Echidna
Stories where we can find it: In ancient Greek mythology, known as the "Mother of All
Monsters" because most of the monsters in Greek myth were mothered by her. In Hesiod’s
“Theogony”. In Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”. In a story of Hercules, who visited the country of
the Scythians after carrying away the oxen of Geryones. Echidna stole Hercules’ horses and
would not return them until he spent some time with her. Hercules agreed and Echidna
became by him the mother of Agathyrsus, Gelonus, and Scythes, who gave his name to the
people of Scythia and became their King.
Origin (place, period): According to Apollodorus, she was the daughter of Uranus and Gaia.
Hesiod claims that her parents were Phorcys and Ceto (Titans), while others report that her
parents were Chrysaor and Callirhoe. According to Hesiod, she lived with Typhoeus in a cave
in the country of the Arimoi, whereas the Greeks on the Euxine conceived her to have lived
in Scythia.
Physical Description: Echidna was monstrous, half a winged woman with sparkling black eyes
and half a huge scaly serpent.
Human Features: Yes – head and body of a woman.
Behaviour (good / bad): Bad / she used to eat passers-by alive.
Powers / Skills: She was ageless and immortal. She dragged its victims into pits in the earth
and ate them alive.
Weakness: She was killed in her sleep by Argus Panoptes (the hundred-eyed giant, guard of
people and animals)
Association with other animals: Echidna was the mother of the major monsters of ancient
Greek mythology. Her Children were: Orthrus (the two-headed dog which guarded the Cattle
of Geryon), Cerberus (the many-headed dog which guarded the gates of Hades), The
Lernaean Hydra (the many-headed sea monster which when one of its heads was cut off
grew two more), Chimera (a fire-breathing beast that was part lion, part goat, and had a
snake-headed tail), The Caucasian Eagle (an eagle that every day ate the liver of
Prometheus), The Crommyonian Sow (killed by Theseus), The Gorgon, The Colchian Dragon
(a dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece), Scylla, The Teumessian fox (a fox that was
destined never to be caught - sometimes called the Cadmean vixen), Ladon (the dragon which
guarded the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides).
Parallel with animals of other cultures:
Comparison with animals of other countries (similarities / differences):