Stymphalian birds
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, the Stymphalian birds were man-eating bird
s with beaks of bronze
and sharp metallic feathers they could launch at their victims, and were sacred to Ares
, the god of war. Furthermore, their dung was highly toxic. They had migrated to Lake Stymphalia
in Arcadia
to escape a pack of wolves
the Arabs set loose to kill them, and bred quickly and took over the countryside, destroying local crops, fruit trees and townspeople.
had made especially for the occasion. Heracles shook the rattle and frightened the birds into the air. Heracles then shot many of them with his arrows. The rest flew far away, never to return. The Argonauts
would later encounter them.
Heracles then brought some of the birds he had killed to Eurystheus. He then sent Heracles to capture the Cretan Bull
and bring it to him.
, the evenings darken and the rain season in Greece starts, creating swampland from previously dry areas. The constellations Cygnus the Swan
, Aquila the Eagle
, and Lyra
rise during this time period. (Lyra is thought of as a lyre
in modern times, but originally it was shown as a vulture. This vulture was later depicted as holding a lyre, and eventually shown only as a lyre). These constellations can be thought of as the inspiration for the story of the Stymphalian Birds.
Sagittarius
had various implications, often as an archer but also as a rattle. In the story of Heracles' twelve labors, Heracles scared off the Stymphalian Birds with noise, and by firing an arrow at them (the constellation Sagitta
, an arrow, is aimed towards Aquila). Also, the Birds lived in a swamp, a parallel with the rain associated with Sagittarius. The noise, archery, and sinister birds, as well as the swampy season, associated with the constellations may reflect the origin of the myth.
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...
, the Stymphalian birds were man-eating bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s with beaks of bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
and sharp metallic feathers they could launch at their victims, and were sacred to Ares
Ares
Ares 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...
, the god of war. Furthermore, their dung was highly toxic. They had migrated to Lake Stymphalia
Lake Stymphalia
Lake Stymphalia is located in the north-eastern part of the Peloponnese, in the Corinthia prefecture. It is a Wetlands area, a popular farming area. Usually this area around the lake is fairly dry underfoot. In certain weather conditions thousands of small green frogs hide in the damp grass from...
in Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
to escape a pack of wolves
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
the Arabs set loose to kill them, and bred quickly and took over the countryside, destroying local crops, fruit trees and townspeople.
The Sixth Labour of Heracles
After cleaning the Augean Stables, Eurystheus sent Heracles to defeat the Stymphalian Birds. Heracles could not go too far into the swamp, for it would not support his weight. Athena, noticing the hero's plight, gave Heracles a rattle which HephaestusHephaestus
Hephaestus 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...
had made especially for the occasion. Heracles shook the rattle and frightened the birds into the air. Heracles then shot many of them with his arrows. The rest flew far away, never to return. The Argonauts
Argonauts
The 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...
would later encounter them.
Heracles then brought some of the birds he had killed to Eurystheus. He then sent Heracles to capture the Cretan Bull
Cretan Bull
In Greek mythology, the Cretan Bull was either the bull that carried away Europa or the bull Pasiphaë fell in love with, giving birth to the Minotaur.- Origin :...
and bring it to him.
Origin
When the sun is in the sign of SagittariusSagittarius (constellation)
Sagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac, the one containing the galactic center. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow...
, the evenings darken and the rain season in Greece starts, creating swampland from previously dry areas. The constellations Cygnus the Swan
Cygnus (constellation)
Cygnus is a northern constellation lying on the plane of the Milky Way. Its name is the Latinized Hellenic word for swan. One of the most recognizable constellations of the northern summer and autumn, it features a prominent asterism known as the Northern Cross...
, Aquila the Eagle
Aquila (constellation)
Aquila is a stellar constellation. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and it is commonly represented as such. In mythology, Aquila was owned by the Roman god Jupiter and performed many tasks for him....
, and Lyra
Lyra
Lyra is a small constellation. It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Its principal star, Vega — a corner of the Summer Triangle — is one of the brightest...
rise during this time period. (Lyra is thought of as a lyre
Lyre
The lyre is a stringed musical instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later. The word comes from the Greek "λύρα" and the earliest reference to the word is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists", written in Linear B syllabic script...
in modern times, but originally it was shown as a vulture. This vulture was later depicted as holding a lyre, and eventually shown only as a lyre). These constellations can be thought of as the inspiration for the story of the Stymphalian Birds.
Sagittarius
Sagittarius (constellation)
Sagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac, the one containing the galactic center. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow...
had various implications, often as an archer but also as a rattle. In the story of Heracles' twelve labors, Heracles scared off the Stymphalian Birds with noise, and by firing an arrow at them (the constellation Sagitta
Sagitta
Sagitta is a constellation. Its name is Latin for "arrow", and it should not be confused with the larger constellation Sagittarius, the archer. Although ancient, it is insignificant, for it has no star brighter than the 4th magnitude and is the third smallest of all constellations...
, an arrow, is aimed towards Aquila). Also, the Birds lived in a swamp, a parallel with the rain associated with Sagittarius. The noise, archery, and sinister birds, as well as the swampy season, associated with the constellations may reflect the origin of the myth.
In popular culture
- In Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, AresAres (Marvel Comics)Ares is a fictional character, a deity in the Marvel Comics Universe based on the Greek god of the same name. He first appears in Thor #129 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
is depicted as hating HerculesHercules (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....
over the death of the Stymphalian Birds. - The Stymphalian birds were featured as a flying myth unit of the Atlantean faction in 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....
- They appeared 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...
in The Sea of Monsters, during which they attacked the residents of Camp Half-blood during a chariot race and resembled pigeons