＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・ギリシャ神話の「オリュンポス１２神」以外の女神たち（その１）
Previously, I introduced the “Twelve Olympians” of Greek mythology, but there are many other gods and goddesses as well.
Therefore, this time, I will introduce the goddesses appearing in Greek mythology in Japanese alphabetical order, as the first in a series.
1. Titans (Titan Gods)
(1) What are the Titans (Titan Gods)?
The Titans (Titan Gods) are gods who appear in Greek and Roman mythology.
They are the “ancient gods who preceded the Olympian gods,” including Cronus, who usurped the kingship of Uranus (the heavens). They are said to have enormous bodies.
In a narrow sense, it refers to the “twelve Titans” (*) (the twelve gods born to Uranus and Gaia), but in a broader sense, Dione and Phorcys are sometimes added.
(*) The Twelve Titans (in alphabetical order):
Iapetus, Oceanus, Clius, Cronus, Coeus, Theia, Tethys, Themis, Hyperion, Phoebe, Mnemosyne, Rhea
When Zeus challenged his father Cronus to war, many of the Titans sided with Cronus, resulting in a great war that lasted for 10 years. This war is called the “Titanomachia.”
The Titans were ancient nature gods in the Balkan Peninsula, predating the establishment of the Zeus cult, a common Indo-European sky god. They were believed to be sealed underground, and it was thought that earthquakes occurred when they occasionally raged.
(2) Specific Examples of Names Derived from the Titans
Mazda’s truck is also named “Titan,” but there are many other famous examples.
The adjective “titanic” means “huge,” and names like the tragic luxury liner “Titanic,” the terror bird “Titanis,” and the dinosaur “Titanosaurus” are derived from “Titan.”
The element “titanium” was also named for its exceptional strength and durability. Many of Saturn’s moons are also named after Titan.
Incidentally, the English name for Saturn, “Saturn,” is derived from the name “Cronus” (or “Saturnus” in Roman mythology).
The Titans were the antagonists in the 1997 Disney film “Hercules” and the “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” series.
They also appear as protagonists or antagonists in the “God of War” video game series and the films “Clash of the Titans” (1981), “Clash of the Titans” (2010), and “Wrath of the Titans” (2012).
2. Goddesses beginning with “A” “I” “E” “O”
① Asia (Asia): Daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. Considered the origin of the word “Asia.”
She was the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, and according to one theory, she bore Atlas, Menoetis, Prometheus, and Epimetheus with the Titan god Iapetus.
Furthermore, another theory suggests that Asia was the wife of Prometheus, and the place name Asia (the Asian continent, or Asia Minor) originates from Asia.
② Asteria (Asteria): Meaning “constellation” or “woman of the stars.” Sister of Leto and mother of Hecate.
She was the daughter of the Titan gods Coeus and Phoebe, and Leto’s sister. She bore Hecate to Perses.
At one point, Asteria caught Zeus’s eye and tried to escape him. Realizing she couldn’t escape, she transformed herself into a quail and threw herself into the sea.
Another version of the story says that Zeus transformed Asteria into a quail and threw her into the sea. From there, an island was born, named Ortygia. Later, Leto, who was loved by Zeus, came to this island and gave birth to Apollo and Artemis, and it was renamed Delos.
③ Astraea (Astraea, Astrea): Meaning “Star Maiden” or “She who shines like a star.” Identified with Dike, the goddess of justice.
According to one theory, she is the daughter of Zeus and Themis, but another theory states she is the daughter of Astraeus, the god of the starry sky, and Eos, the goddess of dawn.
She is one of the three Horae (goddesses) and was identified with Dike (Justitia, the Roman goddess of justice), who is the personification of justice. She is sometimes depicted as a winged woman.
In the story of Virgo, the constellation is said to be Demeter, and in the story of Libra, it is said to be Astraea.
④ Ate: Meaning “Ruin.” Deification of Madness.
Originally a Greek word meaning ruin, folly, or delusion, she is the deification of madness that causes a loss of moral judgment and blind action.
Homer describes her as the daughter of Elis, while Hesiod describes her as the daughter of Zeus.
Zeus tried to grant Heracles his rights by swearing to give dominion to the first descendant of Perseus, but Eurystheus was born first. Ate, who had encouraged the oath, was held responsible and banished to Ilios (Troy) on earth, forbidden to return.
Thus, because Arte came to live among humans, humans began to repeat their foolish acts.
⑤ Apaia: Virgin goddess of the forest. Identified with Artemis and Britomartis.
Apaia was worshipped exclusively on the island of Aegina in southern Greece. Her worship spread to Athens, where there was a temple to Artemis-Apaia, but she was originally a local deity of Aegina.
Like many local deities in ancient Greece, Apaia was syncretized and identified with Artemis and Britomartis, the goddess of Crete.
In other words, Britomartis (meaning “sweet maiden” in Crete), the goddess of Crete, fled to the island of Aegina after being pursued by King Minos and others in Crete. Ancient Greek poets and historians record that she was worshipped there under the protection of the goddess Artemis, under the name Apaia.
Furthermore, the remains of a temple to the goddess Apaia have actually been confirmed on Aegina, and its ancient appearance has been restored.
Britomartis was a maiden protected by Artemis, and Apaia was also a forest goddess associated with Artemis. Therefore, Apaia came to be identified with Britomartis, and further, with Artemis herself.
⑥ Apate (Apate): Meaning “deception,” “infidelity,” etc. Also, its deification.
Apate is the personification of deception, infidelity, and disappointment.
According to Hesiod’s “Theogony,” she is the daughter of Nyx, the goddess of night, and a sibling of Moros, Cer, Thanatos, Hypnos, Oneiros, Momos, Oesius, Hesperides, Moirai, Nemesis, Philotes, Geras, and Elis.
In Roman mythology, she corresponds to Flaus, and among male gods, she corresponds to Dorus, the personification of deception. The contrasting god is Areteia (truth).
Apate is one of the plagues in “Pandora’s Ark.”
⑦ Amphitrite (Amphitrite, Amphitrite, Amphitrite): Wife of Poseidon. Goddess of the Sea.
Amphitrite is the wife of the sea god Poseidon and the queen of the sea. Her name means “the third thing surrounding the earth,” representing the sea.
Her sacred animal is the dolphin, and her symbols are the crown, veil, and scepter.
She is identified with Salachia, the Roman goddess of the sea.
⑧ Ino (Ino, Leucothea, Leucothoe): Dionysus’s aunt. Originally human, she was made a goddess after her death.
Ino was born a princess of Thebes and later became queen of Boeotia. After her death, Zeus made her a goddess, and she was worshipped as the sea goddess Leucothea (“white goddess”) or Leucothoe.
⑨ Iris: Daughter of the Titans. Messenger goddess, goddess of the rainbow.
Iris means “rainbow” in Greek. In English, “iris” also refers to the color of the rainbow. Iris’s sacred flower is the iris, and this name also derives from Iris.
Known for her speed, she can travel across distant lands and even the seabed in an instant, like a rainbow connecting heaven and earth. Therefore, just as Hermes was Zeus’s trusted subordinate, Iris is Hera’s loyal subordinate and serves as Hera’s messenger.
However, in the “Iliad,” this distinction is not strictly defined, and she often acts as a messenger for Zeus.
⑩ Eidyuia: The youngest daughter of Oceanus and Tethys.
Eidyuia married Aeëtes, King of Colchis, at the urging of the gods, and gave birth to Medea.
⑪ Eileithyia: Goddess of marriage and childbirth.
Eileithyia was the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and as Hera’s attendant (she is also the goddess of marriage), she presides over childbirth and the protection of mothers in labor.
However, since Aphrodite presides over carnal desires and Artemis over conception, Eileithyia’s power is limited to the birth of children.
Conversely, a woman cannot give birth without Eileithyia’s presence. When Leto, pregnant with Zeus’s child, reached her due date, Hera, hating Leto’s lover, ordered Eileithyia not to attend, causing Leto to suffer a very difficult labor.
Later, after being persuaded by gifts from other goddesses, she was taken by Iris to attend the birth of Leto.
When Alcmene conceived Heracles, Hera instigated Eileithyia to prevent the birth. She performed a ritual by sitting on the altar, crossing her knees, clasping her arms, and intertwining her fingers, causing Alcmene to remain in labor for seven days.
However, Alcmene’s handmaiden, Galintheas, cleverly shouted, “Alcmene has given birth safely!” Startled, Eileithyia untied her limbs and rushed into the birthing room.
Alcmene then gave birth to Heracles and Iphicles, but Galintheas was transformed into a weasel by Eileithyia.
⑫ Eurynome: Daughter of Oceanus and Tethys
In Greek mythology, Eurynome is a goddess, but in the Christian world, she is considered a “being banished to hell” and is sometimes seen as a demon.
In the original Greek creation myth reconstructed by the English poet Robert Graves, she is considered a creator goddess.
In Greek mythology, another woman named Eurynome appears, described as “the daughter of Nisus” and “Penelope’s nurse.”
⑬ Eurybia: Daughter of Gaia and Pontus
Eurybia was a secondary sea goddess under Poseidon’s rule and a sibling of Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, and Ceto.
She married the Titan god Clius and bore him Astraeus, Perses, and Pallas.
In Greek mythology, another woman named Eurybia appears, described as “one of Thespius’s daughters.”
⑭ Eos: Personification of “Dawn”
The name Eos means “dawn” in Classical Greek, and she is the personification of “dawn.”
She belongs to the lineage of the Titan gods, and various love stories surround her. Her sacred bird and sacred insect are the rooster and the cicada. Eos was born to the Titan god Hyperion and the goddess Theia. His siblings included Helios (the sun) and Selene (the moon), who are also considered deifications of natural phenomena and celestial bodies.
Eos is also said to have given birth to the three Anemoi (winds)—Zephyrus (the west wind/spring wind), Boreas (the north wind), Notus (the south wind)—and all the stars, with Astraeus, another Titan god.
⑮ Enyo (Enyo): Meaning “fear.” Goddess of war.
Two Enyo are known: “Enyo, the goddess of slaughter” and “Enyo of the Graeae.”
Enyo, as the “goddess of slaughter and war,” is the feminine form of Enyoarios (another name for Ares, the god of war), and is identified with Eris, the “goddess of discord and strife.” She is also identified with Bellona in Roman mythology.
Often depicted covered in blood and armed, she is a powerful and fearsome goddess of war, often mentioned alongside Athena.
She stands on the battlefield as a companion to Ares, the god of war, and is accompanied by the brutal cydoimos (melee). She has been described as either Ares’ mother, daughter, or sister.
Note that “Enyo of the Graeae” is one of the Graeae sisters, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, and also a sister of the Gorgons.
⑯ Eris: Goddess of Discord and Strife
Identified with Enyo, the goddess of slaughter, she corresponds to Discordia in Roman mythology.
In Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad, she is described as the sister of Ares, the god of war. In Hesiod’s Theogony, she is described as the sole daughter of Nyx, the goddess of night. Hyginus’s Mythology states that Discordia (discord) was born to Nyx (night) and Erebus (darkness).
On the battlefield, she wears armor covered in blood and dust, wields a spear, and breathes fire. She is usually depicted as a winged woman.
Eris became the mother of many calamities, giving birth to Ponos (trouble), Lethe (forgetfulness), Limus (famine), Argos (grief), Hysumines (battle), Mache (war), Androctasia (murder), Neicus (conflict), Pseudos (lies), Logos (emptiness), Dysnomia (lawlessness), Ate (ruin), and Horcus (oath).
⑰ Erinyes (Erinyes, Erinyes) (plural: Erinyes): Goddesses of Vengeance
Originally, their number was indefinite, but in later mythology, they were standardized into three goddesses: Alecto (the ceaseless one), Tisiphone (the avenger of slaughter), and Megaera (the jealous one).
Known as the “goddesses of vengeance” for crimes such as patricide and perjury, they received different worship than the Olympian gods.
According to mythology, when Cronus attacked and castrated Uranus, blood dripped from Uranus’s wound onto the Earth Mother, from which the Erinyes and Meliades were born. The Meliades (plural: Meliades) are nymphs of the ash tree.
The Erinyes reside in Erebus in the underworld and are depicted as old women with snakes for hair, dog’s heads, bodies as black as charcoal, bat wings, and bloodshot eyes. They carry whips studded with bronze, and those struck by them writhe in agony before dying.
The Erinyes are fearsome goddesses, and their real names are considered taboo, so they are called “Eumenides” (goddesses of mercy).
⑱ Oijus: The deification of “suffering”
According to Hesiod’s Theogony, Oijus is the only child born to Nyx, the goddess of night. He is the brother and sister of Moros (determined destiny), Keres (death), Thanatos (death), Hypnos (sleep), Oneiros (dreams), Momus (accusation), Hesperis, the three Moirai sisters (Cloto, Lachesis, and Atropos), Nemesis (righteous indignation), Aphate (deception), Philotes (lust), Geras (old age), and Eris (strife).