Harpy

The Harpy is a legendary creature from Greek mythology that has drifted into cryptid discussions through alleged modern sightings of large, winged humanoids across Mediterranean regions. Traditionally depicted as fierce women with bird bodies and talons, harpies were said to snatch food—and occasionally people—carrying them away to unknown fates. In ancient stories, they served as instruments of divine punishment, sowing chaos and misery wherever they flew. More recent folklore in remote coastal villages sometimes revives fears of giant, shrieking birds seen at dusk, attributing missing livestock to their claws. Skeptics argue these are likely misidentifications of large raptors combined with enduring cultural memory. The Harpy remains a powerful figure blending myth and cryptid allure, a reminder that some winged terrors are older than any single reported sighting, rooted deep in humanity’s collective nightmares.