Phanes (mythology)

Phanes from Greek phanaô ("To bring light"), ("make appear") or Protogonus ("first-born") was the mystic primeval deity of procreation and the generation of new life who was introduced into the Greek myths by the Orphic tradition; other names for this Classical Greek Orphic concept included Ericapaeus ("power") and Metis ("thought"). In these myths Phanes is often equated with Eros and Mithras and has been depicted as a hermaphroditic deity emerging from a cosmic egg, entwined with a serpent. Many threads of earlier myths are apparent in the new tradition. Phanes was believed to have been hatched from the World-Egg of Chronos and Ananke. He was made the ruler of the deities and passed the sceptre to Nyx, his mother, wife, sister, or daughter (possibly all). This new Orphic tradition states that Nyx later gave the sceptre to her son Ouranos before it passed to Kronus and Zeus, who retained it (because he was not succeeded by another Greek deity). The "Protogonos Theogony" is known through the commentary in the Derveni papyrus and references in classical authors (Empedocles and Pindar).

External links

* [http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/primeval.html#Protogonus Protogonus (Phanes)]
* [http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Phanes.html Theoi Project - Phanes]