| “ | "Verily at the first Chaos came to be, but next wide-bosomed Earth, the ever-sure foundations of all the deathless ones who hold the peaks of snowy Olympus, and dim Tartarus in the depth of the wide-pathed Earth, and Eros (Love), fairest among the deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and all men within them. From Chaos came forth Erebus and black Night; but of Night were born Aether and Day, whom she conceived and bare from union in love with Erebus. And Earth first bare starry Heaven, equal to herself, to cover her on every side, and to be an ever-sure abiding-place for the blessed gods. And she brought forth long Hills, graceful haunts of the goddess-Nymphs who dwell amongst the glens of the hills. She bare also the fruitless deep with his raging swell, Pontus, without sweet union of love. But afterwards she lay with Heaven and bare deep-swirling Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and gold-crowned Phoebe and lovely Tethys. After them was born Cronos the wily, youngest and most terrible of her children, and he hated his lusty sire." | „ |
| ~ Hesiod, Theogony 116-138 |
| “ | "I am the nothingness you see beyond every star, beyond every galaxy, beyond every universe. God was unable to destroy me, and I highly doubt you're able to either." | „ |
Chaos, also known as Khaos, the Guardian of the Abyss, Shadow of God, or Parent of the Parentless, is one of the overarching antagonists in Greek mythology.
It is an abysmal deity who represent the formless and orderless state of the universe before it was created. The Primeval Void is considered the ruler of the void and abyss, and is worshipped as the god or goddess of Nothingness, Oblivion, the Void, and the Abyss. It is believed to have created the Primordials and serves as a bridge between heaven and earth, reducing the workload of angels. The Primeval Void is revered by the ancient Greco-Romans and is seen as a potential destroyer of the entire universe. It is an incredibly ancient and powerful being, surpassing almost all other entities, and is one of the original members of the Three Great Titans of Creation.
In mythology, Chaos is seen as the original source of all things and represents the early state of the universe. Khaos comes before order and is considered a void from which everything originated and will eventually return, starting a new cycle. It is also associated with the worship of gods other than Yesh, and is seen as the embodiment of paganism, heresy, and idolatry, as well as the root of witchcraft and heretical beliefs.
Appearance[]
Chaos lacks a concrete and definitive form. The true form of Chaos can be best described as a transcendent void that exists beyond the boundaries of the universe. Within their chaotic body, the entire multiverse resides in perfect silence. This concept was not as terrifying to ancient civilizations who believed that the world was the remnants of a defeated chaotic entity, overpowered by a ruler of order.
Biography[]
Power and Abilities[]
| “ | "Nothing — the only perfection, the only absolute. Infinite and eternal nothing." | „ |
| ~ Aldous Huxley. |
Khaos is an immensely powerful deity who is considered to be on par with God in terms of power. They are often seen as the chaotic counterpart or shadow of God. Unlike God, Chaos represents concepts such as nothingness, nonexistence, darkness, chaos, emptiness, and eternity. As a primordial entity that existed before the concept of existence itself, Chaos is credited with creating the pagan gods, the ancient deities revered by various civilizations across the vast multiverse. Given their association with the primordial void, Chaos possesses unparalleled levels of power that surpasses any other deity, including their own progeny, making them one of the most formidable entities in existence across the universe and beyond.
Myths and Legends[]
According to ancient mythologies, a prevalent belief emerged that prior to the existence of the universe, a state of absolute disorder and confusion, known as chaos, prevailed. This chaos was often depicted as an expansive and boundless ocean, symbolizing the perceived reality for the ancients that the earth, resembling a vast island, floated amidst an infinite sea. The notion of the earth being extracted from the midst of these waters by a divine entity, as described in the book of Genesis, further reinforced this belief.
In addition to its other meanings, chaos can also be understood as the space that exists between the celestial realm and the earthly realm. According to ancient beliefs, the sky was seen as a manifestation of chaos, as it was believed to be a vast expanse of water that was covered by a celestial dome or a firmament that shielded the Earth from the invading waters. This interpretation arose from the observation that the sky appeared blue, which led to the assumption that it must be due to the presence of water. This understanding finds a parallel in the book of Genesis in the Bible, where it is depicted that the Earth reverts back to a state of chaos during the great flood.
In the realm of myths, the concept of Chaos takes on various forms and interpretations, but perhaps the most widely recognized personification can be found in the Greco-Roman belief system. Within this framework, Chaos is often depicted as a primordial deity, while at other times it is viewed as a mystical realm where the first gods emerged through self-generation. Interestingly, there are also differing perspectives that question the very existence of Chaos, instead attributing the role of creator to the goddess Nyx, who is believed to have birthed everything that exists.
Symbolism[]
Chaos, an ancient entity, predates everything. The origins of Chaos remain largely shrouded in mystery, but it is speculated that Chaos emerged during the inception of the universe when it was immersed in a primordial concoction of antimatter. As the universe existed in its primal state, Chaos made its enigmatic appearance.
Within different religious beliefs, the concept of primordial chaos serves as the fundamental element that orderly beings utilize to construct the vast expanse of the universe.
Quotes[]
| “ | "Since ancient times, there was always a logic behind all beliefs involving the origin of the world, which was chaos. Chaos is the primitive state of the universe, the state that precedes order (cosmos), being the primordial void that precedes creation. However, this thinking changed with the rise of Monotheism, which believes that the universe was not created out of chaos, but was created out of nothingness and non-thing by God." | „ |
| “ | "To be fair, none of us really understand what our father was thinking. But at least in our defense, ours is literally the void that exists before creation, so unless you fancy talking to yourself before a giant blackhole, be my guest." | „ |
| “ | "Before the first day... In the beginning it was chaos that lay alone in the void. The chaos was volatile and it turned inside out and began to dance frantically - now imploding now exploding. The darkness was crumbling, the shapes were almost being shaped by accident, but since no one was there, it was all an improbable dream. A pale light thus dawned – a reflection analogous to the clumsiness of the absence of total darkness. Primitive elements were confused into an infinite chain of infinite molecules that did not exist. In nothingness, nothing existed but the anatomy of nothingness. Nothing grew. Nothing was goaded. Hundreds of hidden stars, a thousand and one new constellations. A cosmic and incipient question mark. Meaningless shapes, discolored colors. Silent whispers of a non-existent universe. Diaphanous corruptible lights. Delusions lingering asleep. On that day there was no day." | „ |
| “ | "Before there was earth or sea or the sky that covers everything, Nature appeared the same throughout the whole world: what we call chaos: a raw confused mass, nothing but inert matter, badly combined discordant atoms of things, confused in the one place. There was no Titan yet, shining his light on the world, or waxing Phoebe renewing her white horns, or the earth hovering in surrounding air balanced by her own weight, or watery Amphitrite stretching out her arms along the vast shores of the world. Though there was land and sea and air, it was unstable land, unswimmable water, air needing light. Nothing retained its shape, one thing obstructed another, because in the one body, cold fought with heat, moist with dry, soft with hard, and weight with weightless things." | „ |
| “ | "At the beginning there was only Chaos, Night, dark Erebus, and deep Tartarus. Earth, the air and heaven had no existence. Firstly, blackwinged Night laid a germless egg in the bosom of the infinite deeps of Erebus, and from this, after the revolution of long ages, sprang the graceful Amor with his glittering golden wings, swift as the whirlwinds of the tempest. He mated in deep Tartarus with dark Chaos, winged like himself, and thus hatched forth our race, which was the first to see the light. That of the Immortals did not exist until Amor had brought together all the ingredients of the world, and from their marriage Heaven, Ocean, Earth, and the imperishable race of blessed gods sprang into being. Thus our origin is very much older than that of the dwellers in Olympus." | „ |
| “ | "Don't engage him, my son. He is the Void that once fought my Father before Creation began. You wouldn't even stand a millisecond against him." | „ |
| “ | "I do as I please Oh Everlasting Lord of Creation. You may portray the powers of Creation, Control, Change, Destruction, and Restoration but you alone don’t possess them. Him and I also possess them just the same. The Power of Nothingness to bring existence where there wasn’t space-time, matter, energy, spiritual forces, manipulate those very things, to altering them as I please, to raze them back to nothingness or reconstitute from the abyss I can perform these miracles too. The only real difference between You, Azathoth and I is the aesthetic approach we take." | „ |
Trivia[]
- It is observed to have a lesser degree of involvement in the act of creation compared to the other Pre-Existential Entities.
- Eliciting the ire of Chaos (to whatever extent an impassive abyss can experience anger) stood as Nyarlathotep's most notable triumph throughout his existence, as it demonstrated that even the deepest emptiness could be deceived.
- It revealed their sexual and romantic orientation to be asexual and aromantic, respectively.
- Her name Nihil means “nothing” in Latin.
External Links[]
- Chaos on the Gods and Demons Wiki
- Chaos on the Myth and Folklore Wiki
