Gaia

Gaia, Mother Earth, the primordial goddess of the earth and grandmother of the gods. She plays the largest role of all the primordial gods in myth. Gaia was born for Chaos, along with her sisters Nyx and Ananke and brothers Chronos, Tartarus, Erebus and Aether. She alone created several beings. The monstrous dragon Python as well as the nymphs known as the Ourea. But most importantly, she created Ouranos and Pontus. With Pontus, she gave birth to the sea gods and goddesses Keto, Phorcys, Eurybia, Nereus and Thaumas. With Aether, she gave birth to the goddess Aergia. But it was her children with Ouranos who are the most well known. By Ouranos, she gave birth to first three Cyclopes (Brontes, Steropes and Arges) and the three Hundred-Handed Ones (Cottus, Briareos and Gyges). Fearing they would overthrow him, Ouranos threw them into the depths of Tartarus, much to Gaia's dismay. However, he didn't imprison their twelve most powerful children, the Titans. Gaia, to free her children and prevent other children from being born of her union with Ouranos, ordered her son Kronos to wait with a scythe. When Ouranos came down to the earth, Kronos ambushed him and castrated his father. From the blood shed on the ground rose the Gigantes (Giants), Erinyes (Furies) and the Meliae (Ash Tree Nymphs). From his genitals thrown into the sea rose Aphrodite. Castrated and humiliated, Ouranos never again came down to earth, but cursed his son that his child would betray him, just as Kronos had betrayed his father. Kronos took control as the King of the Gods and ruled with his brothers and sisters on Mount Othrys. He then imprisoned the Cyclopes and Hundred-Handed Ones in Tartarus once again, and Gaia prophecised that he would indeed be overthrown by his child as Ouranos had said. Gaia later had other children. With Posiedon, she mothered Antaeus and Charybdis. And with Tartarus she had Typhon who would one day seek to overthrow the gods.

Image: Sadness of Gaia by Josephine Wall

I'll write more about the other Primordial Gods later. But next, I'll be writing about the 12 Titans.