| Somewhere in the world, every eight seconds, a | | | | sacred wells in the swampy regions of Lerna. She |
| mother is throwing her hands in the air and | | | | was afflicted with bad breath from sulphurous |
| declaring that her child is a little monster. But for | | | | water -it was said one exhalation could kill a man - |
| Echidna it was the literal truth. | | | | and her blood was venomous. |
| Echidna was called the mother of all monsters, | | | | The Chimaera was another marvelous |
| although her children numbered no more than a | | | | combination, displaying the multi-headed family |
| dozen or so, and many were exemplary offspring | | | | trait with three of them. Not only did she have |
| and a pride to any parent. They may still roam | | | | the head of a lion, a goat, and a snake, her body |
| the earth in the quiet unseen places, waiting the | | | | was in three distinct parts. The top was leonine, |
| day when a new Hero will come to challenge | | | | the middle like a goat, and the whole ended in the |
| them. | | | | long lashing tail of a serpent. Breathing fire, the |
| There are many arguments about Echidna's exact | | | | Chimaera terrified all of Lycia, killing cattle and |
| lineage, but who amongst us can vouch for every | | | | scorching the countryside until slain by the Hero |
| union in our own background? Suffice to say she | | | | Bellepheron. |
| was the daughter of powerful mythical beings. | | | | Another of Echidna's daughters was the fierce |
| Sources agree, though, on her appearance... | | | | Crommyonian Sow, who played a leading role on |
| "half fair-cheeked and bright-eyed nymph and half | | | | the life of the Hero Theseus. |
| huge and monstrous snake, a snake that strikes | | | | Echidna also produced the Caucasus Eagle (the |
| swiftly and feeds on living flesh." (Hesiod, | | | | one that keeps gnawing away at the liver of |
| Theogony, 295-303) | | | | Prometheus) the Nemean Lion and the |
| As an arresting combination of beautiful woman | | | | riddle-loving Sphinx. Perhaps her favourite child |
| and deadly serpent, it was to be expected that | | | | was the shining dragon that guarded the Golden |
| her children were also unusual. Her first born was | | | | Apples of Hesperos |
| Orthus, a hard-working cattle dog on an island | | | | Echidna may also have borne human children. It |
| beyond the pillars of Hercules. Orthus guarded | | | | has been whispered that the Hero Hercules fell in |
| these unique red cattle for Geryon, the strongest | | | | love with her and engaged in an affair that |
| man alive at that time. | | | | produced three future kings but it seems doubtful |
| Cerberus, her next son and another fearsome | | | | that a mother would stoop to dalliance with the |
| dog, guarded the entrance to the Underworld and | | | | murderer of so many of her children. |
| very sensibly kept the living from entering the | | | | Whatever the truth is, it's now lost in time, but |
| world of the dead. This "brazen-voiced hound of | | | | Zeus did decree that the children of Echidna would |
| Hades" had three heads of wild dogs abd the tail | | | | remain on earth for always, to test the mettle of |
| of a serpent. | | | | future Heroes. A fitting task for such marvelous |
| Another serpent was the nine-headed Hydra, who | | | | monsters and a credit to their long-maligned |
| liked to sun herself on rocks overlooking the | | | | mother. |