Key Points

- Bringer of nightmares and madness

Brief Bio

Melinoë a character from the Orphic Hymns who is the daughter of Persephone and was fathered by Zeus, who tricked her via "wily plots" by taking the form of Hades, indicating that in the hymn Persephone is already married to Hades.

Melinoë is a chthonic goddess invoked in one of the Orphic Hymns, and represented as a bringer of nightmares and madness. In the hymn, Melinoë has characteristics that seem similar to Hecate and the Erinyes, and Melinoë's name is sometimes thought to be an epithet of Hecate. The name "Melinoë" also appears on a metal tablet in association with Persephone.