Gaia

 **Gaia, the goddess of Earth** Compiled By: Erica Williams  
 * ** Gaia [GAY-ah] **
 * ** One of the primeval gods **
 * ** Goddess of Earth **
 * ** Created the sea, sky, and mountains **
 * ** Conceived Titans, Cyclopes, Hectaonchires, Erinyes, and Gigantes **
 * ** Saved Zeus **

 ** Greek Primeval Gods are the basic components of the universe like earth, sea, night and day. They are parents of the Titans and grandparents of the Olympian Gods. ** 

** Gaia (Roman Mythology: Tellus, or Terra) was one of primeval gods that first emerged at the dawn of creation. Gaia was born from Chaos, which was the great void of emptiness within the universe. She was known as the Mother Goddess, and personified the Earth. She was the mother of all: Pontus, the Sea, Uranus, the sky, and Ourea, the mountains. She gave birth to these three parthenogenetically. Gaia took her son Uranus as her husband. With Uranus, Gaia conceived the Titans, the Cyclopes, the Hecatonchires (three monsters), the Erinyes (spirits of punishment), and the Gigantes. **    <span style="font-size: 120%; color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: left;">** Gaia hid her children, the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, from Uranus within herself. Uranus was afraid of their great strength. As her children became more painful to bear, Gaia asked her son Cronus for help. She asked Cronus to castrate Uranus, severing the union between Earth and Sky, and also preventing more monstrous offspring. Cronus used an adamantine sickle made by Gaia to castrate Uranus. Cronus hid in Gaia until Uranus laid down with Gaia. When Uranus came close enough, Cronus pulled our his weapon and cut the genitalia from Uranus. The blood poured out of Uranus onto the Earth, thus creating the Erinyes, the Giants, and the Meliae. After the seperation from Uranus, Pontus fathered Gaia's next offspring. It is also said Gaia had offspring with her brother Tartarus. ** <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> ** Saving Zeus: ** <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">**Cronus was told that one of his children would depose him. To get rid of them, Cronus would have to swallow the child. After Zeus was born, Gaia saved Zeus from being swallowed by Cronus by tricking Cronus into eating a stone wrapped in clothes instead.**

<span style="display: block; color: #d236ec; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: center;">** Gaia was the prime element in which all gods were created. She has been worshiped throughout Greece, but has been declining as other gods have replaced her. Gaia's Family Tree Work Cited **