Ouranos, Uranus, Caelus: Sky.
Heavens born of Aether and Earth,
maybe just Earth,
Or generated from Chaotic chasms in the Night.

Heaven and Earth came together,
Producing monsters, titans and gods:

Bright Arges orb-eye,
Brothers Brontes and Steropes,
Thunder and lightning,
Craftsmen, skilled smiths forging
Thunderbolts, sunlight and moonbeams.

Hundred handed, fifty headed
Strong Briareos, Cottus and Gyges,
So terrible to behold that
Sky Father pushed them back
Into Gaia’s womb.

Mother Ge, in anguish and in pain,
Asked the youngest of her eldest children,
Crafty Kronos Saturnus,
To see justice done.

With a flint sickle,
Fashioned by his mother,
Kronos castrated the Sky
Throwing away the testicles
To be swallowed up by his uncle, the Sea.

Drops of blood from the open wound
Became Erinyes, Furies, Eumenides,
Kindly Ones, spirits of vengeance and death.

Semen foamed up from Pontus’ throat,
Birthing Aphrodite, goddess of love.

Kronos declared king of gods,
Kept his ugly brethren imprisoned
In his mother’s uterus.

Gaia wailed as eunuched Uranus squeaked,
“I hope you have a son just like you.”

12/19-12/20/16

Pronunciation Notes:
Ouranos = Or-an-nos
Uranus = Your-an-us
Caelus = Kay-lus
Arges = Ar-gees
Brontes = Bron-tees
Steropes = Stare-op-ees
Briareos = Bri-ar-e-os
Cottus = Kot-tus
Gyges = Guy-Gees
Gaia = Guy-ya
Ge = Gee
Erinyes = Erin-ees
Eumenides = You-men-i-dees
Aphrodite = Af-fro-die-tee

Image: The Mutiliation of Uranus by Saturn by Giorgio Vasari & Cristoforo Gherardi. Found at WikiMedia Commons.