Primal Greek Gods

Primal forces of the Greeks Chaos (no known sex) –Chaos is from the Greek word Khaos, meaning "gaping void". There are many explanations as to who or what Chaos is, but most theories state that it was the void from which all things developed into a distinctive entity, or in which they existed in a confused and amorphous shape before they were separated into genera. In other words, Chaos is or was "nothingness." In magical terms come people could see Chaos as an analogy for the abyss of the kabala. However this would be wrong. Chaos has rules, it has a pattern. The abyss is madness, formlessness and the dissolution of everything you know and realise all rolled into one. Using Chaos as an agent in a spell, i.e. calling or summoning its power would be foolish indeed unless you where of sufficient experience to be able to recognise the pattern that would emerge from such spell work. Oceanus (male) –The personification of the vast ocean. As geography became more precise, Oceanus began to refer to the water outside of the Pillars of Heracles, or the Atlantic Ocean. He was the father of all rivers by Tethys. The couple also had the Oceanids which personified springs and smaller bodies of waters, like lakes and ponds. The primal water force in magical work can bring about strong emotional and changeable effects. As can be seen by his tales and notes, he is a strong

creation force bringing about rivers, nature spirits and other offspring. As with all primal forces care should be taken when calling upon them in spell work. Eurynome (female) – not much is known about Eurynome as the all mother figure in myth. Her name is meant to mean "far-ruling" or "wide-wandering" which could hold the clue to her powers, but without more information it would be foolish to use her in any work. It is interesting that she is associated with wisdom and creates primal desire. It could be said that if she is far ruling she would be knowledgeable. So is this a reference to knowledge and wisdom creating desire. It is a logical progression. Ophion (male) - in Greek mythology, a huge serpent. A primal god who ruled the world with his mate, Eurynome, before the reign of the titans. When he became unruly, Eurynome banished him to the underworld. In other myths it is the titans who banish him to the underworld. It is a common myth, that a serpent is banished to the underworld. If you see the underworld as being a symbol of death and the serpent as being a symbol of wisdom this is a veiled allegory to the idea that wisdom will allow you to see or visit the realms of death and survive. However I would not recommend trying without a lot of practise. Maybe more to do with astral travelling than physically being dead for a while. Erebus (male) - Erebus was known as the embodiment of primordial darkness, the son of Chaos (who was the void from which all things developed). According to Hesiod's Theogony, Erebus was born with Nyx (Night), and was the father of Aether (the bright upper atmosphere), Hemera (Day) and Charon, the ferry-man who took the dead over the rivers of the infernal region. Here we find the beginning of cosmology beginning to take place. Primordial darkness along with night brings about atmosphere and day. Not sure why the ferryman is with the other two though. Maybe a mistake somewhere along the line or maybe the ferryman is seen as a particular star passing along the night sky. Worth meditating on. Erebus should be seen as primordial darkness and as such would be a frightening power to call upon. Darkness is not night, since night has some light in it. This is pure blackness and as such would be a very frightening experience. This is one step away from the abyss and should only be called upon if you know what you are doing. I would not partake of any ritual that included this entity. Nyx (female) - Nyx is the goddess and embodiment of the night. According to Hesiod in his Theogony (11.116-138), "From Chaos came forth Erebus and black Night Nyx; of Night were born Aether being the bright upper atmosphere and Day Hemera, whom she conceived and bore from union with Erebus her brother". Also attributed to Nyx and Erebus is Styx, the goddess who ruled over the river in Hades and was thought to be hate.

Also from the Theogony (11. 211-225); "And Night bore hateful Doom Moros and black Fate and Death Thanatos, and she bore Sleep Hypnos and the tribe of Dreams. And again the goddess murky Night, though she lay with none, bare Blame and painful Woe, and the Hesperides who guard the rich golden apples and the trees bearing fruit beyond glorious Ocean. Also she bore the Destinies and ruthless avenging Fates who were regarded as old women occupied in spinning, Clotho the Spinner of the thread of life and Lachesis the Disposer of Lots, she who allots every man his destiny and Atropos She Who Cannot Be Turned, who finally cuts the thread of life who give men at their birth both evil and good to have, and they pursue the transgressions of men and of gods, and these goddesses never cease from their dread anger until they punish the sinner with a sore penalty. Also deadly Night bore Nemesis Indignation to afflict mortal men, and after her, Deceit Apate and Friendship and hateful Age and hardhearted Strife. So from that it is thought that Nyx without any male influence bore Moros (destiny), Thanatos (death), Hypnos (sleep), Nemesis (divine vengeance and justice), Oizys (pain and distress), Philotes (affection), Apate (deceit), Geras (old age), Phthonus (envy) and the fates. Just looking at the list you can see that there is a large amount of negative connotations placed upon the night. It is seen as something bad or to be feared although at this time it probably was something to be feared. The one surprise is that although there is affection, there is no sex or love. I guess this would be covered by Eros in desire. Even more interesting to me though is the idea that fate and destiny are linked in to the night. Maybe showing a more mystical side to the ancient Greek pantheon? Nyx is the first power that I would have no problem using in spell work. To be honest as a night goddess she seems a lot more pleasant than some night goddess’s I have come across. Tartarus (male) – while Hades was the place of the dead, Tartarus became known as the place where punishments where handed out. Very much like the Christian idea of hell today. As one of the first primal forces, Tartarus could be seen to be punishment? Or maybe judgement? In The Iliad (c. 700), Zeus asserts that Tartarus is "as far beneath Hades as heaven is high above the earth." As a place so far from the sun and so deep in the earth, Tartarus is hemmed in by three layers of night. It is a dank and wretched pit engulfed in murky gloom. It is one of the primordial objects that sprung from Chaos (along with Gaea (Earth) and Eros (Sex)). Unfortunately there is not a lot of information about Tartarus the deity as opposed to the place. If the two are seen as the same however we can see that

the deity is seen as a punisher, a prison of some sort. Although later placed below Hades, I would suggest that they would be side by side. Gaea (female) - Gaea, known as Earth or Mother Earth (the Greek common noun for "land" is ge or ga). She was an early earth goddess and it is written that Gaea was born from Chaos, the great void of emptiness within the universe. Parthenogenetically (without male intervention), Gaea gave birth to Ourea (Mountains) and Pontus (Sea). Gaea took as her husband Uranus, and their offspring included the Titans, six sons and six daughters. She gave birth to the Cyclopes and to three monsters that became known as the "Hecatonchires". The spirits of punishment known as the Erinyes (furies) were also offspring of Gaia and Uranus. The Gigantes, finally, were conceived after Uranus had been castrated by his son Cronus, and his blood fell to earth from the open wound. To protect her children from her husband, (the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, as he was fearful of their great strength), Gaea hid them all within herself. One version says that Uranus was aghast at the sight of his offspring so he hid them away in Tartarus, which are the bowels of the earth. Gaea herself found her offspring uncomfortable and at times painful, and when the discomfort became too much to bear she asked her youngest son Cronus to help her. She asked him to castrate Uranus, thus severing the union between the Earth and Sky, and also to prevent more monstrous offspring. To help Cronus achieve his goal Gaea produced an adamantine sickle to serve as the weapon. Cronus hid until Uranus came to lay with Gaea and as Uranus drew near, Cronus struck with the sickle, cutting the genitalia from Uranus. Blood fell from the severed genitals and came in contact with the earth and from that union was born the Erinyes (Furies), the Giants and the Meliae (Nymphs of the manna ash trees). After the separation of the Earth from the Sky, Gaea gave birth to other offspring, these being fathered by Pontus. Their names were the sea-god Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto and Eurybia. It was Gaea who saved Zeus from being swallowed by Cronus, after Zeus had been born, Gaea helped Rhea to wrap a stone in swaddling clothes, this was to trick Cronus in to thinking it was Zeus, because Cronus had been informed that one of his children would depose him, and so to get rid of his children he had swallowed them, Gaea's trick worked and Zeus was then taken to Crete. Gaea being the primordial element from which all the gods originated was worshiped throughout Greece, but later she went into decline and was supplanted by other gods. There are so many interesting elements in the stories of Gaea. We see that she can be generous (in rescuing Zeus) or vengeful in helping to castrate Uranus.

That she gives Cronus a sickle is interesting in its self. She embodies all aspects of the earth in her stories, even to the point of giving birth to both ugliness and beauty. Also the idea that earth and sky are linked until something happens that severs it seems to be a universal theme in many mythologies. I would say that Gaea is the primordial witch’s goddess and as such every witch should be spending just a little time getting to know her. Uranus (male) - Uranus, also known as Ouranos, was the embodiment of the sky or heavens, and known as the god of the sky. He was the husband of Gaea (the earth) and according to Hesiod, their children included the Titans: six sons (Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus and Cronus) and six daughters (Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe and Tethys). There were other offspring: the Cyclopes, (who were named Brontes, Steropes and Arges and were later known as "one eyed giants"), and also the three monsters known as the Hecatonchires, who each had one hundred hands and fifty heads. Their names were Briareus, Cottus and Gyes. Other offspring of Uranus and Gaea were the Erinyes, who were spirits of punishment and goddesses of vengeance. A slightly differing version of the castration myth tells of Uranus being so vast that he could cover Mother Earth (Gaea) and easily take advantage of her fruitfulness, but Gaea tired of her exuberant fertility and begged her sons to free her from the excessive embrace of Uranus. All refused except Cronus. Armed with a sickle he castrated Uranus, and the blood which fell from the mutilation gave birth to the Erinyes (Furies), the Giants and the Meliae (Nymphs of the manna ash trees). And when Cronus threw the sickle into the sea the island of Corfu, home of the Phaeacians, sprang up). After Uranus (the sky) had been emasculated, the sky separated from Gaea (the earth) and Cronus became king of the gods. Later, Zeus (the son of Cronus) deposed his father and became the supreme god of the Greek Pantheon. The idea that a wounded or castrated gods can become a king or “all fatherer” of the gods is another re-occurring myth that shows up time and time again. The difference is there is no healing part to this myth which is strange. Eros (male)-The Greek god of love and sexual desire (the word Eros, which is found in the

Iliad by Homer, is a common noun meaning sexual desire). He was also worshiped as a fertility god, believed to be a contemporary of the primeval Chaos, which makes Eros one of the oldest gods. In the Dionysian Mysteries Eros is referred to as "protagonus", the first born. From the early legend of Eros it is said that he was responsible for the embraces of Uranus (Heaven or Sky) and Gaea (Earth), and from their union were born many offspring. It was also written that Eros hatched our race and made it appear first into the light (Birds, by

Aristophanes). Although one of the oldest gods, he was a latecomer to Greek religion. He was worshiped in many regions of Greece, at Thespiae there was an ancient fertility cult, and in Athens he and Aphrodite had a joint cult. Also in Athens the fourth day of every month was sacred to Eros. Sometimes Eros was worshiped by the name Erotes (which is the plural of Eros); this personified all the attractions that evoked love and desire, this included heterosexual and homosexual allurements. Eros is usually depicted as a young winged boy, with his bow and arrows at the ready, to either shoot into the hearts of gods or mortals which would rouse them to desire. His arrows came in two types: golden with dove feathers which aroused love, or leaden arrows which had owl feathers that caused indifference. The Greeks regarded him as most beautiful and handsome, the most loved and the most loving. They placed statues of him in gymnasiums (as most athletes were thought to be beautiful). He was depicted on every form of utensil, from drinking vessels to oil flasks, usually showing him ready to fire an arrow into the heart of an unsuspecting victim Erinyes (female) - Not so much deities as spirits of vengeance. Erinyes (the angry ones) were representing the anger of the dead. The Erinyes had snakes for hair and blood dripped from their eyes. They also had bats' wings and dogs' heads. There were three of them, Alecto (unceasing), Megaera (grudging), and Tisiphone (avenging murder). This they did by afflicting the person they were chasing with madness. Cyclops (male) – The Cyclops was a race of one eyed giants. They were placed in Tartarus by Uranus but were later released by Zeus. They were forgers and masonry experts who helped create Zeus thunderbolts, Poseidon’s trident and several other artefacts. There were originally three of them, Arges (bright), Brontes (thunderer), Steropes (lightener). Hecatonchires (male) – the hundred handed ones. A race of giants with fifty heads and one hundred hands each. Like the Cyclops, they were pushed into Tartarus by their father Uranus, but released later by Zeus and they helped overthrow the titans by throwing rocks at them. There are four recorded names for them. These are Briareus (the vigorous), Aigaion (the sea goat), Cottus (the striker), and Gyges (the big limbed). It is unknown whether they had a cult or any associations but if they did it is theorized that they would personalize the gigantic forces of nature. Gigantes (male) - In Greek Mythology the Gigantes were (according to the poet Hesiod) the children of Uranus and Gaea. They were involved in a conflict with the Olympian gods which was eventually settled when the hero Hercules decided

to help the Olympians. The Greeks believed some of them, like to lay buried from that time under the earth, and that their tormented quivers resulted in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Styx (female) – Styx which means hate is the Greek goddess of the river of death in the underworld. She was usually said to be the daughter of Erebus and Nyx. Aether (male) - The personification of the pure upper air in which the gods reside, in contrary to the 'aer', the lower air which mortals breathe. In the early Greek cosmologies, Aether is the son of Erebus and Nyx, and the brother of Hemera. He is one of the elements of the cosmos and in the Orphic hymns he is mentioned as the soul of the world from which all life emanates. Hemera (female) - Hemera is the Greek goddess of day. She was born from Erebus, darkness, and Nyx, night. Hemera emerged from Tartarus as Nyx left it and returned to as she was emerging from it. Charon (male) – Charon was the god who ferried the dead across the river into hades. If a coin was not placed on the dead person to pay for passage prior to the funeral then the dead soul would wander never being able to get into the underworld. Ourea (male) - The Greek personifications of mountains. Each mountain was said to have its own god. They are of the Protogenoi: the first-born elemental gods, children of Gaia. Theogony (129-131), Argonautica (1.498). Pontus (male) - Pontus is the personification of the sea and the son of Gaia and Uranus. With Gaia he fathered Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto and Eurybia. Nereus (male) - A wise and gentle sea-god, a son of Pontus and Gaea. He is the father of the fifty Nereides by Doris. Nereus, known as the Old Man of the Sea, had the gift of prophecy and could change himself into any shape (Theogony 233-264). Heracles, seeking the location of garden of the Hesperides, asked Nereus for directions but he refused to help him. Heracles seized the god and held him fast and despite changing into many forms Nereus could not escape Heracles' powerful grip. Finally, Nereus relented and told the hero where to find the garden. Nereus and Doris and their fifty daughters mainly dwelled in the depths of the Aegean sea. He had a temple near Trachin in Thessaly (Metamorphoses I, 177198; XI, 346-409). Thaumas (male) - Thaumas ("wonder") is a Greek sea god and the son of Pontus and Gaia. By the Oceanid Electra he fathered the Harpy and Iris. Phorcys (male) – a sea god, who is responsible for fathering a host of Greek monsters along with his sister Ceto.

Ceto (female) - Ceto is the daughter of Gaia and Pontus. She is the sister of Phorcys, who was also her husband, Thaumas and Eurybia. She is the personification of the dangers and horrors of the sea. Her name eventually became a name for any generic sea monster. Ceto is regarded as the mother of the Gorgons and many other monsters. Eurybia (female) – the sea goddess with "who has a heart of flint within her”, Hesiod, Theogony, 239. Most notable as being a consort of Poseidon. She was considered a minor sea deity. Oizys (female) - According to Hesiod (Theogony, 214-215), the female personification of pain and distress. She is a child of Nyx. Phthonus (male) - The Greek personification of envy. Phthonus was said to have married many different women and killed most of them because he suspected that they cheated on him. He was usually thought of as the son of Nyx. Philotes (female) - The Greek personification of affection. She is usually ascribed as the daughter of Nyx and sister of Apate ("deceit"), Geras ("old age"), and Eris. Apate (female) - Apate was the Greek goddess of deceit, daughter of Nyx. Apate was one of the spirits inside Pandora's box. Geras (male) - In Greek mythology, Geras was the god of old age. It was considered a virtue whereby the more gēras a man acquired, the more kleos (fame) and arete (excellence and courage) he was considered to have. According to Hesiod, Gēras was a son of Nyx. He was depicted as a tiny shrivelled up old man. Gēras's opposite was Hebe the goddess of youth. Moros (male) - Moros ("destiny") is the Greek personification of doom. He is the son of Nyx and the brother of Thanatos. Thanatos (male) - The Greek personification of death who dwells in the lower world. In the Iliad he appears as the twin brother of Hypnos ("sleep"). Both brothers had little to no meaning in the cults. Hesiod makes these two spirits the sons of Nyx, but mentions no father. Thanatos was portrayed as a youngster with an inverse torch in one hand and a wreath or butterfly in the other. He appears, with Hypnos, several times on Attican funerary vases, so-called lekythen. On a sculpted column in the Temple of Artemis at Ephese (4th century BCE) Thanatos is shown with two large wings and a sword attached to his girdle. Hypnos (male) - Hypnos is the personification of sleep in Greek mythology. He is the son of Nyx, and the twin of Thanatos ("death"). Both he and his brother live

in the underworld. He gave Endymion the power of sleeping with open eyes so he could see his beloved, the moon goddess Selene. Hypnos is portrayed as a naked young man with wings attached to his temples, or as a bearded man with wings attached to his shoulders. Nemesis (female) - In Greek mythology, Nemesis is the goddess of divine justice and vengeance. Her anger is directed toward human transgression of the natural, right order of things and of the arrogance causing it. Nemesis pursues the insolent and the wicked with inflexible vengeance. Her cult probably originated from Smyrna. She is regarded as the daughter Nyx according to Hesiod. She is portrayed as serious looking woman with in her left hand a whip, a rein, a sword, or a pair of scales. In the Hellenistic period she was portrayed with a steering wheel. Also called Rhamnusia, from a temple and statue of her in Rhamnus, a village in the northern part of Attica. The epithet Adrasteia "she whom none can escape", properly of the those of the Phrygian Cybele, was later applied to her. Moirae (female) – the three fates of Greek mythology. They measured, weaved and cut a person’s thread to determine the length of their life. They were considered part of the normal order of things and nothing could move them. It is unclear whether the gods were under their rule, but the common consensus is that they were. There were three of them. Atropos was the fate who cut the thread or web of life. She was known as the "inflexible" or "inevitable" and cut this thread with the "abhorred shears." Clotho is the spinner, and she spins the thread of human life with her distaff. The length of the string will determine how long a certain person's life will be. Lachesis - The Disposer, she measures the length of the thread of human life spun by Clotho and determines its destiny.