Styx_ The Titan Goddess of Sacred Oaths & The River Styx - (Greek Mythology Explained) (BQ)

Many of us will be familiar with the river Styx in Greek mythology, a river that forms the boundary between the earth and the underworld. But how many of you were aware that Styx was also a titan goddess, the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, making her one of the oldest Oceanid sisters? She was regarded as the goddess of oath-making and the river that shared her name. Styx meaning hatred or to detest, the river itself was considered to be one of the few portals into Styx married the titan Pallas and together they had four children. When the time came that the Olympians decided they would go to war with the titans, Styx was one of the first deities to pledge her allegiance to Zeus and in doing so her children quickly followed suit and became vital allies during the war. When Zeus and the Olympians finally emerged victorious, in order to show the goddess his gratitude, he gave her name to the binding oath that would be taken by gods and goddesses. Whenever a binding oath was taken, they would have to do so in Styx's name and the oath would have to be honoured in her waters. There is a story where Zeus fell in love with a princess named Semele who asked him to grant her one wish. Zeus accepted the prince's request and took an Semele asked Zeus to appear to her in his full glory. It was believed that any mortal who gazed upon a god in their true form would burst into flames. Knowing that his presence would almost certainly kill the princess, Zeus had no choice but to honour his oath and when he did finally appear, Semele and all those around her burst into flames and died instantly. The god of the sun Helios also features in a very similar story where his son Phaethon begged him to let him drive the chariot of the sun. Phaethon was extremely persistent, eventually convincing his father to take an oath in Styx's name to one day grant his request. When Helios eventually allowed his son to take the reins, the boy's inexperience meant that he veered out of control and crashed. The ancient Greeks believed that the chariots landed in Africa, in the region of Ethiopia, scorching what was once lush green land, creating deserts and killing all those in the surrounding areas. When Zeus heard of the destruction caused by Helios' son, he had no choice but to strike the boy down, killing him with a single lightning bolt. In both of these stories, the gods took an oath in Styx's name and made promises to loved ones. Zeus and Helios were unable to break these oaths despite knowing how dangerous they could be and in both occasions those involved died. This leaves us with a few interesting questions. If the gods knew that only death would occur from these oaths, then why would they honour them? What punishments awaited them if they broke their word? It's believed that the gods who broke an oath would have to drink from Styx's waters, causing them to lose their voice and eventually being exiled from the council of gods. The exact duration of these punishments seems to vary, anywhere from several years to an eternity, but the gods must have considered them extremely severe, being so unwilling to break their word, regardless of who they harmed. Styx was an extremely powerful goddess and some believe that those touched by her waters were granted invincibility. The Greek hero Achilles was dipped into the river Styx during his childhood by his mother, making him strong, quick and almost invincible. When Achilles' mother submerged him in the river, she held him by his ankle, meaning that the only part of his body untouched by the waters was his heel. This exposed area would become the hero's only vulnerability and eventually result in his death. The term Achilles' heel would later be used to highlight a specific weakness that someone may have. The goddess Styx herself doesn't feature a great deal in Greek mythology, but the role she played in the war must have been quite significant to elicit the gratitude it did from Zeus. The start of the war signalled a very uncertain time in Greek mythology. Many of the gods and goddesses were unsure which side they should align with, but Styx was one of the first goddesses bold enough to pick her side and she was rewarded accordingly. Mentions of her after the war are few and far, but we know she was responsible for making sure the gods honoured their promises and kept their word, and for the most part they did, fearing the punishment that awaited them if they broke their oath. What I find quite interesting is that the river Styx, the domain that the goddess had rule over, appeared more often in the stories and myths of Greek mythology than the goddess herself. My interpretation of Styx is that of a strong, fierce and assertive goddess, who was equally as feared as she was respected. But I'd like to know what you guys think. Do you see Styx in a different way? Is she a goddess that you would have liked to have seen more of? Let me know in the comments below. As always, I've been your host, Mythology and Fiction Explained, and I'll see you next time.