The lamia was a creature from Greek mythology. Originally a woman who went mad after losing her children, she became bestial after abducting and killing other children. In some versions the lamia was a composite beast, with the upper body of a woman and the tail of a snake. The lamia appears in some encyclopedias.

Thomas of Cantimpré has a different description, saying the lamia is a large and cruel animal that comes out of the forest at night to break trees and branches. If a man is bitten by a lamia he is only healed when he hears the roar of the beast.