Keres
/ˈkɪəriːz/noun
In Greek mythology, the Keres are female spirits associated with violent death, destruction, and doom.
Did you know?The Keres were not simply goddesses of death: Greek poets linked them specifically with bloody, violent ends on battlefields and in catastrophe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European (proposed)
PIE
*ker-
“To cut or strike; a proposed root connected with violent severing”
Archaic Greek
Greek
κήρ (kḗr)
“Death, doom, or a death-bringing fate”
Homeric Greek
Greek
κῆρες (kêres)
“Plural: death-fates or spirits of violent death”
Classical Greek
Greek
Κῆρες (Kêres)
“Female supernatural beings who bring destruction and violent death”
16th–17th Century
English
Keres
“A classical mythological name adopted into English writing”
Modern English
English
Keres
“Mythological spirits or goddesses associated with violent death and doom”