elegentselene

Mythology

I am an expert on mythology and magic so I thought I would out up a page on them so here it is:

Chaos
Chaos is the abyss, the confusing nothingness that was the only thing in the universe. The children of Chaos were Night and Erebus. From those two, Love was eventually born, and Love created Light and Day. Eventually Heaven and Earth were formed.

Uranus
Also called "Ouranos," Uranus was the Heavens. With the Earth, or Gaea, he had monster children: three Hecatoncheires, giants each with 100 hands and 50 heads, three Cyclops (giant monsters with only one center eye), and the Titans. Because Uranus hated the Hecatoncheires, he sealed each of them within the earth. Gaea, furious at Uranus for his treatment of their children, asked for aid from her other children. Only Cronus, one of the Titans, assisted her. He used a scimitar to slice off Uranus's testicles, and from Uranus's blood, the Erinyes (the Furies), the Giants, and the Meliai were born. The testicles fell into the sea and later Aphrodite was created from them. Uranus was overthrown by Cronus, and Cronus became the supreme ruler of the universe.

Cronus / Saturn
Cronus was one of the Titans, son of Uranus and Gaea. After overthrowing his father, he and his sister/wife, Rhea, were the supreme rulers of the universe. Cronus, however, learned that one of his children would eventually overthrow him. Therefore, whenever Rhea had a child, he swallowed it whole. But when Rhea had her sixth child, Zeus, she hid him away in Crete. In the child's place, Rhea gave Cronus a rock covered in clothes, and Cronus swallowed it. After Zeus grew up, with the help of Gaea, he forced Cronus to throw up his siblings.

Zeus and his siblings fought a war with Cronus and the Titans. Zeus also released the Hecatoncheires to fight for the gods, and eventually he won. The children of Cronus became the rulers of the universe.

In Roman mythology, Saturn became identified with Cronus. Before the Romans adopted Greek mythology, Saturn was originally the god of the sowers and the seed. His wife was Ops (Rhea). After his son Jupiter dethroned him, Saturn fled to Italy, where he reigned peacefully until his death. His rule in Italy became known as the Golden Age, and in memory of that period, a holiday known as Saturnalia was held every winter.

Zeus / Jupiter
Zeus is the leading Greek god, the supreme ruler of the universe. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter. Zeus and his five siblings, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia, were the children of Cronus and overthrew the Titans from their rule. Afterward, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades drew lots for their portion of the world, and Zeus got the heavens. The most powerful god, he has controls thunder and lightning. His wife is Hera. Zeus's god children are Ares, Athena, Apollo and Artemis, Hermes, and Aphrodite.

One of Zeus's most notorious traits was having affairs with other women, much to the anger of Hera. He often took alternate forms to seduce the young girls, such as turning himself into a huge bull or golden rain. Several of his mortal children include Perseus, Pollux, and Hercules.

Poseidon / Neptune
Poseidon was the god of the sea, specifically the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, and underground rivers. He was the son of Cronus and Rhea, and brother to Zeus, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. After the Titans were overthrown, Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades drew lots for their share of the universe, and Poseidon got the seas. He was second to Zeus in power. Known as the "Earth-shaker," his Trident could shatter and shake anything. He was married to Amphitrite, granddaughter of Ocean and one of the Nereids. Poseidon also gave the first horse to man.

Neptune is the Roman god who became identified with Poseidon. The Roman deity was originally the god of freshwater. "Neptunalia" on July 23 is a festival in honor of him, when there is a shortage of water.

Hades / Pluto
Hades is the king of the dead and the god of the underworld, which is also called Hades. He was also called Pluto, the god of wealth, by both the Greeks and the Romans. However, his alternate Latin name is Dis. Rather dark and depressive, he rarely leaves the world of the dead.

Departed souls come to Hades, which is divided into two areas: Erebus, where the dead go to immediately after they die, and Tartarus, where the souls remain. The gate outside of Hades is guarded by Cereberus, the three headed dog with a tail of a serpent, who allows souls in but not out. Charon is the ferryman who takes the dead across the underworld rivers to the front of the gate.

Hades, the god, has an magic cap that makes the wearer invisible. His wife is Persephone, daughter of Demeter. He kidnapped her, and because she ate four pomegranate seeds while in the underworld, she must live with him for four months every year.

Ares / Mars
The Greek god of war is Ares, whose Latin name is Mars. He is the son of Zeus and Hera. Ares is not particularly liked by the Greeks or the other gods, as he is ruthless, bloodthirsty, and a coward. His sister is Eris, goddess of discord, and the goddess of war, Enyo, accompanies him. He also had an affair with Aphrodite. However, to the Romans, Mars was a great symbol of power and invincibility, and he was not like Ares.

Hermes / Mercury
Hermes is the Greek messanger god, called Mercury in Latin. Hermes, the shrewdest of the gods, is the god of trade and commerce, and he is also a master thief. His famous symbols include winged sandals and the Cadeuceus, his wand. Hermes also invented the first lyre and gave it to Apollo. Although there are no stories that focus on him specifically, he appears in more myths than any of the other gods. Hermes' parents are Zeus and Maia, the daughter of the Titan Atlas.

Aphrodite / Venus
Aphrodite, or Venus in Roman mythology, is the goddess of love and beauty. Her sometimes companion, sometimes son is Eros (Cupid), the god of love. In some stories, Aphrodite is married to Hephaestus, the lame god of fire who forges weapons. According to some stories, Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Dione, but according to others, she was born from sea foam where Uranus's testicles fell into the sea.

Although Aphrodite helps those with love problems and brings beauty to the world, she is quite often vain, selfish, and petty. For instance, when Psyche's, a mortal girl, beauty caused men to abandon Venus's temples, Venus ordered her son, Cupid, to make Pscyhe fall in love with a monster. Unfortunately, Cupid fell in love with Psyche. However, Venus continued to try to destroy her after Psyche betrayed Cupid's trust. Eventually, the lovers reconciled, were married, and Psyche was made immortal.

The Moon
Greek and Roman Myths
In Greek mythology, the goddess of the moon is Selene, the sister of Helios, god of the son. The "Sea of Serenity" is derived from Selene's name. In Latin, "Selene" is Luna.

However, the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, is often confused with Selene, so Artemis sometimes is called the goddess of the moon, too. In Roman mythology, Artemis is called Diana.

When Artemis is called the goddess of the moon, she is sometimes said to have three forms: in the sky, she is Selene, on Earth she is Artemis, and the evil Hecate in the underworld. Hecate is the goddess of the dark side of the moon, and she surfaces in the sky during the new moon; she is also evil.

Asian Mythology
In Asian culture, there is a myth of a rabbit on the moon. There are variations of this story, but one friend got this from a Japanese mythology book: "A god went to earth disguised as a normal man. He met with a group of animals, one of which was a rabbit, and asked to share some food. All the animals did share, except for the rabbit, who had nothing to offer. So instead, the rabbit threw himself into the fire, sacrificing himself so the man could eat. The man was so touched by that action that he revealed himself as a god and took the rabbit to the moon as a reward."

A Chinese legend surrounds Chinese New Year: There once was a very strong and good man who became emperor. He eventually became corrupt and wanted to live forever, so he had special pills made that would ensure his immortality. His wife did not want such a cruel man to live forever, so she took the pills instead and floated up to the moon, taking with her her favorite pet rabbit. According to Chinese mythology, the rabbit is also supposed to be the pet of a wise medicine man who lives on the moon; the rabbit thus pounds medicine in a mortar.

Endymion
In Greek mythology, Endymion was a shepherd who was so beautiful that when the goddess Selene saw him, she instantly fell in love with him. To make him hers, Selene put him into a magic sleep; in this sleep, Endymion was immortal, but he never woke. Every night, Selene came to Earth to be with him, watch over him, and caress him. However, while Selene posesses Endymion, her love for him in this condition brings her pain. In some versions of the story, Selene bears 50 of Endymion's children.

Helios, Pegasus, Maiden, Maenads, and Elysian
Helios is the Greek god of the son, brother to Selene, son of the Titan Hyperion. He drives his sun chariot across the skies every morning to bring light to earth. He is referred to as the Sun. One of Helios' mortal sons, Phaethon, tried to ride the chariot, but he lost control of the horses, which ran wild and set the world ablaze before Zeus struck him with a lightning bolt, killing him and destroying the chariot. Helios' daughters, called the Heliades, were turned into poplar trees near Phaethon's grave.

Elios appears mostly in the form of Pegasus. In Greek myth, Pegasus was a winged horse that sprang to life from the blood of Medusa, after Perseus sliced off her head. Only Bellerophon could tame Pegasus with the golden bridle that the goddess Athena gave him. Later in life, Bellerophon tried to fly Pegasus up to Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, to become one of them; Pegasus threw him off, however, and the winged horse eventually made his home in the Olympian stables. Whenever Zeus wanted his thunderbolts, Pegasus brought them to the god.

The Maiden is the one with the "beautiful dream" who can break the seal on the Golden Crystal. The meaning of the Maiden draws from general myth in which only virgin girls can draw unicorns to their sides.

The two odango-ed women in Elysion are called the Maenads, and they are the shrine maidens of the central shrine in the land. In Greek mythology, the Maenads were the followers of Dionysus, god of wine, and they were constantly in a state of drunken insanity. They tore up animals and people with their bare hands and ate them.

Artemis / Diana
Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, and she is the twin sister to Apollo. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Artemis has several names, including Cynthia, after Mount Cynthus, the city she was born in; Phoebe (the name of a female Titan) and Selene, the moon goddess who she becomes confused for; and Diana in Latin. Artemis is one of the three virgin goddesses, and young females often want to be free and unmarried like her. Usually Artemis protects the youthful.

Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta

Ceres is the Latin name for the goddess Demeter, who is goddess of the corn and the harvest. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the underworld to be his queen. After Persephone's disappearance, Demeter neglected the earth so that winter came and nothing grew. Eventually, Zeus had to intervene between his siblings, and because Persephone had eaten four seeds of a pomegranate while in Hades, she had to live there for four months every year. During that period every year, Demeter grieves for her loss and winter comes to the earth. For the rest of the year Persephone lives with her mother, and the earth experienced spring, summer, and fall.

Pallas refers to Pallas Athena, Greek goddess of war, wisdom, and weaving. She created the bridle for horses and is the goddess of the city. Her Roman name is Minerva. "Grey-eyed" Athena is the daughter of Zeus; she sprung from his head fully grown and fully armored. As her father's favorite child, she carries his aegis, buckler, and thunderbolt for him. Athena is one of the three virgin goddesses.

Juno is the Roman goddess whose Greek counterpart is Hera. The sister and wife of Zeus, Hera is the queen of the gods. She is very proud and very jealous of Zeus, since Zeus frequently has affairs with other women. She never forgets an insult, and when she is angered, she punishes the innocent and guilty alike. Hera is the goddess that married women prayed to, and she is the protector of marriages.

Vesta, or Hestia in Greek, is the sister of Zeus. She is the goddess of the hearth, the most important symbol in the home. Every home and every city had a hearth to Hestia. Like Athena and Artemis, Hestia is one of the three virgin goddesses. However, Hestia has no distinct personality.

Lethe and Mnemosyne
Lethe, in Greek mythology, is one of the rivers of Hades, the river of forgetfulness. The souls of the dead who leave Hades and return to life must drink from Lethe before they leave.

Mnemosyne is memory, and she is the mother of the Muses. Zeus is the Muses' father.

Castor and Pollux
In Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux are brothers, and although they are not twins, they are very close. In some stories, both Pollux and Castor are divine, and in other stories, only Pollux is divine, being sired from Zeus, while Castor is mortal, having a mortal father. Their mother was Leda. As divinities, the brothers are the protectors of sailors. After Castor was killed, Pollux mourned the death of his brother so much that he prayed to die. Zeus, taking pity on Pollux, let him share half his life with Castor, so that the two would be allowed to live half their lives on earth, the other half in heaven. One version of the story says that they are always together on earth and in heaven, the other version says that they are always apart, one brother living in heaven while the other lives on earth, then vice versa. The stars of Castor and Pollux are Gemini, the twins.

Lemures
In Roman mythology, the Lemures (Larvae) are the 'spirits of the wicked dead.' Not much is know about them.

Furies

Three goddesses of vengeance: Tisiphone (avenger of murder), Megaera (the jealous) and Alecto (constant anger). They were also called the Daughters of the Night, but were actally the daughters of Uranus and Gaea. Another name for them is the Erinyes.

Without mercy, the Furies would punish all crime including the breaking of rules considering all aspects of society. They would strike the offenders with madness and never stopped following criminals. The worst of all crimes were patricide or matricide, and first and foremost, the Furies would punish this kind of crime.

They would also be the guardians of the law when the state had not yet intervened or did not exist, or when the crime was a crime of ethics and not actual law . For example, they would protect beggars and strangers, punish those who stole the birds' young and even look out for the dogs.

Horrible to look at, the Furies had snakes for hair and blood dripping from their eyes. They changed into the Eumenides, protectors of the suppliant, after Athena had made them merciful sparing Orestes, whom they had stalked for a long time after the murder of his mother and her lover.

From these beings we have the words "furious" and "infuriated".

Gorgons
Three female monsters with hair of snakes and dragonbodies. If you looked at them, you would be turned to stone. Stheno and Euryale were immortal but Medusa was mortal. She was eventually killed by the hero Perseus, and from her blood the winged horse Pegasus was born whom she had with Poseidon.

Their parents were the sea god Phorcys and Ceto and they lived in the western ocean. The head of the Gorgon was often used in Art. It was pictured on the aegis of Athena, people would have it as door knockers to protect the house from evil and it was also painted or sculputerd inside cups.

Nymphs
Nature spirits who lived in the sea, rivers and forests. They were beautiful girls and were of different sorts: Nereids (water), Oceanids (oceans), Naiads (sea), Oreads (mountains), Hamadryads (forests) and Dryads (trees).

Even though the nymphs were full of beauty and grace, they could also be very dangerous, inflicting madness and death. There are many stories about young men being taken by the nymphs.

Nereids
The 50 daughters of Doris and Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. They lived in the Mediterranean sea, and rode dolphins and helped sailors in distress. The best known Nereids were Thetis, Amphitrite and Galatea.

Dryades (trees)
Fruit tree nymphs: Melidae, Meliades and Epimelides. They were very shy beings and never went far away from their trees. They died if the tree died.
A town in Arcadia, Phigalia, was named after a Dryop, and the nymph Dryope was originally a mortal.

Sirens
Birds with women's bodies which lived at sea and would trick sailors jump in the sea with their wonderful, intoxicating song. Their father was the sea god Phorcys and mother the Muse Calliope.

Odysseus managed to save himself and his men from the Sirens by putting melted wax in his crew's ears and tying himself to the mast making the crew swear they would not release him however desperately he begged. So, he heard the song but made it past the sirens.

The Argonauts also met the Sirens but were saved because Orpheus was with them, and his music outshun the Sirens song.

The Sirens were also beaten by the Muses in a singing competition, and their feathers therefore symbolized the muses in art.

Amazons
("breastless women")
The daughters of Ares were a tribe of warrior women who according to tradition lived on the northern coast of Asia Minor. The amazons only slept with men when they needed children, which happened for two months every spring. If they had boys hey either killed the babies or sent them back to their fathers.They burnt off their right breasts to be able to handle the bow easier. The women were virgins until they had killed three enemies. They fought many nations and they almost never had peace with the Greeks.

In the Trojan war they sided with the Trojans. It was there their queen Penthesileia died by Achilles hand. As the hero's eyes met the dying queens, he fell desperately in love with her, ordering the Trojans to give her an honorable funeral.

The tenth labour of Heracles was to get the girdle of the Amazon queen Hippolytes. According to one version he had to fight for it, according to another the queen gave it to him. One of Theseus deeds was to defeat the amazons, which he did, taking their queen Hippolyte or Antiope as his bride. This might have happened since the Amazons reputedly attacked Athens once.

Harpies
("Snatchers")
Terrible female monsters that looked like bird with ugly women's heads. Originally they were the personifications of the storm winds, but in time they became physical beings. Three of them were called Podarge, Aello and Ocypete.

In early art they were pictured as blond young women, but in time they took the shape more known, with pale, disgusting faces and long claws.

No one seems to know who their parents were, but Thaumas and Electra have been suggested, as well as Dionysos, Typhon and Phineus, to name a few.

The Harpies plagued the blind seer Phineus because he had left his wife Cleopatra for another woman, who was cruel to his sons. They would defecate his food or steal it, and this continued until the Argonauts came and the Boreades drove them away.

They acted as punishing beings, and when king Pandore sinned against the gods they took his daughters Clytia and Cameira to be tortured by the Eumenides.

Piczo