Echidna (English spelling)

In Greek mythology, she is a monster with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a snake. Her parents are said to be Phorcis and Ceto, Chrysaor and Callirhoe, Tartarus and Gaia, but the details are unclear. She lived in a cave and devoured travelers, but was later defeated by the many-eyed monster Argos. She mated with the monster Typhon to give birth to Orthrus, the dog of Geryon, Cerberus, the guard dog of hell, the Hydra, the water serpent of Lernea, and the monster Chimera. She also mated with her son Orthrus to give birth to the monsters Sphinx and the Nemean lion. Furthermore, the dragon of Colchis that guards the golden sheep, the dragon of the Garden of the Hesperides that watches over the golden apples, and the eagle that pecks at the liver of Prometheus, who was bound to the rock of Mount Caucasus, were also her children.

[Masahiro Ogawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ギリシア神話において上半身は女、下半身は蛇の怪物。彼女の両親はフォルキスとケト、クリサオルとカリロエ、タルタロスとガイアなどといわれ、一定しない。洞穴に住み、旅人をむさぼり食っていたが、のちに多眼の怪物アルゴスにより退治された。怪物のティフォンと交わってゲリオンの怪犬オルトロス、地獄の番犬ケルベロス、レルネの水蛇ヒドラ、怪獣キマイラを生み、また息子のオルトロスと交わって怪物スフィンクスとネメアの獅子(しし)を生んだ。さらに、金毛のヒツジの番をするコルキスの竜、黄金のリンゴを見張るヘスペリデスの園の竜、カウカソス山の岩に縛られたプロメテウスの肝臓をついばむ鷲(わし)も、彼女の子である。

［小川正広］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例