Here’s the Thing…About Earth Goddesses
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Photo By ochir-erdene oyunmedeg on Unsplash
Have you ever stood outside with your bare feet in the grass, feeling the earth beneath your feet? If not, I highly recommend doing so because it is very therapeutic. But it is also a chance to connect to the natural world. With your toes digging into the soil and the sun warming your face as the wind blows gently through your hair, you can feel one with the earth.
In my final post, I will be sharing the stories of Gaea and Jord. These two have a lot in common. They are both goddesses of nature who are also portrayed as mothers.
Let’s take a look.
Gaea (Greek Mythology)
Gaea, terra-cotta statuette from Tanagra, Greece; in the Musée Borély, Marseille.
Giraudon/Art Resource, New York
Who is Gaea?
In ancient Greece, Gaea is the personification of the Earth in goddess form. It is believed that she was born out if Chaos, who, according to the Ancient Greeks, is the origin of everything. It is the space at the beginning of time, and that is where Gaea comes from. She was the first deity to be born from Chaos after it came into being. After her came Tartarus (the Underworld) and then Eros (Love).
Thus, these four were the first generation of deities.
Gaea bore many children, her first three were: Uranus (the Sky), Ourea (the Mountains), and Pontus (the Sea). She is also the mother of all, including the Titans, the Gigantes (giants), the Erinyes (furies), and the Cyclops. This makes her, for all intents and purposes, a Mother Goddess. From her came all the other aspects of nature who became deities.
She mated with Uranus first and gave birth to eighteen children. Twelve of these children became known as the Titans, three of them were the Cyclopes, and the last three were called the Hecatoncheires. In case you were wondering, the Hecatoncheires are giant creatures whose name means “hundred-handed ones”.
I can’t imagine beings with one hundred hands. They sound like a handful (pun intended).
She then mated with Pontus and bore five more children.
Each of Gaea’s children went on to have children of their own. These children are the more commonly known deities of the Greek pantheon. So, if you think about it, Gaea truly is the Mother Goddess of all Ancient Greek deities.
I think that is beautiful.
Jord (Norse Mythology)
Mother Earth Photo by Alexander Henning Drachmann
Jord is a lesser-known deity. Admittedly it was challenging to find information on her. However, I was determined to learn what I could. The reason I wanted to talk about her is that I have an interest in Norse mythology and was amazed to discover that they—like the Ancient Greeks—have an all-encompassing Earth goddess.
Here is what I found.
Jord is the personification of the Earth, much like Gaea is. She is a goddess and mother to Thor, the God of Thunder (see my post on him here), and one of Odin’s consorts. It is said that she was Odin’s first consort before he married an Aesir goddess. For those who are unfamiliar, the Aesir are the gods who make up the primary pantheon in Norse mythology. Gods like Odin, Frigg, Hother, Thor, Baldr and Týr are a part of the Aesir.
Her name, Jord, comes from Old Norse and means “earth” or “land”. Jord is seldom mentioned in Norse mythology. She can be found in the Prose Edda in a section that reads:
“The earth was [Odin’s] daughter and his wife. Out of her he begot the first of his sons, that is Asa-Thor”.
Though while she is mentioned, it is not by name.
Despite such little representation, it is believed by some that she is the goddess of the uncivilized, the uncultivated, the wild Earth. Much like Gaea, she is thought to embody the Earth and all life that comes forth from it.
In truth, that is all the information that I have on her. However, you can see how they share certain similarities. For one, they are both considered to be personifications of the Earth. They also embody most, if not all, aspects of nature that comes from this Earth. In a way, even though less is known about Jord, there is something
This is Not the End
Maybe the next time you stand with your feet in the grass, you will feel the embrace of Gaea or Jord. I hope I have inspired you to look at the world a little differently after today. It has been an absolute pleasure to share these ancient myths and stories with you all.
Until we meet again.
Sarah Clarke
Sarah is a 20-something aspiring author who has a passion for writing. She is also an avid fan of movies, TV shows, video games, and of course, books. Her favourite genres include fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, and various others. Why have one favourite when you can have many?
