An introduction to Greek mythology — what 'myth' and 'mythology' mean, why mythology is worth studying for its presence in our everyday language and imagination, and a first telling of the creation story from Hesiod's Theogony. The first installment in what the author intends as a continuing series.

What is myth?

Esteemed readers, I would like to mention Greek mythology in my writing. First, I will explain what “myth”, “logic”, and “mythology” are. Afterward, I intend to discuss the significance of studying mythology and the creation myth.

What is myth?

According to Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries:

“1 — A story from ancient times, especially one told to explain natural events or to describe the early history of a people; this type of story is also called a legend. 2 — Something that many people believe but that does not exist or is false. Also known as a fallacy. Word origin: mid-19th century, from modern Latin mythus, via late Latin from Greek muthos.”

What is mythology?

According to Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries:

“1 — Ancient myths in general; the ancient myths of a particular culture, society, etc. 2 — Ideas that many people think are true but that do not exist or are false. Word origin: late Middle English, from French mythologie, or via late Latin from Greek muthologia, from muthos ‘myth’ + -logia.”

Significance of studying mythology

Why is studying mythology significant? There are various answers to this question, but I want to focus on what might happen if we did not learn mythology.

Mythology affects our lives.

Those who are familiar with mythology will recognize its influence immediately, but those who are not may not see it at all. Let me explain this with some examples. For instance, the staff in the emblem of the World Health Organization or the staff in our Ministry of Health, some of the words we use in daily life — such as cereal, furious, Milky Way Galaxy, atlas, and phaeton; some elements and compounds such as ammonia and helium, and examples from sportswear, such as Nike, place direction names, names given to celestial bodies and many more…

The creation

In the beginning, there existed only Chaos (the great space). Then, Gaia (Earth) was born from Chaos, followed by Tartarus (the deepest location of the Underworld), and Eros (love). After that, Erebos (the darkness of the Underworld) and Nyx (the dark Night) emerged from Chaos, and Hemera (the Day) and Aether (the Upper Air) were born from Erebos and Nyx. Also, Nyx had some other children, including Geras (Old Age), Hypnos (Sleep), Thanatos (Death), Eris (Discord), and Nemesis (Retribution).

After that, Gaia created a bunch of primordial beings. First, she created Uranus (the Starry Heaven), equal to herself. Second, she created Ourea (the Mountains) and Pontus (the Sea). Then, Gaia and Uranus had many children. Their first children were known as the Titans, twelve mighty immortal beings, six male and six female. Their names were Oceanus (Ocean), Koios (the Intelligence, Wisdom), Kreios (the Constellations and Seasons), Hyperion (the Sun), Iapetos (the Mortality and Human destiny), Thea (the Light), Rhea (the Fertility), Themis (the Justice), Mnemosyne (the Memory), Phoebe (the Moon and Prophecy), Tethys (the Freshwaters), and Cronos (the Time). Their second children were known as the Cyclopes; they were three one-eyed giants, the great artisans, and their names were Arges (Bright), Brontes (Thunder), and Steropes (Lightning). Their third children were known as Hecatonchires, the Hundred-handers, who also had fifty heads, and their names were Kottos, Briareos, and Gyges.

After a period of time, Uranus, while reigning over the Cosmos, feared that his children would someday take their father’s throne from him, and he planned to lock his children in the deep caves of the Earth. Gaia could not stop him, and one day, Gaia decided to rescue her children. Gaia spoke to her children: “Children of mine and of an evil father, I wonder whether you would like to do as I say. We could get redress for your father’s cruelty. After all, he began it by his ugly behaviour.” However, only one child of Gaia, the youngest of the Titans, accepted this task, he was Cronos, and he replied to his mother: “Mother, I would undertake this task and accomplish it — I am not afraid of our unspeakable father. After all, he began it with his ugly behaviour.”

Then Gaia gave a sickle forged from adamantine to Cronos. So, they set an ambush for Uranus, and when Uranus came to his wife Gaia with desire for love, their son Cronos appeared suddenly and cut his father’s genitals with the sickle, and after this event, some beings were created. From the blood that dropped on the earth, Erinyes (Furies) and the great Giants snake-legged in gleaming armour with long spears in their hands, and the Nymphs known as Mellai were also born. Then the genitals of Uranus were thrown into the sea, and the sea began to foam (Aphros). As a result of this, a being was created, Aphrodite (the goddess of Love). She approached Cythera at first, and then she went to Cyprus. She went ashore in Cyprus after that, known as Cyprus-born and Cytherea.

After Cronos dethroned his father, Uranus, Uranus gave them the surname Titans due to their wrongdoing. However, one day, the Titans will experience the same treatment as they did to their father. From that day on, Cronos reigned over the Cosmos until that day…

To be continued…

References