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Chaos

(Encyclopedia)Chaos kāˈōs [key], in Greek religion and mythology, vacant, unfathomable space. From it arose all things, earthly and divine. There are various legends explaining it. In one version, Eurynome rose ...

Gaea

(Encyclopedia)Gaea jēˈə [key], in Greek religion and mythology, the earth, daughter of Chaos, both mother and wife of Uranus (the sky) and Pontus (the sea). Among Gaea's offspring by Uranus were the Cyclopes, th...

Muses

(Encyclopedia)Muses, in Greek religion and mythology, patron goddesses of the arts, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Originally only three, they were later considered as nine. Calliope was the Muse of epic poetry a...

Yggdrasill

(Encyclopedia)Yggdrasill ĭgˈdrəsĭl, yo͞ogˈ– [key], in Norse mythology, the great tree of the world. Its branches and roots extended through all the universe—the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. At ...

Ragnarok

(Encyclopedia)Ragnarok rägˈnərŏkˌ [key], in Norse mythology, the doom of the gods. According to prophecy the end of the world would follow a severe ice age, in which human civilization would be destroyed. Then...

Hecate

(Encyclopedia)Hecate hĕkˈətē, hĕkˈĭt [key], in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. Originally she seems to have been an extremely powerful and benevolent goddess, identified with ...

Elysian fields

(Encyclopedia)Elysian fields ĭlĭzhˈēəm [key], in Greek religion and mythology, happy otherworld for heroes favored by the gods. Identified with the Fortunate Isles or Isles of the Blest, Elysium was situated i...

Asgard

(Encyclopedia)Asgard ăsˈgärd [key], in Norse mythology, home of the gods, also known as Aesir. It consisted of luxurious palaces and halls, in which the gods (whose chief was Odin) dwelled, conferred, and banque...

Maia

(Encyclopedia)Maia māˈə, mīˈə [key]. 1 In Greek mythology, oldest of the Pleiades. She was the mother of Hermes by Zeus. 2 In Roman mythology, goddess of fertility; also called Maiesta. She was often identifi...

Morpheus

(Encyclopedia)Morpheus môrˈfēəs [key], in Greek and Roman mythology, god of dreams. The son of Hypnos (or Somnus), the god of sleep, he brought dreams of human forms. His brothers Phobetor and Phantasos induced...
 

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