Chthonic

This article is about the Greek deities. For the band, 1.2 Ambiguities in assignment
see Chthonic (band). For Cthulhu mythos creatures, see
Chthonian (Cthulhu mythos). For other uses, see Chthon The categories Olympian and chthonic were not, however,
completely separate. Some Olympian deities, such as
(disambiguation).
Hermes and Zeus, also received chthonic sacrices and
tithes in certain locations. The deied heroes Heracles
Chthonic (UK /knk/, US /nk/ from Greek
and Asclepius might be worshipped as gods or chthonic
khthonios [ktnios], in, under, or beneath the
heroes, depending on the site and the time of origin of
[1]
earth, from khthn earth) literally means subthe myth.
terranean. The translation of meaning discusses deities
or spirits of the underworld, especially in Greek religion. Moreover, a few deities aren't easily classiable under
The Greek word khthon is one of several for earth"; it these terms. Hecate, for instance, was typically oered
typically refers to the interior of the soil, rather than the puppies at crossroadsa practice neither typical of an
living surface of the land (as Gaia or Ge does), or the land Olympian sacrice nor of a chthonic sacrice to Perseas territory (as khora () does). It evokes, simulta- phone or the heroes. Because of her underworld roles,
Hecate is generally classed as chthonic.
neously, abundance and the grave.

Chthonic and Olympian

2 References in psychology and anthropology

While terms such as Earth deity or Earth mother have

sweeping implications in English, the words khthonie and
khthonios had a more precise and technical meaning in In analytical psychology, the term chthonic was often
Greek, referring primarily to the manner of oering sac- used to describe the spirit of nature within; the unconscious earthly impulses of the Self, that is ones material
rices to the deity in question.
depths, however not necessarily with negative connotaSome chthonic cults practised ritual sacrice, which of- tions, see also anima and animus or shadow.
ten happened at night time. When the sacrice was a living creature, the animal was placed in a bothros (, As well, the chthonic has connotations with regard to genpit) or megaron (, sunken chamber). In der, in cultural anthropology; del Valles Gendered Ansome Greek chthonic cults, the animal was sacriced on thropology describes there being male and female deities
a raised bomos (, "altar"). Oerings usually were at every level... men associated with the above, the sky,
waburned whole or buried rather than being cooked and and women associated with the below, with the earth,
[3]
ter
of
the
underground,
and
the
chthonic
deities.
This
shared among the worshippers.[2]
was by no means universal; in Ancient Egypt the main
deity of the earth was the male god Geb, his female consort was Nut, otherwise known as the sky. Greek mythol1.1 Cult type versus function
ogy likewise has female deities associated with the sky,
The myths associating the underworld chthonic deities such as Dike, goddess of justice who sits on the right side
and fertility was not exclusive. Myths about the later of Zeus as his advisor, and Eos, goddess of dawnand
Olympian deities also described an association with the Hades as god of the underworld.
fertility and the prosperity of Earth. Thus Demeter and
Persephone both watched over aspects of the fertility of
land, yet Demeter had a typically Olympian cult while 3 References in structural geology
Persephone had a chthonic one.
The term Allochthon in structural geology is used to
describe a large block of rock which has been moved
from its original site of formation, usually by low angle
thrust faulting. From the Greek allo meaning other and
chthon designating the process of the land mass being
moved under the earth and connecting two horizontally

Also, Demeter was worshipped alongside Persephone

with identical rites, and yet occasionally was classied as
an Olympian in late poetry and myth. The absorption
of some earlier cults into the newer pantheon versus those
that resisted being absorbed is suggested as providing the
later myths.
1

stacked dcollements and thus under the earth.

See also
Chthonic law
Earth mother
Geomancy
Life-death-rebirth deities
Sky father

References

[1] Chthonios, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek

English Lexicon, at Perseus.
[2] The sacrice for gods of the dead and for heroes was
called enagisma, in contradistinction to thysia, which was
the portion especially of the celestial deities. It was offered on altars of a peculiar shape: they were lower than
the ordinary altar bomos, and their name was ischara,
'hearth'. Through them the blood of the victims, and also
libations, were to ow into the sacricial trench. Therefore they were funnel-shaped and open at the bottom. For
this kind of sacrice did not lead up to a joyous feast in
which the gods and men took part. The victim was held
over the trench with its head down, not, as for the celestial
gods, with its neck bent back and the head uplifted; and
it was burned entirely. (Source The Heroes of the Greeks,
C. Kerenyi pub. Thames & Hudson 1978). The 'gods of
the dead' are, of course, Chthonic deities.
[3] Teresa del Valle, Gendered Anthropology, Routledge,
1993, ISBN 0-415-06127-X, p. 108.

External links
The dictionary denition of chthonic at Wiktionary

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