The Author Joanne is an experienced writer and editor who has published many historical books on a wide variety of subjects She has a long standing fascination with mythical creatures and has a dog who thinks it's half human
HYDRA MANY HEADED SEA MONSTER The world hydra means water serpent in Greek but this was no normal snake It had nine heads sometimes more because if one was cut off several more grew in its place The most famous hydra in Greek mythology was the child of Echidna and Typhon It lived in the marshes near the coast of Lerna in the southern Peloponnese poisoning the air with its breath and destroying the countryside Because its parents were gods one of the Lernean hydra's heads was immortal Some legends say it had 50 heads others 100 and others 1,000 but most say nine The hydra had poisonous breath that smelled disgusting and its venom was deadly 4
HERCULES AND THE LERNEAN HYDRA Killing the Lernean hydra was one of 12 labors given to Hercules by King Eurystheus At first Hercules tried smashing the monster's heads with his club but each time he thought he had succeeded another head would grow in its place In desperation he called his nephew Iolaus to help him Iolaus came running with burning brands and this time whenever Hercules severed a head Iolaus cauterized the stump with fire so a new one couldn't grow in its place Finally only the immortal head remained and once Hercules had severed that with the golden sword lent to him by the goddess Athena the beast's body died Hercules buried the still fighting immortal head under a boulder where it is said to hiss even now 5
