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The Lernaean Hydra or Hydra of Lerna (Ancient Greek: Λερναῖα ὕδρα, romanized: Lernaîa Húdrā), more often known simply as the Hydra, is a serpentine lake monster in Greek mythology and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, which was also the site of the myth of the Danaïdes.
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An early appearance of the Old English word dracan (oblique singular of draca) in Beowulf [1]. The word dragon entered the English language in the early 13th century from Old French dragon, which, in turn, comes from Latin draco (genitive draconis), meaning "huge serpent, dragon", from Ancient Greek δράκων, drákōn (genitive δράκοντος, drákontos) "serpent".
The many-headed hydra stands as a symbolic representation of the multi-ethnic band of rebellious and resistant sailors seen as an imposing threat to the imperial powers who sought to exterminate them—dismember the many 'heads' of the hydra.
Multi-headed can refer to: Polycephaly, the condition of having more than one head Lernaean Hydra, an ancient serpent-like chthonic water beast that possessed numerous heads; Multi-headed train, where two or more engines are used; Multi-monitor, multiple physical display devices running on a single computer system
Multi-headed dragons, like the eight-headed Yamata no Orochi and three-headed Trisiras above, are a common motif in comparative mythology. For instance, multi-headed dragons in Greek mythology include the 9-headed Lernaean Hydra and the 100-headed Ladon, both slain by Heracles.
The second of these consisted of killing the Hydra of Lerna, a monster in the form of a multi-headed serpent, which inhabited the lagoon near the city. [12] Once he reached the swamp, Heracles confronted the Hydra. He tried to cut off the heads of the beast but for every one he cut off, two more grew.
Greek red-figure vase painting depicting Heracles slaying the Lernaean Hydra, c. 375–340 BC. In Hittite mythology, the storm god Tarhunt slays the giant serpent Illuyanka, [265] as does the Vedic god Indra the multi-headed serpent Vritra, which has been causing a drought by trapping the waters in his mountain lair. [259]