These are demonic winged women with beaks and claws, into punishment, torture and death. Starting off as stormy Tornado Goddesses, they were originally fair-haired and beautiful, but soon realized this did not really project the right image. One quick makeover and they became screechy, scratchy, vicious and downright unsavory in every way.

The daughters of Thaumas and Electra, their names are generally given as Aello, Celaeno and Ocypete, with a bonus extra Fourth Harpy called Podarge. They are mentioned in many tales as snatchers and grabbers of people, and so far only the Boreads have ever managed to get the better of them.

The Harpies can fly at the speed of sound, and one of their favorite tricks is to defecate upon the unworthy from a great height. It’s not airplane toilets you should blame when frozen lumps of crap fall out of the sky.

Article last revised on May 31, 2019 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

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