Mythological Literature Greek Mythology An Introduction

In the Beginning… There is only blackness = CHAOS From Chaos comes Night Erebus = unfathomable depth where death dwells

In the Beginning… Things get crazy! Night lays an egg into Erebus From this egg LOVE emerges

In the Beginning… LOVE gives birth to Light and Day – instruments that bring order to the world by conquering Night and Chaos (78) “From darkness and from death Love was born” Love leads to order and beauty!!!

Then… *Mother Earth (Gaea) emerges: Love and Light make it reasonable that Earth (life) will emerge *Mother Earth gives birth to Starry Heaven (Ouranos) to cover her on all sides (protect) and to serve as a home for the immortal gods (celestial bodies)

Then… The Greeks begin to “personify” their world. (79) “So they personified everything which had the obvious marks of life, everything which moved and changed.”

The First Family of Freaks Gaea marries her son Ouranus They have six children (3) Hecatonchires = 100-handed Giants (3) Cyclopes = One-eyed Giants

What did Daddy Do? Ouranus thought they were freaks! Who wants mutants, right?

Banishment Ouranus exiles his children Sends them to Tartarus Which is what?

The Third Race of Children The third group = Titans 13 Titans Total Cronus = Father Sky Rhea = Earth Goddess Epimetheus = Makes animals Prometheus = Makes humans Atlas = Strong + punished later

In the Meantime… Gaea is upset with Uranus “Monsters” still locked up Ouranus won’t let them go She talks to the Titans Cronus will help Emasculates his father Becomes new ruler

Spilt Blood… After Cronus Castrates Ouranos, the spilt blood creates: The Race of Giants (4th race of monsters) The Erinyes (Furies) who pursue and punish sinners Furies are the only monsters not to be cleared from the Earth “As long as there was sin in the world they could not be banished.”

Cronus the Liar Cronus doesn’t free the “Monsters” Marries his sister Rhea Gaea predicts he will be overthrown

Cronus the Cannibal Cronus and Rhea have six children Cronus eats the first five Hestia Hera Demeter Poseidon Hades

Rhea’s Plan Zeus is the 6th child With her mother’s help Hide baby Zeus on Crete Have warriors make noise Zeus grows to be 16

Rhea’s Revenge Zeus returns at 16 Gives Cronus (Dad) a potion Makes Cronus vomit Out come the other five Now they’re angry teens They fight Cronus and the Titans

The War with the Titans War wages for 10 years Gods are immortal Evenly matched until Zeus frees the Monsters who Make weapons Throw mountains

The Traitor and the Savior The Titan Iapetus’ son Prometheus sides with Zeus! Prometheus has gift of foresight and great wisdom He serves as Zeus’ council to help win the war

The Outcome Zeus hurls lightning Hades throws his bident Poseidon causes earthquakes The Titans are defeated Atlas forced to hold the world Many others locked in Tartarus

The Last Battle The Olympians conquer the Titans = unexplainable forces are contained Last Battle = Typhon, a son of Gaea (her last and most frightful offspring) Zeus and his thunder bolt bring down Typhon before he topples Olympus

The Last Battle for Realz The 4th race of Monsters rebel (is Gaea still upset??) Hercules helps strike down the rebellion (um, wait a tick! Where did Hercules come from if humans haven’t been created?)

The Emergence of Man So how, exactly, is the world now ready for mankind? Any other interesting insights from the creation myth???