Mormo (, ''Mormō'') or Mormon was a female spirit in

Greek folklore Ancient Greek folklore consists of the folklore of the ancient Greeks. The topic includes genres such as mythology (Greek mythology), legend, and folktales. According to classicist William Hansen, "the Greeks and Romans had all the genres of oral ...

, whose name was invoked by mothers and

nurses Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

to frighten children to keep them from misbehaving. The term mormolyce (; pl. ''mormolykeia'' ), also spelt mormolyceum ( ''mormolukeîon''), is considered equivalent.

Etymology

The name ''mormo'' has the plural form ''mormones'' which means "fearful ones" or "hideous one(s)", and is related to an array of words that signify "fright". The variant ''mormolyce'' translates to "terrible wolves", with the stem ''-lykeios'' meaning "of a wolf".

Description

The original Mormo was a woman of

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government refor ...

, who ate her children then flew out; according to an account only attested in a single source. Mormolyca (as the name appears in Doric Greek: ) is designated as the

wetnurse A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, or if she is unable or chooses not to nurse the child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cu ...

( el, τιθήνη) of

Acheron The Acheron (; grc, Ἀχέρων ''Acheron'' or Ἀχερούσιος ''Acherousios''; ell, Αχέροντας ''Acherontas'') is a river located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece. It is long, and its drainage area is . Its source is ...

by Sophron ( 430 BC). Mormo or Moromolyce has been described as a female specter, phantom, or ghost by modern commentators. A mormolyce is one of several names given to the female ''phasma'' (phantom) in

Philostratus Philostratus or Lucius Flavius Philostratus (; grc-gre, Φιλόστρατος ; c. 170 – 247/250 AD), called "the Athenian", was a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period. His father was a minor sophist of the same name. He was born probab ...

's ''Life of Apollonius of Tyana''. Mormo is glossed as equivalent to

Lamia LaMia Corporation S.R.L., operating as LaMia (short for ''Línea Aérea Mérida Internacional de Aviación''), was a Bolivian charter airline headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, as an EcoJet subsidiary. It had its origins from the failed ...

and ''mormolykeion'', considered to be frightening beings, in the '' Suda'', a lexicon of the Byzantine Periods."", ''Suda On Line", tr. Richard Rodriguez. 11 June 2009. Mombro () or Mormo are a

bugbear A bugbear is a legendary creature or type of hobgoblin comparable to the boogeyman (or bugaboo or babau or cucuy), and other creatures of folklore, all of which were historically used in some cultures to frighten disobedient children. Etymology ...

( ''phóbētron''), the ''Suda'' also says."", ''Suda On Line", tr. David Whitehead. 27 July 2009. "Mormo" and "

Gello Gello ( grc, Γελλώ), in Greek mythology, is a female demon or revenant who threatens the reproductive cycle by causing infertility, miscarriage, and infant mortality. By the Byzantine era, the () were considered a class of beings. Wome ...

" were also

aliases A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

for Lamia according to one scholiast, who also claimed she was queen of the

Laestrygonians In Greek mythology, the Laestrygonians or Laestrygones ( el, Λαιστρυγόνες) were a tribe of man-eating giants. They were said to have sprung from Laestrygon, son of Poseidon.Hesiod, '' Ehoiai'' fr. 40a as cited in ''Oxyrhynchus Pap ...

, the race of man-eating giants.

Bugbear

The name of "Mormo" or the synonymous "Mormolyceion" was used by the Greeks as a

or bogey word to frighten children. Some of its instances are found in

Aristophanes Aristophanes (; grc, Ἀριστοφάνης, ; c. 446 – c. 386 BC), son of Philippus, of the deme Kydathenaion ( la, Cydathenaeum), was a comic playwright or comedy-writer of ancient Athens and a poet of Old Attic Comedy. Eleven of his for ...

. Mormo as an object of fear for infants was even recorded in the '' Alexiad'' written by a Byzantine princess around the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic r ...

Modern interpretations

A mormo or a lamia may also be associated with the

empusa Empusa or Empousa (; ; ''plural'': ''Empousai'') is a shape-shifting female being in Greek mythology, said to possess a single leg of copper, commanded by Hecate, whose precise nature is obscure. In Late Antiquity, the empousai have been describ ...

, a phantom sent by the goddess

Hekate Hecate or Hekate, , ; grc-dor, Ἑκάτᾱ, Hekátā, ; la, Hecatē or . is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicte ...

Popular entertainment

* ''

The Horror at Red Hook "The Horror at Red Hook" is a short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft, written on August 1–2, 1925. "Red Hook" is a transitional tale, situated between the author's earlier work and the later Cthulhu Mythos. Although the story depicts a ...

'' by H. P. Lovecraft (1925), describes an inscription to

Hecate Hecate or Hekate, , ; grc-dor, Ἑκάτᾱ, Hekátā, ; la, Hecatē or . is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depict ...

, Gorgo, and Mormo, found in the raid of Red Hook. * According to Anton LaVey, in ''

The Satanic Bible ''The Satanic Bible'' is a collection of essays, observations, and rituals published by Anton LaVey in 1969. It is the central religious text of LaVeyan Satanism, and is considered the foundation of its philosophy and dogma. It has been descri ...

'', Mormo is the "King of the

Ghoul A ghoul ( ar, غول, ') is a demon-like being or monstrous humanoid. The concept originated in pre-Islamic Arabian religion, associated with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh. Modern fiction often uses the term to label a cert ...

consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

". * Mormo is an evil witch in the 2007 film adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novel '' Stardust''. In the story, she is one of a triune of magically powerful sisters, the others being named Lamia and Empusa. In the book, the characters were not named. * Mormo is a flying sentient cat in the '' Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology'' video game. *In the film ''

The God Makers ''The God Makers'' is a book and film highlighting the inner workings and perceived negative aspects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Ed Decker and Dave Hunt co-authored the book and film. Jeremiah Films produce ...

Ed Decker John Edward "Ed" Decker (born 1935) is an American counterculture apologist, and evangelist known for his expert studies, books, and public presentations, of the negative aspects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS religion ...

claims Mormons are followers of Mormo. *''Warraguk, a Flying Mormo'' is a dance suite composed by James Cuomo in the late 1960s, based on concepts from

Australian Aboriginal mythology Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology is the sacred spirituality represented in the stories performed by Aboriginal Australians within each of the language groups across Australia in their ceremonies. Aboriginal spirituality includes ...

. *"To Switch a Witch", season 3 episode 4 of ''

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera for CBS. The series premiered as part of the network's Saturday morning cartoon schedule on Septem ...

'', describes a symbol on a gravestone as "the Mark of Mormo, a witch's sign".

Explanatory notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * Smith, William; ''

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 ...

'', London (1873)
"Mormo"
* {{Greece-stub Greek legendary creatures Mythological anthropophages Female legendary creatures Greek folklore Bogeymen