Koryvandes

The Koryvandes, also called the Kurbantes (Phrygian), the Curetes, the Galli (Roman), and the Corybantes, are the crested dancers who worship the Phrygian goddess Cybele. They were wild, frenzied priests similar to the satyrs and Maenads who followed Dionysus. Ovid says they were born from rainwater. In the Roman Empire, the Galli castrated themselves to more closely identify with their goddess.

In the legend of Zeus' birth, the Koryvandes clashed their spears and shields to drown out the infant god's cries, and prevent his discovery by his father Cronus.

In this legend, the Koryvandes may have been Cretan vegetation demons, later subsumed into the Greek pantheon.

Alternatives: Corybantes, Korybandes