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thistledearOkay, before anyone starts throwing Greek mythology at me, let me go ahead and state my defense on Ophelia's appearance.
Ever read Tim Powers? Well, he's a sci-fi/fantasy writer who does a lot of really interesting historical-type novels like The Anubis Gates, and there was one he did called The Stress of Her Regard. It had lamias in it. They seemed to be made of stone or something. ~.^
I dunno. Anyway, the cover had a neat half-woman, half snake creature with bat wings. And verily did Thistle say "Awesome!" and steal it. ^^
"The ancient Greeks believed that the Lamia was a vampire who stole little children to drink their blood. She was portrayed as a snake-like creature with a female head and breasts. Usually female, but sometimes referred to as a male or a hermaphrodite.
According to legend, she was once a Libyan queen (or princess) who fell in love with Zeus. Zeus' jealous wife Hera deformed her into a monster and murdered their offspring. She also made Lamia unable to close her eyes, so that she couldn't find any rest from the obsessing image of her dead children. When Zeus saw what had be done to Lamia, he felt pity for her and gave his former lover a gift: she could remove her eyes, and then put them on again. This way, though sleepless, she could rest from her misfortune. Lamia envied other the other mothers and took her vengeance by stealing their children and devouring them.
In Lamia and other Poems (1820), the English poet John Keats writes about Lamia too. In this version, based on the information he found in Anatomy of Melancholy of the 1600s, Lamia has the ability to change herself into a beautiful young woman. Here she assumes a human form to win a man's love." Courtesy of www.pantheon.org
Ophelia would like to state that her kind are the victims of bad press.
Ophelia: Geez, eat one baby and suddenly everyone--what? I never! It was a Baby Ruth, I swear! THE CANDY, THE CANDY!! Okay, I'm, like...going now. *slithers away quickly*
Ever read Tim Powers? Well, he's a sci-fi/fantasy writer who does a lot of really interesting historical-type novels like The Anubis Gates, and there was one he did called The Stress of Her Regard. It had lamias in it. They seemed to be made of stone or something. ~.^
I dunno. Anyway, the cover had a neat half-woman, half snake creature with bat wings. And verily did Thistle say "Awesome!" and steal it. ^^
"The ancient Greeks believed that the Lamia was a vampire who stole little children to drink their blood. She was portrayed as a snake-like creature with a female head and breasts. Usually female, but sometimes referred to as a male or a hermaphrodite.
According to legend, she was once a Libyan queen (or princess) who fell in love with Zeus. Zeus' jealous wife Hera deformed her into a monster and murdered their offspring. She also made Lamia unable to close her eyes, so that she couldn't find any rest from the obsessing image of her dead children. When Zeus saw what had be done to Lamia, he felt pity for her and gave his former lover a gift: she could remove her eyes, and then put them on again. This way, though sleepless, she could rest from her misfortune. Lamia envied other the other mothers and took her vengeance by stealing their children and devouring them.
In Lamia and other Poems (1820), the English poet John Keats writes about Lamia too. In this version, based on the information he found in Anatomy of Melancholy of the 1600s, Lamia has the ability to change herself into a beautiful young woman. Here she assumes a human form to win a man's love." Courtesy of www.pantheon.org
Ophelia would like to state that her kind are the victims of bad press.
Ophelia: Geez, eat one baby and suddenly everyone--what? I never! It was a Baby Ruth, I swear! THE CANDY, THE CANDY!! Okay, I'm, like...going now. *slithers away quickly*
