#ff ourano

[zestyderg]

Here's Auron! Aster's Ourano and their first vivosaur. He's a bright, shiny gold color, with desaturated purple stripes replacing the dark blue of a typical Ourano. His eyes have blob-like markings underneath, and his front hooves are rimmed with purple too. The sail is vastly different from the norm, boasting blotches of purple ringed by thick, dark grey outlines. Even the thin grey stripes that surround the purple stripes running down his back are less rigid and more squiggly.

Aster doesn't know much about their new friend yet, but I listed some traits he's gonna have anyway.

[sarafangirlart]

Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1. 498 ff (trans. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) :"He [Orpheus] sang of . . . How, in the beginning, Ophion and Eurynome, daughter of Okeanos (Oceanus), governed the world from snow-clad Olympos (Olympus); how they were forcibly supplanted, Ophion by Kronos (Cronus), Eurynome by Rhea; of their fall into the waters of Okeanos; and how their successors ruled the happy Titan gods when Zeus in his Diktaian cave was still a child, with childish thoughts." [N.B. Ophion and Eurynome might be Ouranos and Gaia or Okeanos and Tethys.]Lycophron, Alexandra 1191 ff (trans. Mair) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) :"[Zeus] who is lord of Ophion's [an early king of heaven deposed by Kronos (Cronus)] throne. But he [Zeus] shall bring thee to the plain of his nativity [Arkadia (Arcadia) and Elis], that land celebrated above others by the Greeks, where his mother [Rhea], skilled in wrestling, having cast into Tartaros the former queen [Eurynome wife of Ophion]."

I feel like not enough people talk or know about this

It’s interesting how this implies that Rhea and Tethys had beef yet Rhea trusted Tethys to raise and protect Hera. What would motivate Rhea to hide her youngest daughter with the sister she beat up? Why would Tethys accept the child of the sister who beat her up and banished her?

Could it be that they reconciled? Or did Tethys pity baby Hera and any resentment she might have for Rhea when she saw her baby?

[divinationsanctuary19]

Hekate’s Deipnon

(3rd of September- 29 Metageitniōn)

"For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favour according to custom, he calls upon Hekate. Great honour comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favourably, and she bestows wealth upon him; for the power surely is with her. For as many as were born of Gaia (Gaea, the Earth) and Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven) [i.e. the Titanes] amongst all these she has her due portion. The son of Kronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods : but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea [...]."

-Hesiod, Theogony 404 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.)

[aliciavance4228]

Remember when the line "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." was quite popular on the Internet?

While dying cannot be applied in this case unless it'a metaphorically, I consider this quote to fit Cronus quite perfectly. He went from being one of Ouranos' children who was thrown into Tartarus along with his sibling, freed them and then castrated his father (which seems like a typical hero scenario) to becoming both an asshole to the Cyclops and Hecatoncheires, an abuser to his own wife -Ovid writes in Fasti that: "Rhea often complained of much pregnancy and no motherhood, and mourned her fertility."- and a true villain to his kids. Nowdays he is considered one of the best examples of what it means to become your own antithesis, due to the fact that he ended up being just as bad, if not then even worse than his father.

However, while dude clearly didn't deserve the Parent of the Year award, it should be also emphasized the fact that he ruled during what was called the Golden Age of humanity, and it's heavily implied the fact that mortals had it better back then:

Hesiod, Works and Days 109 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) : "First of all the deathless gods who dwell on Olympos (Olympus) made a Golden Race of mortal men who lived in the time of Kronos (Cronus) when he was reigning in heaven. And they lived like gods without sorrow of heart, remote and free from toil and grief: miserable age rested not on them; but with legs and arms never failing they made merry with feasting beyond the reach of all evils. When they died, it was as though they were overcome with sleep, and they had all good things; for the fruitful earth unforced bare them fruit abundantly and without stint. They dwelt in ease and peace upon their lands with many good things, rich in flocks and loved by the blessed gods. But after earth had covered this generation--they are called Pure Spirits (daimones hagnoi) dwelling on the earth (epikhthonioi), and are kindly, delivering from harm, and guardians of mortal men; for they roam everywhere over the earth, clothed in mist and keep watch on judgements and cruel deeds, givers of wealth [i.e. agricultural bounty]; for this royal right also they received."

I particularly like this passage written by Plato, since you can observe a sense of justice, morality and leadership skills that help us humanize Cronus, rather than portray him as a cartoonish villain:

Plato, Laws 713a (trans. Bury) :

Long ages before even cities existed . . . there existed in the time of Kronos, it is said, a most prosperous government and settlement . . . Well, then, tradition tells us how blissful was the life of men in that age, furnished with everything in abundance, and of spontaneous growth. And the cause thereof is said to have been this : Kronos (Cronus) was aware of the fact that no human being is capable of having irresponsible control of all human affairs without becoming filled with pride and injustice; so, pondering this fact, he then appointed as kings and rulers for our cities, not men, but beings of a race that was nobler and more divine, namely, Daimones (Spirits). He acted just as we now do in the case of sheep and herds of tame animals: we do not set oxen as rulers over oxen, or goats over goats, but we, who are of a nobler race, ourselves rule over them. In like manner the god, in his love for humanity, set over us at that time the nobler race of Daimones who, with much comfort to themselves and much to us, took charge of us and furnished peace and modesty and orderliness and justice without stint, and thus made the tribes of men free from feud and happy. And even today this tale has a truth to tell, namely, that wherever a State has a mortal, and no god, for ruler, there the people have no rest from ills and toils; and it deems that we ought by every means to imitate the life of the age of Kronos, as tradition paints it." [Cf. The Daimones of Hesiod's Works and Days above.]

I also wanted to mention the fact that (at least according to Hesiod) Cronus eventually ended up becoming the Ruler of Elysium, but I decided not to develop this idea too much, nor give the fragment for it. Not because I consider it to be insignificant or because I'm lazy, but purely because I cannot help but think of the other Kronides' reaction when their youngest brother, the one who rescued them, not only that freed the exact same man who ate them and made them suffer throughout all those years, but also allowed him to be king to some extent.

It's kinda dissapointing that we never get see this side of him presented more often, along with the fact that he's probably one of the most demonized, villainized and caricaturized deities in the Media, to the point where he is a generic Big Bad type of guy.

Cronus has a lot of potential as a character due to his evolution, depth, complexity. The fact that many people don't see that in him is quite deplorable, especially considering that the Titanomachy is a relatively common subject among Greek Mythology Enthusiasts, and an ecranisation of it would be welcomed by everyone.

[thesorcerersapprentice]

✦ A L T A L U N A & V A L E R I A N O ✦ Research

INTRODUCTION: "Corresponding to the human metis in Homer and the animal metis in Oppian [the fox & the octopus], in Hesiod we find the goddess Metis, the daughter of Tethys and Oceanus […] She is the first wife of Zeus, the wife he takes to bed as soon as the war against the Titans is brought to an end and as soon as he is proclaimed king of the gods, and thus this marriage crowns his victory and consecrates his sovereignty as monarch. There would, in effect, be no sovereignty without Metis. Without the help of the goddess, without the assistance of the weapons of cunning which she controls through her magic knowledge, supreme power could neither be won nor exercised nor maintained." - Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society by Marcel Detienne and Jean-Pierre Vernant

HOW SHE HELPED ZEUS WIN THE THRONE (Part 1): "When Zeus was grown, he engaged Okeanos' (Oceanus') daughter Metis as a colleague. She gave Kronos (Cronus) a drug, by which he was forced to vomit forth first the stone and then the children he had swallowed." - Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 6 (trans. Aldrich) 

HOW SHE HELPED ZEUS WIN THE THRONE (Part 2): "Metis […] is the ‘foreseeing’ one who, knowing everything in advance, possesses that type of knowledge essential to anyone engaged in a battle whose outcome is still uncertain. Metis ‘knows more things than any god or mortal man." - Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society by Marcel Detienne and Jean-Pierre Vernant [Note: She is the foreseeing one because, by her cleverness, she is always three steps ahead, so to speak. She is not 'all-seeing' in the sense that she has a psychic ability to 'see' the future].

ZEUS TURNS ON METIS AND SUBSUMES HER GIFTS (Part 1): "Zeus, as king of the gods, took as his first wife Metis, and she knew more than all the gods or mortal people. But when she was about to be delivered of the goddess, gray-eyed Athene (Athena), then Zeus, deceiving her perception by treachery and by slippery speeches, put her away inside his own belly. This was by the advices of Gaia (Gaea, the Earth) and starry Ouranos (Uranus, the Sky), for so they counselled, in order that no other everlasting god, beside Zeus, should ever be given kingly position. For it had been arranged that, from her, children surpassing in wisdom should be born, first the gray-eyed girl, the Tritogeneia Athene . . . but then a son to be king over gods and mortals was to be born to her and his heart would be overmastering; but before this, Zeus put her away inside his own belly so that this goddess should think for him, for good and for evil." - Hesiod, Theogony 886 ff (Trans. Evelyn-White)

ZEUS TURNS ON METIS AND SUBSUMES HER GIFTS (Part 2): "Metis, inside Zeus’ belly, will make known to him everything that will bring him good or evil fortune.” - Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society by Marcel Detienne and Jean-Pierre Vernant

HOW SUBSUMED METIS HELPS ZEUS MAINTAIN POWER: “Forewarned of the danger that awaits him [the birth of a son that would supplant him on the throne], as his father was, he goes straight to the root of the evil […] Appropriating the wiles of Aphrodite, he treacherously seduces his wife with caressing words (haimulioisi logoisi), and having beguiled her wits by cunning (dolly phrase expatesas), he engulfs her within himself […] So this time Zeus was able to make the weapons which made the goddess invincible rebound against her, namely cunning, deceit and surprise attack. His victory eradicates forever from the course of time the possibility of any cunning trick which could threaten his power, by taking him by surprise. The sovereign Zeus is no longer, like Kronos or any other god, simply a deity who possesses metis [cunning]. He is metieta, the Cunning One, the standard gauge and the measure of cunning, the god himself becomes entirely metis." - Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society by Marcel Detienne and Jean-Pierre Vernant

CONCLUSION OR WHY ZEUS NEEDS METIS SO BADLY: In every confrontation or competitive situation - whether the adversary be a man, an animal or a natural force- success can be won by two means, either thanks to a superiority in ‘power’ in the particular sphere in which the contest is taking place, with the stronger gaining the victory; or by the use of methods of a different order whose effect is, precisely, to reverse the natural outcome of the encounter and to allow victory to fall to the party whose defeat had appeared inevitable. Thus, success obtained through mētis can be seen in two different ways. Depending on the circumstances, it can arouse opposite reactions. In some cases, it will be considered the result of cheating since the rules of the game have been disregarded. In others, the more surprise it provokes, the greater the admiration it will arouse, the weaker party having, against every expectation, found within itself resources capable of putting the stronger at his mercy. […] It [Mētis] is, in a sense, the absolute weapon, the only one that has the power to ensure victory and domination over others, whatever the circumstances, whatever the conditions of the conflict. - Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society by Marcel Detienne and Jean-Pierre Vernant

[hollowwhisperings]

Thank you for such an in depth response, I feel honored by it and that I was able to inspire you about the concepts and I agree. I had similar thoughts about the theming of Sora’s name and him being the void of space. Even had musings of how in primordial myths the heavens (sky) and the earth are considered the couple that brings about the first forms existence. Gaia and Ouranos and on the Egyptian mythos there was a love story of Geb (earth) and Nut (sky) although interesting enough geb and nut are kept separated by Ra (the sun).

But regardless, I’d say nomura is quite interesting and impressive to consistently yet subtly equate riku to that of deity so easily. Yes, I believe in riku being a dia in some sort. Probably kingdom hearts sending out an avatar to grow, or the king to kh reincarnated, or some other thing I can’t quite grasp right now but overall with the ending of the series hopefully not too much farther in our lifespan. This is why I enjoy reading and interacting with metas and theories especially about sora and riku and soriku because I said in a comment in a YouTube video that discussed the sleeping real theory and I said it feels like we have the right answers but just not forced into the right shape (a key perhaps 🫣) to unlock the final gate.

Riku has always had all those "subtle" visual shorthands used to denote super special celestia mystery powers (etc) but, like the Subtly OP antics of the Disneytowners (e.g. Donald casually casting the Boss-level spell 'Flare', Goofy tanking hits from Literal Deities with 1 shield & no apparent magic of his own), Riku looking "anime" gets brushed off as "standard JRPG aesthetic".

Naturally silver-haired youths in anime tend to be Plot-Relevant, typically having ☆Super Special Bloodlines☆, typically being Secret Royalty &/or related to Angels or Spirits.

(and it WAS suspiciously easy for Riku to just... BECOME Sora's Dream Eater, especially given what we know of the Chirithy spirits, their abilities to act as psychopomps, & whatever the Dream Eater crafting system in DDD may imply about Dream Eaters as a whole)

From what I can recall, the only naturally silver-haired characters original to KH are:

Riku

Ephemer

Xehanort (confirmed descendant of Ephemer)

Xemnas (Terranort)

Ienzo (taken in by the Always Sus Ansem the Wise, origins unknown)

From the Final Fantasy side of the crossovers, we have Setzer (who only appears in the DATA Daybreak Town, not the "real" one) and... Sephiroth.

For being such an "anime" JRPG, Kingdom Hearts is pretty sparing in its use of Anime Hair Colours. Aqua & Isa's blue hair aside, the colour palette is fairly "natural": pale blonds & yellows, oranges & pinks amongst the reds, browns & blacks. There aren't many characters old enough to have "grey" hair but the ones that do are ALSO fairly mysterious: Merlin, Fairy Godmother, Master Yen Sid, Zeus... Kairi's Mysteriously Knowledgable Grandmother (who i am, like, 75% convinced was a retired Princess of Heart). Even the "silver/white" House of Duck are all Very Suspicious: Donald is, canonically, the most powerful Black Mage of the FF franchise; Scrooge & Donald's Nephews casually worldhop for fun & profit as if they were Moogles or something.

So, yeah, even Riku's "anime boy" aesthetic is itself pretty Telling of Riku being Plot-Relevant. He's canonically part-spirit, after DDD, but his ability to do that at all IS unprecedented (just like his ability to Balance Light & Darkness within himself, like his Light being equated with the Sun, like his easy grasp on using Darkness...). Whatever the KH-universe equivalent of an "angel" may be, Ephemer & Riku seem closest to it. That Riku met JOSHUA (himself a kind of Gay Angel) in DDD does not seem at all a coincidence.

oh! there's also that whole [terra] sigil thing! Riku's costume/keyblade designs imcorporate it (i forget how) & THAT sigil is probably the in-universe namesake for Terra, the character. Rather than [earth] or [land], the [terra] sigil seems older & is likely referencing an "[original/first] earth" or mean "[land of origin]".

It makes me wonder whether Riku's parent/s were themselves Aware of Other Worlds? If he's a relative of Xehanort, it's plausible that Xehanort's Skuld-resembling mother learned about Xehanort's ending up at the Destiny Islands & their family possibly moving to the World in hopes of a reunion. Which... would mean they weren't just AWARE of Other Worlds but ALSO capable of traveling between them. This is probably going to Come Up in Missing Link.

[amcrist]

"At the beginning there was only Khaos (Chaos, the Chasm) [Air], Nyx (Night), dark Erebos (Erebus, Darkness), and deep Tartaros (the Pit). Ge (Gaea, Earth), Aer (Air) [meaning Aither, the upper air] and Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven) had no existence. Firstly, black-winged Nyx (Night) laid a germless egg in the bosom of the infinite deeps of Erebos (Darkness), and from this, after the revolution of long ages, sprang the graceful Eros [the primordial Eros] with his glittering golden wings, swift as the whirlwinds of the tempest. He mated [or fertilised] in deep Tartaros (the Pit) with dark Khaos (Chaos) [Air], winged like himself, and thus hatched forth our race, which was the first to see the light. That of the Immortals did not exist until Eros had brought together all the ingredients of the world, and from their marriage Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven), Okeanos (Oceanus, the World-Stream), Ge (Gaea, Earth) and the imperishable race of blessed gods (theoi) sprang into being. Thus our origin is very much older than that of the dwellers in Olympos. We are the offspring of Eros; there are a thousand proofs to show it. We have wings and we lend assistance to lovers. How many handsome youths, who had sworn to remain insensible, have opened their thighs because of our power and have yielded themselves to their lovers when almost at the end of their youth, being led away by the gift of a quail, a waterfowl, a goose, or a cock."

Aristophanes, Birds 685 ff (trans. O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) :

[thrassa]

I feel terrible for correcting this but alas, it needs to be done.

The prophecy that claimed that a child of Zeus would challenge him and take his throne did not involve Athena, at least not directly. That would be her brother, who had not yet been conceived.

For the reference:

Hesiod, Theogony 886 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) :

"Now Zeus, king of the gods, made Metis (Wise Counsel) his wife first, and she was wisest among gods and mortal men. But when she was about to bring forth the goddess bright-eyed Athene, Zeus craftily deceived her with cunning words and put her in his own belly, as Gaia (Earth) and starry Ouranos (Heaven) advised. For they advised him so, to the end that no other should hold royal sway over the eternal gods in place of Zeus; for very wise children were destined to be born of her, first the maiden bright-eyed Tritogeneia, equal to her father in strength and in wise understanding; but afterwards she was to bear a son of overbearing spirit, king of gods and men. But Zeus put her into his own belly first, that the goddess might devise for him both good and evil."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 20 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

"Zeus slept with Metis, although she turned herself into many forms in order to avoid having sex with him. When she was pregnant, Zeus took the precaution of swallowing her, because she had said that, after giving birth to the daughter presently in her womb, she would bear a son who would gain the lordship of the sky. In fear of this he swallowed her. When it came time for the birth, Prometheus (or Hephaistos, according to some) by the river Triton struck the head of Zeus with an axe, and from his crown Athena sprang up, clad in her armour."

Given the societal context of the myth, it would make no sense for the child of the prophecy to have been Athena as it followed a vicious cycle of having three generations of the youngest son defeating the father and taking his place (Ouranos - Kronos, Kronos - Zeus, Zeus - unnamed child with Metis). But Zeus broke that circle as stability had already been achieved within the realm (with the power being divided between the three brothers in an equal manner related to their birthright).

Also, if the prophecy had been intended for Athena, then she would have overthrown him. It is not common for prophecies to fall through - and not to the degree that it would have with Athena (her being his most beloved child, and all, and yes, I'm saying that with full acknowledgement of the way she conspirated with Hera during the Iliad).

Ps. Of course she was a very strong, complex deity, that's not up for debate, I just thought I'd mention that small thing.

I am surprised no one mention the "feminism" potential of Athena. What I mean is, is that there was literally a prophecy that a child of Zeus will defeat him and he thought it was gonna be a man but nope the Ancient Greeks did the surprising thing and had the child being a woman. No only that her birth was badass, she in full armor ready for battle.

Athens got the name after her when she defeated Poseidon with her wits and cunning, she's considered as strong as Zeus and is respected and had a large role in Olympus politics and decisions alike other women Olympians (Hera is the exception as the queen) .

I don't know how she flew the radar of many authors trying so desperately to debate on Ancient Greek feminism characters that they forget to mention Athena 😅

Athena is a badass deity! I am kinda glad she flew under the radar so far 😂

[teethands]

shoutout to the stygi that saved my ass countless times during my ff1 playthrough and also beat dynal and guhnash as the last vivosaur standing. im proud of her

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Hello there! Same person from the last ask, I hope its not too much of a bother, but I was wondering If I could get your opinion on this if thats okay! Though I understand if not :)

quite a couple years ago I began worshipping a deity (Hellenic paganism) and I did a couple of prayers and offerings. I stepped back for a few years until recently.

The prayers I did were more of the moment on my mind and since it was a long time ago, I don’t particularly remember what I said and i’m worried if I accidentally said “I vow” at all (came from a catholic family) though at the time i figure it just meant promise. This is all on me considering I was real young and should’ve researched! I cannot confirm if i DID say that at all, so I was wondering:

In your opinion: How would I go about figuring that out if I DID? How would I ask my deity if I did promise anything? (since i don’t remember at all!)

Would I be able to explain to my deity what happened? I understand Deities are patient and understanding of mistakes but want to be respectful as possible and I’m constantly trying to learn!

Thank you so so much!

Alright, thank you so much for coming back with some more information! I'm happy to give my two cents. I'll go ahead and address your questions:

How would you go about figuring that out if you did? Well, divination is a little wonky sometimes, but you can try almost any form to get an answer. I know a few folks who reach out to deities via divination (for a price, of course; pay your diviners) if you're worried that you're "too close" to the issue to read for yourself.

Would you be able to explain to the deity about what happened? Yeah, probably! Most Greek deities are pretty understanding about the whole "forgetful mortal" thing.

As for if "I vow" counts as an oath, I do not personally believe so. Oaths taken in Hellenism often include the invocation of the River Styx or Zeus himself.

Examples from theoi.com's page on Styx:

It was particularly Homer who introduced the name of Styx to poetry; in Hera's oath he writes : ‘Witness this earth, witness this heaven and the down-dropping water of the Styx.’ [Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 17. 6 - 8 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.)]

"[Hypnos (Hypnus), the god of sleep, insists Hera seal her pledge to him by an oath on the Styx :] ‘Come then! Swear it to me on Styx' ineluctable water. With one hand take hold of the prospering earth, with the other take hold of the shining salt sea, so that all the undergods who gather about Kronos may be witnesses to us.’" [Homer, Iliad 14. 271 ff (trans. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.)]

"[Hera addresses Zeus :] ‘Now let Gaia (Gaea, Earth) be my witness in this, and wide Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven) above us, and the dripping water of the Styx, which oath is the biggest and most formidable oath among the blessed immortals.’" [Homer, Iliad 15. 35]

So...you're probably in the clear, but it's also probably a good move to reach back out to the deity and be like "Hey, we chill?" Probably won't hurt.

~Jasper

[zestyderg]

A little paraloph, requested by @lady-aries-wolfy

[luminouslumity]

I believe Nonny is referring to this!

"Zeus, as king of the gods, took as his first wife Metis, and she knew more than all the gods or mortal people. But when she was about to be delivered of the goddess, gray-eyed Athene (Athena), then Zeus, deceiving her perception by treachery and by slippery speeches, put her away inside his own belly. This was by the advices of Gaia (Gaea, the Earth) and starry Ouranos (Uranus, the Sky), for so they counselled, in order that no other everlasting god, beside Zeus, should ever be given kingly position. For it had been arranged that, from her, children surpassing in wisdom should be born, first the gray-eyed girl, the Tritogeneia Athene . . . but then a son to be king over gods and mortals was to be born to her and his heart would be overmastering; but before this, Zeus put her away inside his own belly so that this goddess should think for him, for good and for evil."—Hesiod, Theogony 886 ff

TLDR, the reason Zeus ate Metis was because of a prophecy that stated a son would overthrow him someday. He (and Poseidon) gave up on Thetis and married her off to Peleus for the same reason.

It may be a strange question, but what would the unborn child of Metis and Zeus have been like if he had been born?

Uhm, but that child is Athena, isn't it? (😥 I'm geninously confused). But I suppose if Zeus wouldn't have swallowed Metis, and the child was a boy, would be like a male-Athena?

[percabeth4life]

Mythconception Ask Game: Maybe the birth of Athena? I've wondered how Zeus got around the prophecy, for instance, and it seems weird overall.

Okay so Athena’s birth is something really interesting. 

Athena was born shortly after the prophecy was given, which everyone knows, what I see commonly said about her though is that she is the prophecy child, and this is not the case.

There are two parts listing the Prophecy

Hesiod, Theogony 886 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) : "Now Zeus, king of the gods, made Metis (Wise Counsel) his wife first, and she was wisest among gods and mortal men. But when she was about to bring forth the goddess bright-eyed Athene, Zeus craftily deceived her with cunning words and put her in his own belly, as Gaia (Earth) and starry Ouranos (Heaven) advised. For they advised him so, to the end that no other should hold royal sway over the eternal gods in place of Zeus; for very wise children were destined to be born of her, first the maiden bright-eyed Tritogeneia, equal to her father in strength and in wise understanding; but afterwards she was to bear a son of overbearing spirit, king of gods and men. But Zeus put her into his own belly first, that the goddess might devise for him both good and evil."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 20 : When she was pregnant, Zeus took the precaution of swallowing her, because she had said that, after giving birth to the daughter presently in her womb, she would bear a son who would gain the lordship of the sky.

The child fated to be born was to be the one after Athena, not Athena herself. This is specifically stated in the prophecy.

Now, there are two possibilities for how he “got around the prophecy”.

1. By swallowing Metis (and some myths state that he absorbed her) she is no longer able to have a child, ergo there is no possibility of another child after Athena, and thus there is no prophecy child there.

2. Apollo is the next boy child born after Athena (Aphrodite is born next (depending on the myth) and then Artemis and Apollo) and ergo is the child of the prophecy. Many consider him to be Zeus’ heir, as he is the dearest child of Zeus and the Greeks considered him to be one of the most important Gods (alongside Zeus himself).

Callimachus, Hymn 4 to Delos 51 ff : And thou didst not tremble before the anger of Hera, who murmured terrible against all child-bearing women that bare children to Zeus, but especially against Leto, for that she only was to bear to Zeus a son dearer even than Ares.

It’s also notable that Apollo holds the epithet Loxias, which means the interpreter or prophet of Zeus. And he is one of the few (Zeus being one) who can see the Fates of others.

All these factors combine such that Apollo is viewed as the heir of Zeus by many, and as such is the one the prophecy would speak of, and Zeus has willingly declared it such (ensuring that the prophecy is turned in his favor, as Apollo is loyal to Zeus and Zeus favors him).

Hope that explains the mythconception with Athena and the prophecy :)

[divinationsanctuary19]

9 Metageitniōn| Μεταγειτνιών (Attic Calendar) - 14th of August/ 20th-24th of August

Helios (Ἡλιος), The Muses (Μουσαι) and Rhea (Ρεια, Μητηρ Θεων)

The Muses are: Melpomene the Muse of tragedy held a tragic mask, Thaleia Muse of comedy a comedy mask, Terpiskhore Muse of dance a lyre, Kalliope the Muse of epic poetry a lyre, Kleio the Muse of history a stylus and scroll, Polymnia the Muse of hymns a veil and pensive pose, Ourania the Muse of astronomy a globe, Erato the Muse of erotic poetry a lyre, and Euterpe the Muse of lyric poetry a flute.

Hesiod, Theogony 1 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) :

"Of the Mousai Helikoniades (of Helikon) let us begin to sing, who hold the great and holy mount of Helikon, and dance on soft feet about the deep-blue spring and the altar of the almighty Kronion [Zeus], and, when they have washed their tender bodies in Permessos [stream of Helikon] or in the Hippokrene (Horse's Spring) or Olmeios [stream of Helikon], make their fair, lovely dances upon highest Helikon and move with vigorous feet"

Rhea, Mater Megala

Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 19 (trans. Celoria) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

"In Krete there is said to be a sacred cave full of bees. In it, as storytellers say, Rhea gave birth to Zeus; it is a sacred place an no one is to go near it, whether god or mortal. At the appointed time each year a great blaze is seen to come out of the cave. Their story goes on to say that this happens whenever the blood from the birth of Zeus begins to boil up. The sacred bees that were the nurses of Zeus occupy this cave."

Ἡλιος

HELIOS (Helius) was the Titan god of the sun, a guardian of oaths, and the god of sight. He dwelt in a golden palace in the River Okeanos (Oceanus) at the far ends of the earth from which he emerged each dawn, crowned with the aureole of the sun, driving a chariot drawn by four winged steeds. When he reached the the land of the Hesperides in the far West he descended into a golden cup which bore him through the northern streams of Okeanos back to his rising place in the East.

Homeric Hymn 31 to Helius (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th - 4th B.C.) :

"Glowing Helios (Sun) whom mild-eyed Euryphaessa (Wide Shining), the far-shining one, bare to [Hyperion] the son of Gaia (Gaea, Earth) and starry Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven). For Hyperion wedded glorious Euryphaessa, his own sister, who bare him lovely children, rosy-armed Eos (the Dawn) and rich-tressed Selene (the Moon) and tireless Helios (Helius, the Sun) who is like the deathless gods."

[piristephes]

The 5th lunar day, to the Eumenides/Kindly Ones.

The 5th lunar day, as all lunar days ending in 5, is dedicated to the Kindly Ones. They were midwives to Eris, the Goddess of Strife, and assisted the birth of Horkos, the daimon/god who punishes the oath-breakers.

Hesiod, Works and Days 218 ff : "The better path is to go by on the other side towards justice; for Dike (Justice) beats Hybris (Outrage) when she comes at length to the end of the race. But only when he has suffered does the fool learn this. For Horkos (Horcus, Oath) keeps pace with wrong judgements."

Hesiod, Works and Days 804 ff : "Beware of all the fifth days [of the month]; for they are harsh and angry; it was on the fifth, they say, that the Erinyes (Furies) assisted at the bearing of Horkos (Horcus, Oath), whom Eris (Strife) bore, to be a plague on those who take false oath."

At Haliartos there is in the open a sanctuary of the goddesses they call Praxidikai (Those who Exact Punishments) [the Erinyes]. Here they swear, but they do not make the oaths rashly. The sanctuary of the goddesses is near Mount Tilphousios."  (Pausanias, Description of Greece)

 Make no empty promises today, philloi (friends), honour the things you say.  Also a good day to demand justice to the Gods if you have been wronged in any way and to pray to the Semnae - The Holy Ones, another euphemistic title to the Furies.

I found a quote that was rather lovely about a family who was in charge of priesthood towards Them:

Callimachus, Fragment 123 (from Scholiast on Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 489) (trans. Trypanis) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) : "And evermore to burn for them [the Eumenides] honey-sweet cakes is the duty of the sober priestesses, the Hesykhides (Hesychides, Of the Quiet, Of the Still)." [N.B. The descendants of the Athenian hero Hesykhos (Hesychus) were encharged with the priesthood of the Eumenides.] 

 Honey-cakes were really common offerings to the Gods back then. There are a lot accounts of Them receiving goat meat and wine as offerings too. Likely done in a chthonic manner, which means you take no part of what’s being offered and pour it on the ground/burn it all/bury it.

Pausanias, Description of Greece 10. 38. 8 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : "[Myonia, Lokris] has a grove and an altar of the Meilikhioi (Gracious Gods) [the Erinyes]. The sacrifices to the Meilikhioi are offered at night, and their rule is to consume the meat on the spot before sunrise."

 They are punishers of evil-doers, inflicters of madness, guardians and oathkeepers, powerful and fearful Goddesses, described to be either daughters of Night (Nyx) or born out of the blood of Ouranos. If you wanna know a bit more about them, Theoi has a bit about their worship throughout Greece and you may also read the Oresteia, which tells the story of Orestes, the son of Agamemnon and Klytaimnestra.

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 34. 1 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : "[Near Megalopolis in Arkadia] is a sanctuary of goddesses. They call the goddesses themselves, as well as the district around the sanctuary, Maniai (Maniae, Madnesses). In my view this is a surname of the Eumenides [Erinyes]; in fact they say that it was here that madness overtook Orestes as punishment for shedding his mother's blood. Not far from the sanctuary is a mound of earth, of no great size, surmounted by a finger made of stone; the name, indeed, of the mound is the Tomb of the Finger. Here, it is said, Orestes on losing his wits bit off one finger of one of his hands [in his Erinys-driven madness]. Another sanctuary called Ake (Remedies) because in it Orestes was cured of his malady. Near to the place called Ake is another . . ((lacuna)) a sanctuary called . . ((lacuna) because here Orestes cut off his hair on coming to his senses. Here too it a sanctuary of the Eumenides. The story is that, when these goddesses were about to put Orestes out of his mind, they appeared to him black; but when he had bitten off his finger they seemed again to be white and he recovered his senses at the sight. So he offered a sin-offering to the black goddesses to avert their wrath, while to the white deities he sacrifices a thank-offering. It is customary to sacrifice to the Kharites (Charites, Graces) [perhaps the Semnai] also along with the Eumenides. Historians of Peloponnesian antiquities say that what Klytaimnestra's (Clytemnestra's) Erinyes did to Orestes in Arkadia took place before the trial at the Areopagos; that his accuser was not Tyndareus, who no longer lived, but Perilaos, who asked for vengeance for the mother's murder in that he was a cousin of Klytaimnestra."

 I wanted to make this post because I recently found out that I was born on a their day. Quite an ominous one, but as always, the Gods of the Underworld are portrayed as some of the scarier forces of the Cosmos - which makes it easy to understand why people are nervous to get in touch with some of Them - but that doesn’t mean that the Theoi Khthonioi are less honourable in any way. They are just as necessary to the world as the other Gods are, and you may always honour Them just as much. Hekate, Hermes Chthonios, The King and the Queen, along with the Kindly Ones, are all well-deserving of praise for their role in the universe.

May their fiery wrath strike only the deserving and keep us safe from any evil!

 Errosthe (Be strong/healthy!)

[hermesmoly]

Well we do have this:

Hesiod, Theogony 459 ff :

"For he [Kronos (Cronus)] learned from Gaia (Gaea, Earth) and starry Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven) that he was destined to be overcome by his own son, strong though he was, through the contriving of great Zeus. Therefore he kept no blind outlook, but watched and swallowed down his children: and unceasing grief seized Rhea. But when she was about to bear Zeus, the father of gods and men, then she besought her own dear parents, Gaia and starry Ouranos, to devise some plan with her that the birth of her dear child might be concealed, and that retribution might overtake great, crafty Kronos for his own father and also for the children whom he had swallowed down. And they readily heard and obeyed their dear daughter, and told her all that was destined to happen touching Kronos the king and his stout-hearted son. So they sent her to Lyetos (Lyettus), to the rich land of Krete (Crete), when she was ready to bear great Zeus, the youngest of her children."

Considering Kronos was the King it was cool for both of them to help Rhea. I wouldn’t call her a favorite though since her plight was pretty harsh and a normal parent would have helped her.

We don’t really have much Uranus’ myths, and most of the depictions of him as a father is a cruel one (at least towards the Cyclops and Hecatoncheires) but, I would like to share something I found on his wikipedia page.

“Daughter of Uranos” yeah His favorite is Themis to me

I'm wondering if the close yet problematic father-daughter type of relationship is something present in each divine generation. We know that Cronus's favourite child was Hera and that Zeus' favourite child was Athena, so what if Ouranos' favourite child was Rhea?