Harpy: Origins

Sirens and harpies are often confused, the proof shows thus: a woman who has a shrill nagging tone, but a pleasant enough face is often referred to, as a harpy. However, the harpies were not necessarily known for their voices being their prime weapon. In fact, harpy means “snatcher”, and that is actually what they do. Their whole threat is to fly down on the wind and snatch what they want, then eat it, whether that might be food, or a person. The literal meaning of harpy is “that which snatches”, and the term was derived the Greek word “harpazein” which means “to snatch”. Confusing, isn’t it? Most etymological concepts are, but through careful documentation by the ancient Greek storytellers and philosophers, it was the figure who was distorted, not the name.

The harpy’s demeanour was perhaps meant to be seductive, but any closer inspection revealed them to be dreadful creatures that resembled Gorgons more in the facial features, and hair. The rest of their body was that of a bird, or a hybrid, body of a bird and mammal, –although this image was usually restricted to a sphinx, which was equally reviled in Greek mythology. One can easily be led to theorize that the Greeks, coming in contact with Egyptian mythology at some point, were disgusted and repulsed by their worship of human and animal hybrids, which led to so many of the Greek ideas of monstrosity, being that of a part animal, and part human.

Later on, through Latin dilution, and Roman romanticism, the harpy and the siren both became beautiful, and seductive. Even further romantic dilution resulted in the harpy becoming a sorrowful, but beautiful spirit of death, –like an angel. This is wholly inaccurate, and quite retracts from its original character; that of a monster. However, perhaps it is also more of a return to fact, since most avian and human hybrid deities is Egyptian mythology, –which hypothetically influenced Greek mythology, –are believed to be primarily benevolent.