Hydra (Hya)
"The Water Monster"

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Mythology:  Hydra is a female watersnake-like monster, said to have anywhere from nine to one hundred heads, with only the center one being immortal.  The nature of this monster is understood when we consider its parents:  The water monster Typhon and Echidna (half-snake and half-woman).  Hydra terrorized the people in a town called Lerna; she was difficult to kill because when a hero tried and cut off one of it heads, two would grow back.  As we can imagine, only one man was hero enough to take on Hydra and win -- Hercules.  In fact, killing the Hydra was Hercules' second labor.
    Hercules actually needed the help of his charioteer Iolaus to defeat Hydra.  As Hercules cut off a head of the monster, Iolaus would burn the remaining stump so no more heads could grow back.  Finally, only the immortal head remained.  Hercules cut it off and buried it under a huge rock.  It is interesting to note that while Hercules was battling the Hydra, Hera sent Cancer the Crab to distract Hercules -- but not to worry, for Hercules was able to crush the Crab under his heel.
    Hercules did benefit somewhat out of the slaying of Hydra.  After the monster was killed, Hercules dipped his arrows in the blood of Hydra.  This blood was poisonous, and many other stories in mythology refer to Hercules' killing someone or something with the arrows dipped in the blood of Hydra.
    There is another story that goes along with Hydra.  Apollo was to make his sacrifice to the Olympian Gods, so he sent his Crow Corvus to fetch water in the Cup Crater.  The Crow became distracted by ripening figs and never returned with the water.  When Apollo went to get the water himself, he found Corvus, who tried to explain that a watersnake had kept him from reaching the water.  Apollo saw through the lie and banished the Crow Corvus, the Cup Crater, and Hydra the Watersnake to the stars.

Other Interesting Sights:  Hydra contains the open cluster M48 (NGC2548) and the globular cluster M68 (NGC4590).  Even more interesting is the spiral galaxy M83 (NGC5236), which lies within the Centaurus Group of Galaxies.
-Interesting Note:  Hydra is the longest constellation, covering about one-third of the celestial sphere.