
Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus
Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus is a 1998 American animated action adventure direct-to-video film starring the voices of Kevin Sorbo, Lucy Lawless, Michael Hurst, Renée O'Connor, Kevin Smith, and Alexandra Tydings, all reprising their roles from Hercules: The...
. Here he is the Earth Elemental Titan is the Titan's leader.
ScyllaScyllaIn Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and vice...
and CharybdisCharybdisCharybdis or Kharybdis was a sea monster, later rationalised as a whirlpool and considered a shipping hazard in the Strait of Messina.-The mythological background:...
Scylla and Charybdis appear in the 1997 miniseriesMiniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
The Odyssey
The Odyssey (TV miniseries)
The Odyssey is a 1997 Emmy award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated American television miniseries. Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, the miniseries aired in two-parts beginning on May 18, 1997 on NBC. The series later won the award for "Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Special"...
directed by Andrei Konchalovsky
Andrei Konchalovsky
Andrei Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky is a Soviet-American and Russian film director, film producer and screenwriter....
and produced by Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
, when Odysseus
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
(Armand Assante) tries to cross the Strait of Messina.
The movie Wing Commander
Wing Commander (film)
Wing Commander is a science fiction film based on the same titled video game series, released in 1999. It was directed by Chris Roberts, the creator of the game series, and stars Freddie Prinze, Jr., Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows, Tchéky Karyo, Jürgen Prochnow, David Suchet and David Warner...
features a pair of space-time anomalies named Scylla and Charybdis.
In the Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
episode "Lost Mariner," the plot revolves around the tale of Cecrops
Cecrops I
Cecrops was a mythical king of Athens who is said to have reigned for fifty-six years. The name is not of Greek origin according to Strabo, or it might mean 'face with a tail': it is said that, born from the earth itself, he had his top half shaped like a man and the bottom half in serpent or...
. He eventually sacrifices himself by jumping into Charybdis to save the lives of all aboard his cursed ship.
The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
referenced Scylla and Charybdis in their 1983 hit single "Wrapped Around Your Finger
Wrapped Around Your Finger
"Wrapped Around Your Finger" is the second UK single from The Police's 1983 album Synchronicity. It was released worldwide by A&M Records and featured non-album track "Someone To Talk To" as a b-side....
" from Synchronicity. Track 2 on the 2008 album Shogun by Metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
band Trivium
Trivium (band)
Trivium is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the band has released five studio albums, eleven singles, and twelve music videos...
is entitled "Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis". Also, there is a Massachusetts band called Of Blessings and Burdens who had a song called "Between Scylla and Charybdis". Part 6 of the metal band Symphony X
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community...
's song "The Odyssey"on the album "The Odyssey" is entitled "Scylla And Charybdis". Azita
Azita
Azita Youssefi is an experimental musician and artist based in Chicago. She is usually associated with the Chicago no wave scene, which included bands like the Flying Luttenbachers, U.S. Maple and Bobby Conn.-Background:...
has a song "Scylla and Charybdis" which is on her album "How Will You?".
The Radio Tales
Radio Tales
Radio Tales is an American series of radio dramas produced by Generations Productions. This series adapted classic works of American and world literature such as The War of the Worlds, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Beowulf, Gulliver's Travels, and the One Thousand and One Nights...
drama "Homer's Odyssey: The Voyage Home" adapts the portion of Homer's epic poem featuring Charybdis and Scylla.
- In the Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
role-playing video gameRole-playing game (video games)Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of LagaardEtrian Odyssey II: Heroes of LagaardEtrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard, released in Japan as is a role-playing video game by Atlus for the Nintendo DS. Heroes of Lagaard is the sequel to Etrian Odyssey.-Story:...
, players come up against a bizarre boss monster (who was once human) by the name of Scylla.
- In the Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
role-playing gameRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark BrotherhoodSonic Chronicles: The Dark BrotherhoodSonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is a Nintendo DS console role-playing game based on the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and developed by Canadian RPG developer BioWare as their first handheld video game project...
, two sectors of space that the player travels to are named Sector Scylla and Sector Charybdis. Later, the player can fight two powerful robotRobotA robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s named Scylla and Charyb (short for Charybdis) Also in Breath of Fire 3, the player faces off against Two fiery serpents named Scylla, and Charybdis.
- The 1999 Japanese game Ace Combat 3Ace Combat 3is the third installment in the Ace Combat series of games. A major departure from every other game in the series, it featured a futuristic storyline involving a war between a group of multinational corporations.-Plot:...
: Electrosphere by NamcoNamcois a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
, features a level called 'Scylla and Charybdis', where the player is needed to choose between downing two different friendly aircraft (that is, betraying one of them), where downing one or the another will lead you to a different branch in the game story path.
- In the MMORPGMMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
Final Fantasy XIFinal Fantasy XI, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
, CharybdisCharybdisCharybdis or Kharybdis was a sea monster, later rationalised as a whirlpool and considered a shipping hazard in the Strait of Messina.-The mythological background:...
appeared as a Notorious Monster. - In Rick Riordan's book, The Sea of Monsters, the main character, Percy Jackson, encounters them.
- In James Joyce's Ulysses, Scylla and Charabdis are represented by Aristotle and Plato, respectively.
ScyllaScyllaIn Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and vice...
- In Masami KurumadaMasami Kurumadais a Japanese manga artist and writer, known for specializing in fighting manga featuring bishōnen and/or mahō shōnen. He is famous as the creator/author of popular manga, such as Ring ni Kakero, Fūma no Kojirō, Saint Seiya and B't X. His male protagonists are a reflection of the classical and...
's classic mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Saint SeiyaSaint Seiya, also known as Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac or simply Knights of the Zodiac, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1986 to 1991, and adapted into an anime TV series by Toei Animation from 1986 to 1989.The story follows...
, the myth of Scylla is present as the background for the antagonic character Scylla Io, who is a servant of the god Poseidon, wearing a powerful armor called Scale shaped as Scylla. Io's abilities are derived from those described in Scylla's Greek myths.
- Metalcore band TriviumTrivium (band)Trivium is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the band has released five studio albums, eleven singles, and twelve music videos...
recorded as song for their fourth album, Shogun, entitled "Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis". The song focuses on indecision to fight the monsters.
- In the video game Castlevania: Symphony of the NightCastlevania: Symphony of the NightCastlevania: Symphony of the Night, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997. It is the 14th installment of the Castlevania series, the first installment released for the PlayStation, and a direct sequel to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.Symphony of the...
, Scylla is a boss monster that has the upper torso of a female and the lower part of an octopus. It also has wolf heads on the sides and it can attack with snake heads.
- In the movie Marathon ManMarathon Man (film)Marathon Man is a 1976 thriller film based on the novel of the same name by William Goldman. The film was directed by John Schlesinger, and stars Dustin Hoffman, Roy Scheider, and Laurence Olivier. The original music score was composed by Michael Small....
, Scylla is the code name of the spy/assassin Henry "Doc" Levy. In the novel of the same name, he is often referred to as "Scylla" or "Scylla the Rock", because of both his strength and ability to kill bare-handed.
- In season 4 of the television series Prison BreakPrison BreakPrison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
, Scylla is used as the name of the six cards and related database used by the Company which contain all the names and information of the Company's inner workings.
- In the television movie Battlestar Galactica: RazorBattlestar Galactica: RazorBattlestar Galactica: Razor is a television film of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It premiered in the United States on Sci Fi Channel, in Canada on the Space channel and in the United Kingdom on Sky One.-Production:...
, the Scylla is the name of a ship used by civilians. This is the first ship in which Admiral Helena CainHelena CainAdmiral Helena Cain is a fictional character in the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica, portrayed by Michelle Forbes.-Youth:...
orders all available resources and qualified civilians to be placed on the Battlestar Pegasus, effectively taking all of their supplies and leaving them die in the recesses of space.
- In the 2010 video game God of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of SpartaGod of War: Ghost of Sparta is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in November 2010.Loosely based on Greek mythology and focused on protagonist Kratos, the game forms part of a saga...
, the Scylla is confronted as a boss. Poseidon sends the beast in an attempt to stop the protagonist Kratos from reaching his city Atlantis. The Scylla is killed by Kratos.
- In the short story and graphic novel The Laughter of Witches, Scyalla is presented as a creation of Circe, who guards her island home.
Spartoí
- In the videogame CuldceptCuldceptis a turn-based strategy video game. It has drawn comparisons to other modern strategy titles, and also shares features with non-video games Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering. The first installment to reach North America was the expanded port of Culdcept Second released for the Sony PlayStation 2,...
, there is a spell card called Spartoi which produces a skeleton monsterSkeleton (undead)A Skeleton is a type of physically manifested undead often found in fantasy, gothic and horror fiction, and mythical art. Most are human skeletons, but they can also be from any creature or race found on Earth or in the fantasy world.- Myth and folklore :...
on a random, unoccupied space on the game board.
- In the manga Soul EaterSoul Eater (manga)is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Atsushi Ōkubo. Set at the "Death Weapon Meister Academy," the series revolves around three teams consisting of a weapon meister and human weapon...
, the protagonist Maka and her companions are part of an elite meister-weapon unit called Spartoí
- In the novel The Titan's CurseThe Titan's CurseThe Titan's Curse is a 2007 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the third novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Sea of Monsters...
by Rick RiordanRick RiordanRichard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
, the main character, Percy Jackson, encounters them.
SthenoSthenoStheno , in Greek mythology, was the eldest of the Gorgons, vicious female monsters with brass hands, sharp fangs and "hair" made of living venomous snakes. The daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, she was born in the caverns beneath Mount Olympus...
- Appears in the sequel of the Japanese visual novel Fate/stay nightFate/stay nightis a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC. An all-ages version of Fate/stay night, titled Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, was released for the PlayStation 2 on April 19, 2007, and features the Japanese voice actors from the anime series...
, Fate/hollow ataraxiaFate/hollow ataraxiais a Japanese visual novel game created by TYPE-MOON in 2005 which is the sequel to its earlier visual novel Fate/stay night. The word ataraxia in the title is a Greek term for tranquility, giving the title the combined meaning of "empty tranquility".-Plot:The plot of Fate/hollow ataraxia is...
in one of the flashbacks of her sister Rider along with her other sister Euryale.
NymphNymphA nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
s
Nymphs often appear in modern popular culture, both as generic beings and as special characters from folklore
- C. S. LewisC. S. LewisClive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
's Narnia includes various kinds of nymphs, including dryads. - Several nymphs appear in the Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
books. - The Nymphs are referenced in the 2005 game God of WarGod of War (video game)God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
and one appears. - In Aaron AllstonAaron AllstonAaron Allston is an American game designer and novelist of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for several role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's...
's Galatea in 2-D, a drawing of a wood nymph comes to live and becomes a major character.
CalypsoCalypso (mythology)Calypso was a nymph in Greek mythology, who lived on the island of Ogygia, where she detained Odysseus for a number of years. She is generally said to be the daughter of the Titan Atlas....
- Tia DalmaTia DalmaTia Dalma, played by Naomie Harris, is a fictional character from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and a primary character in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, in which a significant amount of the plot revolves around her and her powers...
in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies proves to be the goddess Calypso. - CalypsoCalypso (comics)Calypso is a fictional villain in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #209. She was created by Denny O'Neil and Alan Weiss.-Fictional character biography:...
is a villain in Marvel Comics - Jacques-Yves CousteauJacques-Yves CousteauJacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water...
named RV Calypso after Calypso. - In Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
's A Midsummer TempestA Midsummer TempestA Midsummer Tempest is an 1974 alternate history fantasy novel by Poul Anderson. In 1975, it was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel and Nebula Award for Best Novel and won the Mythopoeic Award.- Plot introduction :...
, Rupert hypothesizes that Prospero's island might have been Calypso's, or Circe's. - Percy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson and the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
features her as a supporting character in the fourth installment The Battle of the LabyrinthThe Battle of the LabyrinthThe Battle of the Labyrinth is a 2008 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology; it is the fourth novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
.
OenoneOenoneIn Greek mythology, Oenone was the first wife of Paris of Troy, whom he abandoned for the queen Helen of Sparta.Oenone was a mountain nymph on Mount Ida in Phrygia, a mountain associated with the Mother Goddess Cybele, alternatively Rhea. Her father was Cebren, a river-god...
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson's OenoneOenone (poem)Oenone or Œnone is a poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson in 1829. The poem describes the Greek mythological character Oenone and her witnessing of the events in the life of her lover, Paris, as he is involved in the events of the Trojan War. Oenone was inspired by Tennyson's trip to Spain, where...
is a lament by this nymph, after Paris deserted her for Helen.
ThetisThetisSilver-footed Thetis , disposer or "placer" , is encountered in Greek mythology mostly as a sea nymph or known as the goddess of water, one of the fifty Nereids, daughters of the ancient one of the seas with shape-shifting abilities who survives in the historical vestiges of most later Greek myths...
- Thetis appears in episode 12 of the anime version of Sailor MoonSailor MoonSailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
. She uses water-based powers in combat. - Thetis, played by Maggie SmithMaggie SmithDame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE , better known as Maggie Smith, is an English film, stage, and television actress who made her stage debut in 1952 and is still performing after 59 years...
, is the antagonist in the 1981 film, Clash of the TitansClash of the Titans (1981 film)Clash of the Titans is an American 1981 fantasy–adventure film involving the Greek hero Perseus. It was released on June 12, 1981 and earned a gross profit of $41 million domestically, on a $15 million budget , by which it was the 11th highest grossing film of the year. A novelization of the film...
.
ErebusErebusIn Greek mythology, Erebus , also Erebos , was often conceived as a primordial deity, representing the personification of darkness; for instance, Hesiod's Theogony places him as the first five beings to come into existence from Chaos...
- A series of young adult novels by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast known as "House of NightHouse of Night (series)House of Night is a series of vampire-based fantasy novels by American author P. C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. It follows the adventures of Zoey Redbird, a sixteen-year-old girl who has just become a fledgling Vampyre and is required to attend the House of Night boarding school in Tulsa,...
" feature Erebus as the eternal mate of the Goddess Nyx that is worshiped by vampyres and young fledgling vampyres at the eponymous school. A group of mature, trained Warriors in House of Night series are called the Sons of Erebus.
Fortunate IslesFortunate IslesIn the Fortunate Isles, also called the Isles of the Blessed , heroes and other favored mortals in Greek mythology and Celtic mythology were received by the gods into a winterless blissful paradise...
- The Fortunate Isles and Their UnionThe Fortunate Isles and Their UnionThe Fortunate Isles and Their Union is a Jacobean era masque, written by Ben Jonson and designed by Inigo Jones, and performed on January 9, 1625...
is a Jacobean era masque, written by Ben JonsonBen JonsonBenjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
and designed by Inigo JonesInigo JonesInigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
, and performed on January 9, 1625. - The Islands of the Blessed are mentioned frequently in The Sea of TrollsThe Sea of TrollsThe Sea of Trolls is the first volume of a fantasy trilogy by three-time Newbery Honor winning author Nancy Farmer. The second part is The Land of the Silver Apples , and the final volume, The Islands of the Blessed, was published in 2009.-Plot summary:The Sea of Trolls is set in A.D. 793 in...
series, and even in the title of the last book, The Islands of the BlessedThe Islands of the BlessedWith The Islands of the Blessed Nancy Farmer concludes the series of novels that began with The Sea of Trolls and continued with The Land of the Silver Apples...
. - Rudyard KiplingRudyard KiplingJoseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
's poem The Three Decker concerns a voyage to the Islands of the Blest. - The Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
episode, "The Foghorn", references the Fortunate Isles as foreshadowing.
Phlegra
- Phlegra is the title of a 1975 composition for chamber orchestra by the Greek composer Iannis XenakisIannis XenakisIannis Xenakis was a Romanian-born Greek ethnic, naturalized French composer, music theorist, and architect-engineer. He is commonly recognized as one of the most important post-war avant-garde composers...
. - Phlegra is a location in Percy Jackson & The OlympiansPercy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
.
River PhlegethonPhlegethonIn Greek mythology, the river Phlegethon or Pyriphlegethon was one of the five rivers in the infernal regions of the underworld, along with the rivers Styx, Lethe, Cocytus, and Acheron...
It is a river traveled upon by the Incarnation of War, named Mym, in the Piers AnthonyPiers Anthony
Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
novel Wielding a Red Sword
Incarnations of Immortality
Incarnations of Immortality is the name of an eight-book fantasy series by Piers Anthony. The first seven books each focus on one of seven supernatural "offices" in a fictional reality and history parallel to ours, with the exception that society has advanced both magic and modern technology...
. When Mym is lured into Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, he decides to incite rebellion against the forces of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
and uses four of the five major waterways of Hell, among which are the River Lethe, the Archeron, the River Kyoktys, and the River Styx.
TartarusTartarusIn classic mythology, below Uranus , Gaia , and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros . It is a deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering that resides beneath the underworld. In the Gorgias, Plato In classic mythology, below Uranus (sky), Gaia (earth), and Pontus...
- In the MMORPGMMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
City of VillainsCity of VillainsCity of Villains is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the superhero comic book genre, developed by Cryptic Studios and published by NCSoft. Released on October 31, 2005 , the game is integrated with their previous release, City of Heroes...
, the archvillain Lord Recluse derives his power from Tartarus. - In the game Rise of the ArgonautsRise of the ArgonautsRise of the Argonauts is a 2008 third-person action adventure video game developed by Liquid Entertainment and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
, Jason must travel to Tartarus to recover the Golden fleece. - The tartarus is a land dreadnaught used in the video game Tales of the AbyssTales of the Abyssis a console role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco in Japan and Namco Bandai Games in North America. Tales of the Abyss's characteristic genre name is The Meaning Of Birth RPG . It is the eighth mothership title in the Tales series, and was released for the...
and is used to stop the vibration in the planets core. - Tartarus is used in the 1995-1996 FOX Military-Science Ficition TV series, Space: Above and BeyondSpace: Above and BeyondSpace: Above and Beyond was a short-lived mid-90s American science fiction television show on the FOX Network, created and written by Glen Morgan and James Wong. Originally planned for five seasons, it ran only for the single 1995–1996 season. It was nominated for two Emmy Awards and one Saturn...
in the seventh episode: "Enemy" (aired November 7, 1995) has a world that the United Earth Forces and the Chigs battle over in hellish conditions. - In the three part DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
mini-series "Batman: CacophonyBatman: CacophonyBatman: Cacophony is the title of a three-issue comic book limited series starring Batman. The series was written by Kevin Smith with art by Walt Flanagan, and ran from November 2008 through March 2009 due to delays with issue three.-History:...
" by Kevin SmithKevin SmithKevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
, the delusional Maxie ZeusMaxie ZeusMaximillian "Maxie" Zeus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He is a criminal mastermind who believes that he is the god Zeus from Greek mythology. He is an occasional enemy of Batman...
believes the Joker (comics)Joker (comics)The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
is Tartarus. - The God of WarGod of War (series)God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
series makes several trips to the underworld. In God of War: Chains of OlympusGod of War: Chains of OlympusGod of War: Chains of Olympus is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in March 2008....
, Tartarus is a jail cell for the wicked carved into the inner bellies of the earth. - Several episodes of the superheroSuperheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
cartoonCartoonA cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
, in particular "Paradise Lost" and "The Balance", reference or are set in a rendition of Tartarus. A portal to the realm exists on ThemysciraThemysciraThemyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
, Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
's home. - Tartarus is the name of a planet in Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
ruled by the Goa'uldGoa'uldThe Goa'uld are a fictional symbiotic race of ancient astronauts from the American-Canadian military science fiction television franchise Stargate. The Goa'uld are parasites from the planet P3X-888, integrated within a host, most of the time human. The resulting creatures are a powerful race bent...
Anubis. - In Percy Jackson & The OlympiansPercy Jackson & the OlympiansPercy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...
, Tartarus is a place in the UnderworldUnderworldThe Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
.
Themiscyra
The DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
character Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
is one of a nation of Amazons originating from a magically-hidden island called Themyscira
Themyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
, originally called "Paradise Island" from Wonder Woman's first appearance in All Star Comics
All Star Comics
All Star Comics is a 1940s comic book series from All-American Publications, one of the early companies that merged with National Periodical Publications to form the modern-day DC Comics. With the exception of the first two issues, All Star Comics primarily told stories about the adventures of the...
#8 (December 1941) until the character's February 1987 relaunch in Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #1.
ArgosArgos (dog)In Homer's the Odyssey, Argos is Odysseus' faithful dog. After twenty years struggling to get home to Ithaca, Odysseus finally arrives at his homeland. In his absence, reckless suitors have taken over his house in hopes of marrying his wife Penelope...
- The main character in the LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
tie-inTie-inA tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
novel Bad Twin shares a dog named Argos with his old classicsClassicsClassics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
professor. - In The Venture Bros.The Venture Bros.The Venture Bros. is an American animated television series that premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on February 16, 2003. The series mixes action and comedy together while it chronicles the adventures of the Venture family: well-meaning but incompetent teenagers Hank and Dean Venture; their...
episode Escape to the House of Mummies Part II, Doctor Byron Orpheus' demonic mentor means to appear as 'Argos' to teach the doctor a lesson. But, as Orpheus correctly identifies, his form is actually that of CerberusCerberusCerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
. - In the FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
episode "Jurassic BarkJurassic Bark"Jurassic Bark" is the seventh episode of season four of the television series Futurama, airing November 17, 2002. It was nominated for an Emmy Award, but lost to The Simpsons episode "Three Gays of the Condo".-Plot:...
" Fry's faithful dog, Seymour, waits at the pizzeria Fry worked at before being frozen for a thousand years. A montage scene elapses, to the tune of "I Will Wait For YouI Will Wait for You"I Will Wait For You" is a song from the French musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg . Its music was composed by Michel Legrand and its lyrics written by Jacques Demy. It was performed in the film by Catherine Deneuve, whose voice was dubbed by Danielle Licari. The English lyrics of the song were...
" by The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, wherein Seymour, never wavering, waits for many years through rain, snow and seasons for his master to return. Seymour's story, and much of Fry's journey, mirror the story of Odysseus and his faithful dog. - The musical Alley Dog (2010) by Paul Lewis resets the Argos story to Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
during the Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
of the 1950s. - Argos appears in the 2007 game God of War: BetrayalGod of War: BetrayalGod of War: Betrayal is a 2D side-scrolling action-adventure mobile game published by Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment and released on June 20, 2007....
. Argos is sent by Hera to stop the rampaging Kratos (main character), who is causing destruction all over Greece, but is killed by Kratos.