Herakles labours

From: João Simões Lopes Filho
Message: 6648
Date: 2001-03-20

Let's take a look at the 12 (the order is not chronological):
1) Nemea Lion
 
2) Calydon Boar
 
3) Hydra - Water Serpent
A three-headed version can be the original? The triplet foe? A Vrtra-like monster?
 
4) Cerynia Deer
 
5) Cretan Bull
The association with Creta must be a later change. From Creta = From South? From Sea? A kind of bovine sea monster? Relation with Theseus and Minotaur) The Cosmogonic IE Bovine?
Gilgamesh x Heavenly Bull ?
 
6) Diomedes Mares
Some kind of female demons?
 
7) Stymphalis Birds
Demonic Birds? Like Cuchulain capturing swans?
 
8) Amazons
I think Amazons were originally a kind of sea-women (like Sirens)
 
9) Augias
Kerberos - the Underworld Dog
 
10) Hesperis apples
Fighting against Ladon, other serpent.
Gilgamesh travel to Western realms?
 
11) Geryon
The typical IE Triplet Foe. Fighting against Orthros, another dog.
 
Important: Everyone is looking for a pattern... but is it necessary a  pattern? And if Herakles's labors are just a collection of independent myths?