1000 Mythological Characters Briefly Described (continued 1)
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Ellis, Edward Sylvester
Hyades (Hy′ades) were seven daughters of Atlas and Aethra, and they formed a constellation which, when it rises with the sun, threatens rain.
Hydra (Hy′dra). A monster serpent, which had a hundred heads. It was slain by Hercules. See Hercules.
Hygeia (Hyge′ia), the goddess of health, was a daughter of Aesculapius and Epione. She was represented as a young woman giving a serpent drink out of a saucer, the serpent being twined round her arm.
Hylas (Hy′las). A beautiful boy beloved by Hercules. The nymphs were jealous of him, and spirited him away while he was drawing water for Hercules. See Wm. Morris’s tragedy, “The Life and Death of Jason.”
Hymen (Hy′men), the Grecian god of marriage, was either the son of Bacchus and Venus, or, as some say, of Apollo and one of the Muses. He was represented as a handsome youth, holding in his hand a burning torch.
“Some few there are of sordid mould Who barter youth and bloom for gold: But Hymen, gen’rous, just, and kind, Abhors the mercenary mind; Such rebels groan beneath his rod, For Hymen’s a vindictive god.” Dr. Cotton, 1736.
Hymn, see Paean.
Hyperion (Hype′rion). Son of Coelus and Terra. The model of manly beauty, synonymous with Apollo. The personification of the sun.
“So excellent a king; that was to this Hyperion to a satyr.” Shakespeare.
Hypermnestra (Hypermnes′tra). One of the fifty daughters of Danaus, who were collectively called the Danaides. She was the one who refused to kill her husband on the wedding night. See Danaus.
Iacchus (Iac′chus). Another name for Bacchus.
Iapetos (Iap′etos). The father of Atlas. See Japetus.
Iblees (Ib′lees). The Arabian Satan.
Icarus (Ic′arus), son of Daedalus, who with his father made themselves wings with which to fly from Crete to escape the resentment of Minos. The wings were fixed to the shoulders by wax. Icarus flew too near the sun, and the heat melting the wax, caused the wings to drop off, and he fell into the Aegean or Icarian sea and was drowned.
Ichnobate (Ichnoba′te). One of Actaeon’s hounds; the word means tracker.
Idaea (Idae′a). A name of Cybele, from Mount Ida, where she was worshiped.
Idaean Mother (Idae′an Mother). Cybele was sometimes so called, in Cyprus, in which there is a grove sacred to Venus.
Idalia (Ida′lia). A name of Venus, from Mount Idalus, in Cyprus, in which there is a grove sacred to Venus.
Imperator (Impera′tor) was a name of Jupiter, given to him at Praeneste.
Inachus (I′nachus) was one of the earliest of the demi-gods or heroes, King of Argos.
Incendiary, see Erostratus.
Incense, see Venus.
Incubus (In′cubus). A Roman name of Pan, meaning The Nightmare. See Innus.
Indigetes (Indig′etes) were deified mortals, gods of the fourth order. They were peculiar to some district.
Indra (In′dra). The Hindoo Jupiter; his wife was Indrant, who presides over the winds and thunder.
Infants, see Natio.
Innus (In′nus). A name of Pan, the same as Incubus.
Ino (In′o), second wife of Athamas, King of Thebes, father of Phryxus and Helle. Ino had two children, who could not ascend the throne while Phryxus and Helle were alive. Ino therefore persecuted them to such a degree that they determined to escape. They did so on a ram, whose hide became the Golden Fleece (see Phryxus and Helle). Ino destroyed herself, and was changed by Neptune into a sea-goddess.
Inoa (Ino′a) were festivals in memory of Ino.
Instrumental Music, see Euterpe.
Io (I′o) was a daughter of Inachus, and a priestess of Juno at Argos. Jupiter courted her, and was detected by Juno, when the god turned Io into a beautiful heifer. Juno demanded the beast of Jupiter, and set the hundred-eyed Argus to watch her. Jupiter persuaded Mercury to destroy Argus, and Io was set at liberty, and restored to human shape. Juno continued her persecutions, and Io had to wander from place to place till she came to Egypt, where she became wife of King Osiris, and won such good opinions from the Egyptians that after her death she was worshiped as the goddess Isis.
Iolaus (Iola′us), son of Iphicles, assisted Hercules in conquering the Hydra, by burning with hot irons the place where the heads were cut off; and for his assistance he was restored to youth by Hebe. Lovers used to go to his monument at Phocis and ratify their vows of fidelity.
Iothun (Io′thun). Celtic mythological monsters, or giants.
Iphicles (Iph′icles) was twin brother of Hercules, and father of Iolaus.
Iphigenia (Iphigeni′a) was a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Agamemnon made a vow to Diana, which involved the sacrifice of Iphigenia, but just at the critical moment she was carried to heaven, and a beautiful goat was found on the altar in her place.
Iris (I′ris), daughter of Thaumas and Electra, was the attendant of Juno, and one of the messengers of the gods. Her duty was to cut the thread which detained expiring souls. She is the personification of the rainbow.
Iron, see Vulcan.
Isis (I′sis), wife of Osiris, and a much worshiped divinity of the Egyptians. See Io.
Itys (I′tys) was killed by his mother Procne when six years old, and given to his father Tereus, a Thracian of Daulis, as food. The gods were so enraged at this that they turned Itys into a pheasant, Procne into a swallow, and Tereus into a hawk.
Ixion (Ixi′on), the son of Phlegyas, King of the Lapithae. For attempting to produce thunder, Jupiter cast him into hell, and had him bound to a wheel, surrounded with serpents, which is forever turning over a river of fire.