Empusa facts for kids

Empousa (say: Em-POO-sah) was a scary female spirit from Greek mythology. We don't know exactly where the idea of Empousa came from. Some stories say her mother was Hecate, a powerful goddess of magic. Empousa was often used to frighten people. She was similar to other scary figures in Greek myths, like Mormo and Lamia. Empousa was known for her special power: she could change her shape, which is called shapeshifting.

Who Was Empousa?

Empousa was a creature that could appear in many different forms. She was often described as having strange body parts. For example, one of her legs might be made of iron, and the other could be made of cow dung (which is animal poop). This made her look very unusual and frightening. Her main goal seemed to be to scare people, especially those who were traveling alone.

Empousa in Stories

One of the first writers to describe Empousa was the famous Ancient Greek poet Aristophanes. He wrote about her in his funny play called The Frogs. In this play, the Greek god Dionysus is traveling to the underworld with his helper, Xanthias. As they journey, Empousa suddenly appears. She keeps changing her shape to scare them. First, she looks like different animals, such as a cow, a donkey, or a dog. Finally, she shows herself as a woman, but with her strange legs made of iron and cow dung.