#greekgod

Chaos: The Void

I’ll be going through the greek pantheon first in order of family tree and then other pantheons later on 

Chaos was the origin of everything and the very first thing that ever existed. It was a primordial void, which everything was created from including the universe and the Greek Gods. In ancient Greek, Chaos is translated as ‘the gaping void.’

In the beginning, Chaos was a state of random disorder existing in primordial emptiness, and soon later a Cosmic Egg formed in its belly and it hatched producing the first deities into the darkness. Chaos was often thought of to be female, possessing both anthropomorphic and tangible qualities however this interpretation changed as the mythology evolved according to different historians and poets. The far-reaching idea is that Chaos is a space that separates and divides the Earth and the Sky.

I got a bunch of people lovingly chastising me for not including Hestia in my original line up, and upon reflection I realized I had left out a very important goddess. Perhaps not important within the heroic dramas and tragedies we are accustomed to, but Hestia was incredibly important for the average Greek citizen. Hestia was the virgin goddess of the home and hearth fire, where the families ate and congregated. She  oversaw cooking of meals, and sacrificial food for feasts. In my image she sits aside a giant hearth fire. In her right arm she holds a chaste-tree, (signifying chastity and virginity) while in her left hand she holds the sacred hearth flame. Under her golden wreath sits a veil upon the top of her head. to the left we can see the cooking pot and roasting meat, as well as mortals below offering and sacrificing food and wine in her honor. below her chair is a greek family.
And as always, if you want to share this image I would appreciate it!

Dionysus, the god of wine, vegetation, festivity, and on a darker note, madness and frenzy. Here we see our jovial deity riding a leopard and wearing a leopard skin, holding aloft his sacred wine chalice in one hand, and his pine cone tipped staff “Thyrsus”. Below him dance his attendants in the cult of Dionysus, the sileni,satyr, centaur, woman dancer, and bull and woman, with a centaur playing the two head flute pip (AULOS)  further back. In the upper right hand background we can see hanging grapes for the wine, and below; a darker representation of Dionysus; the mad frenzy. Here we see the MAENADs;(“raving ones" ), women followers who drink and dance into violent frenzies. In Euripedes play, "the Bacchae”, the Maenads, in a state of delusion, tear apart their own king Pentheus, limb from limb, thinking him a lion. Even poor Orpheus, the greatest lyre player of all, was torn apart when he refused to play for them in a state of mourning after returning from the underworld without his wife, Eurydice). 

 If you've been following along for the last 6 weeks, then you get a free cup of ambrosia! cheers! I’m currently deciding what to do next, but it will either be “heroes and monsters" or "the Tragedies.” So please stay tuned for lots more artwork in the coming weeks and months. which i’m hoping to compile into a book later in the year! ;)

And as always, if you want to share this image I would appreciate it!

Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, war, strategy, defense, city state building and crafts like pottery, and patron goddess of Athens. In my Illustration she towers above Athens, as the city’s patron and eternal defender. 

She was born from Zues' head fully armed, and upon her chest plate armor she wears her AEGIS, with medusa’s head, which is used as a protective amulet and was said to let out a terrible roar in battle. Upon her shield is a horse and rider wearing a bridle, which Athena invented for mortals to ride and control horses (along with chariots and wagons). 

Upon her arm is her sacred animal, the owl, with it’s night vision, having the ability to see things that others cannot, hence it being a symbol of wisdom. The snake at her feet represents the early Athenian ruler, “Erichthonius”. (*wikipedia; The snake is his symbol, and he is represented in the statue of Athena in the Parthenon as the snake hidden behind her shield. The most sacred building on the Acropolis of Athens, the Erechtheum, is dedicated to Erichthonius.)

Apollo, god of prophecy, oracles, music, art, protector of and disease of boys and men, and archery.

Apollo holds his bow and arrows behind, while he strums the lyre given to him by hermes. Near the sun flies apollos white crow/raven. The column on the right is capped with a cow, representing his sacred animal as a god of herds. The serpent Python sits dead at his feet, killed by apollos arrow so that the god could takeover the delphi temple location. The temple complex sits underneath the god, while o. The far right, the PYTHIA ( apollos priestess) sitting upon a tripod, breathes the hallucinatory gasses seeping up from the earth to get her prophecies which she bestows upon visitors.

Artemis, twin sister of Apollon, virgin goddess of hunting, wild animals, childbirth, and protector of young girls, and decimator of young girls. A fascinating Goddess, with variation myths in arcadia and Ephesus. I’ll keep this short and sweet. Lots of symbolism in here, anyone want to try the quiz?

1.) moon

2.) Orion constellation

3.) Diseased arm and arrow tip

4.) wild boar

5.) wild bear

6.) Dog

7.) Stag and doe

8.) sculpture in background.

Hope. You guys like it! The twin is next!

Hermes is one of my favorite gods, as I’m a world traveler, and he’s the patron god of Travelers. I think he embodies the joyful, serendipitous nature of wandering and discovery in a new land.

Hermes, God of diplomacy, commerce, travelers and trade. He was the only one with the power to enter the underworld. Initially he was portrayed as middle aged with dark beard and long locks, but later he was portrayed as a beardless youth, which is what i went for. He created the first musical instruments, the LYRE and FLUTE, and, interestingly, was the father of Goat legged PAN. He also invented the alphabet and numbers. He was also the god of sleep, and could put mortals to sleep or wake them up with his wand.

The son of a celestial goddess Pleiad, he has connections to astronomy, (as can be seen in the constellations above), and astrology, (as can be seen in the zodiac signs surrounding his herald’s wand). As a psychopomp, he is tasked with leading dead spirits to the underworld, making him a true ally to humankind. His golden wing-tipped helmet and sandals, fashioned by Hephaestus the weaponsmith god, allow speedy travel on his errands. On the earth below are stone landscape markers, called Herma.

Hephaestus (#8

in my olympians series)
Hephaestus, god of metal and weapon smithing, craftsmanship, and fire. I love this god because he doesn't have the overwhelming majesty, and the arrogance that comes along with it. He feels more human to me. Born with a lame leg, and described as ugly, he presents a much more humble appearance. But he shines in the ingenuity department, crafting marvelous weapons, tools, and traps with his sacred objects; his golden hammer and tongs. 

I made his hair and beard orange for his connection with fire, but his skin is a pale blue from being stuck in his palace forge cave on Olympus. ALL of the crafted items in the image are from specific myths. Care to take a guess?

1.) armor and shield (bonus points for the visitors watching) 
2.) throne
3.) woman figure
4.) winged boots and hat
5.) chariot
6.) golden net

Thanks for reading! And if you see an opportunity to share this art I would appreciate it! Xoxo

After Ares, I thought it only appropriate to go in the opposite direction and design Aphrodite; goddess of love, pleasure, and fertility. We’ve all seen her depictions coming out of the sea spray on a scallop shell, born from the ocean (and from ouranus’ severed male penis which was cast down into the sea by cronus.)

But I chose to put her lounging at the base of a serene waterfall. It still references her water roots, but it isn’t depicting her birth, per se. She reclines on a swan (early depictions in ancient Greek art show her riding a swan, a symbol of grace and divinity) and underneath is the scallop shell. Aphrodite holds her sacred golden apple in her hand. (the one she won by Paris choosing her in the beauty contest between her, Athena, and Hera.) Upon her head is a golden crown, but more importantly, is her real sacred object; her golden chastity belt, which was said to invoke lust in gods and mortals alike.

Aphrodite’s entourage: Resting upon her arm, is EROS, the winged godling and her companion, (later becoming cupid in roman culture) who whispers sweet sensualities, while a couple EROTES (more winged godlings associated with sex and love) flitter above tossing flower petals. Frolicking at the lower left are three goddesses, the CHARITES (or Graces) who symbolize beauty, dancing and banquets. Swimming atop a dolphin is a NEREID, a reference to Aphrodite’s oceanic roots. and finally, Above right, near the waterfall, are three more goddesses, the HORAI, who represent the seasonal shifts and constellations.

This one was a challenge but super fun to do! Now… on to the next one! :D if you lo like the work I’m posting, please share it if possible, as it helps me get exposure.

If you’re interested in prints, please check my LINKTREE in my bio to my etsy shop, Instagram, as well as my patreon. Thanks!

I was super excited to do this one, as I knew it would be full of dark drama. Ares; god of war, courage, and …civil order? (huh, who knew?) Here we have our raging, wrathful deity unleashing his fury in the bloodlust of battle. His sacred weapons glittering; the golden helmet, spear and shield.

Let’s dive into the symbolic imagery. I put a boar head icon on the shield to symbolize Ares turning into a boar and gorging the youth Adonis to death, after being jealous of the youth’s affair with Aphrodite. The serpents are creatures associated with Ares: the Colchian dragon (which guards the golden fleece in the sacred grove of Ares- from the Jason and the Argonauts myth) and the Ismenian dragon (which guards the sacred spring of Ares near Thebes)  

Flying above Ares shoulder is his daughter, the goddess of Victory, Nike. In the upper right are vultures, animals associated with Ares, and his sister Eris; goddess of discord. (the goddess who, unable to enter the banquet of the gods, threw in the golden apple inscribed “for the farest” causing strife for the women and ultimately bringing Paris into judge, as a precursor to Helen and the Trojan war). 

Galloping into battle below are three Scythian Amazon warrior women, the leader being Ares daughter; Queen Penthesilea, (who Achilles killed in battle at Troy and fell in love with her as she lay dying.)

Hope you all are enjoying this series. Please share this post, it would really help me get exposure. :) and dont forget my etsy store has all the prints available to purchase.

The Cult of Eleusis had a bi-annual rituals; in the spring “the lesser mysteries” in the fall. “the greater mysteries”, for over 2000 years, where all citizens (royalty and slaves alike) would make a pilgrimage to Eleusis to partake in a festival and initiation ritual tied to the myth of Demeter and her daughter’s kidnap by Hades into the underworld. This festival and ceremony would essentially initiate you, provide some spiritual insight, thereby guaranteeing a better position in the afterlife. (similar to a baptism guaranteeing a position in heaven, perhaps.) Only those who had committed murder or who could not speak greek were refused to participate. 

Citizens would make the 15 mile walk from Athens, all the while being shouted profanities upon by onlookers, to break down their egos. Unfortunately, as the crime of revealing the inner ceremony of the mysteries would be punishable by death, we can’t know for sure what took place in the inner sanctum during the main ceremony. What we do know is that something was drunk and something was “seen”. Many believe that the drink offered to initiates, the KYKEON, would produce a psychotropic, hallucinatory effect.  (perhaps tainted with ergot (rotten barley fungis), or maybe mushrooms.) Apparently the ritual had 3 stages (mirroring Persphones underworld journey) the descent, the search, and the ascent. Some believe the final act shown to the initiate was the cutting of an ear of grain, to symbolize the cyclical death and rebirth of nature. 

I drew Demeter holding her torch she uses to search for her missing daughter, and an ear of wheat grain to symbolize her role in agriculture. to the left we have the main players of the lost daughter myth. Hades behind, and Persephone in front, with Hecate beside, who helped Demeter find her daughter, and became Persephone’s attendant in Tartarus. On the right we have a woman pouring libations to help the wheat grow, then Demeter holding the cut grain.

OK, no 4, Mr. underworld..HADES! super fun piece to do. I didn't want him to feel evil, but TARTARUS is described as murky and deep, so it wasn’t going to be full of sunshine and rainbows. I love the idea of a silver and gold mine, as he is the god of wealth and precious minerals/metals. (hence the jewels in the bottom foreground) 

Its apt that this piece is done now, as Persephone, his wife, has joined him (forcing Demeter to bring forth winter). Hades holds his bird tipped scepter, and his helmet (or cap) of invisibility (the same one he gave to Perseus as one of his magical items to go and slay Medusa) .

Sitting Beside the throne is the three headed guard hound; CERBERUS, and in the deep, cavernous background we can the furies, those older, primordial creatures sent forth to punish bloodshed and murder with a family. (and who i cant wait to design and illustrate when i get back to the Oresteia's second play “Eumenides" (i.e. "furies”) 

Next will be DEMETER, and I’m super excited about her piece, because i will bring in the Eleusinian mysteries/cult of Demeter into the portrayal somehow.

Poseidon Cometh!  heheh. this one was super fun to do. I wanted to make it feel like the storm was coming with his arrival. As always, we’ve got some visual symbols in here. Ill list them for your guessing pleasure. 

1.) maiden beside Poseidon

2.) creatures pulling chariot

3.) child on dolphin

3.) half-fish/ half man creatures

4.) woman astride dolphin