Pallas Athena!!!!!!!

For my last blog post I will talk about my favorite Goddess from Greek Mythology. Athena (also known as Pallas Athena), in Greek Mythology is the goddess of Battle Strategy and Wisdom. She is the daughter of Zeus and Metis. She wasn' t born like every other being. She was born from Zeus' head. There is a long story behind this. Basicllay Zeus challenged Metis into a shapeshifting competition. when she turned into a fly Zeus ate her and she lived in his head from that point on. Metis is the goddess of prudency and wisdom. hence how her daugher recieved these abilities. When Metis found out that she was going to have a child, she started getting ready. She wove beautiful white robes and started forging armor for Athena. it gave Zeus a headache that was so bad, he started howling in pain. All the gods came to the aid of Zeus, and Hephaestus had to split his head open. Out of the split sprung forht a fully grown Athena, dressed for battle. All of the Olympians were amazed at the sight of the magnificent goddess. Athena is Zeus' most trusted advisor. He would even let her carry his Aegis, which was the silver shield of Zeus that had the horrible head of the Gorgon Medusa on it. Athena is the Patron Goddess of Athens. Her sacred tree was the Olive Tree and her sacred animal was the Owl.

The Fates

The Fates in Greek Mythology were an ultimate force that even the gods could not stop or hinder. They were not on the side of good or evil. They simply existed to determine the fates of the gods and mortals. They are normally depicted as three old crones that sit in a triangle. The first one is Clotho, The Spinner. Clotho would spin the thread of life for a person to signal that the life was beginning. The second Fate is Lachesis, The Allotter. Lachesis would measure the Thread of Life to determine what the person would do and how long that person would live. The last Fate is Atropos, The Unturnable. Atropos was the one who had the ultimate decision. She was the one who would cut the Thread of Life at the end of some one's life. These three goddesses are some of my favorite because they wield such power. It is frighting to think about it, really. They could not be swayed and you cannot do a thing about it. Normally there is a saying that you need to change fate or do something about it. While I do think that this is valid, it's more about destiny that you need to change. Fate is unwavering and it is determined when you are born. There is no changing it. The Fates were not just in Greek Mythology. They also appeared in Roman and Norse Mythology. In Greek, they were known as the Moirai; Roman, Parcae, and  Germanic, Norns. They held the same kind of power in all of the these cultures and religions. 

The Olympians

The Olympians were the most powerful Gods in the Greek World. They were Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Athena, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, Demeter, and Dionysus. These gods and goddesses held the ultimate power, although there were two forces that they could not interfere with. That will be another post. Lets go over what these beings were the gods of and what their duties were. Zeus is the King of the Gods and Ruler of the Skies. Poseidon is the Lord of the Seas and he is also known as the Earthshaker. Hera is the Queen of the Gods and she is the Goddess of Marriage and Family. Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy (Favorite Olympian by the way). Ares is the God of War and Aphrodeite is the Goddess of Love. Hephaestus is the God of Blacksmiths as well as the Blacksmith of the Gods. Hermes is the God of Messengers, Travelers, Merchants, and Thieves. Hermes is also the Messenger of the Gods and the Jack of  All Trades sort of guy. Apollo is the God of Light and Music and his twin sister Artemis is the Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon. Demeter is the Goddess of the Harvest and Crops. Finally, Dionysus is the Goddess of Revalry, Wine, and Wild Behavior.
You might be wondering about Hestia and Hades. While these two Gods were children of Kronos and Rhea, they were not Olympians. Hestia used to be an Olympian, but she gave her seat up for Dionysus, seeing that her spot was at the center of the Throne Room by the Hearth. She is the eldest Olympian and is the Goddess of the Hearth and Protector of Homes. Hades is the God of the Underworld, but is not an Olympian and rarely if not ever visits Olympus.

The Primordial Beings

The Primordial Beings are a catagory that most people don't hear about in Greek Mythology. These were the very beings of creation. They were the first entinties in the Greek World. I use the word entities because they never really took the form of humans. These beings were personifications of certain things. Gaea was a primordial being. She was the personification of the Earth and the mother of most living things. Even though they didn't really take the form of humans, Gaea still had a husband. His name was Ouranous. He was the personification of the Sky. There was a personification of the Sea too, he was Pontus. There was also Chaos. Chaos is even older than Gaea or Ouranous. He was the first thing that existed. These gods were respected and there are many myhts about Gaea and Ouranous. These two were the parents of the Titans, Cyclopes, and the Hekatonkheires or the Hundred-Handed Ones.

The Three Brothers

 

For those Harry Potter fans out there, I am not talking about the Three Brothers and the Deathly Hallows. I am talking abou the original Three Brothers. They were Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. These three gods were some of the most powerful in the Greek World. After they deated Kronos in the Titan War, they split up the powers to rule the three  domains. Zeus became king and ruled the skies. Poseidon took the seas, and Hades got the Underworld and everything that was in the earth belonged to him. The Three Cyclopses forged for them some of the most famous weapons in Greek Mythology. For Zeus, they forged the lightning bolt to rule the skies. For Poseidon, thebasicy forged a trident to command the seas. For Hades, they forged a Helm of Darkness, which would make him invisible, as goes with the ruler of the Underworld. 

One thing that I would like to note is that Hades is not the god of the Dead in Greek Mythology. He is the ruler of the Underworld. Thanatos is the real god of the Dead. This is where we get the present words that have meanings of death such as a Thanatologist and Thanatology. 

For those Harry Potter fans out there, I am not talking about the Three Brothers and the Deathly Hallows. I am talking abou the original Three Brothers. They were Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. These three gods were some of the most powerful in the Greek World. After they deated Kronos in the Titan War, they split up the powers to rule the three basic domains. Zeus became king and ruled the skies. Poseidon took the seas, and Hades got the Underworld and everything that was in the earth belonged to him. The Three Cyclopses forged for them some of the most famous weapons in Greek Mythology. For Zeus, they forged the lightning bolt to rule the skies. For Poseidon, they forged a trident to command the seas. For Hades, they forged a Helm of Darkness, which would make him invisible, as goes with the ruler of the Underworld. 

One thing that I would like to note is that Hades is not the god of the Dead in Greek Mythology. He is the ruler of the Underworld. Thanatos is the real god of the Dead. This is where we get the present words that have meanings of death such as a Thanatologist and Thanatology.