Slithering into Books
From Scylla in the Odyssey to Hydra in Percy Jackson, these slithery creatures have made their presence known against the heroes of the books. Depicted as formidable opponents for the fan favorites to defeat, these serpents and snakes inflict fear and darken the entire mood of the story.
Scylla
The Scylla made its first appearance in Homer's Odyssey. This sea monster is described as having six heads perched on snakey necks with twelve feet. Being perched on a rock, it terrorized crews that sailed across its path. One of these crews happened to be Odysseus and his team. Homer describes the event which ended in the Scylla snatching some of the crew members from the boat and gulping them down whole as described below.
"...they writhed
gasping as Scylla swung them up her cliff and there
at her cavern's mouth she bolted them down raw—
screaming out, flinging their arms toward me,
lost in that mortal struggle." - The Odyssey
gasping as Scylla swung them up her cliff and there
at her cavern's mouth she bolted them down raw—
screaming out, flinging their arms toward me,
lost in that mortal struggle." - The Odyssey
Hydra
The Hydra was introduced first in Hesiod's Theogony where it is described as a multi-headed serpent that is slain by Hercules. Over the years, the number of heads of the Hydra varies. It is known to have poisonous breath and virulent blood. The legend of this mythical creature has been carried to todays bestsellers including Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. Percy Jackson's first encounter with this beast is described below.
"Tyson, being a monster, was somehow able to summon the outlet bringing the Hydra with it. It was large and lizard-like, with long necks and nine heads to match. It had many rows of razor-sharp teeth, its hands were clawed, had a tail, and spat acid." - Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters
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