Theogony studies the origin of the gods.
It is interesting and useful to know, first of all, the etymological origin of the term at hand and for that reason what we are going to do is discover it. Specifically, it must be stated that theogony is a word that comes from the Greek “theogonia”, which can be translated as “the study of the origin of the gods” and is made up of several components:
-The noun “theos”, which is synonymous with “god”.
-“Gignomai”, which is equivalent to “born”.
-The suffix “-ia”, which is used to indicate “quality” or “action”.
Concept of theogony
According to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), the idea of theogony refers to the generation of the divinities of the pagans .
Importantly, “Theogony” is also the title of a work that Hesiod wrote around the 7th or 8th century BC . In this work, the poet details the genealogy of the different gods that are part of the mythology of Ancient Greece . It also provides a version of the origin of the universe.
The lineage of the divinities is detailed by theogony.
The origin of the gods
At a general level, it is often said that theogony is responsible for explaining the origin of the gods and, by extension, of the universe, since the gods are the creators of the cosmos. In this sense, theogony is often associated with cosmogony (which revolves around the origin of the world).
Theogony, on the other hand, provides information about the lineage of the divinities . Your story can present data about a god's ancestors, indicate their relationships, and mention descendants. In this way he builds a family tree of the gods.
Theogony and the generations of the divinities
In this case we can establish that theogony does not hesitate to determine the existence of three generations of gods:
-The generation of heaven and earth. This is fundamentally made up of Gaia and Uranus, a first couple of gods who were in charge of giving shape to animals, human beings, mountains, rivers, seas...
-The generation of the titans. In this second generation of gods, figures such as Cronus (Time) and Rhea (Nature) take center stage, from whom Hestia (goddess of the home), Hera (goddess of marriage), Poseidon (god of the seas), Demeter descended. (goddess of agriculture) or Hades (goddess of the dead). All this without forgetting Zeus either.
-The generation of the Olympic gods. Regarding this, it is established that it is the result of Zeus's triumph over the Titans that led him to marry Hera and, from then on, rule from Olympus. As a result of that relationship, many other gods emerged, such as Apollo or Artemis, among others.
Hesiod's work
In the specific case of Hesiod 's "Theogony" , the poet states that what was narrated was told to him by the daughters of Zeus .
The writer starts from the primordial gods and covers four generations of divinities, mentioning Cronus , Zeus , Poseidon and other gods of great importance to the culture of Ancient Greece .