what is a lamia

Lamia is a female or a hermaphroditic demon found in Greek mythology who devoured children and seduced men. She was a beautiful queen of Ancient Libya who had an affair with Zeus. Upon learning this, Zeuss wife Hera robbed Lamia of her children, the offspring of her affair with Zeus, either by kidnapping or by killing them. The loss of her children drove Lamia insane, and in vengeance and despair, Lamia snatched up any children she could find and devoured them. Because of her cruel acts, her physical appearance changed to become ugly and monstrous. Lamia was often described as a bogeyman--a night-haunting daemon which preyed on children. Some stories depict Lamia with the upper body of a woman but with the lower half as that of a snake; her name in ancient Greek translates roughly to “rogue shark.” Other tales of Greek mythology represent her as a woman with paws, scales, and male genitalia—or even as a swarm of multiple monsters that resemble vampires. Philosophers used her as a negative example of desire and greed; what may appear to be attractive and seductive will later always end in ruin and corruption.