Thaumas (Olympian god; father of the Harpies)

First Appearance: Real World mythology;
(Marvel; referenced) Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#8: Appendix to the Olympian Gods: Harpies sub-profile (2009)

Powers/Abilities: Thaumas was presumably either unaging or slowly aging and resistant to conventional harm, similar to other gods and/or spawn of Gaea.

Height: Unrevealed
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Unrevealed

History:
(Greek mythology) - Thaumas is the offspring of Gaea and Pontus, along with siblings Nereus, Ceto, and Eurybia (see comments), who were also aquatic deities. An ancient sea god, Thaumas was regarded to be the personification of the wonders of the sea.

Electra is an Oceanid, one of the 3000 water nymphs who were the daughters of the titans Oceanus and Tethys (two of the Titans, half-siblings of Thaumas via a different father, Ouranos).

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#8: Appendix to the Olympian Gods: Harpies sub-profile ) - The harpies -- a feminine race exhibiting human heads and avian bodies -- were spawned from the minor sea god Thaumas and the sea nymph Electra.

Comments: Created by unidentified parties as part of ancient Greek mythology;
adapted to the Marvel Universe

In Greek mythology, Thaumas is believed to be an ancient sea god and further is regarded to be the personification of the wonders of the sea. Although little is known today about this mysterious sea god, he was mentioned by a number of Greek and Roman writers during the Classical period and from these ancient sources we derive our current understanding of this god.

    The ancient Greeks believed that Thaumas was an old sea god who preceded the Olympians. His name is derived from the Greek word ‘thaumatos’, which means ‘miracle’ or ‘wonder’. Although Thaumas was considered to be the personification of the wonders of the sea in general, this deity has been associated with one phenomenon in particular. The 19 ^th century Classical scholar, E. M. Berens, described Thaumas in The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome as personifying “that peculiar, translucent condition of the surface of the sea when it reflects, mirror-like, various images, and appears to hold in its transparent embrace the flaming stars and illuminated cities, which are so frequently reflected on its glassy bosom.”

    The ancient Greek and Roman sources provide information about the family of Thaumas. This is evident, for instance, in Hesiod’s Theogony. In this poem, Thaumas is described as being the offspring of Gaia and Pontus. His full siblings are Nereus, Ceto, and Eurybia, all of whom were believed by the Greeks to be aquatic deities (Note that Phorcys is considered by this source to also be the sibling of Thaumas, although in the Marvel Universe, Phorcys has been revealed to be the son of Set, one of Gaea's brothers.--Snood). It may be added that the Titans were the half-siblings of Thaumas, as they share the same mother but have different fathers (Ouranos being the father of the Titans). The parentage of Thaumas is also mentioned by such writers as Pseudo-Apollodorus and Pseudo-Hyginus.

    According to the ancient writers, Elektra was the wife of Thaumas. She was an Oceanid, i.e. one of the 3000 water nymphs who were the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. Elektra, whose name is a reference to the “sparkling light produced by electricity”, was known also as Ozomene, meaning ‘Many / Strong Branches’, which may refer to the source of the rainbow in the clouds.

    Considering the significance of Elektra’s second name, it is appropriate that one of her children with Thaumas was Iris, the personification of the rainbow. Iris was also believed to serve as the messenger of the Olympian gods. Thaumas and Elektra are also believed to be the parents of the Harpies, whose name means ‘snatchers’. The names of these individual Harpies differ according to the sources. Hesiod, for instance, mentions Aello (the ‘Storm Wind’) and Ocypete (the ‘Swift Wing’), while Celaeno (the ‘Black One’), Ocypete, Podarce (the ‘Fleet-Footed’) appear in the list of Pseudo-Hyginus.

    The Harpies are arguably more famous than either Thaumas or Elektra, as they appear in a number of myths. Originally, these creatures were thoughts to be wind spirits, in particular - sudden, sharp gusts of wind. In addition, Hesiod described them as beings with lovely hair, though later sources would depict them as winged women with the lower bodies of birds. Moreover, some authors portray the Harpies as ugly creatures.
The Harpies are best-known for the role they played in the story of Jason and the Argonauts. The Harpies were sent by Zeus to plague Phineus, the King of Thrace, as he used his gift of prophecy to divulge the secrets of the gods. Whenever food was placed before the king, the Harpies would swoop down and snatch it away, leaving him hungry. The punishment continued until the arrival of the Argonauts. Among the companions of Jason were the Boreads, the sons of Boreas, the North Wind. The brothers gave chase to the Harpies. One of the Harpies fell into the Tigris River, hence causing its name to be changed to Harpys, whilst another died of fatigue on the Strophades Islands. Only two Harpies remained and there are several variations of the ending of this episode. In one, the Harpies promised to leave Phineus alone and their lives were spared. In another, either Iris or Hermes appeared and commanded the Boreads to release the two Harpies. Yet in another, both the Harpies and the Boreads die.

This profile was completed 12/21/2020, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Appearances:
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#8: Appendix to the Olympian Gods: Harpies sub-profile (2009) - Jeff Christiansen (head writer/coordinator), Stuart Vandal, Mike Fichera, & Madison Carter (coordination assistant), Anthony Flamini, Michael Hoskin, Sean McQuaid, Ronald Byrd, David Wiltfong, Chad Anderson, Chris Biggs, Eric J. Moreels, Mark O'English, Al Sjoerdsma, Jacob Rougemont, Gabriel Shechter, Rich Green, Markus Raymond, Andrew Goletz, Rob London, Mike O'Sullivan, Jeph York (writers), Jeff Youngquist & Jennifer Grunwald

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com