Harpies made their debut in Book 2 of my Power Of Four series, Winds Of Change, with a prominent role in the prequel, Twist Of Fate. To be honest, my character Cela, the Queen of the Harpies, may or may not have been somewhat inspired by one of my favorite movies, “Maleficent,” released about 5 years prior in 2014 and right around the time I started to write with intent. Side note: Say what you will about Angelina’s personal life, some of my favorite characters have been brought to life by her. I believe her body of work as an actress is impressive. The movie “Changeling,” based on a true story, is one that has stuck with me.
For today’s post, I thought it would be fun to not only examine Harpies, but also other winged women in myth that have come across my psyche as I fall down rabbit holes of research. What I realized as I sat to write this is that I have already written a few posts on this topic which I’ll list here:
The Greek Furies (Erinyes), winged women of vengeance, were fun to write about:
Isis, in Egyptian Mythology, was associated with birds and depicted with wings, which you can find here: https://dahenneman.com/2020/06/08/origins-of-witchcraft-isis/
While I can only imagine how many myths and cultures we could touch on when it comes to this topic, I will keep this post limited to Harpies and Valkyries and the differences between, with a smidge about Nike the Goddess of Victory because I have a cool picture of her that my friend sent to me recently that I would love to show you! Let’s begin!
Harpies
Harpies come to us from Greek Mythology and are a fantastical blend of woman and bird. The Gods often used them as punishers of the guilty, and the ladies took great delight in scooping people up and torturing them on the way to Hade’s domain. Their name means “snatcher” which is precisely what Zeus used them for when he wanted to cause havoc on earth. Sudden and mysterious disappearances were almost always blamed on the winged creatures.
They were classified as wind spirits, and it is in that context that I use them in my second book, Winds of Change, where they make a brief appearance. I intended them as protectors of the element and made it their duty to keep the realm safe from all those who intend harm. They are often described as ugly creatures with wings, terrifying and extremely ravenous. Birds with the face of a woman seem to be a popular depiction, however, for my purposes; I stuck with the image typically seen on Grecian pottery… that of gorgeous women with wings. In my upcoming book, Twist of Fate, Harpies are sultry and beautiful, or at least as beautiful as you can be with a feathered torso and razor-sharp teeth.
They are said to be the daughters of Thaumas (son of the Sea) and Electra (daughter of the ocean), which doesn’t go along with the whole air thing, but who am I to judge. I’m certainly not crossing Zeus, he might send these chicks after me! Anyway, the four Harpies that are most mentioned are Aello (“storm-wind”), Ocypete (“swift-flying”), Podarge (“fleet-of-foot”), and Celaeno (“the dark”), the last of which I use as a basis for my character, Cela, in Twist of Fate.
In Ovid’s story of King Phineus of Thrace, they appear as evil forces, so in this context the “hounds of Zeus” title they were known by makes sense. In this myth, Zeus gave the King the gift of prophecy, which he later used against the Gods. Zeus punished him by blinding him and banishing him on an island, where he sat before a buffet that was constantly under attack by the Harpies. Zeus had sent them there to steal his food, and it wasn’t until Jason and the Argonauts arrived that King Phineus was saved from his fate, and was able to eat a meal in peace.
Valkyries
According to The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker, Valkyries are best known as deliverers of honored souls between the battlefield and Vallhalla, located in the death realm ruled by Loki’s daughter, Hel. I chatted a bit about her in a post I did about the Underworld. Odin’s “warrior heaven” came into question after the rise of Christianity when “Hell” became darker and split souls into categories aka Good vs Evil. Until then, the Underworld was a place where all souls went and they were allowed entry to the land that best matched their life on earth.
The Valkyries ensured that those who died a warriors death were taken to Helheim, where they were sorted between Fólkvangr, ruled by the goddess Freyja, and Valhalla, ruled by Odin. Freyja was allowed select half of the fallen warrior to reside in her lush and expansive fields, and the remaining went with Odin where they would feast and fight until the end times, Ragnarök. Seems to me the Freyja group made out a little better…
The Valkyries differ from Harpies in that they are primarily depicted as 100% women in battle armor, although there are references to them having flying capability by way of feathered cloaks or winged horses. There are old ballads and poems that tie these fierce women to swans, ravens, crows, and hawks, and I found an interesting tidbit in Ms. Walker’s book that stated “Valkyries in their black raven-feathers were called Kraken, or ‘crows.'” The phrase “release the Kraken” has a whole new meaning for me now, so interesting how these names morphed over the years as they traveled through the cultures, and how Hollywood has put their own spin on things as well.
Earlier influences for the Valkyries include female fate figures, death guides, and choosers of destiny. Similar figures would be the Moirai (Greek) or Norns (Norse). In the poem Völundarkviða, there are three women described as wearing swan skins and identified as not only Valkyries, but as “swan maidens.” Similar to a selkie, when they “remove their skin” they return to their womanly form.
Their name comes from the Old Norse word valkyrja which translates to “chooser of the slain” and they are listed as serving the god Odin, although I would argue that it is really Hel that they serve. While Harpies are seen as agents of punishment, the Valkyries serve a more honored role by protecting the valued warrior souls until they reach their final destination.
Nike – Greek Goddess Of Victory
In ancient Greece, Nike was the personification of Victory. For all intents and purposes, and because monuments to her are present to this day, she is thought of as the Goddess of Victory and her Roman counterpart is Victoria. She aided Zeus in overthrowing the Titans, and was one of the first to offer her aid. Because of this, he kept her by his side as his constant companion. She is also closely related to Athena, which makes sense since she was the goddess of strategic warfare. Seems odd that as great and powerful as Zeus was, he needed to surround himself by powerful women who helped him to succeed. Just an observation…
She is listed as the daughter of Styx (Yup, the personification of the river in the Underworld) and the Titan, Pallas (regarded as the god of warcraft). In art, she is depicted wearing long flowing robes and large feathered wings, reflecting movement as if she is traveling at great speeds. No wonder the Nike brand selected her as their muse!
Another side note, this is the second titan I have come across that fought against her own kind, won the favor of Zeus, who then kept her around to serve him. The other was Hecate… just noticing a pattern. Wonder what the real story is? I may have to do a deeper dive… what are your thoughts?
Have you used any of these lovelies in your writing? Make a comment below, would love to hear about it! And if you would like to check out any of my fiction writing, you can find the links below!
In the meantime, Happy Writing! XO
Resources and Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_(mythology)
https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/other-monuments-periklean-building-programme/temple-athena-nike
https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/bill-bowerman-nike-s-original-innovator
You can find out more about what I write here:
For my Mythical Creatures posts, head over to:
As always, I hope this post finds you happy and healthy. Until next time! XO
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