She sent Heracles into a fit of madness, during which he killed his wife Megara and his children. One source has it that she was the daughter of the primordial deity Nyx (night), that emerged from the blood of the Titan Uranus after he was castrated by his son Cronus. In Herakles (Hercules), an Athenian tragedy written by Euripides in the fifth century BC, Lyssa was the daughter of the primordial deity Nyx, the ancient Greek goddess of the night and the Titan Uranus. Detail of Lyssa, goddess of madness, from a painting depicting the death of the hunter Actaeon. In Euripides' Herakles, Lyssa is identified as "the daughter of Nyx, sprung from the blood of Ouranos"—that is, the blood from Uranus' wound following his castration by Cronus. Another myth in which Lyssa participated was that of the hunter Actaeon. She was closely related to the Maniae, the spirits of madness and insanity. LYSSA IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Lyssa was a daemon, or minor goddess, of the Greek pantheon; the Greek goddess of mad rage or frenzy, Lyssa was also known as Madness. Written by GreekBoston.com in Greek Mythology Comments Off on About the Greek Goddess Lyssa. [1] The 1st-century Latin writer Hyginus describes her as a child of Gaia and Aether. Lyssa Daughter of Nyx Lyssa was considered a “dark” deity, being commonly referred to as … Aeschylus identifies her as being the agent sent by Dionysus to madden the impious daughters of Minyas, who in turn dismember Pentheus. Lyssa: GreekMythology.com - Nov 29, 2020, Greek Mythology iOS Volume Purchase Program VPP for Education App. Lyssa created rabies. The parents of Lyssa were Uranus and Nyx. Lyssa is depicted as a Thracian huntress a short dress, high boots, an animal-skin vest and fox-head cap. Lyssa or Lytta was a primordial deity in Greek mythology, the spirit of blind rage, as well as rabies in animals. Lyssa, also spelled Lytta, was the Greek goddess of rage and crazed fury. Lyssa was not fond of visiting the homes of men, nor use her powers to turn friends against each other. The maiden skirt is a classic symbol of virgins (and virgin goddesses) in Greek culture. In Aeschylus she appears as an agent of Dionysos sent to drive the Minyades mad, and in Euripides she is sent by Hera to inflict Herakles with madness. When the Romans adopted Greek mythology, they … OTHER IMAGES In this scenario, she is shown to take a temperate, measured approach to her role, professing "not to use [her powers] in anger against friends, nor [to] have any joy in visiting the homes of men." The 1st-century Latin writer Hyginus describes her as a child of Gaia and Aether. The Athenians spelt her name Lytta. Artemis spotted him and, enraged, she turned him into a stag. She was closely linked to the spirits of insanity called Maniae. For the moth genus, see, Lyssa: Rural Gods and Astonishing Punishments, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lyssa&oldid=986792818, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 November 2020, at 01:22. One source has it that she was the daughter of the primordial deity Nyx (night), that emerged from the blood of the Titan Uranus after he was castrated by his son Cronus. She drives the hounds of Actaeon into a rabid frenzy. According to Greek legend, Goddess Hera asked Lyssa to overpower Hercules with madness. I come to this conclusion because of her (short) maiden style skirt she is depicted wearing in art, much like Artemis often is. Another source names Gaea and Aether as her parents. See Also: Maniae, Nyx, Uranus, Gaea, Aether, Hera, Heracles, Megara, Actaeon, Artemis. According to it, she sprung from the blood of Uranus, when his son, Cronus, castrated him. Deity Description Aphrodite (Ἀφροδίτη, Aphroditē) . Was there a greek goddess of anger? A girl with an account to simply keep tabs on her favorite music and YouTube channels. She counsels Iris, who wishes to carry out Hera's command, against targeting Heracles but, after failing to persuade, bows to the orders of the superior goddess and sends him into a mad rage that causes him to murder his wife and children.[1]. In Greek mythology, Lyssa (Greek: Λύσσα; called Lytta (Λύττα) by the Athenians) was the spirit of mad rage, frenzy and rabies in animals. Lyssa or Lytta was a primordial deity in Greek mythology, the spirit of blind rage, as well as rabies in animals. Lyssa initially said that she was not fond of visiting the homes of men, nor use her powers to turn friends against each other. This article is about the Greek spirit. Lyssa. The myth Lyssa is the most famous for is the death of Aktaeon. Lyssa then inflicted rabies on his dogs and tore him apart. Lyssa was either born of the blood of Ouranos and the goddess Nyx, or by Gaea and Aether. Lyssa was a figure of Athenian tragedy. She unsuccessfully tried to give the task to Iris, so she had no choice but to fulfill the command of Hera. Her Roman equivalent was variously named Ira, Furor, or Rabies. [2], She personifies mad rage and frenzy, as well as rabies in animals. Greek vase-paintings of the period indicate Lyssa's involvement in the myth of Aktaion, the hunter torn apart by his own, maddened dogs as a punishment for looking on the naked form of the goddess Artemis. She was closely linked to the spirits of insanity called Maniae. Goddess of beauty, love, desire, and pleasure. While hunting in the woods with his dogs, he came across the goddess Artemis, who was bathing naked in a lake. A girl with an account to simply keep tabs on her favorite music and YouTube channels. In Greek mythology, Lyssa (/ˈlɪsə/; Ancient Greek: Λύσσα Lússā), called Lytta (/ˈlɪtə/; Λύττα Lúttā) by the Athenians, was the spirit of mad rage, frenzy, and rabies in animals. Sometimes she was multiplied into a host of Irae and Furores. Hera asked Lyssa to take command of the hero Heracles and overpower him with madness.