Gaia

Gaia, also spelled Gaea or Ge, in the Greek mythology is the primeval goddess of the earth, the alma mater of living things, both in heaven and on earth, called subsequently Demeter, i. e. Gemeter, Earth-mother.

She alone gave birth to Uranus the Heaven who later became her mate and husband covering her on all sides. Gaia and Uranus together gave birth to the three Cyclopes, the three Hecatoncheires, and twelve Titans. However, she was unhappy on account of Uranus's hatred towards her children, particularly the Hecatoncheires. He imprisoned them by pushing them into the hidden places of the earth ie Gaia's womb. Children were at birth thrust down by him to Tartarus to the grief of Gaia. The enraged Gaia then plotted against Uranus. She made a flint sickle and tried to get her children to attack Uranus. All were too afraid except, the youngest born Titan, Cronus (also spelled Kronos or Cronos).

At mother's instigation Cronus became ready to attack his father Uranus. Gaia and Cronus set up an ambush of Uranus as he lay with Gaea at night. Cronus grabed his father and unmanned him by castrating him with the stone sickle given to him by his mother. He threw the severed genitals into the ocean. However, the fate of Uranus is not clear. He either died, withdrew from the earth, or exiled himself to Italy. As he departed he promised that Cronus and the Titans would be punished. From his spilt blood born the Giants, the Ash Tree Nymphs, and the Erinnyes. From the sea foam where his genitales fell came Aphrodite.

Gaia's son Cronus after unmanning his father seized the throne of the Universe, to be himself supplanted in turn by his son Zeus. When Zeus became god of the universe, he imprisoned those who fought against him, among them were Gaia's sons. Gaia became angry that her children were imprisoned. She gave birth to a last offspring who was named Typhoeus. He raged war against the gods. He was so fearsome that most of the gods fled. However, Zeus faced the monster, flung his lighting bolts and killed him. Typhoeus was buried under Mount Etna in Sicily.