The myth of Cronus, a story about human fear

The myth of Cronus is one of the most impressive and revealing of ancient Greece. It tells a fascinating story that, as happens in many of the works in which imagination prevails, has much more truth than fantasy. That truth does not refer to the events narrated, but rather to how it exposes the unconscious reality of human beings.

Let us remember that, due to the role they play, for psychoanalysis myths and dreams play in the same league.. While the latter reveal the unconscious reality of an individual, the former would show the unconscious reality of a society. In both, the facts lack reality, but when interpreted they would speak or refer to emotions, desires and fears that belong to the unconscious.

From that point of view, the myth of Cronus is one of the most interesting. Talk about that terrible facet of the father figure as well as the repressed desires of the children to end their tyranny so they can be themselves. The mother, for her part, appears as the children’s great ally to fulfill that purpose.

The myth of Cronus

The myth of Cronus tells us about the beginning of everything that exists, from the Greek point of view. In the beginning there is Gaia, the earth, and her husband Uranus, the sky. Uranus is the sole ruler of the entire universe. Uranus conceived children with Gaea but he left them prisoners in its womb and did not allow them to see the light.

The children already grown in the womb caused Gaea terrible pain and convulsions. The births that she could not carry out made her writhe in pain and shudder. Their children Inside her, they struggled to be born and breathe freely.

This made Gaea filled with hatred against Uranus and began to think of a way to get rid of him. He summoned his sons and asked them to kill their father with a flint scythe.. The children became hostages to the hatred between their parents. Only Cronus, the youngest, decided to please his mother’s wish.

Castration and patricide

Gaea set a trap for Uranus. She made him believe that she would give him a hug. It was the embrace between heaven and earth, between the world of ideas and basic instinct. Uranus agreed and then Cronus took the scythe and castrated him.. The virile organ is approached as the symbol of power and castration as the loss of it.

Terrible creatures were born from the blood spilled by Uranus. Giant beings, cyclops, monsters and demons, but also nymphs, who inspire works of art. Could these monsters be the fears that haunt human beings when they “get rid” physically or psychologically of the father’s power? Will the nymphs be that possibility of creating something new when the father is no longer there to set the limits?

Gaia and Cronus were happy. Since then, Cronus took the place of his father and began to reign in the universe. He became the husband of his sister, Rhea.

The mother, who had the gift of prediction, knew that Cronus would also be dethroned by one of her sons and she let him know. The fear of this and an insatiable hunger made Cronus begin to devour to all his children as soon as they were born.

A circle of repetitions

If Cronus and his brothers had been imprisoned in their mother’s womb, now Cronus’s children were imprisoned in their father’s stomach.. By devouring them, the children remained confined to the dark and cold world that was inside that father who was afraid of losing his power. Rhea, like Gaea before, was not happy with that situation.

Rhea also hatched a plan to get rid of Cronus with the help of her children. History was repeating itself. When the youngest son, Zeus, was born, she hid him. She gave Cronus some wrapped stones, making him believe that that was the little one. The father gobbled it up. Meanwhile, Zeus grew up and carried out his mother’s will. He gave his father a drink and he vomited on all his brothers.. He then he was banished.

In the myth of Cronus there is a typically Oedipal story, in the light of psychoanalysis. There is also a beautiful metaphor, since Cronus symbolized time. The time that devours everything. The time it takes for the damages caused and received to return to the author thereof. Time, which forgives nothing.

Interesting facts about Cronus

To conclude, we mention some curiosities about this deity:

Cronus in Roman mythology

In ancient times, Cronus was identified with the Roman god Saturn. But, while the Greeks considered Cronus a cruel and tempestuous force of chaos and disorder, The Romans adopted a more positive view of this deity, conflating him with their indigenous god Saturn and designating him as the god of agriculture and the harvest..

In fact, Saturn played a fundamental role in Roman mythology and religion, where he was worshiped through the Saturnalia festivals.

Cronus and his influence on Western culture

The association of Cronus with the golden age of Greek mythology made him became the god of “human time”, referring to calendars, seasons and harvests

In addition, Its Roman variant, Saturn, has had a great influence on Western culture. For example, the seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week was called in Latin Dies Saturni (“Saturn Day”); from there until said day is named Saturday in the English language.

For its part, in astronomy, The planet Saturn is named after the Roman god, being the outermost of the celestial objects visible without help..

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