A Matter of Time

All Hail Kronos: Exploring the Origins of Time in Mythology

Many different cultures have their own version of mythology. Some people have studied mythology in school, while others have learned mythology from stories passed down to them by their parents or grandparents. Essentially, mythology is a way that many ancient peoples were able to recount events of the past and explain natural phenomena. The characters and stories of mythology have not only been told, recorded, and passed down through history, but they have also inspired many famous artists and writers. In this section we look back into the ancient world of mythology even as far back as the beginning of the universe to see how time was viewed by peoples of long ago.

In Greek mythology, Kronos (also Cronus or Cronos) is the god of time, “especially time where regarded as destructive and all-devouring” (“Kronos”).  He is the youngest Titan, and father to the ultimate Greek god, Zeus. The origins of Greek mythology begin with Kronos being born to the original Titan gods, Ouranos and Raia, after Ouranos and Raia had descended from Earth and Heaven (Hamilton 127). Kronos overthrows his father and marries his sister Rhea. Together they give birth to Zeus and other important Greek gods. Kronos attempts to devour all of his children, but Rhea fools him and manages to save one: Zeus. Zeus, in turn, battles his father and sets free his devoured brothers and sisters (“Kronos”). Zeus and his freed brethren take control of the universe after years of warring with the Titans. Later he sets Kronos free. When Zeus had been elected as god of all Greek gods, he gave Promethius and his brother Epimethius the task of creating all lower creatures. So Promethius, according to Greek myth,  having been put in charge of making humans unique, showed us the power of fire, gave us the privilege of wisdom, and brought us into the cycle of time. (Hamilton 135).

Another set of legendary stories come from the collection of Egyptian myths. The Egyptians also had a variety of different gods which served different purposes and played different roles in Egyptian beliefs. AccordingMany different cultures have their own version of mythology. Some people have studied mythology in school, while others have learned mythology from stories passed down to them by their parents or grandparents. Essentially, mythology is a way that many ancient peoples were able to recount events of the past and explain natural phenomena. The characters and stories of mythology have not only been told, recorded, and passed down through history, but they have also inspired many famous artists and writers. In this section we look back into the ancient world of mythology even as far back as the beginning of the universe to see how time was viewed by peoples of long ago.

In Greek mythology, Kronos (also Cronus or Cronos) is the god of time, “especially time where regarded as destructive and all-devouring” (“Kronos”).  He is the youngest Titan, and father to the ultimate Greek god, Zeus. The origins of Greek mythology begin with Kronos being born to the original Titan gods, Ouranos and Raia, after Ouranos and Raia had descended from Earth and Heaven (Hamilton 127). Kronos overthrows his father and marries his sister Rhea. Together they give birth to Zeus and other important Greek gods. Kronos attempts to devour all of his children, but Rhea fools him and manages to save one: Zeus. Zeus, in turn, battles his father and sets free his devoured brothers and sisters (“Kronos”). Zeus and his freed brethren take control of the universe after years of warring with the Titans. Later he sets Kronos free. When Zeus had been elected as god of all Greek gods, he gave Promethius and his brother Epimethius the task of creating all lower creatures. So Promethius, according to Greek myth,  having been put in charge of making humans unique, showed us the power of fire, gave us the privilege of wisdom, and brought us into the cycle of time. (Hamilton 135).

Another set of legendary stories come from the collection of Egyptian myths. The Egyptians also had a variety of different gods which served different purposes and played different roles in Egyptian beliefs. According to Egyptian mythology, the sun God Ra created all of the universe and its creatures. Ra actually represents the sun itself—setting under the horizon each night and traveling across the treacherous lower sky in his boat (Hamilton 111). A ferocious dragon tries to attack God Ra, but the dragon is eventually defeated by God Ra’s grandchildren: Nut and Geb—children of Shu, god of air; and Tefnut.  Shu lifted Nut into the sky, where she created stars and was kept far apart from Geb, the earth (Hamilton 112). After the defeat of the dragon, Ra rose above the earth, shining down proudly on all of the men that he had created.

The Chinese myth of the creator Phan Ku can be traced back to around 600 B.C (Hamilton 23). The legend says the universe was originally contained in the shape of an egg. Inside the egg, at first was “a mass called no thing” (Hamilton 21). Phan Ku was the being that was to develop from the egg. Phan Ku emerged and become the creator. “Phan Ku was the size of a giant. He grew ten feet a day and lived for eighteen thousand years” (Hamilton 21). With his chisel, Phan Ku shaped the entire earth. Yin became the earth and yang the sky.  To this day the concept of yin and yang represents all types of balance within our universe, and stresses the need for balance in all aspects of life.  Phan Ku acted as the ultimate architect, carving out all of earth and adorning the heavens with the moon and stars. Only when Phan Ku died could the process be complete. When his death came, his body and soul all became parts of the earth: the soil, plants, wind, thunder, and lightning.

Almost every culture or religion has a different way of explaining how, over time, human life came to be on this planet. Mythology constitutes some of the most interesting and captivating explanations. The three creation stories above represent just a few of the countless stories from around the world of how time began. The Hebrew and Christian cultures share similar creation stories—each involving the Lord God creating the Earth and all of its lands and creatures in seven days. In an Eskimo creation myth, the world is created by a great Raven (Hamilton 4). Which story about the beginning of time do you find most interesting? Exploring the beliefs and stories which are part of other cultures can show us a great deal about how other people view time and its beginnings.

Egyptian mythology, the sun God Ra created all of the universe and its creatures. Ra actually represents the sun itself—setting under the horizon each night and traveling across the treacherous lower sky in his boat (Hamilton 111). A ferocious dragon tries to attack God Ra, but the dragon is eventually defeated by God Ra’s grandchildren: Nut and Geb—children of Shu, god of air; and Tefnut.  Shu lifted Nut into the sky, where she created stars and was kept far apart from Geb, the earth (Hamilton 112). After the defeat of the dragon, Ra rose above the earth, shining down proudly on all of the men that he had created.

The Chinese myth of the creator Phan Ku can be traced back to around 600 B.C (Hamilton 23). The legend says the universe was originally contained in the shape of an egg. Inside the egg, at first was “a mass called no thing” (Hamilton 21). Phan Ku was the being that was to develop from the egg. Phan Ku emerged and become the creator. “Phan Ku was the size of a giant. He grew ten feet a day and lived for eighteen thousand years” (Hamilton 21). With his chisel, Phan Ku shaped the entire earth. Yin became the earth and yang the sky.  To this day the concept of yin and yang represents all types of balance within our universe, and stresses the need for balance in all aspects of life.  Phan Ku acted as the ultimate architect, carving out all of earth and adorning the heavens with the moon and stars. Only when Phan Ku died could the process be complete. When his death came, his body and soul all became parts of the earth: the soil, plants, wind, thunder, and lightning.

Almost every culture or religion has a different way of explaining how, over time, human life came to be on this planet. Mythology constitutes some of the most interesting and captivating explanations. The three creation stories above represent just a few of the countless stories from around the world of how time began. The Hebrew and Christian cultures share similar creation stories—each involving the Lord God creating the Earth and all of its lands and creatures in seven days. In an Eskimo creation myth, the world is created by a great Raven (Hamilton 4). Which story about the beginning of time do you find most interesting? Exploring the beliefs and stories which are part of other cultures can show us a great deal about how other people view time and its beginnings.

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