Gaia

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Gaia is perhaps the most important goddess in Greek Mythology. Without her, none of the other great gods and goddesses – or even humans – would exist. As the first Great Goddess, and the Mother Earth, she was responsible for beginning life. The story of Gaia and her family is fascinating, and even somewhat bizarre.

From Chaos (the primordial emptiness before time began) Gaia was born along with Tartarus – who ruled the deepest, darkest region of the underworld – and Eros – whose beauty inspired the creation of many of the immortal gods yet to come. Gaia was known for her power to produce plants potent enough for enchantment. She was also known as a goddess of prophecy. Gaia is still well known throughout the world to this very day, as she is the one who nourishes all life on Earth.

Gaia was the mother of a very large and complex family. First she gave birth to Uranus (the sky), Ourea (the mountains) and Pontus (the sea). These three children did not have a father. Uranus and his own mother were later married. Their first children were the three Cyclopes; Brontes, Steropes, and Argus, and the three Hundred-Handed Giants; Cottus, Briareos, and Gyes. Their next children were the Titans. Cronus, the youngest of them became the ruler of the Titans. Many conflicts arose between the family members, as was shown in the Myth, The Creation of the Titans .  

After their first six monstrous children were born, Uranus, who hated and feared them, imprisoned them in the darkest depths of the underworld. Gaia despised him for this, but kept her feelings hidden, waiting for revenge. They then had six more sons and six daughters, who became known as the Titans. Gaia knew it was time to get even with Uranus, so she made a giant sickle and instructed her youngest son, Cronus, to emasculate his father. From Uranus’s blood that spilled into the Earth, Gaia created six more monsters, the three Furies and the three Giants. Cronus refused to free his brothers from the underworld, as he was also afraid of them, now that he took his father’s place as Sky God. Gaia, being a goddess of prophecy, warned him that he would suffer the same fate as his father someday. His youngest son, Zeus, fulfilled that prophecy.

Even though thousands of years have passed, the myths surrounding the Mother Goddess live on. Possibly it’s because of the importance Gaia played in the creation of life in Greek mythology. Possibly it’s because of the somewhat disturbing tale of the conflicts her family was involved in. Whatever the reason, one thing we can be sure of is that Gaia will forever live on in the memory and the life of man, as she is the embodiment of the Earth.

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