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.
<a href="/mythology/tlaloc_rain.html">Tlaloc</a> was an important deity of <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/precipitation/rain.html">rain</a> and fertility of the Aztec mythology, associated with caves, springs, and mountains. Tlaloc was depicted as a man wearing a net of <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/cloud.html">clouds</a>, a crown of heron feathers, foam sandals and carrying rattles to make thunder. While he was thought to sustain life, he was also feared for sending <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/precipitation/hail.html">hail</a>, <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/tstorm/tstorm_lightning.html">thunder and lightning</a>. This image shows Tlaloc on a multicolor ceramic vessel from the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of the Museo del Templo Mayor, Mexico.</em></small></p>

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 fourth 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 more

More about Myths Related to Aspects of the Earth

Historical Events

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)

Teacher Opportunities

Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Did you know that we have tons of resources for Elementary School Science?

Did you know that Saturn has a strange hexagon shaped cloud structure at its north pole?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Ozone layer
xOzone layer : A range of altitudes in Earth's stratosphere which has a higher concentration of ozone molecules.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Lower Solar Activity Linked to Changes in Sun's Conveyor Belt

The sun goes through cycles that last approximately 11 years. These solar cycle include phases with more magnetic activity, sunspots, and solar flares. They also include phases with less activity. The...Read more


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. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA