A mother by many names
The great mother may have many different names but the personification of Earth as a loving, nurturing female is deeply rooted in the human psyche. The Babylonians and Sumerians worshipped Tiamat, the mother of all life. For Egyptians, Iris was responsible for everything fertile. The Vikings called her Jord while the Celts worshipped Danu. For the Maori in the Pacific, Mother Earth is Papatuanuk and in South and Central America she is Pachamama. The most ancient reference is from India where the mother of all creation is called Gayatri, a close form of the Greek word Gaia, the name we still use today
Inspiration from the Greek gods
Gaia originates from the common noun for land--ge or ga -- which is why earth studies are called Geography, Geology, and Geodesy. In ancient Greek mythology, Gaia was the physical embodiment of earth and the first mother. Her union with Uranus (the sky) produced six boys and six girls who became the Titans, the first gods worshipped by the Greeks. The youngest Titan, Cronus (time), helped Gaia leave her husband and since then the earth has been separate from the sky. Cronus then stole his father’s throne. Fearful his own offspring would take power from him, he starting swallowing his children upon birth. Gaia saved her grandson Zeus by helping his mother disguise a stone in swaddling clothes. Cronus ate the stone and Zeus was smuggled off to safety. As soon as he came of age, Zeus waged a successful war against Cronus. After freeing his brother and sisters, he ruled over humanity from Mount Olympus.
Science joins the action
Our modern association with Gaia is somewhat less romantic being based on a scientific approach. In 1965, scientist James Ephraim Lovelock published his theory suggesting Earth is a single organism and that everything on the planet (including humans) is intertwined to create a complex dance of life. Lovelock’s theory became known as the Gaia hypothesis and quickly became the catchphrase for the emerging environmental movement. The scientific community has never fully accepted the Gaia hypothesis yet some of Lovelock’s initial predictions are happening. Lovelock has always warned that changes in the Earth’s temperature are caused by the life forms inhabiting the planet. In other words, Earth responds to what is happening around her.
Despite what skeptics say, the Gaia hypothesis continues to inspire people as we move towards a more holistic lifestyle and learn to treat our home with more respect. So let's all join hands this International Women's Day and celebrate the feminine!
Shelagh McNally is the editor of Green Living Online.
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