The Labors of Heracles

Episode 6: The Stymphalian Birds

From the filth of the Augean Stables to the drear of the Stymphalian Marshes. Here terrible flesh-eating birds with iron beaks and bronze claws had taken up residence in a large colony. As if this wasn’t enough, their droppings were extremely toxic.

Heracles scratched his head over this one. He was too heavy to attempt walking on the marsh and he did not have an umbrella. Actually no-one did as they were still waiting to be invented.

Athena noticed his plight and, having a soft spot for our Hero, offered to lend him her cymbals. (In some accounts they are referred to as castanets, but we don’t think so. We feel they were more like heavy crash/ride cymbals.)

The cymbals were forged by Hephaestus and they made such a scary noise, the birds took to the air screeching in fear. Heracles pot-shotted them like fish in a barrel and the birds got the message. They flew off to the Isle of Ares, where they rightly belonged as they were his pets.

Next Episode: The Cretan Bull...