The Greeks knew Lamia as a Libyan princess who Zeus loved dearly. She had several children from Zeus who Hera, Zeus' wife, killed in a jealous rage. Hera also made Lamia unable to close her eyes so she couldn't find rest from the horrifying image of her dead children.
Lamia's grief turned her into a monster that took revenge by stealing and devouring the children of other mothers. When Zeus saw what Hera had done to Lamia, he felt pity for her and gave her the ability to remove her eyes and put them back again, thus allowing her to rest from her grief.
Lamia has the face and breasts of a beautiful woman and the body of a serpent. She is sometimes referred to as a male or a hermaphrodite, and is believed to have the ability to change herself into a beautiful young woman. In Canaan, Lamia was known as Alukah.
Like Lamia, some people believe La Llorona reaps vengeance on mothers by taking their children away from them. In addition, both Lamia and La Llorona have no rest from the loss of their beloved children.
