In Greek myth, the Telchines were thought to be the original inhabitants of the island of Rhodes, but were also present on the islands of Ceos and Crete. Hesiod called them malignant wizards, and Ovid celebrated their legendary skill as artisans. They were described as fish-like creatures and demons who acted as guardians and nurtured Poseidon and Zeus. Although they often helped the gods, they also worked malevolent magic. Eventually, their hubris and lust for power led to their downfall.   The Origins of the Telchines The Mutilation of Uranus by Saturn, by Giorgio Vasari and Cristoforo Gherardi, c. 16th century. Source: USEUM   The origin of the Telchines is recorded differently in the various Greek and Roman sources. Some accounts suggest that they are the offspring of Tartarus, the primordial father of monsters, and Nemesis, the goddess of retribution. Other sources claim that the Telchines are the children of the primordial gods Pontus and Gaia, the personifications of the sea and the earth. Still, others report that Thalassa, the female personification of the sea, is their mother.   In another version, the Telchines were created from Uranus’ blood. Uranus was the primordial god and personification of the sky. Uranus was castrated with a scythe by his son, the Titan Cronos. In this version, the Telchines were formed when Uranus’ blood dripped onto the Earth, similar to how the Furies and Aphrodite were created.   Perseus and Andromeda (detail of a Telchines), by Joachim Wtewael, 1611. Source: Louvre Museum   All the origin stories of the Telchines, usually four in number, describe them as the children of Protogenoi, the primordial gods who established the tangible fabric of the universe and personified the forces of nature. This means that they were ancient beings who thrived during ancient times when the primordial gods and Titans ruled, before being overthrown by the Olympian Gods.   What Did They Look Like? Man with a dog head, by Hartmann Schedel, 1493. Source: Beloit College   The Telchines were strange creatures associated with the sea and often referred to as fish children. They were known to have fin-like hands and dog-like heads. Descriptions of them are similar to those of merfolk. Some accounts state that they had a fish’s lower body and a human-like upper body. Their skin was described as rough, like echinoids or sea urchins, which are hard-shelled sea animals with venomous spikes. However, the Telchines were not limited to the sea. They were also said to be able to walk and live on land.   Malevolent Wizards  Manfred and the Witch of the Alps, by John Martin, 1837. Source: Web Gallery of Art   The Telchines were renowned for their extraordinary magical abilities. They were often referred to as sorcerers or wizards by ancient writers. They could control nature itself, controlling lightning and snow, manipulating the seas, and even bringing about devastating earthquakes. Furthermore, the Telchines could produce a poisonous substance that could harm all living things.   The Telchines are rare male wizards, with most of the magic workers in Greek mythology being women like Circe and Medea.   In addition to their power, the Telchines could change their shape at will. They mostly used their powers for malevolent purposes, harming and cursing innocent people. The most heinous act the Telchines were accused of committing was mixing the waters of the Styx with sulphur and pouring it over the fertile fields of Rhodes. This act resulted in the destruction of all plant and animal life on the island.   Benevolent Artisans  Neptune menaçant les vents, by Pietro della Vecchia, 1650. Source: Augustinian Museum   The Telchines were feared for their magical abilities, but they were also known for their exceptional skills as artisans and metallurgists. They were believed to be the first to work and shape iron and bronze into tools and weapons. Their excellent skills as metallurgists led to the creation of remarkable objects.   The Telchines created two of Greek mythology’s most famous magical artifacts: the scythe of the Titan Cronos and the trident of Poseidon. The scythe of Cronus, used to castrate Uranus, the primordial personification of the sky, was the first weapon created in the mythological canon. The trident of Poseidon is also one of the most identifiable symbols from Greek mythology, often used to represent both Poseidon and the Telchines themselves.   The Telchines’ metallurgical skills were not always necessarily benevolent. For instance, Hephaestus tasked them with assisting him in forging Harmonia’s cursed necklace. Despite the cursed nature of the creation, the Telchines were still working for the benefit of the Olympians, in contrast to their use of magic, often performed in opposition to the gods.   Hephaestus was the Greek god of the forge, who also made an elaborate throne to trap the goddess Hera.   The Telchines were known not only for their skills in metallurgy but also for stone sculpting. They were the first to create marble statues of the gods, and the ancient Greeks highly regarded their masterpieces. According to the historian Diodorus Siculus, the Telchines were responsible for crafting statues of Apollo and Hera on the island of Rhodes in Lindus and Camirus, respectively.   Raising the Gods Jupiter Raised by the Korybantes, by Noël Coypel, 1705. Source: Château de Versailles   Two stories from Greek myth suggest that the Telchines helped raise the Olympian gods. According to one myth, the Titaness Rhea entrusted the Telchines with caring for Poseidon, with the help of Capheira, an Oceanid Sea nymph who nursed the infant Poseidon.   Other myths suggest the Telchines were crucial in Zeus’s upbringing. His mother, Rhea, took nine Telchines from Rhodes to Crete and tasked them with protecting and nurturing Zeus in a cave on Mount Ida. These nine Telchines were later known as the Kouretes. They protected the infant Zeus from his father, Cronos, by performing a frenzied dance. During this dance, they would bang their shields and spears together to drown out the sound of the infant’s cries.   The association between the Telchines and the Kouretes is not certain. The Kouretes were also considered daemons or spirits, like the Telchines. However, they presided over mountains, hunting, beekeeping, and shepherding on the island of Crete. Unlike the Telchines, the Kouretes had no connection to the sea. However, both the Telchines and the Kouretes are credited with inventing metalworking. It seems that this shared similarity, along with their respective care for an Olympian, led to the two groups being merged into one at some point in history.   Turning Against the Gods Jupiter; statue of the nude god seated on an eagle, holding a double trident, plate 2, from Statues of Roman Gods, artist, and publisher Philips Galle, after Jacques Jonghelinck, 1586. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   One constant theme in myths about the Telchines is their eventual downfall. The exact catalyst for their downfall was the Telchines’ hubris, as they turned to evil magic and lusted for power.   Initially portrayed as benevolent servants of the gods, the Telchines’ behaviour took a turn for the worse after they created Poseidon’s trident. They became engrossed in pursuing methods to create more powerful items and fixated on acquiring other means of power. This new obsession transformed the Telchines’ reputation from respected artisans to malevolent sorcerers who cursed any who tried to learn their secret art.   The Olympians became concerned about the Telechine’s use of destructive magic. However, the final straw was when they mixed the waters of the river Styx with sulphur, poisoning all living things on Rhodes. The reason for this act of destruction is not apparent in many sources. In a later Roman account by Nonnus, it is suggested that the Telchines performed this foul magic as revenge against the Heliades, who had driven them out of Rhodes. The Heliades were the seven sons of Helios, the sun god, and Rhode, a sea nymph goddess who personified the island of Rhodes.   Downfall of the Telchines  Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Plate 68 Jupiter, by Johann Wilhelm Baur, 1641. Source: British Museum.   There are different versions of the story of how the Telchines were destroyed. In some accounts, Zeus destroys them with thunderbolts or creates a flood that sinks them into the sea. Other versions claim that the Telchines were driven off the island of Rhodes when Zeus caused a great deluge to punish humanity, and they weren’t explicitly killed for their malevolent magic or hubris. In other versions, Poseidon destroys the Telchines using the trident they created for him. In some accounts, Apollo transforms into a wolf and kills the Telchines, leading to their demise. After being defeated, the Telchines were banished to Tartarus by the gods.   Unfortunately, very little information about the Telchines has survived over time. Although several ancient writers mention them, they only do so briefly and often present contradictory images of these elusive beings. The Telchines are often confused with other mythological figures like the Cyclopes, who lived underwater and forged Zeus’s thunder, the Kouretes dancers from Crete, and the ancient smiths and healers, the Dactyls.