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Chimaera
Also Chimera.
The
Greek for 'she-goat', but in Greek
mythology the Chimaera was a fire breathing female creature with the body of a lion, a
goat's head emerging from her back, and a serpent as her tail.
Hesiod's account though
gives it the mane and legs of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a dragon or serpent, with three heads (lion's, goat's
and serpent's or dragon's).
According to
Homer and
Hesiod, the Chimaera was of divine origin. Her mother was
Echidna (a monster and a
prolific breeder of monsters, it was half-woman and half-serpent), her father was the
monster
Typhon. The Chimaera was slain by
Bellerophon, with Pegasus help.
The Chimaera is identified
as female in literature, but is usually male in artwork. According to all authorities, the
monster was native to
Lycia, where there was a volcano bearing its name. The base of this
mountain was infested with serpents, higher up on its flanks were meadows and goats, and
toward its desolate top, which belched out flames, a pride of lions had its resort.
Even in the fantasies of
mythology the Chimaera was felt to be extreme and the word today suggests something
absurdly fantastic, wildly imaginary; also have been used as a symbol of the impossible.
See Zeus,
Artemis, Hermes, Delphi,
Casting Black Magic Spells,
Commanding Spirits,
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Supplies.
Sources: Article is scheduled to be reviewed.
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