Chaos (mythology): Difference between revisions
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#REDIRECT [[Chaos_(cosmogony)#Greco-Roman_tradition]] |
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{{pp-vandalism|expiry=01:02, 11 May 2018|small=yes}} |
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{{Greek myth (primordial)}} |
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In [[Greek mythology]], '''Chaos''' ({{lang-el|Χάος}}, "Chasm")<ref>West, p. 192 line 116 '''Χάος''', "best translated Chasm"; Most, p. 13, translates ''Χάος'' as "Chasm", and notes: (n. 7): "Usually translated as 'Chaos'; but that suggests to us, misleadingly, a jumble of disordered matter, whereas Hesiod's term indicates instead a gap or opening".</ref> was the first thing to exist: "at first Chaos came to be" (or was)<ref>Gantz, p. 3, says "the Greek will allow both".</ref> "but next" (possibly out of Chaos) came [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]], [[Tartarus]], and [[Eros]] (elsewhere the son of [[Aphrodite]]).<ref>According to Gantz, p. 4: "With regard to all three of these figures—Gaia, Tartaros, and Eros—we should note that Hesiod does not say they arose ''from'' (as opposed to ''after'') Chaos, although this is often assumed." For example, Morford, p. 57, makes these three descendants of Chaos saying they came "presumably out of Chaos, just as Hesiod actually states that 'from Chaos' came Erebus and dark Night". Tripp, p. 159, says simply that Gaia, Tartarus and Eros came "out of Chaos, or together with it". Caldwell, p. 33 n. 116–122, however interprets Hesiod as saying that Chaos, Gaia, Tartarus, and Eros all "are spontaneously generated without source or cause". Later writers commonly make Eros the son of [[Aphrodite]] and [[Ares]], though several other parentages are also given, Gantz, pp. 4–5.</ref> Unambiguously born "from Chaos" were [[Erebus]] (Darkness) and [[Nyx]] (Night).<ref>Gantz, p. 4; [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+123 123].</ref> |
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==Etymology== |
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The Greek word 'chaos' (χάος), a neuter noun, means "yawning" or "gap", but what, if anything, was located on either side of this chasm is unclear.<ref>Gantz, p. 3; West, pp. 192–193 line 116 '''Χάος'''. West, p. 193 notes that "although grammatically neuter, Chaos is treated as female". As discussed by both West and Gantz, some have argued that Chaos represented the gap between heaven and earth.</ref> The word comes from χάσκω "to yawn" from [[Proto-Indo-European]] *''ǵʰeh<sub>2</sub>n-'' "break open, yawn".<ref>[[Robert S. P. Beekes|R. S. P. Beekes]], ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, pp. 1614 and 1616.</ref> |
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==Mythology== |
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For [[Hesiod]], Chaos, like Tartarus, though personified enough to have borne children, was also a place, far away, underground and "gloomy", beyond which lived the [[Titan (mythology)|Titans]].<ref>[[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+814 814]: "And beyond, away from all the gods, live the Titans, beyond gloomy Chaos".</ref> And, like the earth, the ocean, and the upper air, it was also capable of being affected by Zeus' thunderbolts.<ref>[[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hes.+Th.+700 700].</ref> |
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For the Roman poet [[Ovid]], Chaos was an unformed mass, where all the elements were jumbled up together in a "shapeless heap".<ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Ov.+Met.+1.5 1.5 ff.].</ref> |
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According to [[Hyginus]]: "From Mist (''Caligine'') came Chaos. From Chaos and Mist, came Night (''Nox''), Day (''Dies''), Darkness (''Erebus''), and Ether (''Aether'')."<ref>Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' Preface 1, translated by Smith and Trzaskoma, p. 95. According to Bremmer, [https://books.google.com/books?id=YTfxZH4QnqgC&pg=PA5 p. 5], who translates ''Caligine'' as "Darkness": "Hyginus ... started his ''Fabulae'' with a strange hodgepodge of Greek and Roman cosmogonies and early genealogies. It begins as follows: ''Ex Caligine Chaos. Ex Chao et Caligine Nox Dies Erebus Aether'' (Praefatio 1). His genealogy looks like a derivation from Hesiod, but it starts with the un-Hesiodic and un-Roman ''Caligo'', ‘Darkness’. Darkness probably did occur in a cosmogonic poem of Alcman, but it seems only fair to say that it was not prominent in Greek cosmogonies."</ref> An [[Orphism (religion)|Orphic tradition]] apparently had Chaos as the son of [[Chronus]] and [[Ananke (mythology)|Ananke]].<ref>Ogden, pp. 36–37.</ref> |
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In [[Aristophanes]]'s comedy ''[[The Birds (play)|Birds]]'', first there was Chaos, Night, Erebus, and Tartarus, from Night came Eros, and from Eros and Chaos came the race of birds.<ref> [[Aristophanes]], ''[[The Birds (play)|Birds]]'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg006.perseus-eng1:685-707 693–699]; Morford, pp 57–58. Caldwell, p. 2, describes this avian theogony as "comedic parody".</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* [[Chaos (cosmogony)]] |
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* [[Chaotian (geology)]] |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==References== |
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* [[Aristophanes]], ''[[The Birds (play)|Birds]]'' in ''The Complete Greek Drama, vol. 2.'' Eugene O'Neill, Jr. New York. Random House. 1938. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Aristoph.+Birds Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]. |
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* {{cite book |first=Jan N. |last=Bremmer |year=2008 |title=Greek Religion and Culture, the Bible and the Ancient Near East |series=Jerusalem Studies in Religion and Culture |publisher=Brill |isbn=9789004164734 |lccn=2008005742 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YTfxZH4QnqgC}} |
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* Caldwell, Richard, ''Hesiod's Theogony'', Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company (June 1, 1987). {{ISBN|978-0-941051-00-2}}. |
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* Gantz, Timothy, ''Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources'', Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, Two volumes: {{ISBN|978-0-8018-5360-9}} (Vol. 1), {{ISBN|978-0-8018-5362-3}} (Vol. 2). |
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* [[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'', in ''The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White'', Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. |
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* Morford, Mark P. O., Robert J. Lenardon, ''Classical Mythology'', Eighth Edition, Oxford University Press, 2007. {{ISBN|978-0-19-530805-1}}. |
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* Most, G. W., ''Hesiod: Theogony, Works and Days, Testimonia,'' [[Loeb Classical Library]], No. 57, Cambridge, MA, 2006 {{ISBN|978-0-674-99622-9}}. [http://www.loebclassics.com/view/LCL057/2007/volume.xml Online version at Harvard University Press]. |
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* Ogden, Daniel, ''Dragons, Serpents, and Slayers in the Classical and early Christian Worlds: A sourcebook'', Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-992509-4}}. |
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* [[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'', Brookes More. Boston. Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0028%3Abook%3D1%3Acard%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]. |
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* Smith, Scott R., Stephen M. Trzaskoma, ''Apollodorus' ''Library'' and Hyginus' ''Fabulae'': Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology'', Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Indianapolis/Cambridge 2007. {{ISBN|978-0-87220-821-6}}. |
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* [[William Smith (lexicographer)|Smith, William]]; ''[[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]]'', London (1873). [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DC%3Aentry+group%3D18%3Aentry%3Dchaos-bio-1 "Chaos" ] |
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* Tripp, Edward, ''Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology'', Ty Crowell Co; First edition (June 1970). {{ISBN|069022608X}} |
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* [[Martin Litchfield West|West, M. L.]] (1966), ''Hesiod: Theogony'', Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-814169-6}}. |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/primeval.html#Chaos Primeval Deities: Chaos - Timeless Myths] |
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* [http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Khaos.html Theoi Project: Khaos] |
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{{Greek mythology (deities)}} |
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[[Category:Mythological Greek characters]] |
[[Category:Mythological Greek characters]] |
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Revision as of 14:34, 3 March 2018
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