Ways of Worship: Erebus

Erebus or Erebos is the primordial personification of darkness. It is said he looks like a large, dark, ghost like mass swirling darkness but he is also often depicted as an attractive man with lightly tan skin, medium length black curly hair, and black wings. His siblings are Nyx, Gaia, and Tartarus. He is one of the dieties who only has one parent and that is his father Khaos. Erebos also married his sister Nyx and had two children Aether (light or bright sky) and Hemera (day). In the Fabulae of Hyginus he also fathers Fate, Old age, Death, Destruction, Strife, Sleep, Dreams, Thoughtfulness, Hedymeles, Porphyrion, Epaphus, Discord, Misery, Petulance, Nemesis, Cheerfulness, Friendship, Pity, Styx, the Parcae (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos), and the Hesperides (Aegle, Hesperia, and Erythea) with Nyx. His Roman name Scotus or Erebus.

Erebus is used as a name for a region of the Greek underworld where the dead pass immediately after dying, and is sometimes used interchangeably with Tartarus. It's said his dark mists encircled the world and filled the deep hollows of the Earth.

Erebus is not really seen in myths of his own. Instead he is only really seen in two myths: how the day and night work and the creation of the world. In the first myth, Erebus' wife Nyx drew his darkness across the sky which brought night and his daughter Hemera chased her around the world collecting the darkness and to bring day and reveal her sister Aether.

In the second myth Khaos put his power into the darkness or void and created two children of that darkness. The twins, Nyx and Erebus, where inseperateable from the moment of their conception and rarely was one seen without the other. Khaos then had two other children, Gaia (the primordial Goddess of earth) and Tartarus (the primordial God of the abyss). Nyx and Gaia created life and the Earth was born. Tartarus was held deep in the underworld as the abyss in the center of Earth, and Erebus became the gateway between the two. Gaia remained on the surface of Earth while Erebus and Nyx lived in the depths of Tartarus.

Symbols

General Symbols: black feathers, darkness, black fabric, ghosts/spirits,

Gems/Crystals: Black tourmaline, obsidian, rose quartz, smoky quartz

Animals: Dogs (especially black), crows, white snakes

Plants: Rose, black lily, black hollyhock, pansies, purple or black petunias, black calla lily, Black dahlia, black or dark coloured orchids, night blooming plants

Scents: Summer night air, smoke, frankensesnce, myrrh, cinnamon, cloves, patchouli, rich Earthy tones

Colours: Black, white, dark blue, dark purple, brown, emerald green

Food: Honey, chocolates, smoked meat, grains, wine or beer, sweets

Prayers and Invocations

Things to pray for: safe night, assistance in a loved one passing over, help contacting Nyx, help crossing a spirit over, protection from ghosts

Prayer #1

Great Erebos, born of Khaos when the Universe was young, I pray to you,

O God of Darkness, your misty presence encircles the world and fills

the deep hollows of the Earth,

You fill the night sky and every shadow,

And at the dawn, your daughter, the lovely Goddess Hemera, scatters

your darkness and turns it into light,

For there is no darkness without light,

They are the two halves that make the whole, Equally important

O Erebos, reveal to us your ancient wisdom in the darkness,

Whisper it to us as the sun goes down and the world grows dark,

Guide us and teach us, Immense One, for we are your humble followers,

Ancient and wise Erebos, I praise and honor you on this night as your graceful wife,

Goddess Nyx, draws your darkness across the sky

Hail to you, Mighty Erebos!