harpies

Harpies are mythological creatures from ancient Greek and Roman tradition, typically depicted as winged beings with a human face and the body of a bird. In classical sources they are often described as swift and foul, capable of snatching people or food and carrying them away. The name harpyiai comes from Greek roots meaning “snatchers” or “swift ones.”

In Greek mythology the harpies are usually considered the daughters of Thaumas and the ocean nymph Electra, and they include notable individuals such as Aello and Ocypete (and sometimes Celaeno). They function as agents of punishment or as personifications of sudden gales and storms. One of their best-known roles is in the story of Phineus, a blind seer tormented by the Harpies who steal his food and foul his meals until the Argonauts, aided by the winged brothers Calais and Zetes, drive them away.

Art and literature across periods have varied in its depiction of harpies. Classical sculpture and vase painting often show them as bird-like women; later writers and artists sometimes enhanced their monstrous or mercurial nature. In medieval, Renaissance, and modern fantasy fiction, harpies appear as monsters, antagonists, or symbolic figures of wind, fate, or the disruptive forces of nature. Modern fantasy games and novels frequently reinterpret harpies with diverse traits, from fierce combatants to tragic figures.

In contemporary usage, the term harpy can be employed metaphorically to describe a predatory or nagging person, though such usage is figurative and not descriptive of historical myth.