Galanthis

In Greek, Roman mythology, (Galinthias) (Γαλινθιάς), or, in Latin, Galanthis was a daughter of Proetus of Thebes, and a friend of Alcmene. When Alcmene was on the point of giving birth to Heracles, and the Moerae and Eileithyia, at the request of Hera, were endeavouring to delay the birth, Galinthias suddenly rushed in with the false report that Alcmene had given birth to a son. The hostile goddesses were so surprised by this information that they dropped their arms. Thus the charm was broke and Alcmené was enabled to give birth to Heracles. The deluded goddesses avenged the deception practised upon them by metamorphosing Galinthias into a weasel (galê, γαλῆ). Hecate, however, took pity upon her and made her her attendant, and Heracles afterwards erected a sanctuary to her (Ovid, Met.ix. 306).





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