In Greek mythology, Lyssa was described as the personification of mad rage and frenzy, as well as rabies in animals. Lyssa was closely linked to the spirits of insanity called Maniae. In some versions, Lyssa was described as the daughter of goddess Nyx (night), the emerged from the blood of the god Uranus, after her was castrated by his son Cronus. (Castration of Uranus) In other version, Lyssa was described as the daughter of Aether and Gaea.
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According to Greek legend, Goddess Hera asked Lyssa to overpower Hercules with madness. Lyssa was not fond of visiting the homes of men, nor use her powers to turn friends against each other. Lyssa counsels Iris, who wishes to carry out Hera's command, against targeting Hercules but, after failing to persuade, bows to the orders of the superior goddess and sends him into a mad rage that causes him to murder his wife (Megara) and children.
According to Greek mythology, While hunting in the woods with his dogs, hunter Actaeon came across the goddess Artemis, who was bathing naked in a lake. Artemis spotted him and, enraged, she turned him into a stag. Lyssa then inflicted rabies on his dogs and tore him apart.
In some version, Lyssa appears as an agent of Dionysus sent to drive the daughters of Minyas mad, who in turn dismember Pentheus.
