- ASPECTS OF THE EARTH
- Norse: Freya
- Norse: Valkiries
- Chinese: Pan-ku
- Pawnee: Tirawa
- Greek: Pan
- Roman: Faunus
- African: Shango
- Japanese: Susanowo
- Aztec: Tlaloc
- Navajo: Tonenili
- Norse: Thor
- Norse: Njord
- Greek: Zephyr
- Maori: Tawhiri
- Mayan: Xib Chac
- Norse: Bifrost
- Norse: Aegir
- African: Olokun
- Greek: Poseidon
- Roman: Neptune
- Greek: Amphitrite
- Greek: Galatea
- Maori: Tangaroa
- Inuit: Sedna
- Navajo: Estsanatlehi
- Greek: Persephone
- Hawaii: Pele
Myths Related to Aspects of the Earth
Early civilizations had many myths about gods and goddesses associated with what they experienced in their daily lives at the surface of the Earth. This section provides a glimpse of myths associated with aspects of Earth - storms, precipitation, lightning and thunder, winds, clouds, rainbows, water and the seas, aurora, volcanoes and the underworld - which early civilizations used to help understand the sometimes frightening world around them.
Windows to the Universe Community | |
News | Opportunities |
Explore Myths Related to Aspects of the Earth
Norse: Freya
Norse mythology associates the aurora with the beautiful goddess, Freya, daughter of Njord ...Read more
Norse: Valkiries
It has been suggested that the northern lights, the aurora, represented the reflections of ...Read more
Chinese: Pan-ku
According to a primitive Chinese myth, at the beginning of time, the universe had the shape ...Read more
Pawnee: Tirawa
According to the Pawnee, the world was created by the god Tirawa, who sent the stars to support ...Read more
Greek: Pan
Pan is the Greek god protector of shepherds, sheep, and goats. According to an account of his ...Read more
Roman: Faunus
Faunus was a Roman pastoral god. The Romans identified him with the Greek god Pan. Some times ...Read more
African: Shango
Shango was the forth king of the ancient Oyo Empire, the West African center of culture and ...Read more
Japanese: Susanowo
Susanowo was the god of the sea and the storms according to the ancient Japanese religion Shinto, ...Read more
Aztec: Tlaloc
Tlaloc was an important deity of rain and fertility of the Aztec mythology. Aztec people were ...Read more
Navajo: Tonenili
Tonenili, who is also known as the Water Sprinkler, is the Navaho God of Water. He is responsible ...Read moreDid you know?
Did you know that Colonial Americans used large sheets of mica as glass for windows?Did you know that in Norse mythology, there is a huge rainbow bridge called Bifrost that connects Midgard, the realm of humans, to Asgard, the home of the gods?
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?Ballast water
xBallast water : Water carried in a vessel to give it stability; may be a mode of transport for invasive species
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
“Missing” Heat May Affect Future Climate Change
As greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere, more of the energy that gets to Earth from the Sun sticks around the planet. This means that the amount of energy coming to Earth is greater than the amount...Read more
Shop Windows to the Universe
Tourmalines are available in our online store, along with other minerals and fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items.
Science Blogs
Real Climate: climate science from climate scientists
Star Stuff: science news from an astronomer's perspective
Generous sponsorship of Windows to the Universe is provided by the Hewlett Foundation, the American Geological Institute, the American Geophysical Union, the National Science Foundation, NASA, NCAR, and the CISM and CMMAP projects.
