Goddess Nyx – Who is it? What represents? What are your legends?

THE goddess Nyx is a deity of ancient Greece, known for being the first among all deities. She is considered the goddess of the night, feared even by Zeus.

In this article, you will learn about the history and legends surrounding this powerful goddess.

Who is Nyx the goddess?

Coming from Greek mythology, Nyx is the daughter of Chaos. Born on Gaia at the dawn of time, her home was deep in the underworld of Hades.

Despite not personifying evil in Greek mythology, due to her association with the underworld and having a darker figure, Nyx is considered night goddess.

According to the beliefs around this goddess, she can impact humanity in both positive and negative ways. She can bring sleep or death to humans.

She is a very feared goddess. Not even Zeus dared mess with her, as Nyx is older and stronger than he is.

This is possible because despite the gods of Mount Olympus being the most famous deities, the pantheon of ancient Greece contained a multitude of other deities that preceded Zeus and Poseidon, for example.

According to important Greek poems, Nyx is the first of all creation. Before there was anything, there was only darkness and that was where Nyx was born.

Representation of Nyx

Nyx was represented in two different ways: winged or with a halo of dark mists.

In any case, she was always portrayed as a beautiful woman, dressed in black. Often they also drew her in the company of her numerous children.

History of the Goddess Nyx

Her mysterious nature led her to marry Erebus, the god of darkness. Together they had two children: Hemera and Aither.

Hemera and Aether were the exact opposites of their parents, as they represented day and light.

Other children of Nyx are: Thanatos (death), Hypnos, Geras (old age), Moros, Nemesis (retribution), the Keres (the dogs of Hades), the Oneiroi (the gods of dreams) among others.

Legends about Nyx

Legend has it that every night Nyx came out of her cave in the underworld of Tartarus and, hand in hand with Erebus, blocked the light emitted by her son Aether, bringing night and darkness to the world.

The next morning, his daughter Hemera emerged from Tartarus and swept through the darkness of the night. Nyx would then return to her cave. So mother and daughter were never in the same place at the same time.

Another legend has it that Hera convinced Hypnos, son of Nyx, to put her husband Zeus to sleep while she conspired against him.

The problem is that Hypnos wasn’t powerful enough to make Zeus sleep completely. When Zeus found out what Hypnos had done, he started chasing him.

Hypnos then sought refuge in his mother’s cave. Upon discovering where Hypnos was, Zeus gave up the pursuit for fear of enraging Nyx.

How important is the goddess Nyx in Wicca?

Nyx is worshiped in Wicca and portrays the face of the goddess of darkness. Witches and wizards request it for fertility rituals and for clarity in solving problems.

This relationship is made in the sense that if you feel lost and aimless in a dark night, where there is no light to guide you, the best goddess to guide you is Nyx, who knows night and darkness very well.

When you want to seek clarity of thoughts to find a way out of a difficult situation, perform the following ritual for the goddess Nyx:

On a New Moon night, light light incense with an energizing scent such as sandalwood, red roses, rosemary, or white sage.

Take this incense to a quiet but completely dark place, where the only light is burning incense.

Connect with Nyx and explain the situation you are going through. Close your eyes and do a little meditation, focusing on your breathing.

The next day, the solution to your problem will appear for you.

Witches also use moonstone as a way of honoring the goddess Nyx. It reflects its owner and must be used at the Full Moon.

In JK Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series of wizarding books, characters use a spell called “Nox” to extinguish the glow of their wands. Nox is the name of the goddess Nyx in Roman mythology and refers to darkness.

Learn more about Wicca and its differences from witchcraft.