LYSSA IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Lyssa was a daemon, or minor goddess, of the Greek pantheon; the Greek goddess of mad rage or frenzy, Lyssa was also known as Madness. 

Lyssa Daughter of Nyx

​Lyssa was considered a “dark” deity, being commonly referred to as a daughter of Nyx (Night) and Ouranos (Sky). This indeed was the parentage named by Euripides, although later the Roman author Hyginus would name Lyssa as a daughter of Gaia (Earth) and Aether (Air). 

The Madness of Heracles

As a goddess, Lyssa, had power over mankind, but at the same time she was subservient to more powerful deities, especially those gods and goddesses who resided upon Mount Olympus. This subservience is especially evident in the story of Heracles; as told in Euripdes' The Madness of Heracles. 

A youthful Heracles was married to Megara, daughter of Creon, when Hera, decided to enact some vengeance on Heracles, the bastard son of Hera's husband Zeus. Hera thus sent the messenger goddess Iris, to instruct Lyssa to send Heracles mad. 

Lyssa thus did as she was instructed, and overcome with madness, Heracles killed his wife and children, shooting them with his bow and arrow; Heracles was only stopped in his rampage when the goddess Athena intervened. 

Madness, or Lyssa, would eventually leave Heracles, but in penance for his murderous acts, Heracles would be forced to enter a period of servitude with King Eurystheus.

On the face of it this tale does not show the goddess Lyssa in a good light, but she was not an indiscriminate goddess, normally only using her powers when it was called upon, and took no joy in  doing so. Indeed, Lyssa protested when told what she must do to Heracles, but as a minor goddess  she could not go against the will of Hera. 

Other Tales of Lyssa

​Lyssa would also appear in other tales from Greek mythology, although the goddess was seen by the results rather than by the specific appearance of the Greek goddess.

Lyssa would be blamed by some writers in antiquity as the reason why the dogs of Actaeon went mad tearing their master apart; Actaeon having made the grievous error of observing Artemis naked. 

It was also said that Dionysus made use of Lyssa to make the daughters of Minyas mad, causing them to rip to pieces King Pentheus. Also Lyssa was blamed for causing the daughters of the Athenian king Cecrops mad, resulting in them throwing themselves to death from the Acropolis. 

Lyssa would also be closely linked to the Maniai, the daemons of madness and insanity. 

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Colin Quartermain - Lyssa - 24th February 2019