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Who is the monster in Percy Jackson's 4th episode? Exploring the origins of Chimera
Chimera, daughter of Echidna, poses a threat to Percy Jackson, nearly killing him and destroying a US national monument, highlighting the danger ancient Greek monsters pose to demigod heroes.
The episode 4 of Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, introduces Chimera, the monster that terrorizes Percy, Annabeth, and Grover on their quest to the Underworld. Following a prophecy to find Hades in Los Angeles, the show's central trio travels across the United States, encountering Greek mythological creatures and facing more dangerous situations as they search for Zeus' master bolt.
Chimera is the daughter of Echidna, the mother of all monsters. The threat of Chimera results in a climactic sequence that almost kills Percy and destroys a United States national monument, solidifying the peril the ancient Greek monster possesses to the demigod heroes of Percy Jackson season 1.
ALSO READ: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 4: Exploring release date, streaming details, and all we know so far
Who is Chimera in Percy Jackson?
Daughter of Echidna, Chimera is described as a goat-lion-dragon hybrid in Greek mythology. The monster is introduced in the 4th episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. In the episode, Chimera takes the form of a young Chihuahua. This stems from the original books in which the Mist - the magical veil that separates the mythological world from the human realm shows Percy, Annabeth, and Grover being harassed by a yappy Chihuahua from the perspective of mortals. This continues in episode 4, though the threat to Percy, Annabeth, and Grover is aptly showcased as the Chimera receives more focus by the episode's ending.
The depiction of the Chimera in the show is slightly different from its real Greek mythological story. The first way in which Percy Jackson's Chimera is different is the monster's appearance. In the original Greek stories, the Chimera was said to have the body and head of a lion. The Chimera was also disfigured in that a goat's head was said to be growing out of the lion's body. Similarly, the back end of the lion had the tail of a dragon hence the Chimera could breathe fire.
However, in the Disney+ show, the Chimera is much more simplified and less horrific. The Chimera in Percy Jackson and the Olympians is more of an amalgamation of all three animals rather than having a protruding goat head from its midriff. The body and head of the Chimera are mostly lion-like with goat horns and have the tail of a dragon and the back legs of a goat with other parts of its body showcasing a scaley texture to link to the former aspect.
The Chimera in Greek mythology
A Chimera, a Greek mythological monster with a lion's head, goat's body, and snake-headed tail, is believed to be a metaphor for a Lycian volcano. It can secrete venom with a bite and breathe fire. Late classical writers believe it was created to symbolize the volcano.
In the old myths, the Chimera was the daughter of Echidna and Typhon. After a failed attack against Zeus, Echidna and her children were tasked with challenging new heroes for the god. Instead of Percy, mythology sees the hero Bellerophon encounter the Chimera, where it was the size of a woolly mammoth, and even had dragon legs and the head of a goat on its back.
Despite all odds and despite getting hit with venom, Bellerophon with the help from Pegasus was able to bring down the Chimera by driving a lead-tipped lance into its throat.
ALSO READ: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Why the series will succeed when the movies didn’t
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