West Pavilion
Lower Level
Antiquities Galleries

CREATING A MONSTER
Greek and Roman myths are filled with fantastic creatures and monsters. Many 
of these monsters are made up of a combination of body parts from real animals.  For example, the griffin is a monster with the wings and head of an eagle and 
body of a lion. For the past two thousand years artists have used their imaginations to show what these strange creatures might have looked like. Now it’s your turn.

#1	READ the description of creatures called Sirens.
#2	HUNT for examples of Sirens in this gallery.
#3	FIND other examples of monsters in the room.
#4	DRAW your own monster and write a myth or story about it.

The Sirens were bird women. They had beautiful female faces and voices. Some had female bodies too, but others had the bodies, legs, and feet of birds. Their voices were irresistible to humans. The Sirens perched above the sea and used their magical songs to lure sailors too close to the cliffs, causing their ships to smash against the rocks.

How many other monsters can you find in this room? Describe how the monsters look. What different animal parts do they have?

DRAW your own monster. Write a myth or story about your monster