Empusa
The title of this article is ambiguous. For other meanings, see Empusa (disambiguation).
Empusa (Greek Ἔμπουσα) is a female haunting figure and spectre in Greek mythology.
The etymology of the name Empusa is unclear. In appearance she resembles other demons such as the lamias and mormolyks. She is one of the eerie ghosts (Hekataia) sent by the goddess Hekate to frighten wanderers and unfortunates, and has the ability to appear in a variety of guises. Sometimes she is also equated with Hekate.
The figure of Empusa can first be found in Greek comedy, in particular in Aristophanes' work The Frogs, which was first performed around 405 BC. As the god Dionysus and his slave Xanthias make their way to the underworld, Empusa appears in various animal forms (ox, mule, dog) as well as a beautiful woman. She has a fiery face as well as one leg made of ore and one made of cow or donkey dung. According to other sources, however, one leg is an ass's foot (hence her epithet Onoskelis). In another passage, Aristophanes says that Empusa is wrapped in a blood-swollen bladder.
The Greek sophist Flavius Philostratos tells us in his Life of Apollonios of Tyana that this miracle man met an Empusa, depicted here as a kind of night ghost, and was able to frighten her away by shouting insults at her, whereupon she ran away with a shrill sound. In the same work Philostratos states that Empusa appeared to men in the guise of a beautiful woman and seduced them in order to suck out their blood and consume their flesh in their sleep after the pleasure of love.
An Ephesian tale by Aristocles also belongs to the realm of the Empusa myth. According to this story, a noble Ephesian hated women and therefore consorted with a she-donkey, who thereupon gave birth to a beautiful girl, who was named Onoskelia (or Onoskelis).
The popular conceptions of the figure of Empusa as a bloodthirsty ghost resemble the later vampire beliefs of the Balkans.
Goethe also has an Empusa and Lamien appear in the Walpurgis Night described in the second part of his Faust.
Web link
- "Empousai" at Theoi Greek Mythology (English).
Questions and Answers
Q: Who is Empusa in Greek mythology?
A: Empusa is a female spirit in Greek mythology.
Q: Who was Empusa's mother?
A: Empusa's mother was probably Hectate.
Q: What was Empusa's role in Greek mythology?
A: Empusa was a spirit used to frighten people.
Q: What did Empusa look like?
A: Empusa probably resembled Mormo and Lamia in appearance.
Q: What ability did Empusa have?
A: Empusa had the ability to change her appearance or shape.
Q: Who was the first to describe Empusa?
A: The first to describe Empusa was the Ancient Greek poet Aristophanes.
Q: In what form did Empusa appear to Dionisus and Xanthias in The Frogs?
A: Empusa appeared in different forms such as animals (cow, donkey, dog) and finally as a woman. One of her legs was made of iron, the other is made of cow dung.
