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Chaos (also spelled Khaos) was the first of the Protogenoi (primeval gods) and precedes the Universe. His name means "the gap". He was followed in quick succession by Gaia (Earth), Tartarus (the Underworld) and Eros (Love the life-bringer). Khaos was the lower atmosphere which surrounded the earth - invisible air and gloomy mist. His name Khaos literally means the gap, the space between heaven and earth. Khaos was the Father or grandfather of the other substances of air: Nyx (Night), Erebos (Darkness), Aether (Light) and Hemera (Day), as well as the various emotion-affecting Daimones which drifted through it. He was also a god of fate like his daughter Nyx and granddaughters, the Moirai (Fates).

Later authors defined Khaos as the chaotic mix of elements that existed in the primeval Universe, confusing it with the primeval Mud of the Orphic cosmogonies, but this was not the original meaning. Khaos has no father or mother or creator (possibly). He is self - created, he knowns everything that happens in the Universe and beyond every moment and is "omni-potent". His children are the Protogenoi, including Ouranos, Ananke, Gaia, Nyx, Eros, Erebos, Eros and many others.

Etymology[]

His name Khaos literally means the gap, the space between heaven and earth. Khaos was a father or grandfather of the other substances of air: Nyx (Night), Erebos (Darkness), Aether (Light) and Hemera (Day), as well as the various emotion-affecting Daimones which drifted through it. He was also a god of fate like his daughter Nyx and granddaughters the Moirai (Fates). Later authors defined Khaos as the chaotic mix of elements that existed in the primeval Universe, confusing it with the primeval Mud of the Orphic cosmogonies.

In Theogony[]

"Verily at the first Chaos came to be, but next wide-bosomed Earth, the ever-sure foundations of all the deathless ones who hold the peaks of snowy Olympus, and dim Tartarus in the depth of the wide-pathed Earth, and Eros (Love), fairest among the deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and all men within them. From Chaos came forth Erebus and black Night; but of Night were born Aether and Day, whom she conceived and bare from union in love with Erebus. And Earth first bore starry Heaven, equal to herself, to cover her on every side, and to be an ever-sure abiding-place for the blessed gods. And she brought forth long hills, graceful haunts of the goddess Nymphs who dwell amongst the glens of the hills. She bore also the fruitless deep with his raging swell, Pontus, without sweet union of love. But afterwards she lay with Heaven and bore deep-swirling Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and gold-crowned Phoebe and lovely Tethys. After them was born Cronos the wily, youngest and most terrible of her children, and he hated his lusty sire."

- Hesiod, Theogony 116-138

Gallery[]

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