ELED 8 MIDTERMS earth due to his castration, emerged the Giants,

the Meliae (the Ash Tree Nymphs), and the

1. The Creation (GAEA) Erinyes (the Furies). From the sea foam that
was produced when his genitals fell into the
In the beginning, there was only Chaos, the
ocean, arose Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty.
gaping emptiness. Then, either all by
Cronus Devouring His Children (A New
themselves or out of the formless void, sprang
Ruler)
forth three more primordial deities: Gaea (Earth),
Cronus became the next ruler. He imprisoned
Tartarus (the Underworld), and Eros (Love).
the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires in Tartarus
Once Love was there, Gaea and Chaos – two
and set the dragoness Campe to guard them.
female deities – were able to procreate and
He married his sister, the Titaness Rhea, who
shape everything known and unknown in the
bore him five children. However, Gaea and
universe.
Uranus had both prophesied that Cronus would
The Children of Chaos and Gaea
eventually be overthrown by one of his sons. So
Chaos gave birth to Erebus (Darkness) and Nyx
much like his father, Cronus maltreated his
(Night). Erebus slept with his sister Nyx, and out
children, devouring each of them at the time of
of this union Aether, the bright upper air, and
birth. Rhea was distressed by Cronus’ treatment
Hemera, the Day, emerged. Afterward, feared by
of her children and, just like Gaea before him,
everyone but her brother, Night fashioned a
plotted against her husband. On the advice of
family of haunting forces all by herself. Among
her mother, when it was time to give birth to her
others, her children included the hateful Moros
sixth child, Rhea hid herself on Crete, leaving
(Fate), the black Ker (Doom), Thanatos (Death),
the new-born child to be raised by the nymphs of
Hypnos (Sleep), Oneiroi (Dreams), Geras (Old
the island. To conceal her act, she wrapped a
Age), Oizus (Pain), Nemesis (Revenge), Eris
stone in swaddling clothes and passed it off as
(Strife), Apate (Deceit), Philotes (Sexual
the supposed baby to Cronus, who, unaware of
Pleasure), Momos (Blame), and the Hesperides
her intentions, swallowed it yet again.
(the Daughters of the Evening).
The Return of Zeus
Gaea and Uranus
The child was Zeus. Raised by the nymphs
Meanwhile, Gaea gave birth to Uranus, the
Adrasteia and Ida, and the she-goat Amalthea,
Starry Sky. Uranus became Gaea's husband,
he quickly grew into a handsome youth in a cave
surrounding her from all sides. Together, they
on the Cretan Mount Ida. When the time came,
produced three sets of children: the three one-
he left Crete to ask his future wife, the Titaness
eyed Cyclopes, the three Hundred-Handed
Metis (Wisdom), for an advice on how to defeat
Hecatoncheires, and the twelve Titans.
Cronus. She answered by preparing a drink
The Castration of Uranus
indistinguishable from Cronus’ favorite wine but
However, Uranus was a cruel husband and an
designed to make him vomit for ages. Zeus
even crueler father. He hated his children and
disguised himself as the gods’ cupbearer and,
didn’t want to allow them to see the light of day.
after a while, successfully slipped Metis’ drink to
So, he imprisoned them into the hidden places
Cronus. The plan worked perfectly: Cronus
of the earth, Gaea's womb. This angered Gaea,
started vomiting and spilled out all of Zeus’ five
and she plotted with her sons against Uranus.
siblings, but only after throwing up the stone.
She made a harpe, a great adamant sickle, and
Called Omphalos, or the Navel, the stone was
tried to incite her children to attack Uranus. All
later set up at Delphi by two eagles Zeus sent to
were too afraid, except the youngest Titan,
meet at the center of the world. Overwhelmed
Cronus.
with gratitude, Rhea’s children – Hestia,
Cronus Revenge
Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon –
Gaea and Cronus set up an ambush for Uranus.
recognized Zeus as their leader.
As he was preparing to lay with Gaea, Cronus
The Titanomachy (Gods vs Titans)
castrated him with the sickle, throwing his
However, Cronus was still in command – and yet
severed genitals into the ocean. It is unclear as
to be defeated. He was too old to protect himself
to what happened to Uranus afterward; he either
from the attacks of his progeny, but he enlisted
died, withdrew from the earth, or exiled himself
the help of the faithful Titans, who also feared
to Italy. From the blood that was spilled on the
the new generation of gods. This led to a
decade-long war between the Titans and the
Olympians, remembered by generations hence
as the Titanomachy. Atlas became the Titans’
leader and led his armies to many victories. At
one point, it even seemed that Zeus would be
defeated. However, at the advice of Gaea, he
went to Tartarus and released the Cyclopes and
the Hecatoncheires. In gratitude, the Cyclopes
provided Zeus with his signature thunderbolt;
they also made a trident for Poseidon and a
helmet of invisibility for Hades. The tables had
turned.
The Winning Trick
However, as so many times before, the final
victory would not be the result of brute force, but
it would happen due to a cunning little trick,
possibly devised by Prometheus, who deserted
from the Titans’ army beforehand. Armed with
boulders, Hecatoncheires set an ambush for the
Titans. At the right time, Zeus retreated his
forces, drawing the Titans into the
Hecatoncheires’ trap. The Hundred-Handed
ones started raining down hundreds of boulders,
with such a fury that the Titans thought the
mountains were falling down upon them. They
ran away, and Zeus could finally consider
himself the King of the Universe.
Tartarus and Atlas
Zeus exiled the Titans who had fought against
him into Tartarus. He made an exception with
Atlas, though: being the leader of the opposing
force, he was punished to hold the universe on
his shoulders.
The Final Challenge (Zeus and Typhon)
Zeus’ power would be challenged on few
occasions afterward. Just after the Titanomachy,
his grandmother Gaea, outraged by the
imprisonment of her children, issued forth one
last child of her, the monstrous Typhon. He was
so fearsome that most of the gods fled the
second they saw him; however, Zeus didn’t
hesitate. He faced the monster and using the
power of his lightning bolts, he was able to
defeat it. Typhon was subsequently buried under
Mount Etna in Sicily.
They say that you can still hear him growling
under the volcano. And that someday in the
distant future, he will return to challenge Zeus
once again.
The Creation Sources
There’s no better place to read about the
Creation than Hesiod’s “Theogony,” a book
whose title can be literally translated as “The
Birth of the Gods.”
2. ROMAN MYTHOLOGY
3. NORSE MYTHOLOGY
NORSE MYTHOLOGY
 Scandinavian mythology
 collection of beliefs and stories shared by
Northern Germanic tribes.
 Orally transmitted
 the Viking Age (c. 790- c. 1100 CE)
CREATION STORY
In the beginning there was only two regions:
NIFLHEIM – Region of ice and mist and
MUSPELSHEIM – Region of fire and tremendous heat
The warm air from Muspellsheim gradually melted
Niflheim's ice. This gave existence to the Giant Ymir
and the entire race of other giants.
Audumla ,the cow, came from the frost. By licking
the ice, he created a man named Buri, whose
descendant would be the King of Gods and Men.
( Odin, Vili, and Ve )
Ask and Embla, the first man and woman, were
created by the gods from two tree trunks.
YGGDRASIL
In Norse cosmology, there is no more important
entity than Yggdrasil. When it dies, the myths tell us,
the whole world of the gods dies with it.
 Also known as World Tree
 It is a giant ash tree supporting the universe
 Its roots connect it with the Nine Worlds
THE NINE WORLDS
1. ASGARD – Land of the Gods
2. ALFHEIM – Land of the Elves/ Light Elves
3. VANAHEIM – Land of the Vanirs
4. MIDGARD – Land of the Humans
5. JOTUNNHEIM – Land of the Giants
6. MUSPELHEIM – Land of the Fire
7. SVARTALVHEIM – Land of the Dark Elves
5. JOTUNNHEIM – Land of the Giants
8. NIFLHEIM – Land of Ice and Mist
9. HELHEIM – Land of the Dead
……
1. ASGARD – Land of the Gods
 Asgard was the dwelling place of Aesir gods
6. MUSPELHEIM – Land of the Fire
 According to legends it is divided into 12 or
more realms, including:
 Valhall - the banquet hall of the gods and
warriors
 Folkvang - Freya’s house, where she lives with
7. SVARTALVHEIM – Land of the Dark Elves
her own hand-picked warriors (who are more
honorable and less bloodthirsty than those
who live in Valhall).
 Bilskirne - Thor’s house
 Breidablik - Baldur’s house
2. ALFHEIM – Land of the Elves/ Light Elves
 gracious realm of light and beauty
8. NIFLHEIM – Land of Ice and Mist
 Freyr - the god of rain and fertility ruled
Alfheim
 The elves are also described as being
luminous and more beautiful than the sun
3. VANAHEIM – Land of the Vanirs
 Its inhabitants are the Vanirs, who are the
9. HELHEIM – Land of the Dead
sister race to the Aesir of Asgard
 Masters of sorcery and magic.
 They are also widely recognized for their
talent to predict the future
4. MIDGARD – Land of the Humans
 also called Manna-Heim meaning "Home of
Man”
 It is the Middle Earth, the abode of mankind,
YGGDRASIL WELLS
made from the body of the first created
being, the giant Ymir.
 The Gods killed Ymir and his flesh became the
land, his blood the oceans, his bones the
mountains, his teeth the cliffs, his hair the
trees, and his brains (blown over the earth)
became the clouds.
 His skull was held up by four dwarfs, Nordri,
Sudri, Austri, and Vestri, and became the
dome of the heavens.
 The sun, moon, and stars were made of
scattered sparks that were caught in the skull.
 Is located in the East, a snowy region on the
outermost shores of the ocean.
 Its inhabitants are called Jutons meaning
giants
 Ruled by Thrym - the lord of frost girant
 Also known as Muspell
 A hot, bright, glowing land in the south
 Guarded by Surt, the fire giant.
 Also called as Nidavellir meaning low fields or
Dark Fields
 The dwarves are master smiths and craftsmen
who live beneath the ground.
 It most likely imagined as a labyrinthine,
underground system of mines and forges.
 The cold, dark, misty world of the dead
 Ruled by Hel, the goddess of death
 In some accounts it was the last of nine
worlds, a place into which evil men passed
after reaching the region of death.
 means "House of Hel"
 It is located under Hverghjelme Well
 Everyone who died outside of battle gets sent
here, regardless of how good/bad they were
when they were alive
 But criminals would be put in Nåstrand, a
house by the corpse river.
 Mime's well
o Mímisbrunnr
o Mime’s Well in Jotunheim.
o It is guarded by the wise god Mimir,
who got beheaded but his head is still
there giving advice to gods.
o This place is also where Odin
sacrificed his eye for wisdom
  Urd's well demons and giants, ending in the death of
o Urðarbrunnr the gods.
o Urd’s well in Asgard, which is tended  After Ragnarök , the world tree, though badly
by three norns shaken, was to be the source of new life and
o Urd, Verdande, and Skuld (goddesses the cycle continues.
of Fate).
o In the well lives two golden swans.
o The water here is so pure and holy
that it prevent Yggdrasil from
withering.

 Hverghjelme well
o a well in Niflheim.
o "Boiling hot spring"
o The first well to exist in the cosmos
o Nidhogg
OTHER CREATURES/ FEATURES
 At the very top of the tree, there’s a golden
eagle by the name of Vidofnir, and between
his eyes sits the hawk, Verfolne. The pair
looks out towards the world.

 Bifrost – located in Asgard, is a rainbow

bridge and it is the only way to get to the
other worlds. It is guarded by Heimdall, from
his home in Himmelberget.it
 Heimdall - the watchman of the gods
o A god of keen eyesight and hearing
who stood ready to sound the
Gjallarhorn at the beginning of
Ragnarök.

 The dragon Nidhogg bites on the root in the

hopes of one day killing Yggdrasil and the
world(s) with it. This dragon lives on
Hverghjelme Well.
 RATATOSK - a squirrel who runs up and down
the world tree to carry gossip and insults
between the eagles above and the dragon
Nighogg

4. JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY
HIGHLIGHT

 Ragnarok is a series of events and

catastrophes that will ultimately lead to the 5. CHINESE MYTHOLOGY
end of the world. Ragnarök culminates in a Dragon and the Egg
final battle between the gods and the (Chinese Mythology)

Chinese Mythology
 It is a rich and fascinating part of the
culture of China.
 It is also filled with other supernatural
beings and events.
 It is a collection of stories, legends, and
beliefs that have been passed down
through the generations, and it offers a
unique glimpse into the religious beliefs
and values of the Chinese people.
 One of the most interesting things about
Chinese mythology is the Gods and
Goddesses that appear in the stories.
 The concept of Yin and Yang, which
represents the balance of opposing forces
in the universe, is also an important part of
Chinese mythology.
Four Symbols
 Azure dragon (EAST) - Life and imperial
power
 Vermillion bird (SOUTH) - Happiness and
bliss
 White tiger (WEST) - Power, fortune,
marriage
 Black tortoise (NORTH) - Stability,
restraint, longevity
Prominent Chinese Myths
 THE BATTLE OF THE GODS AND
DEMONS: This myth describes how the
gods and demons fought against each other
in a great battle. The god Nü wa eventually
used her powers to create a new order and
end the chaos.
 THE FOUR LEGENDARY CREATURES:
These tales describe four powerful
creatures that were known to be the
protectors of the four cardinal directions.
The White Tiger of the West, the Azure
Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of
the South, and the Black Turtle of the North
were all said to have incredible strength
and wisdom.
 THE GREAT FLOOD: The Great Flood of
Gun-Yu, also known as the Gun-Yu myth,
was a major flood in ancient China that
allegedly continued for at least two
generations, resulting in population
displacements and other disasters such as
storms and famine. It is traditionally dated
to the third millennium BCE during the
reign of Emperor Yao.
 THE JOURNEY TO THE WEST: This tale
describes the epic journey of the monk
Xuanzang and his three disciples, who set
out to retrieve the sacred scriptures from
India. Along the way, they faced many
dangers and challenges, including fighting
against demons and monsters.
 PANGU AND CREATION: According to
Chinese mythology, the universe was
created when the God Pangu cracked open
the egg he was sleeping in, releasing Yin
and Yang which then formed the sky and
earth. Pangu used his hands and feet to
hold them in place, creating the universe as
we know it. This myth explains the duality
of the universe and the balance of light and
dark forces.
Pangu
 He is a Chinese deity who is attributed to
the origin of the earth.
 He is believed to be the god of the universe.
 He is believed to be a two-horned, hairy
god who single-handedly created the
earth’s form with his tools and axe.
 He lived alone in the universe for 18000
years while chiseling the earth to its
current form.
Dragon and the Egg
At the beginning of time, the universe
consisted only of dark chaos, in the form of a
cosmic egg. Within the egg lay a sleeping giant
named Pangu. One day, Pangu awoke and
stretched, causing the egg to split open.
After Pangu emerged, the light, pure parts
of the egg became the sky that everyday rise ten
feet higher or known as the Yang; while the heavy
parts become the Earth that grow ten feet thicker
every day, or known as the Yin. This separation of
the Earth and sky marked the beginning of Yin and
Yang, the two opposing forces of the universe.
Already gigantic in size, Pangu grew 10 feet
taller each day. This went on for 18 000 years, and
as Pangu become taller, he pushed the Earth and
sky farther apart because he was scared that chaos
would once again come back together.
Pangu became exhausted from his work of
creation for 18000 years. He fell asleep and died.
The parts of his body were transformed into
different features of the world; his breath becomes
wind and clouds, voice to lightning and thunder,
eyes to sun and moon, limbs to mountains, blood
to rivers and seas, skin to plants, veins to roads
and paths, muscle to fields, bones and teeth to
stone and minerals, hair on his head to stars, hair
on his body to vegetation, and his sweat becomes
rain.
OTHER DETAILS:
 One version states that Pangu had help
from the Turtle, the Qilin, the Phoenix, and
the Dragon in creating the world.
 Some also say that parasites on his body
became humans, while others say that the
goddess Nuwa created humans.
 Pangu is depicted as a dwarf (even though
he was a giant) that was covered in hair,
bearskin, or leaves. Horns on his head, with
either a chisel, hammer, or egg in his hand.
6. BRAHMANISM (HINDU MYTHOLOGY)
ORIGINS OF BRAHMANISM
Sir Monier Williams describes Brahmanism as a
Spiritual doctrine that identifies God with the
universe. Brahma is only the creator in the sense of
being, the first evolution of the one spirit, the
evolution from which all other evolutions have
proceeded. And according to him, Brahmanism is
rather a philosophy than a religion.
BRAHMANISM
Brahmanism (also known as Vedic Religion) is the
belief system that developed from the Vedas during
the Late Vedic Period (c. 1100-500 BCE) originating in
the Indus Valley Civilization after the Indo-Aryan
Migration c. 2000-1500BCE. It claims the supreme
being is Brahman, and its tenets influenced the
development of Hinduism.
BRAHMA is the Hindu creator god. He is also known
as the grandfather and as a later equivalent of
Prajapati, the primeval first God. In early Hindu
sources such as the Mahabharata, Brahma is
supreme in the triad of great Hindu gods which
includes Shiva and Vishnu. Brahma had several
wives, the most important of whom was a woman he
created named Sarasvati. After the Creation,
Sarasvati bore Brahma the four Vedas, or Holy books
of Hinduism, all branches of knowledge, music, ideas
such as Memory and Victory, the various types of
yoga, religious acts, speech, the Sanskrit language,
and the various units of measurement and time.
Brahma had many notable sons, including the Seven
Sages and the gods Kardama, Pancasikha, Vodhu and
Narada. The last named became the messenger
between gods and men.
VISHNU is a Hindu god, the Supreme God of
Vaishnavism (one of the three principal
denominations of Hinduism) and one of the three
supreme deities (Trimurti) of Hinduism. He is also
known as Narayana and Hari. As one of the five
primary forms of God in the Smarta tradition, he is
conceived as “the Preserver or the Protector” within
the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the divinity. Vishnu
is one of the most important gods in the Hindu
pantheon and, along with Brahma and Shiva, is
considered a member of the holy trinity (trimurti) of
Hinduism. He is the most important god of
Vaishnavism, the largest Hindusect. Indeed, to
illustrate Vishnu’s superior status, Brahma is, in some
accounts, considered to have been born from a lotus
flower which grew from Vishnu’s naval. A complex
character, Vishnu is the Preserver and guardian of
men (Narayana), he protects the order of things
(dharma) and, when necessary, he appears on earth
in various incarnations or avatars to fight demons.
SHIVA is the third God in the Hindu triumvirate. The
triumvirate consists of three gods who are
responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction
of the world. The other two gods are Brahma and
Vishnu. Brahma is the creator of the universe while
Vishnu is the preserver of it. The Hindu God Shiva
(Sanskrit: Auspicious One), or Siva, is one of the main
Deities of Hinduism, worshiped as the paramount
lord by the Saivite sects of India. Shiva is one of the
most complex gods of India, embodying seemingly
contradictory qualities. He is the destroyer and the
restorer, the great and ascetic the symbol of
sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the
wrathful avenger. The Hindu God Shiva was originally
known as Rudra, a minor deity addressed only three knows how the universe came into being and even
times in the Rig Veda. He gained importance after questions whether Brahman knows. Some Hindu
absorbing some of the characteristics of an earlier texts offer a more scientific explanation based on the
fertility god and became Shiva, part of the trinity, or evolution of primary elements from a single source.
trimurti, with Vishnu and Brahma. These accounts, and others, were written many
centuries ago in or around what we now know as
BRAHMAN is a Vedic Sanskrit word, and it is
India. They were not necessarily intended to be
conceptualized in Hinduism, states Paul Deussen, as
taken as literal scientific truth but are indicators of
the "creative principle which lies realized in the
the complexity and infinite nature of the universe.
whole world". Brahman is a key concept found in the
Vedas, and it is extensively discussed in the early BRAHMA THE CREATOR
Upanishads.
BRAHMA CREATED THE FOUR TYPES: GODS,
CREATION STORIES IN HINDUISM DEMONS, ANCESTORS, & MEN
What accounts of the origins of the universe are In the beginning, Brahma sprang from the cosmic
found in Hinduism? golden egg, and he then created good & evil and
light & dark from his own person. He also created the
HINDUISM is a religion with various Gods and
four types: gods, demons, ancestors, and men (the
Goddesses. According to Hinduism, three Gods rule
first being Manu). Brahma then made all living
the world. Brahma: the creator; Vishnu: the
creatures upon the earth (although in some myths
preserver and Shiva: the destroyer. Lord Vishnu did
Brahma's son Daksa is responsible for this). In the
his job of preserving the world by incarnating himself
process of creating, perhaps in a moment of
in different forms at times of crisis.
distraction, the demons were born from Brahma's
In Hinduism the universe is millions of years old. In thigh and so he abandoned his own body which then
line with the Hindu belief in reincarnation, the became Night. After Brahma created good gods he
universe we live in is not the first or indeed the last abandoned his body once again, which then became
universe. For Hindus the universe was created by Day, hence demons gain the ascendancy at night and
Brahma, the creator who made the universe out of gods, the forces of goodness, rule the day. Brahma
himself. After Brahma created the world, it was the then created ancestors and men, each time again
power of Vishnu which preserved the world and abandoning his body so that they became Dusk and
human beings. As part of the cycle of birth, life and Dawn respectively. This process of creation repeats
death itis Shiva who will ultimately destroy the itself in every Aeon. Brahma then appointed Shiva to
universe. This is not necessarily as bad as it might rule over humanity although in later myths Brahma
sound because it allows Brahma to start the process becomes a servant of Shiva.
of creation all over again.
7. FILIPINO
EXAMPLES OF HOW THE ORIGINS OF THE UNIVERSE
ARE EXPLAINED IN HINDUISM INCLUDE:
Lotus flower grew from Lord Vishnu’s navel with
Brahma sitting on it. Brahma separated the flower
into three parts - the heavens, the Earth and the sky.
Out of loneliness, Brahma split himself into two to
create a male and female. From this male and female
all beings were created. Another story refers to life
coming from the cracking of an enormous egg, which
is the life from which the universe is born. The Hymn
of Creation from the Rig Veda concludes that nobody