Gaia
From God of War Wiki
"I am the Titan Gaia, ever present mother of Earth. I have watched you become a powerful warrior, and I have been with you through all the events of your life, but I can no longer simply watch. We will help you defeat Zeus." - Gaia
Contents |
[edit] Greek Mythology
In Greek mythology, Gaia (Γαîα) was the primal goddess personifying the earth. She was a primordial and chthonic ancient diety and was considered the Mother Goddess of all life. She was born of Chaos, arising as the everlasting foundation of the gods of Olympus. She created the god Ouranos, the starry sky, who was also her equal, to cover her, the hills, and the fruitless deep of the sea, Pontus. Together they created Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, and the Titans Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, and Phoebe of the golden crown, and Tethys. After them was born Cronos, the wily, youngest, and most terrible of her children, who hated his sire.
The first of her children were actually the giant one-eyed Cyclops: Brontes (thunderer), Steropes (lightning), and Arges (bright). After them were born the hideous hundred-handed Hecatonchires: Cottus, Briareos, and Gyges, each bearing 50 heads. Ouranos, disgusted by their appearance, hid the Cyclops and Hecatonchires in Tartarus so that they would not see the light, rejoicing in what he had done. This caused great pain to Gaia, so she created a grey flint and shaped a great flint sickle, gathering the Titanes together asking them to obey her.
Out of the Titanes, Cronos was the only one boldest enough to take the flint sickle and castrate his father as he approached Gaia to have intercourse with her. Cronos did this cruel deed and from the drops of blood and semen, Gaia brought forth more progeny, the strong Erinyes, the armored Giants, and the ash-tree Nymphs called the Meliae. From Ouranos’ testicles thrown into the sea came forth Aphrodite.
It was because of this that the Titans were given their name. “Titans” means “strainers”, for they strained and did presumptuously a fearful deed, for which vengeance would come afterwards. Since Ouranos was disposed by his own son, so too would Cronos in the future. The Cyclops were released from Tartarus, and Cronos was given kingship among the Titans, beginning the Golden Age of Mankind. Gaia and Ouranos would be separated for all time because of what Cronos had done. She gave birth to Echidna and Typhon by Tartarus. By Pontus, Gaia birthed the sea-dieties Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto, and Eurybia. Aergia, a goddess of sloth and laziness, was the daughter of Aether and Gaia.
Zeus had hidden Elara, one of his lovers, from Hera by hiding her under the earth. His son by Elara, the Giant Tityas, was therefore sometimes said to be the son of Gaia and Elara. Gaia also made the hero Aristaeus immortal. Gaia possess the powers of Conjuring The Elements, Regenration, Immortality, Invinciblety, Power Granting, and Projection.
Gaia was believed by some sources to be the original deity behind the Oracle at Delphi. She passed her powers on to, depending on the source, Poseidon, Apollo or Themis. Apollo was the best-known as the oracle power behind Delphi, long established by the time of Homer, having killed Gaia's child Python there and usurped the chthonic power. Hera punished Apollo for this by sending him to King Admetus as a shepherd for nine years.
In classical art Gaia was represented in one of two ways. In Athenian vase painting she was shown as a matronly woman only half risen from the earth, often in the act of handing the baby Erichthonius (a future king of Athens) to Athena to foster.
[edit] In the God of War Series
In the God of War series, Gaia is the narrator for all three games, but has only actually appeared in God of War II and God of War III. She was banished at the end of the Great War but helped Kratos in his quest for revenge. In return he set her free as well as the other Titans, beginning the second Great War with the gods.
[edit] Birth and Early Days
In the beginning, there was only darkness. This darkness was known as the deity Chaos. From Chaos came Nyx and together they created the world. Wishing to survey their work the Island of Creation was made where all life would begin. The first to be born was Gaia, who would become the mother of the earth. Ouranos was then created, joining with Gaia and giving birth to the first Cyclops, the Hecatonchires, and at last the Titans. Ouranos, out of disgust and hatred, imprisoned the Cyclops and Hecatonchires within Tartarus. It was because of this that Gaia grew an incredible amount of hatred for him and seeked revenge.
Out of anger at the imprisonment of her children Gaia asked the Titans to help overthrow Ouranos. Only Cronos accepted this task and when Ouranos went to lay with Gaia Cronos attacked his father with a stone sickle, castrating him. From the dismembered genitals came Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. Soon the Titans would rule the world with Cronos as their leader but had no sense of what to do until Gaia created Themis, who gave natural order to life. Themis gave birth to the Sisters of Fate, who proved far more powerful than the Titans, causing them to leave the island.
[edit] Great War
It was prophesied that one day Cronos would also be overthrown by his children, and so he swallowed them after they were born. However, Cronos’ wife, Rhea, could not bear another loss and tricked Cronos into swallowing a stone wrapped in cloth. This baby was named Zeus, and would be raised by Gaia on her back until he came of age and decided to take revenge upon Cronos.
When Zeus became an adult, he freed his brothers and sisters from the belly of Cronos and began a revolt against the Titans, starting the Great War. During this war, Gaia aided the Titans in the battle, and was eventually cast into Tartarus along with her children.
[edit] God of War II
Gaia watched Kratos rise as a Spartan general and fall as a servant of Ares. She observed his ability and the strength to destroy his enemies from the time he was born.
After Kratos was betrayed and killed by Zeus, Gaia appeared in a vision before him while he was being dragged down to the Underworld by the Arms of Hades. Asking if he was a coward who accepts death, Gaia caused Kratos’ fighting spirit to be renewed and filled his mind with vengeance and hatred towards Zeus. She prophesized that Kratos was destined to change the fates of all Olympus, and guided him to the Island of Creation, where he would have to defeat the Sisters of Fate and change his fate by going back in time to when he was betrayed by Zeus.
After Kratos was told by the Last Spartan that his beloved city had fallen at the hands of Zeus, Kratos lost all hope. Gaia appeared once again in a vision while Kratos fought the Kraken, this time as his wife. She told Kratos that there would be no eternal rest for him even in the afterlife. Zeus would see to it that his soul be tortured by Hades for the all of time. Once again his fighting spirit was renewed, and Kratos destroyed the Kraken using the fires of the burned Sparta itself.
Using the Threads of Fate, Kratos traveled back in time to the final minutes of the Great War. He was greeted by Gaia, who revealed that she had been expecting him (it's unknown how she knew who he was and that he was coming). Gaia informs Kratos that even with his help, they still can't defeat the Gods, but he tells that they can win in his time. Using the power of time, Kratos saved the Titans from being banished to Tartarus and took them back to his time. With the full power of the Titans on his side and the Blade of Olympus, Kratos climbed Mount Olympus on the back of Gaia, beginning the second Great War.
[edit] Trivia
- The narrator/Gaia in the God of War games is voiced by actress Linda Hunt.
