Welcome to a special Mother's Day episode of a Mythic, a podcast where we explore meaningful living through the power of myth. I'm your host, Boston Blake. In Greek mythology, everything starts with Gaia, Mother Earth. Before her, there was only the void of Chaos. As the first deity, she is the source of all life. She is the spirit from which everything we see, taste, touch, hear, and smell originates. To the women who have birthed a baby or stepped in to raise a child through adoption or as a step-mom, thank you. You are wonder women. And this episode is for you. These are some stories of motherhood from Greek mythology. Now, these are not tales of advice. They are not how to manuals. In fact, some of them have really terrible all ideas, but my hope is, is that you will find in them, something that relates to the experience of being a mother, or having a mother, something that points to something true for you. And perhaps find a connection to the lineage of motherhood that stretches back to the beginning of time. Now, here we go. As the first mother, Gaia faced unprecedented challenges, because everything was unprecedented at the beginning of time. Her husband, the overbearing sky god, Ouranos, was completely focused on her and wanted nothing, nothing to do with their kids. This emotionally distant dad would get her pregnant. She'd give birth that he'd shoved the kids back insider he'd take off and then he'd returned to knock her up again. Repeating this cycle. Gaia was left a single mother with a lot of kids. Now she had the means to provide for her children physically, but without the opportunity to explore the world beyond her womb. They were unable to develop intellectual courage. What they did develop was resentment and hatred in an attempt to free herself and her children, Gaia fanned that resentment and raised a rebellion against her husband led by her son, Kronos, Kronos over through his father, castrating him, causing him to retreat and took his throne. And finally liberated from her smothering husband. Gaya had a new lease on life and hooked up with the sea God Pontus. And they had even more kids together. Unfortunately, Kronos was no better than his father is a ruler. He was cruel and selfish and too radical. He was narcissistic and psychotic. This brings us to the second mother goddess Raya who became as his wife. Whether she liked it or not Kronos forced himself on her. Each pregnancy produced a child, but after each child was born Krone swallowed it, whole fearing. One of them would do to him what he had done to his own father. So Kronos did exactly the opposite of his dad. Instead of leaving his children with their mother, he consumed them himself. They were unable to rise and challenge him and they would be under his control, not hers and therefore less dangerous to himself. After losing five children to Kronos is insane diet program. Ray couldn't bear the thought of losing another one. Her sixth child, she determined would live. And so when the baby was born, she wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes and presented it to Kronos. Too stupid to tell the difference between a baby and a rock Cronus, gulped it down belts and walked away and Raya, grinned Raya named her baby boy Zeus. Sadly, she knew that under her circumstances, she could not raise him herself. So she would give him the best chance she could at a happy life. Ray gave the baby to a group of nymphs in Crete, where he would nurse from the goat goddess. Amalthea. And he was raised free from his parents' drama. The nymphs took pride in raising the son of the great goddess Raya, and they really did their best under their care. He became a jovial and phenomenally strong young man, whenever she could manage it, Ray would visit him in secret like her own mother before her. She wanted Zeus to free his siblings and overthrow his father. But having learned from some of Gaia's mistakes, she was more concerned with the development of Zeus's character. There was no point in replacing one desk spot with another zoos did indeed free his siblings from cornices ballet, and together they overthrew the sky God and Zeus, and his brothers and sisters became the Olympian gods. Zoos, having known both love and freedom became a different kind of ruler. He married the goddess Hera. And Hera is the next goddess mother. We're going to talk about. Hera was committed to queen ship and marriage, but not much of a mom. When she saw that her son Hephaestus had been born with a club foot. She was so repulsed at the sight, she flung him from Olympus to the earth. Now he eventually overcame his painful childhood and became the Olympian engineer, craftsmen and Smith. Hera was less cruel to her handsome son Aries, but perhaps knowing she was not the best suited to motherhood, she gave him to the fertility god Priapus. And Priapus raised him and trained him in the arts of war. And then there was the beautiful nymph, Maia Maia, whose name means mother. She was the granddaughter of the Titan Atlas who holds the world on his shoulders. And Zeus fell in love with her. He was married to Hera of course, but the King of the gods was not known for his fidelity. When Maia conceived a child by Zeus, she feared for the baby's safety. In Maia's case, it was not a wicked father who threatened the baby, but the God Kings jealous wife. If Hera discovered it, neither would be safe to protect her baby, Maia hid herself away in a remote cave for the duration of her pregnancy. This self-sufficient nymph created a quiet rustic home there. Telling no one, she carried the child and eventually gave birth all by herself to a healthy baby boy, Hermes. Hermes provided quite the contrast to the introverted Maia who had spoken to no one for nine months. Hermes was chatty from day one. The polar opposite of his mother, he was precocious to the nth degree on his first day alive. He wandered off and stole his half-brother Apollo sacred cattle. Fortunately Maia had taught Hermes proper worship of the gods and Hermes sacrifice one of the cows to them from a tortoise shell and some cow gut Hermes invented the liar. It was a busy first day when Apollo came to confront the newborn Maia shushed, the God insisting that her baby boy couldn't possibly be responsible for the theft. Giving himself away, Hermes offered his liar in exchange for Apollo's cattle. Delighted Apollo then carried the child off to Olympus where Hermes immediately befriended all the gods. Even Hera was taken with him. Seemingly unconcerned with his parentage. Hermes became their messenger and connected the world through commerce and communication.

Maia, who had raised such a miraculous child was revered. Her name came to mean not only mother, but also midwife and was used as a term of respect for women elders. Now, as I said, I am not advocating any particular approach to motherhood for one thing. I'm a man. I have no business in that. And I especially want to discourage triangulation or collusion and, you know, castration that just is always unnecessary. And definitely don't throw your children out of the house just because they're ugly. I'd also like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank my mother, Susan, who gave me life and Suzanne who married my dad when I was a teenager and became a second mom. I am extremely lucky and grateful to have two such extraordinary women as parents. Though every mother faces different challenges and possesses different resources, beliefs, and values. I believe that nearly every mother wants to give her children the best life possible. As a man, I cannot possibly imagine what it is to feel a child growing inside me, to give birth to it, and then watch it grow up and make its way in the world. What an amazing thing. A heartfelt, thank you to all the moms who have done this and who were in the process of doing this. And thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, visit mythic podcast.com for more episodes, resources and information until next time Journey on