The Multiple Goddess Harpyiai

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Harpyiai, Swift-robbers.
H*PÜYI
Alternate meanings: Snatchers.
[to Whom the eighth day of May, day 128, is dedicated]

Geography/Culture: Cretan. Greek: esp Strophades islands.
Linguistic Note: Originally 'alpha-rho-epsilon-pi-upsilon-iota-alpha-iota (harepüiai). Later 'alpha-rho-pi-upsilon-iota-alpha-iota, (harpyia). Perhaps from: 'alpha-rho-pi-alpha-gamma-eta, (harpare), "seizure, rapine, robbery, rape". Related English word: perhaps harp, in the sense that the strings are plucked.
Description: Early: Beautiful-haired, swift (swifter than birds or winds) winged Goddesses of the sweeping storm winds, whirlwinds, hurricanes, sudden destruction and death; Those Whose domain is the air; Those Who carry off to the other world mortals whose sudden disappearance is desired by divinities.
To Whom Sacred: kites or sea-eagles (for whom Thracians set out food); vultures (with whom they are associated in their loathsome form); horse; cave (Crete, Dicte); the Peloponnesian River Tigris (called Harpys after Aëllopus Who is said to have drowned in it). The first to be named was: Podarge, Swiftfooted. Then two more: Aëllopus, and: Ocypete, Swift-one.
Later: they were conceived of as loathsome winged, Female creatures Who snatch up criminals for punishment by the Erinnyes (see link below). They became hateful and repulsive bird-bodied creatures, with the faces of old women, the ears of bears, crooked talons and hanging breasts; perhaps the hostile Spirits of the scorching south wind, or Spirits of the storm Who at the bidding of divinities, carry off human souls to the under-world).
Then their leader was named: Celaino, [Dark-clouds].

Titles/Variants, etc:

Originally called: Arepyiai, ---. {Did I misread the breath sign?}
Aspects of the earlier Triple Athene, Immortal-one, as sudden destroyer.
Daughters of Electra, Amber by Thaumas.
Assistants of the Erinyes.
Or some say Daughters of Gaia, Earth by Poseidon.
As Daughters of Electra they are Sisters of Iris, qv.
Variant: Harpeae.
Anglecised variant: Harpies, (singular Harpy).
Also called: Thyellai, Thunderstorms.

Source: Graves GMv1 128-9, 271; GMv2/230, 232, 273, index; EBv13/14d; IGEL/14, 119, 370, 426, 651; WWGRM/9, 55, 111.

Aëllopus, Storm-foot.
Geography/Culture: Greek. Linguistic Note: {something missing here}-epsilon-lambda-lambda-omega, "storm".
Description: One person of the Triple Goddess Harpyiai.

Titles/Variants, etc:

Variant: Aëllo, *]LO, Whirlwind.

Source: IGEL/15.

Celaino, {Dark-Clouds}.
KALINO
Alternate meanings: Screamer.
Geography/Culture: Greek.
Linguistic Note: perhaps from kappa-epsilon-lambda-alpha-iota-nu-omikron-sigma, "black (as of blood), swart, dark, murky". {Note: Her name was pronounced C]LANO in the Saying of Her Names - check if possible - because Ruby refused to pronounce it any other way!}.
Description: Leader of the Harpyiai.

Titles/Variants, etc:

Celaino has the variant: Celaeno.
One on the fifty Danaides, linked under Telchines.
Daughter of Ergaia, [`Hard-working-earth'] {the x-ref is currently goddesses/cyclopedia\e\0thers-e.htm#Ergaia - but needs to be moved to Gaia.}.
The name of one of the Harpyaia.
Name of one of the Pleiades, Flock-of-doves.
Also, or originally, called Podarge, Swift-footed.

Source: WWGRM/55.

worked on: August 6, 1991; May 1995
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