As a child, I loved the stories of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythology. The myths surrounding the various characters involved were so intricately woven into the fabric of reality that many of them actually seemed plausible, at least on the surface.
I believe that there are some grains of truth hidden within each great myth. The trick is getting at those grains without getting lost within the beauty and intricacies of stories themselves.
Over the course of the next few weeks, I hope to explore some of the world’s greatest mythical tales in an effort to identify the various truths that may be hidden within each one. I have chosen to start with the mythical goddess (or god) of the earth.
Most cultures recognize “mother earth” as female. Perhaps because it seems as though the planet itself was established specifically for the purpose of nurturing mankind. Only Egyptian mythology defies the trend and instead recognizes earth in a male form. There he is known as Geb or father earth.
Whatever her (or his) name, earth is recognized in virtually every culture. The ancient Greeks called her Gaia. The Roman equivalent was named Terra, from which we eventually took the name terra firma. Norsemen called her Jord and credited her with being the mother of Thor.
Gaia, sometimes referred to as Gaea or Ge, was not really a goddess as we understand the term, but rather a primal element. As such, she emerged out of Chaos to eventually give birth to the universe.
Gaia chose not to remain solitary and, therefore, gave birth on her own to the Titans. The seas she called Pontus (or Pontos) and the sky she called Uranus or Ouranos. She took the sky god – – Uranus – – as her husband for the purposes of giving birth to even more children.
However, Uranus, was afraid that their children might prove more powerful than he. So he would not allow Gaia to give birth to them; instead imprisoning them within her womb. This angered the goddess who plotted to overthrow her husband.
Gaia charged her youngest son Kronos (sometimes called Cronos or Time) with cutting the connection between her and Uranus by cutting off his genitals. She even presented him with a sickle made of a diamond-like material to ensure that he would succeed.
Kronos accomplished his task; however, some of the Uranus’s blood dripped onto the earth, creating even more offspring, which include the Furies, the Giants, and the Nymphs. With the sky freed from the earth, the universe was created.
Gaia went on the have more children alone as well as with her second husband Pontus (or Pontos). This eventually led to the creation of all of the gods and goddesses of the Greek world.
Pontus also tried to imprison Gaia’s sons in order to maintain his own position of power. This forced the goddess to support Zeus in his attempt to overthrow the Titan. Even that alliance turned bad when Zeus bound Gaia’s Titan sons in Tataros. However, all of Gaia’s attempts to dethrone Zeus proved futile and he ultimately reigned supreme as king of the gods.
There are still people today who actively worship Gaia as the goddess of all creation. Some, like certain groups of Wiccans, view her simply as mother earth. Those following this path, often disavow material possessions and attempt to become one with nature. Others groups view Gaia as encompassing the universe as a whole. The common link between them, when one can be found, is an attempt to reach a greater connection with both the earth, in particular, and the universe as a whole.
So what grain of truth lies within the myth of Gaia? It is a reminder that all of us are interconnected and, as such, we must learn to live in harmony with earth’s resources as well as with all of our fellow human beings. While the message itself isn’t all that new, it is nonetheless timely. It may finally have a chance of breaking through mankind’s’ stubborn exterior. Today, more than ever before, people are trying to understand one another and making a concerted effort to preserve the resources of earth. I doubt that Gaia herself could – – or would – – ask for anything more.
