Erebus 81010 221246959 2008-06-23T18:19:14Z Singaraja 2380833 {{otheruses}} {{Greek myth (primordial)}} In [[Greek mythology]], '''Erebus''' or '''Erebos''' ([[Ancient Greek language|Ancient Greek]]: {{polytonic|Ἔρεβος}}, [[English language|English translation]]: "deep blackness/darkness or shadow") was the son of a primordial god [[Chaos (mythology)|Chaos]] and represented the personification of darkness and shadow, which filled in all the corners and crannies of the world. He was the offspring of Chaos alone. He was brother of [[Nyx (mythology)|Nyx]] and father with her of [[Aether (mythology)|Aether]] and [[Hemera]], according to [[Hesiod]] (c. 700 BC). According to [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]] (c. AD 1), he was the father of [[Geras]]. According to some later legends, Erebus was part of [[Hades]], the underworld. It was where the dead had to pass immediately after dying. After [[Charon]] ferried them across the river [[Acheron]], they entered [[Tartarus]], the underworld proper. Erebus was often used as a synonym for [[Hades (god)|Hades]], the Greek god of the underworld. The word is probably from [[Proto-Indo-European language]], ''*h<sub>1</sub>reg<sup>w</sup>os'', cognate to [[Old Norse]] ''røkkr'', [[Gothic language|Gothic]] ''riqis'' "darkness", [[Sanskrit]] ''rajani'' "night", [[Tamil language| Tamil]] ''Eravu'' "night", [[Tocharian]] ''orkäm'' "darkness". Another suggestion is a loan from [[Semitic]], c.f. [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] ''erebh'' and [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] ''erebu'' "sunset, evening" (hence, "darkness"). The same etymology of "sunset" has been suggested for ''[[Europe]]''. {{Greek-deity-stub}} [[Category:Greek mythology]] [[Category:Death gods]] [[Category:Night gods]] [[Category:Underworld gods]] [[Category:Greek gods]] [[Category:Locations in Greek mythology]] [[bs:Ereb]] [[br:Erebos]] [[bg:Ереб]] [[ca:Èreb]] [[cs:Erebos]] [[da:Erebos]] [[de:Erebos]] [[et:Erebos]] [[el:Έρεβος (μυθολογία)]] [[es:Érebo]] [[eo:Erebo]] [[fa:اربوس]] [[fr:Érèbe]] [[gl:Erebo]] [[hr:Ereb]] [[id:Erebus]] [[it:Erebo]] [[he:ארבוס (אל)]] [[lb:Erebos]] [[lt:Erebas]] [[hu:Erebosz]] [[nl:Erebus (god)]] [[ja:エレボス]] [[no:Erebos]] [[pl:Ereb]] [[pt:Érebo]] [[ro:Erebus]] [[ru:Эреб]] [[simple:Erebos]] [[sk:Erebos]] [[sr:Ереб]] [[sh:Ereb]] [[fi:Erebos]] [[sv:Erebos]] [[tr:Erebus]] [[uk:Ереб]] [[zh:厄瑞玻斯]]