Titan (English spelling)

In Greek mythology, Cronus and his family ruled the world before the Olympian gods led by Zeus. They are also called Titanes (plural). The English pronunciation is Titan, and the name of the moon of Saturn in astronomy is written as Titan. Their parents were Gaia (the earth) and Uranus (the sky), and the name usually refers to 12 gods, six male and six female. Gaia gave birth to Cyclopes and Hecatonchires after these gods, but Uranus hated their strange appearance and hid them deep inside the earth (Gaia) as soon as they were born. Their mother Gaia was angry about this and encouraged the Titans to take revenge on their lawless father. Everyone was silent out of fear of their father, but Cronus, the youngest son, ambushed Uranus at his mother's request and cut off his genitals with a sickle. Thus, Cronus took control of the heavens and the earth in place of his father, but Cronus was eventually robbed of control by his youngest son, Zeus. After being defeated in a 10-year battle with Zeus (Titanomachy), the Titans were sealed away in Tartarus. It is said that they were probably ancient nature gods inherited from the indigenous peoples of Greece, and were remnants of their being oppressed and absorbed by the religions of the new peoples.

[Teruo Ito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ギリシア神話で、ゼウスを中心とするオリンポス神族に先だって世界を支配していたクロノスとその一族。ティタネスTitanes（複数形）ともよばれる。英語読みでタイタン、天文学の土星の衛星名はチタンと表記する。ガイア（大地）とウラノス（天空）を両親とし、普通、男神6人と女神6人の12神をさす。ガイアはこれらの神々のあとキクロペスとヘカトンケイルを生むが、ウラノスはその奇怪な姿を嫌って生まれるとすぐに彼らを大地(ガイア)の奥底に隠した。母のガイアはこれを怒り、無法な父に報復するようティタンたちをけしかける。父を恐れて一同沈黙するばかりであったが、末子のクロノスだけは母の求めに応じてウラノスを待ち伏せし、その生殖器を鎌(かま)で切り取る。こうして父にかわりクロノスが天地の支配権を得たが、クロノスもやがて末子のゼウスに支配権を奪われる。そしてゼウスとの10年間にわたる戦い（ティタノマキア）に破れたティタンたちは、タルタロスに封じ込められる。おそらく、彼らはギリシアの先住民族から受け継がれた古い自然神であり、新来の民族の宗教に圧迫されて吸収された名残(なごり)であろうといわれている。

［伊藤照夫］

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