There’s been a lot of talk about DNA and genetics this season, namely in the form of chimeras. In traditional lore, a Chimera is an immortal figure from Greek mythology that has a lion’s head, a goat’s body, a snake’s tail, and breathes fire. The term has also been adopted by modern science to mean a single organism composed of genetically distinct cells. Popular vernacular has adopted the term to apply to anything that exists in the imagination and is not possible in reality.
The Greek myth of the Chimera is the story of the daughter of Typhon and Echidna, sibling to the Sphinx. In Greek lore, the Chimera was a dooming omen, often appearing before shipwrecks, violent storms, and volcanic eruptions.
It is closely associated with evil and is considered purely demonic — a sign of Satan. In the Teen Wolf mythology, the Dread Doctors are authors of these beasts. This is probably a nod from the writers as to how big and awful they are.
