What is a Myth?
When you look up at the sky, you can see the sun, moon, clouds, meteors, comets, planets, and stars. You may recognize certain star patterns, called constellations, such as the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper (also called the Big Bear and the Little Bear). You might know the names of the nine planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Did you know that many of the names of these heavenly bodies come from myths?
What are myths?
A simple definition of a myth is 'a story handed down through history, often through oral tradition, that explains or gives value to the unknown'.
Myths are often stories told by a particular people such as Indians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and others. They are especially linked to religious beliefs and rituals. Rituals were believed to invoke a type of magic that would aid the growth of crops, insure success in war, help achieve prosperity or make choices and promote stability in the land. If nothing else, when people thought that the gods favored a venture, they approached it with a positive attitude that in itself sometimes insured success. Songs, poems, and stories help to explain how people acquired basic things like simple speech, fire, grain, wine, oil, honey, agriculture, metalwork, and other skills and arts.
Reference : http://www.dl.ket.org/latin/mythology/whatisa.htm
Zeus was the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion, who ruled as king the gods of Mount Olympus. His name is cognate with the first element of his Roman equivalnt Jupıter. His mythologies and powers are similar, though not identical to those of the Indo-European deities such as Indra, Jupıter, Perun, Thor, and Odin.
Cronus sired several children by Rhea: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Posedion, but swallowed them all as soon as they were born, since he had learned from Gaia and Uranus that he was destined to be overthrown by his son as he had previously overthrown Uranus, his own father, an oracle that Rhea heard and wished to avert.
Abode ; Mount Olympus
Symbol ; Thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak
Consort ; Hera and various others
Parents ; Cronus and Rhea
Siblings ; Hestia, Hades, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Chiron
Children ; Aeacus, Angelos, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Dionysus, Eileithyia, Enyo, Eris, Ersa, Hebe, Helen of Troy, Hephaestus, Heracles, Hermes, Minos, Pandia, Persephone, Perseus, Rhadamanthus, the Graces, the Horae, the Litae, the Muses, the Moirai
Roman equivalent ; Jupiter
Hinduism equivalent ; Indra
Birth
Cronus sired several children by Rhea: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon, but swallowed them all as soon as they were born, since he had learned from Gaia and Uranus that he was destined to be overthrown by his son as he had previously overthrown Uranus, his own father, an oracle that Rhea heard and wished to avert.
When Zeus was about to be born, Rhea sought Gaia to devise a plan to save him, so that Cronus would get his retribution for his acts against Uranus and his own children. Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Crete, handing Cronus a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he promptly swallowed.
King of the Gods
After reaching manhood, Zeus forced Cronus to disgorge first the stone (which was set down at Pytho under the glens of Parnassus to be a sign to mortal men, the Omphalos) then his siblings in reverse order of swallowing. In some versions, Metis gave Cronus an emetic to force him to disgorge the babies, or Zeus cut Cronus's stomach open. Then Zeus released the brothers of Cronus, the Gigantes, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, from their dungeon in Tartarus, killing their guard, Campe.
As a token of their appreciation, the Cyclopes gave him thunder and the thunderbolt, or lightning, which had previously been hidden by Gaia. Together, Zeus and his brothers and sisters, along with the Gigantes, Hecatonchires and Cyclopes overthrew Cronus and the other Titans, in the combat called the Titanomachy. The defeated Titans were then cast into a shadowy underworld region known as Tartarus. Atlas, one of the titans that fought against Zeus, was punished by having to hold up the sky.
After the battle with the Titans, Zeus shared the world with his elder brothers, Poseidon and Hades, by drawing lots: Zeus got the sky and air, Poseidon the waters, and Hades the world of the dead (the underworld). The ancient Earth, Gaia, could not be claimed; she was left to all three, each according to their capabilities, which explains why Poseidon was the "earth-shaker" (the god of earthquakes) and Hades claimed the humans that died (see also Penthus).
Gaia resented the way Zeus had treated the Titans, because they were her children. Soon after taking the throne as king of the gods, Zeus had to fight some of Gaia's other children, the monsters Typhon and Echidna. He vanquished Typhon and trapped him under Mount Etna, but left Echidna and her children alive.*
*References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeus
Photo: http://encyclopediaofmythology.wikia.com/wiki/Zeus
POSEİDON
Poseidon was god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and horses and is considered one of the most bad-tempered, moody and greedy Olympian gods. He was known to be vengeful when insulted – for example when he brutally blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus because his father, Odysseus, had insulted him.
He is the son of Cronus and Rhea and was swallowed by his father along with HADES, DEMETER, HESTIA and HERA. However, in some folklore stories it is believed that Poseidon, like ZEUS, was not swallowed by Cronus because his mother Rhea who concealed him among a flock of lambs and pretended to have given birth to a colt, which was devoured by Cronos instead.
After the gods defeated the Titans, the world was divided into three and Zeus, Hades and Poseidon drew straws to decide which they would rule. Zeus drew the skies, Hades the underworld, and Poseidon the seas. There is only one reference to this divide, by Home in the Iliad.
Name(s): Poseidon, Poseidon Aegaeus, Poseidon Hippios
Rules over: Sea, Earthquakes, Storms, and Horses
Gender: Male
Symbols: Trident, Fish, Dolphin, Horse and Bull
Parents: Cronus and Rhea
Consort: Amphitrite
Siblings: Hades, Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Zeus
Children: Theseus, Triton, Polyphemus, Belus, Agenor, Neleus, Atlas
Roman name: Neptune
His Sacred Places
Some of the places are being mentioned by the authors that Poseidon had a special bond to. One of such is Onchestus and it is said that he had a precinct there, in his sacred grove. According to Virgil, Delos is also said to be very dear to the god which he previously transformed. Another such island is the island of Calauria which was a part of mainland town of Troezen at the time but Plutarch says that whole Troezen was sacred to Poseidon and that he was a patron god of this land. Very interesting story comes from Pausanias where it is said that Delphi was once controlled by Poseidon and Calauria by Apollo who then offered this beautiful island to the god of the Sea in exchange for the Oracle. According to Homer, there was one other place sacred to the god, named Helice or Helike which was, as the evidence shows, unfortunately sunk by tsunami in the year 3767BC*
*Reference : http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Poseidon/Poseidon.html
https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/poseidon/
http://www.greek-gods.org/olympian-gods/poseidon.php
Photo : https://wall.alphacoders.com/by_sub_category.php?id=213514
HADES
Hades was the brother of Zeus and Poseidon. After the overthrow of their father, Cronus, he drew lots with them to share the universe. He drew poorly, which resulted in becoming lord of the underworld and ruler of the dead. Nevertheless, he was not considered to be death itself, as this was a different god, called Thanatos. Greedy like his brother Poseidon, he was mainly interested in increasing his subjects, and anyone whose deeds resulted in people dying was favoured by him. The Erinnyes (the Furies) were welcomed guests in his kingdom.
The Greeks were not keen on uttering his name, afraid of causing some kind of reaction that would end up with them dead sooner. Instead, they decided to give him another name, Plouton, deriving from the Greek word for wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth. Thus, Hades also became the god of wealth.
Although an Olympian, Hades preferred the Underworld and rarely left his kingdom. His weapon was a pitchfork, which he used to create earthquakes, similar to the way Poseidon used his trident. He also had a helmet of invisibility, which he had received as a gift from the Cyclopes, in order to use it during the clash of the Titans. He was married to Persephone, daughter of Demeter, whom Hades abducted and carried down to the Underworld.
Hades Is also called Pluto, Dis Pater, Orcus, Plouton.
Abode ; The Underworld
Symbol ; Cerberus, cornucopia, sceptre, Cypress, Narcissus, key
Consort ; Persephone
Parents ; Cronus and Rhea
Siblings ; Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Zeus, Chiron
Children ; Macaria, Melinoe
Roman equivalent ; Dis Pater, Orcus
Hades & Persephone
The consort of Hades was Persephone, represented by the Greeks as the beautiful daughter of Demeter.Persephone did not submit to Hades willingly, but was abducted by him while picking flowers in the fields of Nysa. In protest of his act, Demeter cast a curse on the land and there was a great famine; though, one by one, the gods came to request she lift it, lest mankind perish, she asserted that the earth would remain barren until she saw her daughter again. Finally, Zeus intervened; via Hermes, he requested that Hades return Persephone. Hades complied,
"But he on his part secretly gave her sweet pomegranate seed to eat, taking care for himself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter.
Demeter questioned Persephone on her return to light and air:
"...but if you have tasted food, you must go back
again beneath the secret places of the earth, there to dwell a third part of the seasons every year: yet for the two parts you shall be with me and the other deathless gods.
This bound her to Hades and the Underworld, much to the dismay of Demeter. It is not clear whether Persephone was accomplice to the ploy. Zeus proposed a compromise, to which all parties agreed: of the year, Persephone would spend one third with her husband. It is during this time that winter casts on the earth "an aspect of sadness and mourning.*
*Reference : http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hades/Hades.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hades
Photo : http://www.arkeoloji.biz/2010/12/olympos-tanrilari-hades.html
HERA
Hera was Zeus' wife and sister, and was raised by the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. She was the supreme goddess, patron of marriage and childbirth, having a special interest in protecting married women. Her sacred animals were the cow and the peacock, and she favoured the city of Argos.
Zeus initially courted Hera, but after many unsuccessful attempts, he resorted to trickery. He took the form of a disheveled cuckoo; Hera, feeling sorry for the bird, held it to her breast to keep it warm. Zeus then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of Hera's surprise, he raped her. Hera then married him to cover her shame; their marriage was turbulent and they often clashed.
Occassionally, Zeus treated the other gods with particular harshness; Hera took advantage of that and asked them to join her in a revolt. They all accepted and set the plan in motion; Hera drugged Zeus, and then, the others bound him to a couch. At that stage, however, they began to argue over what the next step should be. Briareus, one of the Hecatoncheires, overheard the arguments; still full of gratitude to Zeus for saving him and his brothers from a dragon, Briareus sneaked in and quickly untied the knots that held Zeus in place. Zeus sprang from the couch and grabbed his thunderbolt. The gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains. She wept in pain all night, but none of the other gods dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up, so the following morning, he agreed to release her if she swore never to rebel again. She had little choice but to agree. While she never again rebelled, she often interfered with Zeus's plans and she was often able to outwit him.
Most stories concerning Hera deal with her jealousy and her plans of revenge for Zeus's infidelities.
Hera Is also called Juno.
Abode ; Mount Olympus
Symbol ; Pomegranate, peacock feather, diadem, cow, lily, lotus, cuckoo, panther, scepter, throne, lion
Consort ; Zeus
Parents ; Cronus and Rhea
Siblings ; Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hestia, Zeus, Chiron
Children ; Angelos, Ares, Eileithyia, Enyo, Eris, Hebe, Hephaestus
Mount ; Chariot drawn by peacocks
Roman equivalent ; Juno*
*Reference : http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hera/hera.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hera
Photo : https://onedio.com/haber/15-maddede-kocasini-bir-turlu-evinde-tutamayan-tanrica-hera-536470
DEMETER
Demeter was the goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest. She was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. It was believed that Demeter made the crops grow each year; thus the first loaf of bread made from the annual harvest was offered to her. She was the goddess of the earth, of agriculture, and of fertility in general. Sacred to her are livestock and agricultural products, poppy, narcissus and the crane.
Demeter was intimately associated with the seasons. Her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades to be his wife in the underworld. In her anger at her daughter's loss, Demeter laid a curse on the world that caused plants to wither and die, and the land to become desolate. Zeus, alarmed for the barren earth, sought for Persephone's return. However, because she had eaten while in the underworld, Hades had a claim on her. Therefore, it was decreed that Persephone would spend four months each year in the underworld. During these months Demeter would grieve for her daughter's absence, withdrawing her gifts from the world, creating winter. Her return brought the spring.
Demeter was also known for founding the Eleusinian Mysteries. These were huge festivals held every five years and very important events for many centuries. Yet, little is known about them as those attending were sworn to secrecy. It is thought that the central tenet around which the Mysteries revolved was that just like grain returns every spring after its harvest and the winter lull, so does the human soul after the death of the body, reincarnated in a next life.
Demeter Is also called Ceres, Sito, Thesmophoros.
Other names ; Sito, Thesmophoros
Abode ; Mount Olympus
Symbol ; Cornucopia, wheat, torch, bread
Consort ; Zeus, Oceanus, Karmanor, Poseidon and Triptolemus
Parents ; Cronus and Rhea
Siblings ; Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus, Chiron
Children ; Persephone, Despoina, Arion, Plutus, Philomelus, Eubuleus, Chrysothemis, and Amphitheus
Roman equivalent ; Ceres
Festivals ; Thesmophoria*
*Reference : http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/Demeter/demeter.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demeter
Photo : http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/Demeter/demeter.html
HESTİA
Hestia was the goddess of the hearth, family, and domestic life. She was not worshipped publicly, which is evident by the lack of temples and shrines attributed to her; this comes in contrast to the Roman equivalent goddess Vesta, who represented the public hearth. Her name meant both a house and a hearth, symbolising the home and its residents. She also represented the coalition and relationship between the colonies and the mother cities. She was Zeus' sister, but although initially she was included in the Olympian gods, she was later replaced by Dionysus. She took a vow to remain a virgin, refusing to give in to the callings of Poseidon and Apollo; once, she was almost raped by Priapus, a lesser god of fertility, but was saved thanks to the braying of a mule.
Hestia Is also called Vesta.
Abode ; Delphi or Mount Olympus
Symbol ; The hearth and its fire
Parents ; Cronus and Rhea
Siblings ; Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus, Chiron
Mount ; Olympus
Roman equivalent ; Vesta*
*Reference : http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hestia/hestia.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hestia
Photo : http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hestia/hestia.html
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