Chthonic or khthonic (from Greek χθόνιος – chthonios, "in, under, or beneath the earth", from χθών – chthōn, "earth") designates, or pertains to, deities or spirits of the Underworld. It typically refers to the interior of the soil, rather than the living surface of the land (as Gaia does) or the land as territory (as khora (χώρα) does). It evokes at once abundance and the grave.
Greek Mythology[]
Chthonic is a term used to describe Earth and Underworld gods and goddesses. In Greek mythology, Chthonic is contrasted with the ouranic, Olympian, or sky gods.
The Chthonic Gods[]
These are all the Chthonic gods and goddesses who appear and/or are mentioned in the God of War series:
- Hades: God of the Underworld and the Dead.
- Persephone: Goddess of Spring and Innocence, also the Queen of the Underworld.
- The Furies:
- Thanatos: God of Death.
- Erinys: Daughter of Thanatos and his messenger.
- The Three Judges: They judge the heart of each soul that enters the Underworld.
- King Minos: Has the casting vote.
- King Aeacus: Judge the souls of the Europeans.
- King Rhadamanthus: Judge the souls of the Asians.
- Nyx: Goddess of Night
- Hermes: God of Messengers, a Chthonic-Olympian Greek God that guides the souls to the afterlife or Charon.
- Charon: Ferryman of the Dead
- Erebus: God of Darkness
- Chaos: Goddess of Life
- Cronos: King of the Titans, King of the islands of the blessed, the home of the favored dead
- Sisters of Fate: They decide the fate of others.