Mormo (, Mormō) was a female spirit in Greek folklore, whose name was invoked by mothers and nurses to frighten children to keep them from misbehaving.
The term mormolyce (; pl. mormolykeia ), also spelt mormolyceum ( mormolukeîon), is considered equivalent.
Etymology
The name mormo has the plural form mormones which means "fearful ones" or "hideous one(s)", and is related to an array of words that signify "fright".
Description
The original Mormo was a woman of Corinth, who ate her children then flew out; according to an account only attested in a single source.