PROTOGENI – the primordial gods & goddesses of Greece
The primordial gods or "Protogenoi" of Greek mythology were the most basic components of the universe which emerged fullyformed at creation. They included Earth, Air, Sea, Sky, Fresh Water, Wate r, Underworld, Darkness, Night, Light, Day, Procreation and Time. The first born of the immortals, who formed the very fabric of the universe, were known in Greek mythology as the Protogenoi (protos meaning "first," and genos "born"). They were, for the most part, purely elemental beings Uranus was the literal sky, Gaea the body of the earth, etc. A few of them were ocassionally described or portrayed in anthropomorphic form, however these forms we re inevitably inseperable from their native element. For example Gaea or Thalassa might appear as a woman half risen from the earth or sea. AETHER (../Protogenos/Aither.html) (Aither) The Protogenos of the mists of light which fill t he upper
zones of air. His element lay beneath the arch of heaven's dome, but high above t he airs of the mortal realm. ANANKE (../Protogenos/Ananke.html) The Protogeonos of inevitability, compulsion and necessity. She
was the mate of Chronus (Time) and like him was an incorporeal, serpentine being who twisted c ircling around the whole of creation. CHAOS (../Protogenos/Khaos.html) (Khaos) The Protogenos of the lower air. She filled the gap between
the bright mists of the heavenly aither and the floor of the earth. F rom Chaos were descended the other airs: Erebus (darkness), Nyx (night), Aether (light), Hemera (day); as well as the birds. Only late classical writers describe Khaos as a primeval mixture of the elements. CHRONOS (../Protogenos/Khronos.html) (Khronos) The Protogenos of time was the very first being t o
emerge at creation selfformed. He was a threeheaded, incorporeal being with serpentine tail, who circled the whole of creation, cre ation, entwined with his consort Ananke. EREBUS (../Protogenos/Erebos.html) (Erebos) The Protogenos of the mists of darkness. His dark element
was sunk into the hollows of the e arth, and encircled the dismal realm of the underworld. EROS (../Protogenos/Eros.html) The Protegonos of generation. He was known as Phanes or Protogonos,
distinguishing him from the younger Eros, Aphrodite's son. He was one of the first beings to emerge at creation, and caused the universe to procreate. GAEA (../Protogenos/Gaia.html) (Gaia) The Protogenos of the earth. Mother Earth e merged at the
beginning of creation to form the foundation of the universe. Gaea was one of the few Protogenoi to be depicted in anthropomorphic form, however even as such she was shown as a woman partially risen from the ground, inseperable from her native form. HEMERA (../Protogenos/Hemera.html) The Protogenos of the day, rose up from the ends of the earth to
scatter the dark mists of night, spread across the heavens by her mother Nyx, and reveal to the earth below the bright shining blue of the Aet her, her protogenic consort.
HYDROS (../Protogenos/Hydros.html) The Protogenos of water. Together with the e arth he formed the
primeval Mud. Hydros was usually equated with the earthencircling, freshwater Titan Oceanus. NESOI (../Protogenos/Nesoi.html) The Protogenoi of the islands. Their rocky forms were broken from
the earth by Poseidon and cast into the sea. NYX (../Protogenos/Nyx.html) The Protogenos of night, Nyx drew the dark mists of her consort, Erebus,
across the heavens at night, cloaking the bright light of the heavenly aethe r. Her anthropomorphic form was of a woman clothed in starspangled mantle. OCEANUS (../Titan/TitanOkeanos.html) (Okeanos) The Protogenos of the great e arthencircling,
Freshwater river Oceanus. From his flow every river, spring and rainbearing cloud was sprung. His anthropomorphic form was that of a horned man with the tail of a serpentine fish in place of legs. OUREA (../Protogenos/Ourea.html) The Protogenoi of the mountains. Their rocky forms were born of
Gaea the Earth. PHANES (../Protogenos/Phanes.html) The Protogenos of generation, the creatorgod. He was sprung
from a silver egg, the seed of creation, at the beginning of time, and set the universe in order. Phanes was also named Eros or simply Protogonos (the First Bor n). According to some Zeus swallowed him whole o gain supremacy over the universe. PHUSIS (../Protogenos/Phusis.html) The Protogenos of nature. "Mother Nature" was one of the first
beings to emerge at creation. She was related to both Gaea and Tethys. PONTUS (../Protogenos/Pontos.html) (Pontos) The Protogenos of the sea. He sprung from Gaea the
Earth at the beginning of creation, when the elements of the universe were set in their proper order. TARTARUS (../Protogenos/Tartaros.html) (Tartaros) The Protogenos of the great stormy pit which lay
beneath the roots of the earth. He was the antiheaven: just as the dome of heaven arched high above the earth, Tartarus arched beneath her. The Titans were imprisoned in his depths. TETHYS (../Titan/TitanisTethys.html) The Protogenos of the flow of freshwater. She was an aspect of
allnourishing Mother Nature. From Tethys and her husband Oceanus the rivers, springs and clouds drew their waters. THALASSA (../Protogenos/Thalassa.html) The Protogenos of the sea or sea's surface. She was born of
Aether (light) and Hemera (day). Mixing with the deep w aters of Pontus (sea) Thalassa spawned the schools of fish. THESIS (../Protogenos/Thesis.html) The Protogenos of creation. She was similar to Tethys, Mother
Nature's great nurse. URANUS (../Protogenos/Ouranos.html) (Ouranos) The Protogenos of the solid dome of heaven, whose
form stretched from one horizon to the other. He sprung forth from Gaea the Earth at the beginning of creation. Later his son Cronus, seized and castrated him, as he descended to co nsort with Mother Earth.
