The First Week So Far

The last week had been such a blessing to me and my 'mythological' life.

As a stay-at-home boy and a total geek, I didn't have many people with whom I can share my thoughts about a seemingly nerdy and boring subject very dear to my heart... that is, MYTHOLOGY. Ever since I was 9 years old, I have felt the 'ichor' flowing through my veins, seeping through my soul and becoming part of my whole being. I've been living with myth and in myth for more than half of my life. And I regret nothing about it. In fact, I feel really really grateful to God (the one true God whom I adore and worship) for the gift of intelligence, as well as the fire of passion and enthusiasm, that He has endowed me with.

Unfortunately, only a few among everyone I know appreciate this.

This whole blogging thing isn't new to me. I had read many different blogs about different topics in the past, but it has never occurred to me to write one of my own just until recently. I am really thankful that I got to try it. This amazing piece of technology allowed me to open up that part of me which I often suppress out of fear of  feeling out of place, or ostracized. As what I've said, the topic on mythology and folklore are very close to me that I try to pour my heart out in every article that I post here. Thankfully, my efforts are not in left in vain.

I am really extremely happy that many people from around the world have already visited my blog, and share their thoughts on it. For the past week, I have had great conversations and discussions (even debates) about mythology, and I feel more than satisfied about them. Yes, it may not be easy and not practically (and financially) rewarding, but it is where and how I am happy.

And so, I want to thank everyone who has spared a little of their time to look into the thoughts of a geeky, aloof and jobless (I pray this one won't be for long) young man. I believe that upon reading my posts, I have shared with you a part of me. And I promise you that you can expect more interesting (?), informative and imaginative articles about the gods and goddesses of mythology from yours truly.

Again, thank you very much.

Tethys: Nursing Mother of 'Pearls'

My Tethys.

Tethys I call, with eyes cærulean bright,

Hid in a veil obscure from human sight;

Great Ocean's empress, wand'ring thro' the deep,

And pleas'd with gentle gales, the earth to sweep;

Whose blessed waves in swift succession go,

And lash the rocky shore with endless flow:

Delighting in the Sea serene to play,

In ships exulting and the wat'ry way.

Mother of Venus, and of clouds obscure,

Great nurse of beasts, and source of fountains pure.

O venerable Goddess, hear my pray'r,

And make benevolent my life thy care;

Send, blessed queen, to ships a prosp'rous breeze,

And waft them safely o'er the stormy seas. 

Orphic Hymn (Translation by Thomas Taylor) 

 (Courtesy: In Her Name)

In addition to Theia and Rhea, Tethys may also be considered another Titan queen (She was even called 'empress' on the hymn above). A mother of 3,000 (yes, seriously.... I'll discuss this later), this goddess just fits the bill to be called the Great Nurse of Greek Mythology.

Water under the bridge

Tethys' cult may have been largely forgotten, but there are still a handful of things about her that are worth mentioning.

Ancient sources agree that Tethys was one of the principal Titanides, a daughter of Uranus and Gaea. According to one source that I've read (which I lost, oops), she was their second daughter after Themis. She was attractive and cherished by both of her parents. At first, she was a goddess of rivers, as well as the distributor of FRESH WATER which nourished the earth. I am speculating that she acquired this power as a blessing from the Protogena Thesis, a creation goddess who was also a female aspect of the bi-gendered god Phanes.

(Source: click here)

She was married to her older brother Oceanus, the god of the sources of all the earth's fresh water. Upon their marriage, the Protogenoi (first-born gods) gifted them with their very own realm: the earth-encircling freshwater stream they called Ocean (which, I THINK, was originally from Hydros, a very very passive primeval water god). There, they ruled quite independently from the hustles and bustles of Heaven (then ruled by Uranus), Earth (by Gaea) and Sea (Pontus).

Furthermore, according to the Pelasgian myth (thanks Paleothea!) narrating the story of how the goddess Eurynome gave everyone everything, Tethys and Oceanus received dominion over the Planet Venus and its Essence of love. The planetary power seemed VERY appropriate for them, considering the number of children they have had; Tethys is surely one prolific woman!

(She must've gotten the trait from her mother Gaea.)

Tethys, like the other Titanides remained neutral during the Titanomachy (Although she served as Hera's protector up until then). Thus, she still retained her powers after her brothers' downfall.

And the river flows to the sea. As what I have pointed out earlier, Tethys had started out as a freshwater goddess, as opposed to the salty sea. But as time passed by, people came to identify her also as a deity of the brine. Yeah, I know it's because of the Ocean stream being identified with the Atlantic Ocean, geography becoming more accurate and stuff, but I still came up with a more dramatic story for this:

(ALERT: I composed this one. No historical references. Just sayin'.)

As a royal couple, Tethys and Oceanus wanted only the best of the best for their children. Of course they allowed their children to be with whomever they want, although they would prefer it if they marry those who belong to their caste, and who are worthy of their reputation.

In one instance, they betrothed their daughter Doris to the crowned prince Nereus, son of Pontus (who was the Sovereign of the Seas back then). Part of the prenuptial agreement stated that they had to share in the dominion over the Sea (pratical parents, actually). With their daughter now the crowned princess of the sea, the couple held some sway over the briny waters. Time passed and they eventually acquired the rule of it; both of them becoming embodiment of ALL the waters in the world (the Sea and the Ocean still remained two separate kingdoms, though). In this guise, Tethys came to be identified with Thalassa, the real female embodiment of the sea.

Nereus and Doris' wedding might have looked like this.
Credits  to Maui Wedding for this pic.

(The prenup proved to be disadvantageous on Pontus' side, as he clearly did not acquire powers over the realm of freshwater. Oh, well, he might have just been a typical old man who only wanted to have grandchildren.)

Fortunately for Doris, Nereus was a loving and faithful husband. A proof of their happiness is their fifty Nereid daughters. (Why do water gods always have tons of children???)

Had I been there, I would've suggested this to be part of their wedding soundtrack:

The more, the merrier: Tethys' family motto

No shortage of sons and daughters
Tethys was notably a nurturing goddess of fertile ocean. True enough, she and her husband, Oceanus, were among (if not THE) the busiest couples ever documented in myth. Together, they had parented a staggering number of:

• 3,000 OCEANID DAUGHTERS, nymphs and goddesses of the Great River; and
• ALL THE RIVER GODS in the world (Some say, they also numbered 3,000 but who knows? There could have been more.)

And yes, those two could populate an entire continent with just their immediate family. I was planning to name every one of them here, but then again I thought... better not. And seriously, these guys here need some serious and in-depth family planning advice.

Being a dutiful mother to these lot, she fed her children's streams by drawing water from Oceanus through subterranean aquifers (Thanks, Theoi for that one!). Awww... a mother's love!

On fostering the Queen
Tethys' nurturing quality was not just exemplified in raising her own children, but her sister Rhea's daughter as well. She raised and educated Hera back when she was still a little Titan princess. One of the proudest nanny moments for Tethys must have been when her goddaughter Hera was crowned Queen of Olympus (I can almost see her getting teary-eyed, tsss).

Ursa Major and Ursa Minor by Helen Glazer

A long time after, Hera was so displeased with one of Zeus' extramarital affairs (again, mythology readers have grown used to it) that she came down to Tethys to ask for help. According to Theoi.com:

Tethys, to honour her foster-daughter Hera, forbade the constellation Ursa Minor to set into the waters of Oceanus.

*A little background on the story, the Ursa Major used to be Zeus' lover Callisto who was changed to a bear, was accidentally shot by her son (who was also changed to a bear as Ursa Minor), and was placed in the sky as a constellation.*

Tethys, as the goddess-wife of the great earth-encircling River Oceanus, oversaw the rising and setting of the heavenly bodies--the Sun, Moon, Dawn, Starry Constellations, and Clouds. As such, she cursed both the constellations forever to circle the sky and never drop below the horizon, hence explaining why they are circumpolar.

The last few drops of Tethys

When the Olympians came to power, Oceanus and Tethys had to relinquish the rule of the seas to the upstart god Poseidon. The couple went back to their home turf, Ocean, and lived (or are still living) their retired lives undisturbed.

Postscript: Scientific Tethys(es?)

Astronomical/Astrological
symbol of Tethys. (Source)

To the Einsteins and Galileos out there, Tethys may refer to TWO distinct bodies:

• Tethys Moon in Saturn, discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1684.
• Tethys Sea, a ancient body of water that existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia during much of the Mesozoic era, before the opening of the Indian and Atlantic oceans during the Cretaceous period.

Interesting how scientific people name things.

Phoebe: The Woman in the Moon

Phoebe. Drawn by me.

Sad to say, there aren't a lot of sources giving a hoot about Phoebe's awesomeness as a goddess. People almost always put her in the background. Not too good a publicity for a personage who could have easily been the original Sailor Moon.

Just another woman of light? From a woman whose name means "bright" and "radiant," she might as well have been a Titan goddess of light, alongside Theia.  According to some reliable sources, those two sisters were actually the best of friends (And, I find it so sweet!). 

I am guessing that their bonding moments could have included sun bathing, moon gazing, reading beauty magazines, and test driving the Sun and Moon chariots which they actually built! (I got that last bit from here.)

Moony-Eyed Over Phoebe

True enough, this goddess was a lot of wonders. Phoebe was a top Titanide, a daughter of Heaven and Earth; making her a princess. She was married to Coeus, the Titan of Intellect, and had the hotties Leto and Asteria for children. Now hers is another uber-BRIGHT family.

(Source: click here)

Her Lunar Legacy. One site says that Phoebe was never actually a moon goddess. But I beg to disagree. According to Pelasgian Myth (I got this one from Paleothea), the Supreme Goddess Eurynome gave Phoebe and the Titan Atlas (I'm really curious about this pairing. Since Phoebe was not partnered with Coeus this time, it could have been that they were not yet married during the distribution of powers), the dominion over the Moon and its Essence, Enchantment.

No wonder, many witches (both ancient and modern) draw seriously poppin' powers from the Moon.

According to the Official Guide to the Mythological Universe, some of the perks that Phoebe enjoyed as moon goddess included: the mystical powers to fly, the ability to conjure a silver light, and the ability to attract and repel objects (perhaps in reference to the moon's gravitational pull).

Like Grandmother, Like Granddaughters. Yeah, so Phoebe was the grandma of two of the most powerful goddesses of Ancient Greece:

• Hecate, goddess of witchcraft and sorcery, daughter of Asteria; and
• Artemis, goddess of hunting and chastity, daughter of Leto (don't worry, I'll be discussing Apollo later).

In addition to that, she also served as Selene's foster mother after her biological mother, Theia, had gone all nuts and vanished (you might want to read her full story here).

(ALERT: I just made up the Selene thingie. No reliable sources found. Beware.)

Phoebe loved her granddaughters so much that decided to give up her being the moon goddess for the girls. She separated her Moon Power into three, and gave each one to them. And so, the moon has got three forms. As Edith Hamilton (I'm quite sure everybody has read her in school) puts it:

Selene in the sky, Artemis on earth, Hecate in the lower world and in the world above when it is wrapped in darkness. 

Mythology, p 32

Yeah, talk about awesome family heirlooms.

In the Navel (Pun Intended)

Ruins of the Oracle at Delphi, the so-called 'navel of the earth' (Source)

Aside from being the original goddess of the moon, Phoebe was also a prophetic goddess of the famous Delphic Oracle, which was called the 'navel of the earth'. In this case, she was the 'temple associate' of Themis, the oracle's main goddess during the reign of Cronus. The ever reliable Theoi Project relates that Phoebe in the Oracle of Delphi:

... probably spoke with the prophetic voice of her mother Earth, while her husband Koios or Polos (literally "axis of heaven"), was the Titan who uttered the prophecies of his father the Sky. The daughters of the pair--Asteria and Leto--may have represented the oracles of darkness and light.

 As a really bright goddess, Phoebe opted not to take part in the gruesome Titanomachy. You could just imagine her chillin' at Delphi with Themis (who quietly supported the younger gods, BTW). After Zeus' victory against the Titans, Themis got hired to be King Zeus' personal adviser and was transferred to work in Olympus. Phoebe thereafter became the principal goddess of the Delphic Oracle. She was even made the goddess of all earth-based prophecies. Checking from God Checker, I also found out that Phoebe became a:

Goddess of Wise Counsel, Thoughtful Replies and Snappy Answers.

(Nice employment benefits for Phoebe, actually.) 

When her daughter Leto gave birth to the twins Apollo and Artemis, the proud grandmother Phoebe was so delighted that she decided to give her only grandson Apollo her Oracle as a birthday present.

What's left of her

Phoebe was such a generous goddess that she gave away all her powers and offices to her grandchildren (and one of her nieces). You might think that all that's left of her is her NAME.

Uhhh... just so you know, she gave that one away, too:

• Apollo became popularly known as Phoebus Apollo (Some people even say that it was his full name.); and
• Artemis as the goddess of the moon also became called Phoebe.

After that, we can only guess that Phoebe (like Theia) also just vanished; her Essence, which continued to exist within the three younger goddesses, became the light that makes the moon shine. Sweet.

***********************************************************************

Meanwhile, let us get nostalgic about the good old days of Phoebe (and our own) with this little known (but very pleasing, I say) instrumental made by a project called Windsor Airlift:

Mnemosyne: Remembering the Titan Muse

My own version of Mnemosyne.

"Mnemosyne I call, the Queen, consort of Zeus, Mother of the sacred, holy and sweet-voiced Muses. Ever alien to her is evil oblivion that harms the mind, she holds all things together in the same dwelling place, in the mind and soul of mortals, she strengthens the powerful ability of humans to think. 

Most sweet, vigilant, she reminds us of all the thoughts that each one of us is for ever storing in our hearts, overlooking nothing, rousing everyone to consciousness. But, blessed goddess, awaken for the initiates the memory of the sacred rite, and ward off forgetfulness from them."

- Orphic Hymn to Mnemosyne

People nowadays only recall Mnemosyne as the mother of the more famous Muses. Or perhaps as the root word of the word mnemonics. But there's more to her than that. She was a Titan princess, an ancient diva and a really foxy lady.

'In Loving Memory' of Mnemosyne

Please don't be misled by the title, Mnemosyne did not just die. In fact, she was one of only a few Titans whose blessing stayed with mankind the longest. Why so? Because Mnemosyne is MEMORY, that one gift that distinguishes us, humans, from other creatures in the world.

A little information about her family, she was a principal Titaness, daughter of Father Uranus and Mother Gaea. She had no legal husband, but was 'god-fondled' by Zeus from whom she became the mother of the NINE muses, patronesses of the arts. If you're curious about this affair, just read on. I'm gonna tell their story later.

Also, aside from her hall in Othrys (the home of the Titans), Mnemosyne used to own a villa on the hills of Eleuther. It was where she conceived her nine lovely daughters (Source).

Memoirs of a Diva. Once upon a time, Mnemosyne was a member of the divine trio (at one time a quartet, even a quintet) known as the TITAN MUSES. As daughters of King Uranus and the goddesses of music, they were like the most famous superstars of that time. The band was composed of:

• Melete, the Muse of Practice;
• Aoide, the Muse of Song; and
• Mneme (Mnemosyne's 'nickname'), the Muse of Memory

(Fans back then must have realized that just saying her name can be a real pain in the ass so they had to call her something shorter and easier to remember. Orz)

The other two former members of the group were:

• Arche, the Muse of Beginning; and
• Thelxinoe, the Muse of Charm.

As a diva goddess, Mnemosyne possessed great powers in the strength of her voice, enabling her to create sonic effects to shatter glass or to hypnotize others with a word (Source). Just imagine modern rock concerts  having the same effect.

On a more serious note, Mnemosyne used this gift to give kings and poets their powers of authoritative speech. In Rome, the name Moneta served as her cognate derived from Latin monēre (which means to remind, warn, or instruct).

Being her Uranus' favorite daughter, Mnemosyne was so affected by her father's ousting that she did not readily accept the position in the Titan Council offered to her by Cronus. Her office was filled in by the Oceanid Dione until the time Mnemosyne was ready. 

A Goddess to Remember. Mnemosyne’s work was not all glitz and glam – as, in actuality, she was one on the geeky side. She was at first the inventress of language and words. According to Goddess Gift:

She was given responsibility for the naming of all objects, and by doing so gave humans the means to dialog and to converse with each other. 

In addition to that, she was also the goddess of memory and remembrance. Her role was very important, so to speak, especially in the ancient times when writing and literacy had not yet been invented. She represented the rote memorization required to preserve the stories of history and sagas of myth. As such, she became the owner of all the tales (Even though, there are not much stories about herself).

Mnemosyne embodied an oral culture that communicated the soul through their stories and metaphors. Back then, it was critical to the well-being of an individual or a society who had to rely solely on the lessons passed on in an oral history. However, as Maicar’s Greek Mythology Link puts it:

Mnemosyne is a great goddess, not only in the illiterate era when minstrels sang relying on what they found printed in their hearts, but at all times. For the mere act of being could not be apprehended without her; and man, in order to be, must be able to remember that he is, lest his very identity vanishes behind the clouds of inexplicable confusion. And once he remembers who he is, he still needs Memory in order to acquire and practise any science, art, or skill. For also knowledge is inseparable from Memory, by which all things that are and have been may be learned and recalled.

And that was how crucial her role was. Phew. Big responsibilities.

Mnemosyne lays Nonuplets

(Trivia: Nonuplets - Nine Twins, say... the Muses) 

This must have made the headlines back then. But, yeah, anything could be a headline when you're living in a world of gods. But how did this tale come to be? I found a nice story set after the Titanomachy regarding the birth of the nine Muses at Goddess Gift (I'm using this site quite a lot these days). It goes like this:

After Zeus led the war against the Titans and established himself as the leader of the Olympians, he feared that, even though he might be immortal, his great victories and decisions might soon be forgotten.

Longing for a way to preserve the memory of his many great feats, he dressed as a shepherd and went to find Mnemosyne. They slept together for nine nights before he returned to his home on Mount Olympus. (By the way, Zeus was still single so this was not one of his famous extramarital affairs.)

Zeus got his wish. Nine months later Mnemosyne gave birth for nine days, each day delivering a daughter. Collectively they were known as the Muses and were described as "having one mind, their hearts set upon song and their spirit free from care".

No banquet on Mount Olympus was complete without them. Seated near the throne of their father, they entertained the guests, singing not only of the greatness of Zeus, but about the marvelous feats of the Greek heroes and the creation of the heavens and the earth and all its wondrous creatures. 

And thus, Mnemosyne became the Mistress of the Arts, and the number 9 became her sacred number. The convenience that is Greek mythology. Tsk. Tsk.

... And the goddess lies LOW

After so many things that had happened in her divine life and her daughters having become full blown celebrities themselves, Mnemosyne decided to step out of the lime light. She became a minor oracular goddess in the oracle of Trophonius at Lebadeia; just like her sisters. 

Also, in her decision to lie low, she got really low like Underworld low. Mnemosyne presided over the Pool of Memory in Hades, counterpart to the River of Oblivion, Lethe. The ancients believed that when one died and crossed into the Underworld one would be given a choice . . . whether to drink from the river Lethe where you would forget all the pains and terrors of your previous life (and with them, the lessons they brought), or whether to drink from the Mnemosyne, the spring of memory. Those who chose to forget had to be reborn, to return to earth to learn the lessons they needed.  Those who had chosen to remember were admitted to the Elysian Fields where they would spend eternity in comfort and peace.

Sacred springs and fountains thereafter became sacred to her.

What a nice retirement for a nice goddess.

Remember not to forget. Even so, Mnemosyne stayed in our memory… to literally help our memory. From her name (or she was named after it… either way is fine by me) came our modern word Mnemonics. According to the FREE Dictionary (Hallelujah, it’s free):

mne·mon·ic (n-mnk)

adj. Relating to, assisting, or intended to assist the memory.

n. A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering.

And that’s Mnemosyne for us all.

Theia: Tracks of the Tracing Goddess

Theia, made by me.

Theia is one of my favorite goddesses belonging to the Titan generation. She was the divinity from which all light proceeded. She was the mother of sight. And above all, her name simply means "Sight" or Prophecy." Awesome.

Goddess of 'All Things BRIGHT and Beautiful' 

"Mother of the Sun, Theia of many names,

for your sake men honor gold as more powerful than anything else;

and through the value you bestow on them, o queen,

ships contending on the sea and yoked teams of horses

in swift-whirling contests become marvels"

  

- Pindar, Fifth Isthmian Ode

We may well be aware that Theia was one of the principal Titanides (whom I discussed in my previous post), a daughter of Father Uranus of the sky and Mother Gaea of the earth. She was the wife her brother Hyperion, another kingly Titan, and the mother of three BRIGHT children: Helios (the Sun), Eos (the Dawn), and Selene (the Moon); but not necessarily in that order.

Theia's realm was the clear blue sky.

Theia was the goddess of the shining light of the clear blue sky. I am guessing that she received this power as a birthday gift from the Protogenos Aether, one of her supposed 'uncles' or cousins (?). It's really hard to tell with them. Anyway, she was thereafter called Aithre for that! (Yeah, I seriously believe that the gods can gift some of their powers to other gods, much like in the video games. Hehe). Appropriately so, she was tied in love with the most compatible mate for her, Hyperion, the Titan god of light. The pair, according to Pelasgian myth, was given by Eurynome the dominion over the Sun and its Essence... Illumination (Surprise!). 

'Eye' see you. Many sources described Theia as 'mild-eyed', perhaps in reference to her also being the goddess of sight. I even got from one source (which I lost) that her emblem was the eyes. Anyway, according to Theoi.com:

"The ancient Greeks believed that the eyes emitted a beam of light, much like a lamp, which allowed one to see whatever it fell upon. Hence Theia the mother of sight (thea), was also the mother of light-beaming sun, moon and dawn."

Symbol of Future Sight
from Magic: The Gathering

Modern Neopagans believe (source) that she was the beautiful and kind 'all-seeing' goddess (Well, being the goddess of eyesight and all) although sometimes her gifts are to be feared. As the eyes were considered to sources of power for many, Theia also became considered as a Titaness of sorcery. I've also read in another blog that some sects believe that Theia can grant the ability to see ghosts and spirits, as well as other forms of clairvoyance. Eerie.

(All her power about 'Sight' had been handed down to her son Helios, as he was later given the epithet 'Panoptes', meaning all-seeing.)

Also under this office, Theia was worshipped as Ichnaea, 'the tracing goddess' and possessed an oracle at Phthiotis (how do you even read this?!), Thessaly. There, she gave ENLIGHTENMENT to the seekers and 'shed light to the future' (Oh my, big words). Or her oracle was like an ancient version of a lost and found (just my opinion). 

Shining, shimmering, splendid. In addition to the functions mentioned above, Theia was also a goddess of glittering in particular, and of glory in general. Aside from the vast expanse of the sky and sight, Theia also had dominion over precious metals and gems. Theoi again says that she endowed gold, silver and gems with their brilliance and value. One of her titles, Theia Euryphaessa overtones a lot of brightness, a 'wide-shining' goddess all the way. Seriously, this function of hers makes me think of this:

Now, excuse me for that.

Theia In Science: The Giant Impact Hypothesis

This part is a totally quoted from our favorite Wikipedia:

The giant impact hypothesis states that the Moon was formed out of the debris left over from a collision between the Earth and a body the size of Mars, approximately 4.5 Gya (four and a half billion years ago). The colliding body is sometimes called Theia, for the mythical Greek Titan who was the mother of Selene, the goddess of the Moon.

The giant impact hypothesis is the currently-favoured scientific hypothesis for the formation of the Moon. Supporting evidence includes: the Earth's spin and Moon's orbit having similar orientations, Moon samples indicating the surface of the Moon was once molten, the Moon's relatively small iron core, lower density compared to the Earth, evidence of similar collisions in other star systems (that result in debris disks), and that giant collisions are consistent with the leading theories of the formation of the solar system. Finally, the stable isotope ratios of lunar and terrestrial rock are identical, implying a common origin.

Whatever happened to Theia?

*****WARNING BEFORE YOU CONTINUE: I got the gist of this story from Diodorus Siculus (found here) where Theia was the mortal queen called Basileia, but I absolutely MADE THIS ONE UP so as to reconcile conflicting ideas... and to suit my preferences as well. This is what I was talking about when I said not suitable for academic researches. Just sayin'.*****

So, Theia was one of the Titan princesses during the reign of King Uranus. She was the 'queenly' type of girl joined in wedlock with Hyperion, a 'kingly' type of boy who also happened to be a really wise god. Their father Uranus thought that the pair would be the most perfect candidates to his throne (Uranus never really wanted to rule forever... at least, I thought). He also chose the pair of Eurynome, a goddess almost of equal importance as him, and Ophion, her mate, to be contenders.

However, their little brother Cronus wanted the power for himself so he devised a rather wicked plan. He secretly kidnapped Hyperion and Theia's children Helios, Selene and Eos and drowned them on River Eridanus. He further deceived the couple into believing him by saying that Uranus did the deed in fear of their children's power. Hyperion then swore upon the Gaea's name (also a binding oath aside from the River Styx who was not yet given the honor back then) that he will support Cronus against his enemies ALL THE WAY without knowing what the consequences of this rash action could be. Tsk tsk. Not very wise on his part.

What happened next was the infamous Castration of Uranus.

Vasari's Castration of Uranus (source)

And the less infamous deposition of Eurynome.

As events showed, Cronus got what he wanted, and became King of the Universe (bwahaha!), but then Zeus and a group of younger gods led a rebellion against him. Hyperion and Theia was, again, ready to fight beside him; until they saw their supposedly drowned children fighting side by side with the Olympians. Hyperion was so horrified but had no choice than to act upon his words and fight the war with his traitor brother. On the other hand, Theia was equally flabbergasted that she plunged into depression, and took no part in the war.

Just before the Titanomachy ended, Theia lost all her remaining sanity; wandered through the land and just like... poof!... vanished after a thunderstorm. Her Essence from Aether was retrieved by Zeus for Helios (in memory of his mother) and himself (Oh, c'mon!).

(I am open to suggestions on how this story can be improved. Just get in touch with me.)

Clash Of The Titanides

I believe that everyone with the slightest knowledge on Greek mythology will at least have an idea or two about the race of beings called TITANS.

Yes. Of course. The Titans. They are ugly giants who fought with Kratos against the Olympians in God of War. In Percy Jackson and the Olympians, they are the meanies who took camp on Mount Tam and attempted to storm Olympus which was located on top of the Empire State Building. And lastly, they are the villains released by Hyperion on the Immortals.

In all of those stories (and more), the Titans were generally represented as the eternal enemies of the gods. (I've omitted some parts here as this incites some 'unfavorable' reaction from readers^^). But this notion is not entirely true. The Titans are actually just another race of gods. Some of them were allies of the Olympians; others were even benefactors of mankind. And so to the remaining Titan population, this treatment seems rather unfair and utterly racist (I repeat. They're just another race of gods. No modern implications. Promise.).

And so as the self-proclaimed divine archivist myself, I let them use this blog as a means to clear up their names, particularly the female Titans, upon the request of a concerned Titaness (whose profile is confidential, sorry).

Femme Fatales, the Titanides

The Six Principal Titanides made by me. Yes. Me.

As what I've said, not all the Titans are hideous gigantic monsters (let's admit that some of them actually are) led by their paranoid and cannibalistic king, Cronus (or Kronos, whatever). Also belonging to this race are the Titanides, or the female Titanesses (OMG. This is an extreme case of redundancy).

According to Theoi.com:

The TITANIDES were the six earth-goddess daughters of Heaven (Ouranos) and Earth (Gaia). They were the female counterparts of the Titanes, the primal gods of time, divinities of both Heaven and the Tartarean pit, the cosmic inverse of heaven.

The Titanides represented different aspects of their mother Gaia the Earth: Tethys was the nourishing waters of subterranean springs, nurse of all life; Rheia was nature's fertile mother, and lady of the wilds; Themis was earth's natural order, and prophetic voice; Phoibe was earth's oracular midpoint (Delphoi); Theia was sight, the all-seeing all-knowing earth; Mnemosyne was memory, the preservation of earthly history.

The six original Titanesses were:

1. Tethys, Queen of Ocean;
2. Theia, goddess of light;
3. Phoebe, moon goddess;
4. Themis, goddess of justice;
5. Mnemosyne, goddess of memory; and
6. Rhea, Queen of Heaven

As emanations of their mother, the Great Goddess Gaea, we can just assume that these divinities were no small deal. Before the Olympians took over, the Titanides were the A-list goddesses of the known world. These... ehem... ladies, might also have once had superhuman capabilities (discussed here). On the other hand, they served as the gentler, if not better, counterparts of their Titan husbands/brothers. To keep the scales balanced, so to say.

Titans' Next Top Model. I got the base here. Thankies!

However, Mother Earth's daughters are not the only ones who were given the title. Different sources speak of different goddesses who were also honored as Titanides. Even the names of the principal six differ from author to author. From this point of view, it seems to me that what happened was just a really ancient cycle of America's Next Top Model where everyone has his top picks.

Among the more famous contenders are:

1. Dione, oak goddess (an Oceanid, daughter of Oceanus);
2. Metis, a goddess of wisdom (another Oceanid);
3. Clymene, goddess of fame (Oceanid. Affirmative);
4. Eurynome, meadow goddess (Oceanid, and a mermaid on that note);
5. Styx, goddess of oaths (Oc-... oh no! Not an Oceanid; but she was their sister though);
6. Leto, goddess of daylight;
7. Asteria, goddess of stars (Leto's sister);
8. Selene, moon goddess;
9. Eos, dawn goddess (Selene's sister);
10. Aura, goddess of breezes; and
11. Anchiale, little known goddess of the warmth of fire.

Alas for them, the Uranid (daughters of Uranus, that is) sisters still got the top spots.

The Seven Planetary Powers

I read this random tidbit from a site I accidentally found. It's called Paleothea. If you think of yourself as a feminist and a myth geek at the same time, then this site is perfect for you. Just sayin'.

Okay, the story goes like this:

In the Pelasgian myth, there was this Creatrix goddess known as Eurynome (not to be confused with the Oceanid of the same name). She created the Seven Planetary Powers, putting a Titaness and a Titan over each. Theia and Hyperion were given the Sun and the power of illumination; Phoebe and Atlas were given the Moon and the power of enchantment; Dione and Crius were given the planet Mars and the power of growth; Metis and Coeus were given the planet Mercury and the power of wisdom; Themis and Eurymedon were given the planet Jupiter and the power of law; Tethys and Oceanus were given the planet Venus and the power of love; and Rhea and Cronus took the planet Saturn with the power of peace. (Source)

Source: click here

(Seriously. This myth makes me think of Sailor Moon and other magical girl group types of anime. Yay! Otaku Represent! XD)

From reading and rereading this myth, I've noticed TWO things: 

• It should be noted that seven, instead of six Titanesses were mentioned in this particular story; and
• Mnemosyne was replaced by either Dione or Metis in the lineup. I bet she did not let this issue just pass.

The Essence of Being Women: The Titanides' Case

Sushmita Sen once said, "Just being a woman is God's gift. The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. She shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman."

And that answer won her the crown for a certain beauty pageant years ago. Well, it's just because it's true... as in the case of the Titan goddesses of Greek mythology.

One main reason why the Titanides became really important in myths is because of their children:

• Tethys was the mother of 3000 Oceanides and All the river gods (she's one busy wife!);
• Theia was the mother of Helios, Selene and Eos (mother of the Winds);
• Phoebe was the mother of Leto and Asteria, who were the mothers of the twins Apollo and Artemis and Hecate respectively;
• Themis was the mother of the Seasons and the Fates;
• Mnemosyne was the mother of the Muses;
• Rhea was the mother of the original Olympians Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera;
• Dione was the rumored mother of Aphrodite (no one has confirmed this yet, although we're open to hear Dione's side);
• Metis was the supposed 'mother' of Athena (I'll have to explain this in the future);
• Clymene was the mother of Atlas and Prometheus and the ancestress of mankind;
• Eurynome (the Oceanid, not the Creatrix) was the mother of the Graces;
• Styx was the mother of Victory, Force, Violence and Zeal;
• Anchiale was the mother of the Dactyls.

Their children became the main characters of most of the mythical stories that we know today, and were figures of mass interest. And so, the Titanides were ever renowned in myths as the Mothers of the Gods. You may want to visit a rather persuasive discussion about these 'Mothers' here.

***********************************************************************

For the next few days, I will be putting individual entries of the abovementioned Titanides. I just thought that you might be interested in each of these goddesses' personal issues. Stay tuned.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Trailers

I am a HUGE Percy Jackson fan but I must admit that the first movie sucked big time. Aside from the names of the characters and the title of the movie, it was nothing like the books! Yeah, I know... I know. Even Harry Potter sometimes did not follow the books religiously. But Percy was a severe case. Such a shame.

Nevertheless, I am still very excited about the upcoming Sea of Monsters. What I'm really looking forward to in this film is how it is going to redeem the first movie. Fortunately, we all just have to wait for a few more weeks.

Here's a trailer of Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters showing on August 16.

And another one:

And the latest international trailer:

What Makes Gods Gods?

This post is dedicated to clearing things out about godhood in Greek Mythology... MY WAY. You may or may not agree with the random things that I put here. But yeah, everyone is entitled to his own  opinions.

How does a god become a god?

Given the chance, wouldn't you just want to have super powers and begin to change this effin' world the way you want it to be? Well, these are privileges (and other perks included) worthy of the divinities from our favorite Olympian pantheon! 

Being a reader of Greek mythology since grade school, I found two obvious and easy ways to be considered a god; either you have it naturally, or you find your way through it.

It runs in the family... May I just remark that the oh-so famous Graeco-Roman pantheon is just another humongous, dysfunctional family in the world? Oh, yes it's true. Every god in classical mythology is someone else's father or grandfather or brother or son, and every goddess his aunt, sister, grandmother or niece. Thanks to the polygamous, adulterous, and oftentimes incestuous relationships that these gods take. Uhuh... ask Zeus about those matters.

The Family Tree of Greek Mythology
Thanks Teacher Oz!

Even so, Rick Riordan (my favorite author! Yay!) decided to clear the gods' names of scandals by saying that they possess no DNA ... and thus, removes the risks of having children with Down Syndrome or something. (Okay, I just made the latter part up. Just to elaborate my point. Peace^^)

So, if you happen to be a child of both divine parents, you are most likely a god or goddess, and less likely a monster (acknowledgements to Scylla, and Charybdis, and the Gorgons etc. whose parents are gods... it must have been hard growing up).

OR if you have at least one godly parent, you can be a demigod hero and eventually apotheosize (is it right?) into a god after death... say Hercules and Asclepius and Aristaeus, which see later.

OR you might just be one lucky individual whom the gods have chosen to be one of them.

Possibilities are endless, my dears! 

Godhood benefits up for grabs... Apply now! Immortal life. Eternal youth. Super powers. Even romance all you like. These are some of the perks of Greek godhood. Interesting, right?

The Apotheosis of Hercules by François Lemoyne (1736)

Ever heard of the word APOTHEOSIS?

(Okay. I know that's a mouthful. I also used to struggle with this word, but practice really makes perfect!)

Apotheosis, I must say, is one big word, even in the world of mythology. According to Mythography, the term comes from the Greek words apo "from" and theos "god." So basically, it means deification, or elevation to godhood. Put simply, apotheosis is a process by which mere humans like us turn into gods.

Hercules-I'm a God Now... by *nippy13
This is a really poppin' representation of the
deified Hercules, isn't it?

Mortals who have gone through apotheosis then become the what we call APOTHEOTHENAI (what the?! I don’t personally call them that). In the myths, only a handful of people underwent this divine-making process. Some of the most notable are:

1. Asclepius, god of medicine;
2. Dioscuri, the twins of the constellation Gemini;
3. Ganymede, cupbearer of Olympus (I still find it hard to believe that the Top God was a bi);
4. Hercules (everyone knows him! Thanks, Disney);
5. Psyche, Eros' wife; and
6. Dionysus, wine god (so... even Mr. D was once a hero!)

You may visit this page on Theoi.com in case you're interested to know everyone who had gone through deification. Who knows, you might even get some tips from them!

(Believe me, Theoi Project is such a hugely reliable site it's making my brain bleed.)

UNFORTUNATELY, there are no clear criteria on how individuals are allowed to undergo apotheosis. When the gods feel like it, they will just pluck you out of this earth and make you live with them! Records show that quite a few people received the privilege as a reward for their benefactions to mankind--e.g. Heracles, Asclepius and Aristaeus--, others through marriage to gods--e.g. Ariadne, Tithonus and Psyche--, and some by luck or pure chance--i.e. Glaucus.

Lucky guys.

Distinguishing gods from humans

Ichor by ~x0x-InFAM0uX-x0x
The Ethereal and Golden Ichor
looks like honey to me.

Diamonds are forever, and so are the gods. That one word which sets the Graeco-Roman gods from humans is IMMORTALITY. Yes, gods live FOREVER! I guess that says it all. We die, gods don't. We age, gods don't. We suffer from diseases, gods never do, never will. The reason behind this lies in the very blood that runs in their veins. The ancient sources call this substance ICHOR. According to our dear Wiki:

Ichor (/ˈaɪkər/ or /ˈɪkər/; Ancient Greek: ἰχώρ) is the ethereal golden fluid that is the blood of the gods and/or immortals.

Ooh. Ethereal. Golden. Such sweet words! What's more? I've read from one source (gosh, I lost it) that ichor is the fluid that never engenders the gods with disease, and when shed, it had the power of producing new life. Need some proof? Here are some of them:

1. When Cronus castrated his father Uranus, few drops of blood fell into the earth, from which the Erinyes and the Gigantes emerged. Also, Uranus 'wang' which fell into the sea brought forth the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite. (Is it just me or those words really rhyme?)
2. In the myth of Perseus and Medusa, two creatures sprang forth from the gorgon's blood (ichor) -- the winged horse Pegasus and Chrysaor (is he a giant or what?) -- when the hero severed her head.

In addition to the ichor which occurs to them naturally, the gods also believe that a proper diet of ambrosia and nectar is necessary for a perfectly healthy lifestyle.

Not birds, not planes... just SUPERHUMANS!? The gods of the classical world resemble humans to a certain extent. They also feel pain and passion, love and lust, anger, angst, jealousy and every other emotion you can ever think of. However, these supernatural beings far surpass mortals in beauty, strength, power, grandeur, intelligence, artistry... everything! After all, they are called gods for a reason.

As I was browsing the Internet, I stumbled upon a really interesting website aptly titled, The Official Guide to the Mythological Universe. The site outlines the:

Mythological Profiles on the gods and goddesses from the Marvel Universe, DC Universe, Legendary Journeys, Percy Jackson and other TV and Motion Picture Appearances

Interesting, right?

So, I turned to look and found these amazingly detailed references regarding the supernatural abilities of the gods as seen (or read... or heard) in fiction:

• Superhuman Strength: The Olympian gods are superhumanly strong with the average Olympian god able to lift (press) about 30 tons under optimal conditions, and the average Olympian goddess able to lift (press) about 25 tons under optimal conditions.
• Superhuman Speed: The Olympian gods have the potential of being able to run and move at speeds much greater than the finest human athlete. Only Hermes, Iris and a few others can supersede the majority of the Olympian gods.
• Superhuman Stamina: The musculature of the Olympian gods produce considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the muscles of human beings. The average Olympian god can exert themselves at peak capacity for about 24 hours before fatigue impairs them. Hercules, Zeus and Poseidon are physically stronger than most of the Olympian gods.
• Superhumanly Dense Tissue: The skin, muscle, and bone tissues of the Olympian gods are about three times as dense as the same tissue of a human body, contributing to their superhuman strength and weight.
• Superhuman Durability: The bodies of the Olympian gods are considerably more resistant to physical injury than the bodies of humans. The Olympian gods are capable of withstanding great impact forces and exposure to temperature and pressure extremes without sustaining physical injury.
• Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite their natural durability, it is possible for any of the Olympian gods to sustain injury. However, if injured, their highly advanced metabolism enables them to recover with superhuman levels of speed and efficiency. As with most of their other powers, the speed and extent of these powers varies from one Olympian god to another. 
• Immortality: The Olympian gods are functionally immortal and immune to the effects of aging. They haven't aged since reaching adulthood. Their bodies are also immune to all known Earthly diseases and infection.
• Energy Manipulation: The Olympian gods have some potential to manipulate magical or cosmic energies for some purpose. These powers are mostly limited to changing their appearance or shape, and teleporting across great distances. However, a small minority of the Olympians are capable of manipulating vast amounts of energy for a variety of purposes including teleportation, shapeshifting, matter manipulation, augmentation of their physical capabilities, erecting powerful force fields, firing powerful blasts of energy for destructive purposes and granting augmented attributes to objects and beings.
• Known Abilities: The Olympian gods possess specific skills associated with their area of expertise. For example, as the Greek and Roman god of war, Ares is a formidable combatant with extensive knowledge of both armed and unarmed combat, whereas Aphrodite, the goddess of love, is highly skilled in all forms of physical and sexual pleasure. Most Olympians have had some degree of training in armed and unarmed combat, particularly with spears, swords, shields and the bow and arrow.

(source: http://www.angelfire.com/planet/mythguide/olympians.html)

So, what makes gods gods?

The gods of Ancient Greek and Roman mythology are some of the most fascinating figures in world history. They belong to a HUGE divine family gifted with immense power to control the forces of nature and even human emotions. By chance, some people find themselves sucked into this world and become gods themselves. The divinities don't age and never die. They don't even get sick. Aside from that, they possess superhuman capabilities that make them far superior as compared to mere mortals. All of those dripping awesomeness and more make the gods.... well, gods.