Nemean Lion

Origin: Greek mythology

Resides In: Nemea

The Nemean Lion is a terrifying monster, said to be impervious to normal weapons. Its claws were sharper than any mortal blade, and can cut through even armor. As his first task, Herakles must slay the Nemean Lion, but quickly found that his bow and arrow were useless. After the Lion returned to its cave, Herakles blocked one entrance, forcing the beast to leave through one opening. Trapping the Lion, Herakles stunned it with his club, and then strangled the monster to death. The hero then used the Lion’s own claws to skin the hide.

Hathor

Origin: Egyptian mythology

Type: goddess

Hathor is a goddess sometimes depicted either with a cow head or a woman’s head with a cow’s ears and horns. As a Great Mother, she manifests as a lover, mother, avenger and comforter of the dead. Descriptions of her vary, but in later myths her characteristics mix with those of Isis. The connections to cows stem from the human reproductive anatomy: the triangle cow head and two horns resemble the shape of the uterus.

Lilith

Origin: Jewish mythology

Lilth is similar to the Succubus, in that she seduces men in order to give birth to more demons. Stories about Lilith are as old as the Gilgamesh epic. In one version, the goddess Ishtar, plants a tree with the intentions of crafting it into a throne. When she attempts to cut it down, she encounters a snake that cannot be charmed, a Zu bird, and Lilith, the Maiden of Darkness, living in its trunk. When Gilgamesh slays the serpent, Lilith flees.

One legend says that she coupled with Satan, and gives birth to the demon Djinn. As punishment, God slays some of her children each day. In revenge, Lilith preys on newborn infants. One common practice to protect children were to give them an amulet bearing the image of Adam and Eve.

Thoth

Origin: Egyptian mythology

Thoth could be considered one of the most important gods in the Egyptian pantheon, representing wisdom and divine intellect. He has numerous forms which conveys a different aspect of his being.

As the scribe of all gods, he is credited with authorship of science, religion, philosophy and knowledge. One of his forms, a man with the head of a bird, he is the lord of time who measures the days and seasons. He is believed to have invented the calendar, and without his words the gods themselves would not exist.

Khnum

Origin: Egyptian mythology

He is often depicted with the head of a ram. The wave-like pattern of the ram’s horns resemble the waters of the Nile, which he was believed to be the source of. One horn feeds water to the North; the other to the South. Sometimes he is shown holding a jar that spills the Nile’s water.

Khnum’s job is to assist Hapi in making sure the right amount of silt is released into the water. From the dirt and silt he forms the bodies and souls of children, placing them into a mother’s womb.

Neith

Origin: Egyptian mythology

Type: creation goddess

Neith has several manifestations, and is related to the goddess Isis. Sobek, the crocodile god, is her son. It is also said that when she spat into the water, the serpent demon Apophis was born.

As the goddess of the hunt, she either wears or holds a set of crossed arrows. In the annual Festival of the Lamps, she wears the shuttle of a loom on her head, carries the ankh, and weaves mummy clothes for the dead.

Semele

Origin: Greek mythology

Once while slaughtering a bull at a sacred altar, Zeus spies on Semele in the form of an eagle and falls desperately in love. He transforms himself into a mortal man, wooing her.

After finding out about the affair, Hera befriends Semele, who tells her of Zeus’ identity. Pretending to be unconvinced, Hera plants a seed of doubt in her. Later, Semele convinces Zeus to reveal his true form. Extremely reluctant but eager to please her, Zeus reveals his true self, but his thunderbolts incinerate his lover.

Zeus managed to save their unborn child, however. The god had sewn the baby into his thigh until he was ready to be born. The child was Dionysus, who would eventually bring his mother back from the Underworld, where she will become a goddess on Mount Olympus under a new name, Thyone.

Ceryneian Hind

Origin: Greek mythology

Type: deer

This huge deer is larger than a bul, fast enough to outrun an arrow, and has bronze hooves and golden antlers. Sacred to Artemis, it is named for Mount Cerynea.

In one version, Hercules is tasked to capture the animal for the king. He lames the Ceryneian when it stopped for a drink, using a poisoned arrow. After completing his mission Hercules releases it, so that it may return to Artemis.

Eurymanthian Boar

Origin: Greek mythology

Type: boar

Resides In: Mount Eurymanthus

It is a giant, wild boar that roams an area sacred to the goddess, Artemis. It is described as having razor sharp tusks.

Ordered to bring it back alive, Hercules sets out to capture the boar. Along the way, he is entertained by Centaurs. They become intoxicated, forcing Hercules to shoot them down. Only the immortal Centaur Chiron, survives, and he advises the hero to drive the boar into the mountains to subdue it. Once the task is complete, Hercules brings the boar to the king, who is so terrified that he had the boar placed in a jar.