Week 8: It's All Greek Myth To Me

When it comes to the conventional Western world, Greek mythology is not an entirely foreign concept. From literary references to modern adaptations of the myths, bits and pieces of Greek mythology have seemed into contemporary understandings of literature and pop culture. As such, it is even more important for students, especially students studying literature, to understand some key references to Greek myth, especially the insight given in its cosmogonic myth as recorded by Hesiod’s Theogony.

The cosmogonic myth begins with an introduction to the creation of the natural world through Chaos, Gaia, Tartaros, and Eros as the foundation of their theological system. These figures then break off and birth additional pieces of the universe, such as Night, Air, and Day. Hesiod focuses heavily on Gaia’s creation of Ouranos and how out of their union came much of the natural world, such as Mountains, Nymphs, and the Ocean. The section ends with the creation of Kronos as “the most dreadful of her children” with an intense hatred of his father (33).

The next section of the myth starts with an explanation of Ouranos’ hatred of his “dreadful” children and his banishment of them from seeing light (34). However, Gaia usurps this punishment by scheming with her children to get revenge by harming her husband with a sickle. Although her other children were all scared of her plan, Kronos became the leader of the scheme and resolved to be the one to hurt his father. As such, when Ouranos sought out his wife, Kronos came out of hiding and attacked his father and made it so he was unable to have children (to put it very politely). This then sparked the birth of Aphrodite and other mythological creatures.

However, Kronos then took on the role of abusive father in his own relationship with his children by swallowing them whole after they were born to maintain his power and circumvent a prophecy that said he would be dominated by his son, Zeus. His plan was also circumvented by his wife, Rhea, as she schemed with her parents to allow her to give birth to her son Zeus in secret and hide him before Kronos could find him. In his stead, she gave Kronos a rock wrapped in cloth to eat. A year later, when Zeus had grown, he sought out his father and made him spit up his siblings and was able to gain control of the theological system.

Though this cosmogonic myth only outlines the basics of the larger mythological system that is later developed through art and literature, its intricacies and dramas are enough to spark further study into the more precise references found throughout literature. In addition to this, it can help spark interest in studying other myths that may create a comparison or contrast to this system of myths.