Theogony is, at least partially, a poem about development, both biological and cultural. It concentrates on technology and manufacturing based on spin and twist. It is about generation, production (-gony) of round (O) objects by rotation, turning (Th) and opening, branching (E). A large part of it deals with pottery tools and products such as the potter’s wheel (Thoosa), the oil lamps (Hesperides) or the drinking cups (Cyclopes) but other technologies are also told: the valve (Pegasus); the drill (Perseus); fire, flame (Helios), spark (Selene) and light (Eos) technologies such as the bellows (Chimera and Bellerophon) and the wick (Ladon); water management concerts such as natural pools (the Graeae Enyo and Pemphredo), streams and waterfalls (the Gorgons Steno and Euryale), the fountain (the Gorgon Medusa), drinking from the hand (Andromeda), water-tanks and citterns (Danaos and Danae); rings and chains (Orthrus and Cerberus); the spade (Chrysaor); the plough (Geryon), to mention a few. It all starts with the primary materials and methods such as dust, air, (Uranus), earth (Gaia), fresh water (Pontus), brut sharp stone (Erebus) and knocking (Nyx). The first-generation Titans were methods: rubbing and pounding (Oceanus), selecting, extracting, separating (Crius), stretching (Iapetus), pouring and polishing (Rhea), assembling (Mnemosyne), squirting (Tethys), mixing, impurity, dirt (Coeus), the fireplace (Hyperion), fire lighting, perhaps sulfur-based (Theia), laying, founding (Themis), cleaning (Phoebe) and cropping (Cronus).
Natural things are
immortal, but some natural objects may occasionally die; e.g. water springs may
dry out. Man-made things are usually mortal heroes but their concepts are
immortal; e.g. a house or a piece of wood are mortal but the house or the wood
are immortal; some technological inventions are theoretically immortal
(monsters) because their lifespan exceeds that of a human generation but they
are eventually slayed (replaced; rendered obsolete) by other inventions. This
chapter focuses mainly on the families of Phorcys (furcation) and Ceto
(concavity) and of Echidna (elongation) and Typhon (swirling) producing long,
thin, pointy objects such as wire, rope, rings or tubes.
Chimera is an
early version of bellows. Bellerophon is an improved version of bellows
featuring an air valve. Pegasus is a valve, notably used in Bellerophon-version
of bellows but also in any other device where a change in flow direction is
needed.
The Gorgons are
three types of waterfalls; their hair represents the snake-like streams
expanding from the point where the water falls; whoever looks at them is turned
into stone because only stone resists the eroding power of falling water.
Stheno is the natural powerful waterfall from a height and is of little use and
mythological significance. Euryale is a turbulent stream. Medusa is the
man-made fountain submitted to water rationing rules; and is the only mortal
Gorgon for that reason. Perseus is the drilling offering a private water source
or the drill, which opened a hole for a user-control mechanism in the head
(tap) of the Medusa fountain. Pegasus and Chrysaor are the valve and the X-, or
T-shaped handle of the flow control mechanism fitted to the tap (Medusa’s head,
or gut) for user-operated water-flow control. The T-shaped Chrysaor inspired
the spade and the plough.
Andromeda is a
method of drinking water directly from the tap. Hesiod’s Graeae are natural
water pools. Enyo is the pool passively formed by an underground spring, while
Pemphredo is the artificial-lake type formed by blocking a stream with a dam.
Later authors added to the Graeae collection artificial containers of the
tea-pot type.
Ladon is the wick.
Hesperides are the various types of oil-lamps. Erebus is a brut stone fragment
initially used only for hunting, harming and killing, but later, for making
artifacts by curving. Nyx means knocking; knocking combined with stone,
originally for killing but later for making stone objects like the oil lamps
(Hesperides); from then on, the word nyx semantically slipped to become
synonymous to night when light is needed. Iberia is the house or the house
construction site. Tartessos is the basement and the foundations of a
house/building. Thoosa is the potter’s wheel.