Nyx, Goddess of the Night

 

"The Goddess Nyx" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

Before the Olympians or Titans, there were the Primordials. The first beings who sprang directly from Chaos itself. These Primordials included Gaia (Earth), Eros (Love), Erebus (Darkness), Tartarus (the Pit), and Nyx (Night).

Hesiod portrayed Nyx as an evil being. He claimed that Nyx self-conceived a brood of children that included doom, misery, and deceit. However, she is also mother to the gods of sleep, dreams, and peaceful death. In conjunction with her brother, Erebus, she bore Aether (divine air) and Hemera (day). 

I'm one of those people who feel more alive at night. I've always been a night owl (my grandmother's term). I find it hard to believe that Nyx was a purely evil deity. A dark entity, yes, but not a purely evil one. I think she was seen as evil because in those days, it was dangerous to be out at night. Things ate you in the night. You could lose your way in the night. We learned to be wary of things that go bump in the night.

I used to write for a multi-character blogging community. Each of us wrote in the voice of one of the Greek gods. I wrote as the goddess Demeter, while another young woman wrote in the voice of Nyx. I loved the way the author portrayed the goddess. She wrote Nyx as someone who roamed through the seedier side of humanity, while maintaining her status as a most ancient deity. She was hard, cold, matter-of-fact. However, at the same time, she had a soft side. This young author brought Nyx to life, as both a hard-hearted demoness and a kind-hearted matron. It was magical.

In my mind, Nyx is a dual deity. She's hard when she has to be, but soft when needed. Her embrace can both terrify you and comfort you at the same time. She can give you peace in her realm or fear. It all depends on your actions.

As a kid of the 70s, I see Nyx as an old-school, retro superhero. She would have been badass, while still being that person you'd call when in trouble. I loved 1970s comic books, and she would have fit right in. I always had a thing for the darker characters. 

"Retro Nyx" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

I completely understand why she was seen as an evil entity. She wasn't just the ruler of the night; she was the night. The ancient Greeks believed she rode across the evening sky, her starry cloak flowing out behind her and blanketing the Earth. 

I've always felt like a child of the night. I'm more comfortable at night. I'm more inspired at night. My grandmother was the same way. I remember her always staying up late playing solitaire and drinking coffee. Perhaps we're descendants of Nyx. Now that would be cool.

What are your thoughts? Do you fear the night, or embrace it? Is Nyx an evil entity or just a mother watching over her clan? I'd love to know.

Until next time, my friends, I bid you a good Nyx.
Miss Chris!!!

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Christine Graves has been writing for more than 30 years. She runs several blogs including Priestess of Words, Collected Keepsakes, Promptly Creative, and Mystic Realms, all of which are part of her company, Graves Publications. She also writes for a platform called Medium.com, in which she runs a few publications.

When Serpents Surrounded the World

 

"Eve and the Serpent" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate". Genesis 3:13

I hate snakes. I think most people do, though there are a few out there who seem to think they're cool. My daughter is one of them. She has a rock python, and I have no desire to ever see it, let alone hold it. 

Snakes and serpents have made their way into almost every religion since the dawn of time. As someone who was raised in the Christian church, I've been taught the story of Eve and the Serpent in the Garden of Eden since childhood. But as I grew older, I realized that this was but one of many stories about snakes and serpents.

Greek mythology had two great serpents in its pantheon. Typhon and Python. Typhon was said to be the offspring of Gaia and Tartarus. A giant being whose only purpose was to cause chaos. It was said that Typhon battled with Zeus and was eventually thrown back into Tartarus and sealed beneath Mount Etna. 

Python was also a child of the mother goddess, Gaia. However, this creature was chased and killed by the god Apollo, which led to the establishment of the Oracle of Delphi. Though there are several versions of this myth, most claim that Python was sent to chase Leto, mother of both Apollo and Artemis, and keep her from giving birth to the twins. The name of Delphi was then known as Pythos, and the oracle was called a Pythia. 

Norse mythology also has two stories about large serpents. One is called Nidhogg and is thought to reside at the base of the world tree. It was believed that the creature gnawed on the roots of the tree of life and was seen as a representation of death itself.

The other Norse serpent was Jormungand, or the Midgard Serpent. Said to be a child of the trickster god, Loki and the giantess, Angrboda. The serpent had grown quickly after birth and was thrown into the sea. Soon, it grew so large that it encircled the entire Earth, biting onto its own tail. It was believed that the serpent would fight with the god Thor, bringing about the battle of Ragnarok.

"Thor and Jormundand by Frolich", published 1895, Wikimedia Commons

Not all snake deities are seen as evil. In both Buddhist and Hindu religions, a creature known as a Naga is seen as a guardian. Nagas are believed to be part human and part serpent and were depicted as having multiple serpentine heads. 

The ancient Aztecs worshipped a wind god called Quetzalcoatl: the feathered serpent. It was thought he would clear the way for the rain gods to come through. He was also seen as the god of merchants, the arts, and knowledge. He was greatly revered by the Aztec priests.

The Aboriginal Australians believe their creator god is a deity known as "The Rainbow Serpent". This deity is both a giver of life and the great destroyer. The title "Rainbow Serpent" was coined by an English anthropologist. However, most clans have their own names for the creator god.

The worship of snakes and serpents goes back to the dawn of time. A few of the stone pillars at the 12,000-year-old site of Gobekli Tepe depict snakes along with several other animal forms. Sir Arthur Evans discovered idols of a female priestess or deity holding snakes in her hands on Crete, and there is a rock in Thailand called The Great Snake Rock that looks eerily like a very large, petrified snake. 

"Minoan Snake Goddess" courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Myths and legends of serpents tell us that humans have had a love/hate relationship with this creature of millennia. They have twisted their way into our cultures and intertwined themselves into our lives. Though I'll never be a fan of these creatures, I have to admit that they've always been a part of our lives. 

~~~*~~~*~~~

Christine Graves has been writing for more than 30 years. She runs several blogs including Priestess of Words, Collected Keepsakes, Promptly Creative, and Mystic Realms, all of which are part of her company, Graves Publications. She also writes for a platform called Medium.com, in which she runs a few publications.