Women, Weird and Wonderful: Gaia-Terra, Mother Nature in Mourning

According to the Greek creation myth, in the beginning there was – quite literally – Chaos. Born out of light, Gaia appeared, Terra in latin, known till today as Mother Nature, or Mother Earth. Her name lives on in terms such as “geography”, in fact “gaia-graphy”. Gaia gave birth to Okeanos (Ocean) and Ouranos (Sky). She bonded with Ouranos and their children are called the Titans. When their eldest, Kronos, took over power, and mütilated his father in the process, blood spetters impregnated Gaia again, and that’s when the Giants appeared, her most beloved children. Sadly, they were defeated, as were the Titans, by Zeus and his fellow Olympians. Gaia had desperately tried to save her dear Giants, looking for this plant that would have made them stronger. But she couldn’t find it, because Zeus had kept the gods Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon) and Eos (Dawn) in hiding. Until this day, mother Earth is in mourning, not only for the Giants, but for all of the losses she suffered since the beginning of time.

Earth Mother, Edward Burne-Jones, Worcester Art Museum, UK

Gaia, Poseidon and the giant Polybotes, kylix, Antikensammlung Berlin, Germany