In
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of ...
, the Ophiotaurus ( grc, Ὀφιόταυρος) was a creature that was part
bull
A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species '' Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions,
incl ...
and part
serpent
Serpent or The Serpent may refer to:
* Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes
Mythology and religion
* Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature
* Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts
* Serp ...
.
Etymology
The term ''ophiotaurus'' is a compound derived from Ancient Greek ὄφῐς ''óphis'', meaning "serpent", and ταῦρος ''taûros'', meaning "bull".
Mythology
Its sole reference is found in
Ovid
Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the ...
's ''
Fasti
In ancient Rome, the ''fasti'' (Latin plural) were chronological or calendar-based lists, or other diachronic records or plans of official and religiously sanctioned events. After Rome's decline, the word ''fasti'' continued to be used for si ...
'' (3.793 ''ff''), where the creature's entrails (insides) were said to grant the power to defeat the gods to whoever burned them. The hybrid was slain by an ally of the
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...
during the
Titanomachy
In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy (; grc, , , Titan battle) was a ten-year series of battles fought in Ancient Thessaly, consisting of most of the Titans (the older generation of gods, based on Mount Othrys) fighting against the Olympians (t ...
, but the entrails were retrieved by an
eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...
sent by
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion, ...
before they could be burned. The creature emerged from
Chaos
Chaos or CHAOS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements
* Chaos (''Kinnikuman'')
* Chaos (''Sailor Moon'')
* Chaos (''Sesame Park'')
* Chaos (''Warhammer'')
* Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy''
* Cha ...
with
Gaia
In Greek mythology, Gaia (; from Ancient Greek , a poetical form of , 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea , is the personification of the Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthe ...
and
Ouranos
In Greek mythology, Uranus ( ), sometimes written Ouranos ( grc, Οὐρανός, , sky, ), is the personification of the sky and one of the Greek primordial deities. According to Hesiod, Uranus was the son and husband of Gaia (Earth), with ...
.
Popular culture
* The Ophiotaurus appears in
Rick Riordan
Richard Russell Riordan Junior (; born June 5, 1964) is an American author, best known for writing the '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. Riordan's books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million c ...
's ''
The Titan's Curse
''The Titan's Curse'' is an American fantasy- adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It was released on May 1, 2007, and is the third novel in the '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series and the sequel to '' The ...
''.
Percy Jackson
Perseus "Percy" Jackson is a fictional character, the title character and narrator of Rick Riordan's '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. He is also one of seven main protagonists of the sequel series '' The Heroes of Olympus'', appeari ...
saves it, mistakes it for female, and names it "Bessie". The Ophiotaurus, thinking that Percy is its protector, is brought to Olympus and put under the care of Percy's father,
Poseidon
Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...
. The gods consider destroying it, believing that whoever slays the creature and burns its entrails will have the power to overthrow the gods. The Ophiotaurus seems not to mind being mistaken for female; this is a reference to Rick Riordan's son Haley.
* An Ophiotaurus appears in the ''
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' is an animated children's television series based on the fourth incarnation of Hasbro's ''My Little Pony'' franchise. The series follows a studious unicorn (later an alicorn) pony named Twilight Spark ...
'' series in the eighth episode of Season 9, ''Frenemies''.
See also
*
Horned Serpent
References
Theoi Project - Tauros Ophis (Ophiotauros)
Mythological hybrids
Greek legendary creatures
{{Greek-myth-stub