Cyclops

There were two races of Cyclopes in Greek mythology. The first three — Brontes, Steropes, and Arges — were sons of Ouranos and Gaia, master craftsmen imprisoned in Tartarus by their father. Zeus freed them during the Titanomachy, and in gratitude they forged his thunderbolts, Poseidon's trident, and Hades's helm of invisibility.

The later Cyclopes were a wild race of giant shepherds living on a remote island. The most famous was Polyphemus, son of Poseidon. When Odysseus and his men were trapped in Polyphemus's cave, the Cyclops devoured several of them before Odysseus devised an escape plan.

Odysseus blinded Polyphemus with a burning stake and escaped by clinging to the belly of the giant's sheep. When asked his name, Odysseus had cleverly said "Nobody" — so when Polyphemus cried for help, saying "Nobody is hurting me," the other Cyclopes ignored him. But Odysseus's boast as he sailed away allowed Polyphemus to call on his father Poseidon for vengeance.