Harpy



Harpies (meaning "snatcher", from Latin harpeia, originating in Greek: ἅρπυια, harpūia), are winged spirits best known for constantly stealing all food from the blind son of Neptune, Phineas, but were driven away by the Boreads Calais and Zethes. The literal meaning of the word seems to be "that which snatches" as it comes from the ancient Greek word harpazdein (ἁρπάζειν), which means "to snatch."

The Sea of Monsters
At Camp Half-Blood, there are cleaning harpies and harpies that come to eat demigods that sneaks out of their cabins at night. They refer to themselves in the third person, for example they screech; "Campers out of bed! Dinner for hungry harpies!" Percy Jackson refers to the cleaning harpies as if they were "crossbred with the dodo birds," and similarly to Cyclops, they are immune to lava and fire, as they wash the dishes with lava.

The Titan's Curse
At the Mount Tamalpais, Percy also refers to evil harpies that serve the Titans, as many were seen coming from the board of Princess Andromeda.

The Lost Hero
They are mentioned to be employed by Aeolus and create a bridge for Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, Piper McLean and Coach Hedge to walk across.

The Son Of Neptune
Ella is one of the many harpies who snatch food from Phineas picnic table. She's faster and more nimble than her sisters. When befriending with Percy, Hazel and Frank, she shows her ability to memorize a massive amount of facts she reads in books. Percy decides that they have to free the harpies from their curse (to be only able to eat from Phineas' table) which they accomplish with a gamble to the death, including Percy and Phineas both drinking Gorgon Blood, not knowing which vial was from which side of the monster. Later on, Ella is taken to Camp Jupiter by Tyson. When Percy,Hazel and Frank are talking about their encounter with Ella, they decide that she is too important to leave behind when they go to Rome because she has memorized a part of the Sibylline Books.

Family
A harpy was known as the mother of Zephyrus, the west wind, sisters of Iris and daughters of Thauma, and Electra.

Occupation
Phineas, a king of Thrace, like Apollo, had a gift of prophecies. Zeus was angered by the information he was revealing that he blinded him and sealed him away on an island with a buffet of food that Phineas could never eat. The Harpies would always snatch the food from him and take it away, leaving Phineas to starve.

However, in The Son of Neptune, when Phineas was revived by Gaea, the tables have turned and Phineas is now the one to eat the food and be able to keep the harpies from his table though they are bounded to eat and can't consume any other food.

Trivia

 * The American Harpy Eagle is a bird named after them.