Harpies

Harpies

The Harpies are the last gals you'll ever want to have over for a BBQ. These awful creatures, with the heads of women and bodies of birds, have a nasty habit of swooping down from the sky, snatching whatever food they see, and then pooping on the remains. (Um... gross.) Back in the day, they were thought of as the spirits of sudden gusts and whirlwinds, and they were blamed whenever somebody or something suddenly disappeared.

These ugly bird-ladies are sometimes called "the hounds of Zeus," because the king of the gods often sent them to punish mortals by snatching things precious to them or by snatching the offending mortals themselves. "Harpy" actually translates to something like "snatchers," so it seems like they were pretty aptly named. Just remember, if you want to keep your burgers in your buns, stay away from the Harpies.

Basic Information

NameThe Harpies: Okypete, Aello, Celaeno (Podarge)
NicknameOkypete: the Swiftwing
Aello: the Stormswift
Celaeno: the Dark
SexFemales
Current cityThe Strophades Islands

Work & Education

OccupationSpirits of sudden gusts and whirlwinds
Professional torturers
EducationThe Furies' Torture Academy

Beliefs

Political viewsPro-Zeus

Family & Friends (& Enemies)

ParentsThaumas (Dad)
Elektra (Mom)
SiblingsIris
ChildrenAello might've been the mother of Xanthos and Podarkes, some super-fast immortal horses.
FriendsIris (who saved us from the Boreads)
EnemiesAeneas
Phineus
Jason
Boreads

Relationships

Relationship statusSingle
Interested inAll-you-can-eat buffets

Favorites

Quotations"Birds of a feather flock together."
– Proverb

"They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind."
– Bible, Hosea 8:7

"A forest bird never wants a cage."
– Henrik Ibsen

"They hear a voice in every wind
and snatch a fearful joy"
– Thomas Gray

"I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation
You're living in the past it's a new generation
A girl can do what she wants to do and that's
What I'm gonna do
An' I don't give a damn ' bout my bad reputation"
– Joan Jett
BooksWicked by Gregory Maguire
Angels in America by Tony Kushner (The angel in his play is no joke.)
"The Cask of the Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe (We just love a good story about torment.)
"The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe
"Leda and the Swan" by William Butler Yeats
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee (Martha is a Harpy at heart.)
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (No-name the Harpy is our heroine.) 
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
"The Eagle" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
"Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll (We happen to be good friends with the Jabberwocky.)
MusicWild Ones by Flo Rida
Littlest Birds by The Be Good Tonyas
Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Myth by Beach House
Rock you Like a Hurricane by Scorpions
The Wind Beneath my Wings by Bette Midler
Bird Song by Florence and the Machine
Blackbird by the Beatles
MoviesThe Birds
Winged Migration
Up
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Eat Pray Love (We mostly get into the "Eat" part.)
She-Devil
Fried Green Tomatoes
Misery
Saw
The Wizard of Oz
Twister
The Perfect Storm
TV ShowsStorm Chasers
Paula's Best Dishes
Around the World in 80 Plates

Activities & Interests

LikesSkydiving
Bird sanctuaries
Torture chambers
All-you-can-eat buffets
Angry Birds
ActivitiesStealing food
Pooping on food
Torturing
Kidnapping
Causing whirlwinds and tornadoes
InterestsOrnithology
Meteorology
GroupsMonster Human Alliance
Bird Ladies of the Mediterranean