Also called Mormolyke, Mormolykeion.
Their story
Mormo was a bogey used by Greek nurses and mothers to frighten children. In Theocritus a mother silences her child by saying Mormo bites. Strabo lists her with Lamia and Gorgo as figures used to scare the young. Some ancient scholars made her a Corinthian queen who ate her own children.
Best times to give to them
- None traditional
- When reading or retelling the myth
What they like being given
- None are traditional; a nightlight for a frightened child suits her story
- A candle lit while reading or retelling the story
How to honour them
- Reflect on how ancient Greeks used her name to frighten children, and choose reassurance instead.
- Remember that Plato used mormolykeia for fears we should outgrow.
How they can help you
- Understanding childhood fears
- The history of bogeymen
Symbols
- mask
- wolf
She was a nursery figure rather than a creature of full myth.
Sources
- Theocritus, Idyll 15.40
- Aristophanes, Knights 693
- Strabo, Geography 1.2.8