Lamien
Lamia
The ancient Greeks believed that the Lamia was a
vampire who stole little children to drink their blood. She was
portrayed as a snake-like creature with a female head and breasts.
Usually female, but sometimes referred to as a male or a hermaphrodite.
According to legend, she was once a Libyan queen (or princess) who
fell in love with Zeus. Zeus' jealous wife
Hera
deformed her into a monster
and murdered their offspring.
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/l/lamia.html
Lamia
Although lamia were generally
believed to have been demons, associated with
succubus and with Lilith, they were
also synonymous to some with witches. Lamia
witches could either look like women, but with
horse's hoofs, or they could be a "scaly,
four-legged creature, with hoofs behind and paws
in front, with a woman's face, a hermaphrodite
with a man's organ and woman's breasts"
http://www.bigfoot.com/~ShanMonster/witch/traits/lamia.html
Pre-Raphaelite Sorceresses - Lamia
The
original story of Lamia comes from Greek
mythology. Her children were murdered by a
jealous rival, and she took revenge by murdering
the children of others. Lamia's cruelty turned
her face into a terrifying mask, and later she
seduced young men and killed them in their sleep
by sucking their blood. Her name derives from
'lamyros', meaning gluttony, and in this context
implied female lechery.
http://www.webmagick.co.uk/prcoll/sorcery/sorcery13.html
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