Erebus

In Greek mythology, Erebus (in ancient Greek Ἔρεβος Érebos, 'darkness', 'blackness' or 'shadow') was a primordial god, personification of the darkness and shadow, which filled all the nooks and crannies of the world. Its thick mists of darkness were said to encircle the edges of the world and fill the shadowy places beneath. Chaos himself had fathered both him and his sister Nix, Night, and from the union of the two brothers were born their daughters. opposites: Ether and Hemera. In the Orphic poems he is mentioned as Skotos or Escoto (Σκότος), born together with Poro and Tecmor, all of them born of two primordial gods: Time and Ananké. Authors Latinos attributed a large number of descendants to Erebus and Night, all winged, fatal and wandering, such as Thanatos, Hypnos, Eris, Moros or Geras, among many, but others had some redeeming quality, such as Eros, Eleos and Epiphron. He could also be the father of Ptonus and Charon, but no source has given us such filiation. Higino is the only author who believes that Darkness (Caligo) was the origin of everything.

Etymology

The word is probably Proto-Indo-European, *h₁reg^wos, cognate of several words:

• røkr(‘twilight’), in ancient Nordic
• riqis(‘oscurity’) in Gothic
• stripni (‘night’) in Sanskrit
• yerek(‘ayer’), yereko(‘tarde’), irikune, yerekoyan(’in the afternoon’) in Armenian
• orkäm (‘oscurity’) in tocario.

Another suggestion is a loan from Semitic, comp. with Hebrew ʕéreb (עֶרֶב) and Akkadian erebu ('sunset' or 'night', hence 'darkness'). The same etymology of 'sunset' has been suggested for Europe.

Description

Nix dragged the dark mists of Erebus across the skies bringing night to the world, while Hemera spread them bringing day. Nix blocked the light of the Aether (the bright, luminous upper air) and Hemera cleared the darkness allowing the Aether to illuminate the earth again. (Note that in ancient cosmogonies the source of day was considered to be the Aether or bright atmosphere and not the Sun.)

Since archaic times Erebus was part of Hades, the underworld (that is, the darkness of the chthonic world), and was even sometimes used as a synonym. He was the place through which the dead had to pass immediately after to pass away According to some later legends, Charon carried them across the Acheron River, and they entered Tartarus, the true underworld.

Offspring of Erebus

• Primordial (with Night)
  • Ether
  • Hemera (Day)
  • Eros
• Personalized abstractions (with Night)
  • The Afecto Pound (ιλοτης, Amicitia or Gratia)
  • The Alegría (#ροσυνη)
  • The Ardid (Δολος, Dolus)
  • La Burla (Missions μος, Complaint)
  • The Discordia, Discordia)
  • El Engaño (Áπατη, Fraus)
  • The Dreamers (OMHYLISH), Somnia)
  • The Fatigue (κονος, Labour)
  • The Fairy. Fatum)
  • Las Hespérides (ninfas del adecer)
  • Ker (Κηρ, Letum)
  • The Keres (Κηρες, Tenebrae)
  • The Fear (Δειμος, Metus)
  • The Moderation. (οφροσυνη, Continue)
  • Moiras or Plots (sisters of destination)
  • Death (origilia τος, Mors)
  • Némesis (NOεμεσις, Invidentia)
  • The Hate (Äτυch. Styx)
  • La Piedad (Ελεος, Mercy)
  • Prudence (Επιφρων)
  • The Sovereign (,βρις, Petulantia)
  • The Dream (,πνος, Somnus)
  • The Tozudez (Obstinate)
  • La Tristeza (MILITARY BODY, Miseria)
  • The old age (spoke in Spanish) Senectus)

Fonts

• Aristophanes, Birds
• Hesiod, Theogony