Psychai are the diminutive, wingedshades of the dead inGreek mythology and some fifth century BC funerary lekythoi.[1] Although commonly translated as "soul" today, in the epics ofHomer, it meant "life"[2] and did not have any connection to consciousness or psychological functions in the living. It is only later, at the end of the fifth century BC in the works of other poets such asPindar, that the word acquires its meaning relating to being the principal seat of intellect, emotion, and will.[3] From there, it became possible to translatepsyche as "heart" or "soul".[4]