greek mythology
...was, it symbolized Isis and/or the reigning queen. In Egypt the intellectual faculties ennobled the bestial traits present in the physical makeup of this creature” (Monstrous). Androsphinx was originated in Egypt and was known to be a symbol of a Ra, the sun God; was known to the Egyptians to be the creator of all things. The Hierocosphonx has the body of a lion and a head of a hawk (Monstrous). These are the different variations of sphinx that have been used throughout history. “This figure originated in Egypt and then spread, with many modifications, throughout the ancient world”(Monstrous). The sphinx is depicted differently through the thoughts of the Greeks; they saw it as a winged lion with the head of a woman that would kill any human if they did not answer the riddle correctly. This is noted in a story, written by Sophocles, of Oedipus Rex when he answer’s the riddle right, the sphinx plunged to her doom. The Sphinx was one of the offspring from the monster Typhon, who breathed fire, and had a hundred venomous heads. Echidna was the Sphinx’s mother, who had a nymph's head and the body of a giant serpent. She also had six other offspring names of Nemean Lion, Cerberus, Ladon, Chimaera and Hydra. Cerberus described in Horace’s myth as having one hundred heads (monstrous). In Hesiod’s version he had fifty heads, but most myths claim that he had only three heads (Monstrous). He was also said to have the center head of a lion and two wolf heads (Monstrous). Cerberus was also an offspring of Echidna and Typhon. This is probably why Cerberus was sometimes portrayed as having a think mane of snakes and a dragon’s tail. Cerberus has two purposes; one was to guard the underworld from mortals coming over the River of Styx and from souls escaping. He was also described as tormenting the souls in the cold mountains and to make sure every soul got there fare share (Monstrous). Cerberus is also known to be told in the modern day “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” as fluffy the three headed dog that Hagrid raised from a pup (Harry Potter). His place was to guard any buddy from getting the sorcerer’s stone in the cellular, the only way to get past him is to sooth him to sleep with a magic flute or get by him by Harry’s magical colloquy of invincibility (J K Rowling’s). They don’t say the origin of where Fluffy came from, but only that Hagrid raised him as a puppy and found him in the Forbidden forest. Minotaur is described as having the head of a bull and body of a man and vice, versa. The creature was conceived from Pasiphae, Minos’ wife and a white bull sent by Poseidon because he was mad at her husband Minos’ king of Crete. Minos’ was disgusted with his wife for conceiving such a treacherous animal so he built a maze to trap or contain them from not escaping (monstrous). Before the Sundering, Minotaur was a highly warlike race. The Minotaur race is another by-product of the Graygem. As the Graygem rampaged through the world of Krynn, it altered ogres in both Ansalon and also in Taladas. The results of some of these altered ogres were the Minotaur race. Minotaur stands over seven feet tall and are heavily muscular. They are covered in fur of brown, black, red or white coloring. Their faces resemble bulls and they have short horns (worldsofdnd). They are all fierce warriors and seafaring creatures (worldsofdnd). There are three types of distinct Minotaur, each type separated by the region in which they hail from: The Imperial League, The Blood Sea Isle Minotaur, and the Kazelati (worldsofdnd). The Centaur is a mythological creature with its head, arms, and chest are those of a human and the rest ...