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Myths about Earth
In cultures around the world, humans have developed stories to help them understand how the Earth came to be, and why things happen. Many of these stories share interesting similarities, which point, perhaps, to deep common concerns of human beings. Explore the links in this section to find out about myths related to Earth, and phenomena that occur at the Earth’s surface.
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Explore Myths about Earth
Egyptian: Geb
Thousands of years ago, Geb was worshipped at the city of Heliopolis in lower Egypt as the ...Read more
Aztec: Coatlicue
Coatlicue, whose name means "Serpent Skirt," was the Earth goddess of life and death in the ...Read more
Greek: Gaea
Gaea was the great deity of the early Greeks. She represented the Earth and was worshipped ...Read more
Chinese: Hou Ji
Hou Ji was originally a Chinese hero of royal descent. His ancestor was Huang Di. Tang, the ...Read more
Inca: Pachamama
Incas of ancient Peru believed that Pachamama personified the Earth. Incas ruled Peru from ...Read more
Maya: Bacabs
The Earth was conceived by the Maya as flat with four corners. Each corner represented a cardinal ...Read more
Maori: Papa
According to the Maori people of New Zealand, Rangi was the Sky Father and his wife was the ...Read more
Norse: Midgard
Midgard is the realm where human beings live. Midgard, the Earth, was created from the flesh ...Read more
Sumerian: Enlil
Enlil was the Sumerian god of Earth and air. Sumerians were living more than three thousand ...Read more
Aspects of the Earth
Explore myths related to phenomena on Earth like storms, wind, rainbows, and more. ...Read moreHistorical Events
4/8 F5 tornado hits Birmingham, Alabama on this date in 1998 Details
4/10 Eruption of Mount Tambora, Indonesia in 1815
4/12 Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space on this date in 1961 Details
Full Earth and Space Science History Calendar (Members only)
Teacher Opportunities
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Did you know?
Did you know that the Yoruba god of the sea, Olokun, lives in a palace under the sea, with human and fish attendants?Did you know that the Roman god, Neptune, was not only the god of the sea, but also of earthquakes?
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
Silver Tells a Story of Early Earth: Water Here Since Planet's Very Early Days
Tiny variations in the isotopic composition of silver in meteorites and Earth rocks are helping scientists put together a timetable of how our planet was assembled, beginning 4.568 billion years ago. Results...Read more
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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information.
