Maidens, monsters, and mermaids—history's mythical female characters include these and more. While some personify beauty and benevolence, others represent a truly macabre femininity, sinister and seductive and deadlier than the male. These legendary female forms originate in classical antiquity and medieval superstition as spirits, deities, and demons. And some are still worshipped today.
So, what are some of history's weirdest and fiercest mythical female creatures? Click through the following gallery and be reminded of the power of women in myths gone by.