Tradition / Region: Greek Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Cow
The Myth
In ancient times, in the distant lands of Africa near the sources of great rivers and marshes, there lived a dreadful creature called the Catoblepas.
It was shaped somewhat like a bull, though more monstrous and misshapen. Its limbs were heavy, and its head was enormous, so large that it could scarcely lift it from the ground. Because of this weight, the beast always walked with its gaze turned downward. This was considered a mercy, for its eyes were said to bring instant death to any who met them.
Its face was grim and terrible. A mane like that of a horse hung over its head, and its eyes were small, red, and bloodshot. It fed only on poisonous plants that grew in the marshes, and the foulness of its food filled its breath with deadly vapor. When angered or disturbed, the creature released a noxious breath that poisoned the air itself, so that animals and men who inhaled it lost their strength, their voice, and their life.
Because of this, all creatures avoided the places where it dwelled, and even hunters feared to approach its marsh.
Stories were told of travelers and soldiers who unknowingly came near it. Some died from its gaze, others from its breath, until at last men armed with long spears managed to kill the monster from a distance. Its hide was said to have been taken as a trophy and placed in a temple dedicated to a mighty hero.
Yet the terror of the Catoblepas lived on in tales, for it was remembered as a beast so foul and dangerous that even its mere presence could bring death, a creature that kept its head forever bowed, as though the world itself could not bear its sight.
Gallery
Sources
George of Pisidia. Hexaemeron, p. 29
Bestiary.us, Katoblepas. Retrieved May 28, 2025, from https://www.bestiary.us/katoblepas
Pliny the Elder. Natural Histories, Book VIII, Chapter 32, p. 209–210.
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
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Psychological Readings
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Political / Social Readings
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