Concept in Definition ABC

Ancient Greek myths are very present in the language current and in culture in general. The term harpy is a good example of this, since harpies were strange winged beings with the appearance of woman and in common language a harpy is a wicked woman who acts with malicious intent. Refering to spelling of the word, it must be indicated that both Harpy and Harpy are valid.

Harpies in Greek mythological tales

The harpies were daughters of Neptune and were sent by him to punish Phineus, king of Bithynia, who had had his eyes gouged out to his own children for believing that they were going to betray him, just as his second wife made him believe, a very perverse woman named Idea. Thus, to punish Phineus' unjust behavior, the harpies appeared before him with a horrible appearance, for they had the face of an old woman and the body of a vulture. The appearance of the harpies in the life of Phineus became unbearable, since they were dedicated to corrupting all the food

that was around him. Phineus's brothers-in-law took pity on him and managed to return the harpies to their usual home, the Isles of Estrophades.

Regarding the origin of the harpies there are different interpretations

Some consider that these mythological beings really refer to flocks of locusts that devastated the fields of culture of some Greek islands. Other interpretations suggest that the harpies were imaginary beings created by the fantasy of the corsairs, who attributed evil powers to them.

In any case, the harpies remind us of another mysterious being, the mermaids. While harpies have a sinister appearance and cause fear and destruction, mermaids are characterized by their beauty and their seductive way of singing. Despite their different appearance, harpies and mermaids symbolize the dangers associated with women.

Other mythological beings present in current culture

The reference to the harpies reminds us that in everyday language there are many references to the mythology Greek. In fact, when we are inspired we talk about the muses, our weak point is the Achilles heel and Cupid continues to dedicate himself to love affairs.

An insult to women

In the traditioncultural macho there are many terms that disqualify women. If a man says that a woman is a harpy he is indicating that she is someone who acts with evil and in a twisted way. Harpy is equivalent to qualifiers like witch or beast.

Photos: iStock - c-vino / oleg filipchuk

Themes in Harpy