The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-05-15
FaGleu Monsters.

The race of the giants is sometimes con-
fused with that of the Titans, and their
characteristics and doings were 80 similar
that it is of no great importance to tiistn-
guish them. Both races lived before the
creation Of man, and both were of great
stature aud as wicked as they were big.
They made war upon the gods, and proved
formidable enemy. Some of them had q
hundred arms, and others breathed out fire.
Their names were Typhon, Briareus Encc-
ladus, etc. At one time they put tho gods
to such fear that they fed into Egypt and
hid themselves under various forms. Jupi-
ter took the form of a man, whence he was
afterwards worshlpped in Egypt as the god
Ammon with curved horns. Apollo was a
crow, Bacchus goat, Diana a cat, Juno a
COW, Venus fish and Mercury bird. At
another time the giants attempted toeqlimb
up into Heaven, and for that purpose took
up the mountain Ossa and piled it on Pc
lion. The giants were at last subdued by
means Of thunderbolts which Jupiter hurled
at them. Typhon and Enccladus were
buried alive under Mount Etna, where they
still sometimes struggle to get loose, and
shake the whole island with earthquakes.
Their breath comes up through the noun
tain, and is what mortals call the eruption
the Sphynx. Laius, King of Thebes, was
warned by an oracle of danger to be feared,
II his newborn son should be suffered to
grow up. He therefore committed the
child to the care of herdsman, with orders
to destroy 1t; but the herdsman, moved
with pity, yet not daring entirely to disobey,
tied up the child by the feet and left him
hanging to the branch Of a tree. In this
condition the infant was found by q peas
ant, who carried him TO his master and
mistress, by whom he was adopted and
called Qdipus, or SwOllen-foOt. Edipus,
when young man, set out to seek his for
tune. AS he approached the city he heard
alarming accounts of horrid monster that
infested the high-road. 1t was called tho
Sphinx. It had the body of lion and the
upper part OF woman. 1t lay crouched
on the top OF rock and arrested all travel
ers who passed by, proposing to them rid
die, with the condition that those who
could solve 1t should pass safe, but those
who failed should be killed. Not one had
yet succeeded in solving it, and all had been
slain. Edipus was not dauntei BY these
alarming accounts, but boldly advanced to
the trial. The Sphinx asked him, "What
animal Is that which IN the morning goes
on four feet, at noon on two and in the
evening upon three2" Ddipus replied,
"Man, who in childhood crceps on hafids
and feet, in manhood walks erect, and In
old age with a staff" The Sphinx was 50
mortified at the solving of her riddle, that
she cast herself down from tho rock and
was dashed to pieces. The Minotaur was
monster with bulls body aud human
head. 1t was excessively ferocious aud
cruel and, instead of being put to death at
once, as 1t ought to have been, was kept in
a labyrinth constructed by Dedalus. This
labyrinth was so curiously contriyed that
no one who wes3 once in it. ceuld,by any
means nd;htslway outg 'Hefe the Mihotaur
roamed, and was fed with human victims,
of which he preferred those which were
young and tender. Minos, tho king of the
country, having conquered the Athcnians,
imposed atribute upon them Of seven young
men and scven maidehs every year, to be
given TO the Minotaur. This tribute was
paid, year by year, and all the victims were
devoured by the monster till at length
Theseus who was one Of the youths sent