

It is not entirely clear which of the primordial gods was a “child” or “sibling” of Erebus. “Chaos,” “Darkness,” and “Light” would make up the world born of “Father Time.” This fragment is the only one that tells this story and speaks of the three as a clear metaphor for describing the nature of the universe in a scientific manner. An Orphic Fragment, possibly of a work by Hieronymus of Rhodes, describes Khaos, Erebus, and Aether as the three brothers born of the serpent Chronos (not to be confused with Cronus). While Erebus was the child of Chaos, Uranus was the child of Gaia. Chaos came to be at the same time as Gaia (the Earth), Tartarus (the Pit) and Eros (primordial Love). Chaos is the god of “the air,” or, more concisely, the gaps between the Heaven ( Uranus) and Earth. Unlike later Greek gods, the primordials were rarely gendered or given other human traits. The word is Proto-Indo-European and likely contributed to the Norse word “Rokkr” and the Gothic “Riqis.” Who Were the Parents of Erebus?Įrebus is a son (or daughter) of Chaos (or Khaos), the ultimate pinnacle of the Greek pantheon. The word “Erebus” means “darkness,” although the first recorded instance refers to the “forming a passage from Earth to Hades.” In this way the word appears to refer not to “absence of light” but the nothingness that is within the universe.

What Is the Etymology of the Word “Erebus”? Despite this, it is easy to believe there is something evil within the god, as the name is often used in replacement for Tartarus, or the underworld. Nor is the darkness they represent in any way evil or punishing. Is Erebus Good or Evil?Īs is true of all the primordial gods of Greek mythology, Erebus is neither good nor evil. However, many Greek writers would use Tartarus and Erebus interchangeably, as occurs in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Erebus should not be confused with Nyx, the goddess of night, nor Tartarus, the pit of nothingness. What Is Erebus the God Of?Įrebus is the primordial god of darkness, the complete absence of light. In this way, Erebus is often described as a place, rather than a being, and is given no personality. Erebus isn’t just a personification of darkness but is darkness itself. In Greek mythology, this means that they do not have a physical form, like Zeus or Hera, but exist as part of the entire universe. Is Erebus a God or Goddess in Greek Mythology?Įrebus is a primordial god. What Is the Etymology of the Word “Erebus”?.Is Erebus a God or Goddess in Greek Mythology?.
