Page 53 - SYTYGIB: Ancient Greece

FANCY THAT!
The ancient Greeks believed HARPIES were winged females who would fly down to steal children. To keep them away get a Harpy net, a tin of Harpy repellent and a rolled-up comic to swat them with.
haRpIeS
Do you ever wish ... you were magic?
Being able to disappear in a hurry could certainly come in handy – just after you’ve kicked a football through your gran’s greenhouse, for example. But while the ancient Greeks might not have believed in the kind of magic that magicians in top hats and capes perform, they did set store in mysterious charms and curses . . .
Curses that have been found inscribed on thin sheets of lead show that many people believed in magic and used it in everyday ancient Greek life.
Many of these curse tablets aren’t very nice – they’re based on jealousy or the hatred of someone for personal reasons. Several of them even call for revenge! Better not get on the wrong side of those grumpy ancient Greeks or you’ll get a right good tableting!
“Magic” was also used to ward off evil, get rid of illness, attract good luck or make someone fall in love with you.
Ancient Greeks believed in witches, too. They had names like Circe and Medea, while the goddess of witches was called Hecate.
Hecate is often shown in images as three people standing back to back, as she is also the goddess of crossroads.
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Myths and Legends