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The document outlines the Greek creation story as described in Hesiod's Theogony, beginning with Chaos and the emergence of Gaia, the earth goddess. It details Gaia's creation of various beings, including the Hundred-handed Ones, Cyclopes, and Titans, and the conflict with Uranus, who feared his children would overthrow him. Ultimately, Cronus, one of the Titans, kills Uranus, allowing Gaia's children to be free and establishing Cronus as the ruler of the universe.

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Rea Jane Ornedo
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7 views

MODULE 2

The document outlines the Greek creation story as described in Hesiod's Theogony, beginning with Chaos and the emergence of Gaia, the earth goddess. It details Gaia's creation of various beings, including the Hundred-handed Ones, Cyclopes, and Titans, and the conflict with Uranus, who feared his children would overthrow him. Ultimately, Cronus, one of the Titans, kills Uranus, allowing Gaia's children to be free and establishing Cronus as the ruler of the universe.

Uploaded by

Rea Jane Ornedo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GRACE MISSION COLLEGE

MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

NOTES II

November 11. 2022

THE STORY OF CREATION IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY


NOTE:

 An important Greek creation story comes to us through Hesiod’s poem,


the Theogony. The Theogony seems to have been the earliest
surviving literary version of the creation of the earth and the birth of
the gods in the Greek pantheon.

 Before there was land or sea, people or gods, nothing existed, except
Chaos. Chaos was a space of neither order nor disorder. During
Chaos’s reign, there was no organization of any kind in the universe.
There was no sun or moon. There were no mountains or rivers, nor any
such features on earth. In fact, there was no earth at all. It was a
period of vast emptiness. Even time did not exist. Eventually, Chaos
divided itself into the earth, the sky, and the sea. When the division
was complete, everything was peaceful and perfect.

 After Chaos divided into the earth, sky, and sea, one goddess came
into being without being born to any mother. Her name was Gaia,
which means earth, and she took control over the earth as it took
shape.

 Mountains became separate from the plains, and rivers and oceans
were formed. Like an artist at a canvas, Gaia was busy creating a
beautiful masterpiece. Soon, however, the goddess began to long for
children to help populate and rule this magnificent new world.

 Gaia’s desire for children was so great that eventually she became
pregnant by herself. The child she bore was named Uranus, and he
became the ruler of the sky. In every way, Uranus was the equal of his

REA JANE F. ORNEDO


mother, and soon Gaia and Uranus had children together.

 Gaia’s first three children were monsters, called the Hundred-handed


Ones. They were giants, and each had fifty heads and a hundred
hands. Although Gaia loved her children and was proud of them,
Uranus was afraid that someday one of these children would overthrow
him. Because of this fear, Uranus hated the children and forced them
back into Gaia’s womb.

 After the hundred-handed monsters had been born and were pushed
back into their mother’s womb, Gaia gave birth to three more
monstrous children. These were giants called the Cyclopes. Each had
but a single eye, which was positioned directly in the middle of his
forehead. Although they were frightening to look at, these young gods
were exceedingly strong, and they were excellent craftsmen who made
thunder and lightning for their mother to use as tools and weapons.
Unfortunately, Uranus was afraid of these children, too. So, in order to
get rid of them, Uranus tied the Cyclopes up and threw them into a
deep cavern called Tartarus. Tartarus was far, far away, and Uranus
felt safe in believing that he would never see these monster-children
again.

 Saddened by the loss of the Hundred-handed Ones and the Cyclopes,


and angry at the cruel Uranus, Gaia gave birth to a third group of
children. These were called the Titans, and there were twelve of them
— six goddesses and six gods. They were very different from their
older siblings. The Titans were beings with human characteristics, and
they were not monsters at all. The goddesses’ names were Tethys,
Theia, Mnemosyne, Rhea, Themis, and Phoebe. The gods’ names were
Oceanus, Hyperion, Iapetus, Cronus, Crius, and Coeus.

 Uranus was still afraid that one day one of his children would
overthrow him. Because of this fear, he pushed the Titans back into
Gaia’s womb alongside their siblings, the Hundred-handed Ones. Gaia
was enraged by Uranus’s refusal to allow her children to live freely.

REA JANE F. ORNEDO


She desperately wanted her children to live without restraints and to
enjoy the world.

 Finally, she came up with a plan that would allow her children to be
born into the world and remain there.

 Gaia could speak to the children in her cavernous womb, and she had
no trouble convincing them to help with her plan. Cronus, the youngest
of the twelve Titans, was the most eager to help his mother. So, the
two set out to trick Uranus and free the Titans and the Hundred
handed Ones from their mother’s prison-like womb.

 Cronus and Gaia waited for the perfect opportunity to enact their plan.
Finally, one night, when Uranus came to Gaia’s bed, Cronus crept out
of Gaia’s womb and stabbed his cruel father with a sickle, a curved
knife used to harvest crops. As Uranus lay dying, his fears of being
overthrown by one of his children having come true, Uranus leaned
forward and cursed his son: “Cronus,” he pronounced, gasping for
breath, “it will come to pass that one of your children will do to you
what you have just done to me.” Then, with a final shudder, Uranus
died, a look of anger and betrayal in his eyes.

 After Uranus died, Gaia and her children felt free for the first time. The
Titans and the Hundred-handed Ones were reborn from their mother’s
womb, and the Cyclopes were freed from Tartarus. All of Gaia’s
children decided to make Cronus their king. Cronus married his sister,
the Titan named Rhea, and ruled over the universe for a long, peaceful
time.

REA JANE F. ORNEDO


REA JANE F. ORNEDO

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