| Harpy | |
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| "Robber."
One of a group of foul creatures of Greek mythology that
are describe with the head of an old woman and the body,
wings, beak, and claws of a bird. Harpies flew with the
speed of the wind, had feathers that could not be
pierced, and almost always traveled in groups of three.
They carried off humans to the underworld of Hades,
always leaving behind a sickening odor; being the
embodiments of justice and divine retribution, they only
carry off those that deserved the punishment. The Harpies
were reputed to live in the Strophades Islands, where
they tormented the evil King Phineus, who was eventually
rescued by the Argonauts. In another tale, Aeneas of Troy
and his crew insulted them by stealing their possessions,
and they then prophecied hardships for the Trojans.
According to Hesiod, there were only three Harpies: Celaeno (blackness), Aello (storm), and Ocypete (fleet-footed). The Harpies were
personifications of the storm winds. In medieval heraldry, Harpies represent just punishment for the vice of greed. |