The Origins of Greek Mythology

According to Greek mythology, in the beginning of time there was chaos. From this chaos Eurynome, the Goddess of All Things, rose naked. Needing a place to stand, she divided the sky from the sea. While the was riding the Southern wind she reached out and grabbed hold of the North wind, also known as Boreas, and rubbed it between her hands. This created the serpent Ophion. 

Ophion then coiled around Eurynome and they mated. While Eurynome was with child, she turned herself into a dove and laid the Universal Egg. When the egg was laid, Ophion wrapped himself around it, keeping it warm until it hatched. When the egg hatched, it released the sun, moon, planets, stars and Earth, with all it’s creatures. 

Eurynome then created the Seven Planetary Powers and set a Titan and a Titaness to each one. Theia and Hyperion were placed with the sun; Phoebe and Atlas with the moon; Dione and Crius with Mars; Metis and Coeus with Mercury; Themis and Eurymedon with Jupiter; Tethys and Oceanus with Venus and Rhea and Cronus with Saturn. The first man, Pelasgus, sprang from the soil in Arcadia and was followed by others. Pelasgus taught the other men how to make huts, feed upon acorns and sew pig skin tunics. 

At this point there are no gods and priests yet, but only goddesses and their priestesses. Women were the dominating sex and men were their followers. Fatherhood at this time was not seen as an honor. Conception was attributed to either the wind, the eating of beans or accidentally swallowing a bug. All inheritance came from the mother. 

There are many different accounts as to how the gods where created. One of them being that, Cronus, who was married to Rhea, was the father of the gods, after he swallowed his father. In a prophesy it was said that one would murder his father and steal his throne, but beware because his son would in turn overthrow him. Cronus knew this and was careful not to let this happen. Whenever Rhea would have a child, Cronus would swallow them so they couldn’t take over his throne. Altogether he swallowed five children; Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon.