Monster Encyclopedia - L

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ladon

One of the twelve Labours of Heracles was to steal the golden apples of the Hesperides. These apples were guarded by three maidens and the monster Ladon. Ladon was a huge dragon with one-hundred heads. This dragon never slept and had the ability to talk. He was however, no match for Heracles, who killed him and stole the apples. In another Greek myth, the hero Jason had to defeat a dragon that never slept. This dragon guarded the golden fleece rather than the golden apples, and is somtimes called Ladon as well.

lamassu

Lamassu are human headed lions and bulls that guard the gates of Assyrian temples and palaces. They have wings, and therefore the power of flight and have great strength.

lamia

In Greek myth, there was a beautiful queen of Lybia, Lamia, whom Zeus loved. Zeus gave her the power to remove and replace her own eyes at will. However, Hera, Zeus' wife, became enraged with jealousy and killed all of Lamia's children. After this, Lamia found and ate all the children she could find. Lamia was a beautiful woman from the waist up and from the waist down a serpent. In some legends, it says that despite the murder of her first children, Lamia had more that were called Lamiae. These were blood-sucking creatures that were half-human and half-serpent with four feet. The front feet had claws, and the back two were cloven hooves. It is said that if one is bitten by a Lamiae could only be cured by the sound of a Lamia’s roar. In some variations, Lamiae were described as being the combination of a goat and a horse.

leprechaun

The leprechaun, is a small færie, grotesque in appearance, dressed in green with a leather apron, silver buckled shoes, a red cap, and spectacles at tilting on the end of his nose. Known for being a shoemaker, a leprechaun will never make a pair of shoes, just one at a time. Although they are quick to shun humans, leprechauns, like brownies, like to play tricks on humans. If however, a leprechaun is caught, which is very difficult to accomplish, he is forced to reveal the location of his hidden treasure. While he is guiding someone to his treasure, and they take their eye off of him for even a second, the leprechaun will disappear.

leshy

In Slavonic legend, Leshies are spirits of the forests. They were all shape-changers and could make themselves small enough to hide under leaves. Usually they remain in human form, but they are easily recognized due to their blue complexion, a result of their blue blood. They also had long green beards. Their eyes are also green and pop out of their sockets. Some people say that they wear their clothes backwards and wear their shoes on the wrong feet.

leucrocotta

As documented by Pliny in book 8 of his Natural History, the Leucrocotta is swifter than any other beast. It has the haunches of a stag, and the head of a badger, the neck, breast and tail of a lion. Its mouth reaches from ear to ear and it is said that instead of teeth, it has ridges of bones.

lindwurm

The lindwurm from Germanic lore, is a winged serpent that has no legs or feet. It has a scaly green-gold body, with which is guards treasures. The lindwurm symbolizes war and pestilence, and is known to eat cattle and people.

lympago

As recorded in heraldic texts, the Lympago is a man-lion or a man-tiger.

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