NYX

The Goddess of Night & The Story of Nyx and Zues

Nyx is a powerful deity, and was feared by both mortals and Gods. She was said to have the power to control dreams and sleep. Despite her fearsome reputation, Nyx was also respected and worshipped by many. She was seen as a protector of the night, and was often ivoked by travellers and those seeking guidance in the darkness.

The goddess of night appeared in the story of the Orphic creation story, to where Nyx lays an egg from which hatches Phanes and other deities. In the Iliad by Homer, one of Nyx’s deities Hypnos faces the wrath of Zues. Hera, Zues’ wife and queen of the Olympian gods resented the Greek hero Hercules because he was Zues’ son from a mortal woman, Alceme. Hera brainstorms a plan to destroy his ships on his way home from Troy and asks Hypnos to put Zues in a deep sleep, so he is none the wiser. Hera then whips up a storm that wrecks Hercules’ ships. Zeus awakens and is furious with Hypnos, intent on throwing him off Mount Olympus. Hypnos goes running to Nyx for protection, knowing that Zeus would not dare cross the Night herself; such was her power.

Interpretation

Nyx is a powerful Deity and is feared by many gods and mortals, but is also worshipped by many. Her Story with Zues is of her protecting her son Hypnos from Zues’s wrath, though Zues backs off from chasing Hypnos to the underworld because he knows she is more powerful than him.

IMAGE NYX, NIGHT GODDESS AND GENII OF STUDY AND LOVE

IMAGE GUSTAVE MOREAU: NYX, NIGHT GODDESS

MIDJOURNEY GENERATE IMAGE THE NIGHT BATTLING ZUES.

MIDJOURNEY GENERATED IMAGE GODDESS NYX WITH HER CHILDREN

MIDJOURNEY GENERATE IMAGE HYPNOS RUNNING AWAY FROM ZUES

MIDJOURNEY GENERATED IMAGE GODDESS NYX AND HER SON HYPNOS

IMAGE

HYPNOS PUTTING ZUES TO SLEEP

IMAGE NYX NIGHT GODDESS

HYPNOS RUNS DOWN TO THE UNDERWORLD WHERE HIS MOM LIVES. AS ZEUS CHASE HYPNOS, HIS POWER DREASES AND REALISES WHO HYPNOS IS SEEKING FOR HELP.

Zues

HYPNOS ISN’T POWERFUL ENOUGH TO PUT ZEUS TO SLEEP AND WHEN HE FINDS OUT, ZEUS IS READY TO OVER THROW HIM OUT OF OLYMPUS.

HYPNOS’S POWER DECREASES AS HE TRAVELS TO OLYMPIA DUE TO HIGHER AUTHORITY.

HERA CONVINCES HYPNOS TO PUT ZEUS TO SLEEP BECAUSE OF HER HATRED TOWARDS ZEUS FOR HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH A MORTAL.

HYPNOS’S POWERS STAYS THE SAME WHEN HE LEAVES NYX CAVE IN THE UNDERWORLD.

IN A NEW TERRITORY, HYPNOS HAS THE UPPERHAND. HE IS SMART ENOUGH TO GO RUNNING TO HIS MOM FOR HELP AS SHE IS FEARED BY MANY GODS INCLUDING ZEUS.

ZEUS IS NO MATCH FOR NYX AS SHE HAS MORE POWER OVER HIM AND HE IS FEARFUL OF HER.

EVEN WHEN IT’S NIGHTFALL NYX HAS THE UPER HAND AS SHE COMES OUT OF HER RESIDENCE AND FLYS ABOVE THE SKY AND MIST DARKNESS.

Hypnos

THE DOOR TO NYX’S RESIDENCE OPENS FOR HYPNOS TO PROTECT HIM FROM ZEUS.

NYX HAS MANY CHILDREN THAT SHE OPENS HER DOORS FOR.