How the World and How the World and Mankind Were Created / Mankind Were Created / The GodsThe Gods

FeracoFeraco

English 9English 9

18 November 201018 November 2010

Getting StartedGetting Started In Greek mythology, gods didn’t create the In Greek mythology, gods didn’t create the

universe; gods were universe; gods were createdcreated by the universe, or by the universe, or at any rate by forces larger than themselves.at any rate by forces larger than themselves. ““First there was Chaos, the vast immeasurable First there was Chaos, the vast immeasurable

abyss,/Outrageous as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild.”abyss,/Outrageous as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild.” Chaos and darkness leads to something else – no Chaos and darkness leads to something else – no

one bothers explaining why, which I know will one bothers explaining why, which I know will drive some of you crazy, but you just have to roll drive some of you crazy, but you just have to roll with it!with it!

From Chaos spring forth two children, Night and From Chaos spring forth two children, Night and Erebus (the “unfathomable depth at which death Erebus (the “unfathomable depth at which death dwells”)…and that’s itdwells”)…and that’s it Lots of darkness, silence, loneliness, etc…about what Lots of darkness, silence, loneliness, etc…about what

you’d expect from a universe defined by night and deathyou’d expect from a universe defined by night and death

The Egg of LoveThe Egg of Love Then things get a little weird: Night Then things get a little weird: Night

lays an egg inside Erebus, and it lays an egg inside Erebus, and it hatches next to Death; out springs hatches next to Death; out springs Love! Love!

Love quickly gives birth to Light and Love quickly gives birth to Light and Day, and brightness and hope arrive Day, and brightness and hope arrive in the universe for the first timein the universe for the first time

What does this “origin story” for What does this “origin story” for love indicate about the Greeks? love indicate about the Greeks? What about their conception of love?What about their conception of love?

……and It Just Happenedand It Just Happened Afterwards, the earth is created, but Afterwards, the earth is created, but

there’s no explanation here either: there’s no explanation here either: as Hamilton wonderfully puts it, “it as Hamilton wonderfully puts it, “it just happened.”just happened.”

Earth then gives birth to Heaven, Earth then gives birth to Heaven, and thus everything’s filled up – the and thus everything’s filled up – the sky above, the ground belowsky above, the ground below

So, to recap: Chaos So, to recap: Chaos Night and Night and Erebus Erebus Love Love Light and Day Light and Day ?!?!? #$@%!!! ?!?!? #$@%!!! Earth Earth Heaven Heaven

No DelineationsNo Delineations Hesiod (whose Hesiod (whose TheogenyTheogeny was required was required

reading for me at Occidental) tries reading for me at Occidental) tries explaining how everything comes into explaining how everything comes into being, but again, you have to remember being, but again, you have to remember that this was a storytelling culture that that this was a storytelling culture that didn’t draw clean lines between what didn’t draw clean lines between what “made sense” and what didn’t“made sense” and what didn’t

There’s nothing clearly distinguishing There’s nothing clearly distinguishing places and people, either; Hamilton notes places and people, either; Hamilton notes that Earth has the qualities of both the that Earth has the qualities of both the ground and a character, and similar things ground and a character, and similar things pop up with Heaven pop up with Heaven

Hamilton on the GreeksHamilton on the Greeks ““To the people who told these To the people who told these

stories, all the universe was alive stories, all the universe was alive with the same kind of life they knew with the same kind of life they knew in themselves. They were individual in themselves. They were individual persons, so they personified persons, so they personified everything which has the obvious everything which has the obvious marks of life, everything which marks of life, everything which moved and changed; earth in winter moved and changed; earth in winter and summer; the sky with its shifting and summer; the sky with its shifting stars; the restless sea, and so on.”stars; the restless sea, and so on.”

Creature CreationsCreature Creations From then on, Heaven (Ouranos) and Earth From then on, Heaven (Ouranos) and Earth

(Gaea) start creating creatures(Gaea) start creating creatures The creatures aren’t alive in the same way Gaea The creatures aren’t alive in the same way Gaea

and Ouranos are; they’re closer to being alive and Ouranos are; they’re closer to being alive like we are, but they’re nothing like us otherwiselike we are, but they’re nothing like us otherwise

There were a few different kinds for you to keep There were a few different kinds for you to keep track oftrack of

Three of them had 100 hands and 50 heads Three of them had 100 hands and 50 heads apiece (we’ll call them the 100/50s)apiece (we’ll call them the 100/50s)

Three of them had only one eye in the center of Three of them had only one eye in the center of their foreheads, and were huge; these were the their foreheads, and were huge; these were the Cyclops, or Wheel-EyedCyclops, or Wheel-Eyed

The last batch you’ll need to track are the Titans, The last batch you’ll need to track are the Titans, the forefathers of the Godsthe forefathers of the Gods

Titan Roll CallTitan Roll Call Out of the Titans, a few stand out as more Out of the Titans, a few stand out as more

important than the restimportant than the rest Cronus/Saturn is a big one; he’s the leader of the Cronus/Saturn is a big one; he’s the leader of the

Titans, the father of Zeus, and one of the major Titans, the father of Zeus, and one of the major players in the God/Titan warplayers in the God/Titan war

Since this is still a culture that believed in a flat Since this is still a culture that believed in a flat Earth, Ocean was thought of as a river that Earth, Ocean was thought of as a river that encircled the entire worldencircled the entire world

Hyperion was the father of the sun, moon, and Hyperion was the father of the sun, moon, and dawndawn

Atlas held the world on his shoulders and back; Atlas held the world on his shoulders and back; without him, we’d fall away from the heavenswithout him, we’d fall away from the heavens

Finally, there’s Prometheus – perhaps the Finally, there’s Prometheus – perhaps the second-most important Titan in all of mythologysecond-most important Titan in all of mythology

The Fatal MiscalculationThe Fatal Miscalculation These “children” of Ouranos and Gaea – Titans, These “children” of Ouranos and Gaea – Titans,

Cyclops, and monsters – walked the Earth long Cyclops, and monsters – walked the Earth long before we did; if nothing changed, we may never before we did; if nothing changed, we may never have been createdhave been created

However, something definitely changed: Ouranos However, something definitely changed: Ouranos hated the 100/50s so deeply that he imprisoned hated the 100/50s so deeply that he imprisoned them undergroundthem underground

Gaea was so enraged by his mistreatment of her Gaea was so enraged by his mistreatment of her children – children – theirtheir children – that she begged children – that she begged everyone else for help; only Cronus agreed to do everyone else for help; only Cronus agreed to do so, and “wounded his father terribly”so, and “wounded his father terribly”

From Cronus’s blood, two more “creatures” From Cronus’s blood, two more “creatures” arose: the Giants and the Erinyes (henceforth arose: the Giants and the Erinyes (henceforth known as the Furies), who eventually became the known as the Furies), who eventually became the punishers of sinners punishers of sinners

The Furies were terrifying: they wept blood, had The Furies were terrifying: they wept blood, had snakes for hair, and slashed at themselves as snakes for hair, and slashed at themselves as they shriekedthey shrieked

Swallowing BabiesSwallowing Babies Once Cronus essentially dethroned Ouranos, he Once Cronus essentially dethroned Ouranos, he

and his sister-queen Rhea took over as rulersand his sister-queen Rhea took over as rulers Between them, they had six children, the first Between them, they had six children, the first

Gods the Greeks ever knewGods the Greeks ever knew However, Cronus was an even worse father than However, Cronus was an even worse father than

Ouranos; after hearing a prophecy stating that Ouranos; after hearing a prophecy stating that one of his children would dethrone him, he one of his children would dethrone him, he decided to swallow each one immediately after decided to swallow each one immediately after its birthits birth

Rhea, anguished over the consumption of her Rhea, anguished over the consumption of her children, secretly hid her sixth child (the children, secretly hid her sixth child (the almighty Zeus) in Crete (once again, we see the almighty Zeus) in Crete (once again, we see the blending of the unreal and real)blending of the unreal and real)

When Zeus came to swallow the newborn, she When Zeus came to swallow the newborn, she handed him a huge stone wrapped in infant’s handed him a huge stone wrapped in infant’s blankets…and because he never had any blankets…and because he never had any occasion to suspect his wife of deceit, he simply occasion to suspect his wife of deceit, he simply consumed what she handed himconsumed what she handed him

Shooting DadShooting Dad Zeus comes of age and confronts his Zeus comes of age and confronts his

father – ironically, with the help of his father – ironically, with the help of his grandmother, Gaea, whom Cronus helped grandmother, Gaea, whom Cronus helped in her conflict with Ouranosin her conflict with Ouranos

Together, they force Cronus to vomit up Together, they force Cronus to vomit up the stone – and with it, Rhea’s other five the stone – and with it, Rhea’s other five God-childrenGod-children

Now freed, the six Gods banded together Now freed, the six Gods banded together to fight their fatherto fight their father

A A terribleterrible war ensues, with Cronus and the war ensues, with Cronus and the other Titans on one side and Zeus and his other Titans on one side and Zeus and his fellow Gods on the otherfellow Gods on the other

Crushing All FoesCrushing All Foes Ultimately, Zeus emerges victorious when he Ultimately, Zeus emerges victorious when he

releases the 100/50s from their prisonreleases the 100/50s from their prison Apparently, we forgot to let them out after wounding Apparently, we forgot to let them out after wounding

Ouranos!Ouranos! Their terrible powers help sway the balance of Their terrible powers help sway the balance of

power, as does Prometheus’s alliance with the power, as does Prometheus’s alliance with the Gods; he’s the only Titan to switch sidesGods; he’s the only Titan to switch sides

Once Zeus wins the war, he imprisons the Titans Once Zeus wins the war, he imprisons the Titans deep in Tartarus, the ancient equivalent of a god’s deep in Tartarus, the ancient equivalent of a god’s underworld; Atlas is the exception, as I mentioned underworld; Atlas is the exception, as I mentioned earlier, as well as Prometheusearlier, as well as Prometheus

However, the war’s not over; Gaea gives birth to However, the war’s not over; Gaea gives birth to Typhon, a terrible creature with a hundred heads Typhon, a terrible creature with a hundred heads who fights all of the gods himselfwho fights all of the gods himself

Zeus defeats him with lightning bolts and thunder, Zeus defeats him with lightning bolts and thunder, which he obtains in his partnership with the which he obtains in his partnership with the 100/50s, and (with Hercules’s help) crushes the 100/50s, and (with Hercules’s help) crushes the Giants who rise up against him afterwardGiants who rise up against him afterward

Now That Now That That’sThat’s Settled… Settled… With the Titans and Giants in With the Titans and Giants in

Tartarus, the 100/50s fade from the Tartarus, the 100/50s fade from the myths, the Cyclops head off to parts myths, the Cyclops head off to parts elsewhere (we’ll see them in The elsewhere (we’ll see them in The Odyssey), and the Age of the Gods Odyssey), and the Age of the Gods begins with Zeus at the head of begins with Zeus at the head of everythingeverything

It’s also the Age of Mankind, as the It’s also the Age of Mankind, as the world’s been pretty much cleared of world’s been pretty much cleared of the monsters that would have killed the monsters that would have killed us allus all

The rest is yet to come…The rest is yet to come…