Top Interesting Early Gods of Greek Mythology
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Most of us know about the Olympian Gods and Goddesses. However, there is so much more to Greek mythology than that. There are some early gods and goddesses that predated the Olympians. In the genealogy accounts of the gods and goddesses, there were actually three generations or more. Each of the gods and goddesses have found their way in some of the stories, and many of them were worshipped in their own cults.
The early gods and goddesses had a tendency to represent things of the earth, and one, Gaia, actually represented the earth itself. Here’s a roundup of some of the most interesting early gods and goddesses that are part of Greek mythology:
Aether
Aether was the child of Erebus, the god of darkness and Nyx, the goddess of the night. This goddess was responsible for giving the day “light”. When the sun rose, she would bring light to the earth. It is interesting how she was the daughter of two symbols of darkness.
Gaia
Gaia didn’t just represent the earth, she was actually the personification of the earth. She was thought of as the mother, not only of the gods and goddesses, but the mother of all. Gaia and her partner, Uranus, were responsible for parenting a generation of gods and goddesses, known as the Titans. After the Primordial gods and goddesses were overthrown, Gaia still was looked at favorably in the stories.
Ourea
The Ourea were depicted as several gods, usually shown to be older men. In actuality, these gods were the personification of the nine major mountains in Greece, and were said to represent these mountains. Their names wereAetna, Athos, Helikon, Kithairon, Nysos, Olympus, Oreos, Parnes, and Tmolus. If you notice, some of the mountains in Greece bear these names.
Thalassa
Thalasa is the very personification of the sea itself. In fact, the Greek word for “sea” even today is thalassa. This shows that the sea has been important to the Greek people since ancient times. It is responsible for giving the Greek people food, transportation, and is also seen as something that gives life. Her parents were Aether, the god who represented light and also the air, and Hemera, the goddess who represented the day.
Uranus
Uranus is known as the Father of the Sky. He is the god who represented the sky and the heavens, and the Greek word for sky is actually, “Ouranos,” which is named after him. He was also a highly complex figure in the stories. Eventually, he was overthrown from his kingly position amongst the early gods. Once that happened, this allowed the Titans to take over.
As you can see, there are some interesting early gods and goddesses of Greek mythology that are worth knowing about!
Categorized in: Greek Mythology
This post was written by Greek Boston
