The Hydra of Greek myth lived in the marshes of Lerna, and every head Heracles cut off grew back as two. This hydra name generator names many-headed serpents for D&D, stories and games: monstrous names like Venomcoil, hydras named for the lake they haunt, and Greek-sounding names.
The Hydra of Lerna
The Hydra of Greek myth lived in the swamps of Lerna, near Argos, and killing it was the second of Heracles's twelve labours.
- Two for one: every head Heracles cut off grew back as two, until his nephew Iolaus burned each neck with a torch to stop it.
- One immortal head could not be killed, so Heracles buried it under a great rock.
- Poisoned arrows: he dipped his arrows in the Hydra's venom, and they later caused the deaths of several heroes, and of Heracles himself.
- How many heads? Ancient writers can't agree. Nine is the usual number; some say many more.
Naming a hydra
A hydra name should hiss, or tell you where to keep away from.
- Serpent names are all coil and venom: Venomcoil, Bilescale.
- Lake names put it in its swamp: the Hydra of Blackmere, the Mire Hydra.
- Greek names (Enneaphis, "nine-snake") suit a hydra of myth.
- Epithets give the head count, like "the Nine-Headed".
Hydra is also the largest constellation in the sky. For other serpents, try the Wyvern and Dragon name generators.
For more beasts of legend, see all the mythical creature name generators.