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sarahsawyer.com http://www.sarahsawyer.com/2011/03/mythic-creature-the-chimera

By Sarah

Sawyer 

March 9,

2011

Mythic Creature: The Chimera

Name: Chimera or Chimaera

Appearance: Awkward in appearance, the chimera possessed three heads–that of a lioness, goat, and snake. The

lioness head came first, sometimes depicted with a close-cropped mane, other times with rays or flames

surrounding it. This head breathed fire. Then in the middle of the chimera’s back, a horned goat head emerged. In

some descriptions, the goat’s head faced forward, in others it was backwards. Occasionally, artists even depicted a

goat’s forelegs and udders as part of the beast. The chimera’s hindquarters were dragon-like and its tail ended with

the head of a dragon or a snake. Homer described it as “a thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and

snake behind, a goat in the middle, and snorting out the breath of the terrible flame of bright fire.”

Unique qualities and traits: Unlike many mythic creatures, the chimera was one of a kind, not a species of beast.

It was also universally viewed as female. The chimera possessed strength and speed, by means of which it ravage

the countryside in which it dwelt. It destroyed herds and burnt sections of land, holding the countryside captive infear. The appearance of the chimera was considered an ill omen and a sign of natural disasters to come, especially

volcanoes. Over time, the chimera came to symbolize evil–female evil in particular. In the medieval era, it was

sometimes used to illustrate and support negative views of women, as seen in the Malleus Maleficarum (a treatise

against witches). This book denounced women in general, attributing to them all manner of carnality and

wickedness, and comparing them to chimera, “You do not know that woman is the Chimaera, but it is good that you

should know it; for that monster was of three forms; its face was that of a radiant and noble lion, it had the filthy belly

of a goat, and it was armed with the virulent tail of a viper…a woman is beautiful to look upon, contaminating to the

touch, and deadly to keep.”

Quick facts:

The word chimera comes from the Greek meaning “she-goat.”

The chimera was often accredited with birthing the Sphinx, another Greek monster.

Most legends state that the chimera lived in the region of Lycia (now Turkey).

Sources from myth and legend:

The earliest written record of the chimera comes from Homer, in The Iliad , and one of his peers Heriod, who

described the chimera in his epic poem Theogony  as “a creature fearful, great, swift-footed and strong, who had

three heads, one of a grim-eyed lion; in her hinderpart, a dragon; and in her middle, a goat, breathing forth a fearful

blast of blazing fire.” Their descriptions provided the standard for the chimera, which became a common figure in

Greek mythology. Legends state that Bellerophon, a Greek hero, riding Pegasus, eventually managed to kill thechimera from the air. By the time four or five centuries passed, most people did not believe the chimera’s existence

viewing it as a creature of myth, rather than one that might plausibly dwell in Lycia. In the 1st century AD, Pliny the

Elder gives an account that may provide some explanation of the chimera’s origin, “[in Lycia] is Mount Chimaera,

which sends forth flames at night, and the city-state of Hephaestium, which also has a mountain range that is often

on fire.” On this mountain lived all three of the creatures that make up the chimera, which may have provided

inspiration for the legend or at least the association of the creature with volcanoes. In the medieval era, there were

number of references to the chimera, mostly negative, as seen in the Malleus Maleficarum, and in the 1800s the

chimera became a legend of interest (along with other areas of Greek mythology). In 1852, Nathaniel Hawthorn

recorded the story of Bellerophon, Pegasus, and Chimera in “A Wonder-Book for Boys and Girls,” and it has

appeared in a variety of storybooks and mythology collections since.

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Overview: A hideous combination of existing creatures, infused with mythic qualities of strength, speed, and fire-

breathing, the chimera provided rich fodder for storytellers as early as the 8th century BC. Despite the fact that belie

in its existence quickly dwindled, it had lasting impact as a symbol, making its way into fiction and non-fiction

accounts, providing a cultural reference, and eventually turning from a symbol of evil to an example of an absurd

fancy.

 Your opinions:

What caused the chimera to endure as a symbol long after any belief in it faded? Does anything in particular about

the creature catch your interest?

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