Stymphalian Birds
Eurystheus sent Hercules to kill the Stymphalian birds for his sixth labor. They were some seriously nasty birds – man-eating, beaks of bronze, sharp metallic feathers they could launch at their victims, and their dung was highly toxic. And if that wasn’t enough to keep someone away, they were also sacred to Ares, the god of war.
The birds had settled in Arcadia to escape a pack of wolves, breeding quickly around Lake Stymphalia and destroying both crops and townspeople. Hercules couldn’t reach them because of the swamp around the lake.
Athena noticed Hercules’ dilemma and supplied him with a rattle to scare the birds into flight. Hercules shook it, then shot many of them with his arrows. The rest flew off and never returned.
Hercules took some of the dead birds back to Eurystheus. No doubt, the King was sorely disappointed to see the hero return and sent him quickly on to his next task.
The King really needed to give up at that point!
You’d think he would, Alex.
Oh, that launching feathers and poison dung thing are handy tricks! I find these mythological kings that keep setting harder and harder tasks fairly annoying. I’m glad they always get what they deserve in the end…
Hi Hart! I would have tipped his throne over and walked off by now.
Hercules will always come out on top…
He does seem like that kinda guy, Savannah.
Savannah, that’s my view of the matter as well.
I’ll agree with that, Ron.
Laura, you are so awesome!! Thanks for displaying the Weighted button.
I’m thinking this king is just not real bright. This reminds me of the ten plagues Pharoh suffered.
You’re welcome, Ciara!
Like the plagues, yes, but Hercules is willingly doing this! A bit crazy, if you ask me…
The next time I have a day when nothing I do is correct, no matter what I do, I’m going to remember Hercules. Nothing will be as bad as his labors.
That’s a good way of looking at it, Carol. I’ll have to keep that in mind.
It’s somewhat ironic that the evil King Eurystheus often sends the hero Hercules to do jobs that need doing anyway. Like cleaning those Augean stables of thirty years of dung. Like getting rid of these horrific Stymphalian birds, who were “destroying both crops and townspeople.” Can one doubt Hercules knew that, in doing the bidding of Eurystheus, he was also doing good? As only he could.
As all heros should, Ron.
Of course, Ares really liked those birds…
So one of Hercules’ fabled labors included being a scarecrow. Nice.
I guess you could say that, Jay!
Of course there was another task. lol Those were some nasty birds.
They sure were, Mary. I think the survivors went on to harass the Argonauts.
A hero’s work is never done.
Fun post!
Thanks, Charmaine!