The Furies were a trio of goddesses in Greek mythology who served as punishers of those who weren’t just in their behavior. The Furies would take vengeance on wrongdoers by haunting them, obsessing their minds with guilt and driving them mad with fury.
They could also inflict physical harm as punishment, including making people ill and causing them to become crippled. In most stories, the Furies would punish anyone who committed certain crimes, such as murder or stealing.
Often, the punishment for these crimes went beyond the criminal—the entire family of a wrongdoer could be cursed either through illness, financial misfortune, or other misfortunes. The fear of being punished by the Furies was so great that many people chose to avoid even the thought of breaking the rules.
What did the Furies do?
The Furies, also known as the Erinyes, were female deities from Greek mythology who were tasked with punishing humans for any wrongdoing. They were the personification of vengeance and were said to possess a seething anger that was so powerful it could drive men insane.
They were usually depicted as horrible monsters with snakes in their hair and serpents entwined around their arms. They would often appear in Athenian tragedy plays and were said to have sprung from the blood of the castrated god, Uranus.
The Furies didn’t just take it upon themselves to punish mankind for its wrongdoing; they would act as agents of the gods, punishing criminal humans who the gods wished to avenge. This could include anything from murder or perjury to breaking an oath, violating hospitality or performing an act of sacrilege.
No matter what the transgression, the Furies believed that all transgressions had to be paid for. Those they chose to punish would suffer an eternity of torture and torment.
The Furies would typically appear on the scene of a crime in order to exact revenge. In some cases, they would begin to torment the perpetrator by returning to haunt them and driving them insane with their screams.
In other cases, they would appear as a horde of supernatural avengers seeking revenge on criminals and the guilty. The Furies were said to be so powerful that even the gods could not ignore them.
Which types of people are typically victims or prey of the Furies?
The Furies, also known as the Erinyes or Eumenides, were divine figures from Ancient Greek mythology who punished those who committed certain crimes such as murder and perjury. The Furies almost exclusively targeted human figures, typically those in positions of power or privilege.
However, the Ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus was one of the few authors to suggest that evil mortals targeted by the Furies might not even be guilty of a crime, suggesting that the Furies targeted those perceived as having been treated unjustly by society.
As such, people of all statuses and backgrounds could be targeted, though they tended to be the victims of powerful figures looking to remain free from justice. As such, victims of ill-treatment and those perceived to be vulnerable were typically the recipients of the Furies’ wrath.
What is a person called a fury?
Fury is an ancient Greek and Roman deity. In mythology, they were often depicted as female, winged, and vengeful spirits who could stir up passion, anger, and violence in human affairs. They were driven by emotions and stricken with a sense of righteous motivation.
In English, the word fury describes an intensity of anger, or a state of wild rage. In some cases, the term can also describe righteous indignation or a storm of violent feelings. Typically, a fury is a person or force that cannot be reasoned with in their rage.
