Ananke (mythology)
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, Ananke, also spelled Anangke, Anance, or Anagke (Ancient Greek: , from the common noun ἀνάγκη, "force, constraint, necessity"), was the personification of destiny
, necessity
and fate, depicted as holding a spindle
. She marks the beginning of the cosmos
, along with Chronos
. She was seen as the most powerful dictator of all fate and circumstance which meant that mortals, as well as the Gods, respected her and paid homage. She was also the mother of the Moirae
, the three fates who were fathered by Zeus
.
According to the ancient Greek traveller Pausanias
, there was a temple in ancient Corinth
where the goddesses Ananke and Bia
(meaning violence or violent haste) were worshipped together in the same shrine.
She was worshipped until the creation of the Orphic
mystery religion
. Through the long process of the Orphic mysteries cult, it transpires that Ananke, symbolizing destiny and the inevitable, fell gradually into oblivion
, until finally, she was replaced by the god Eros
(the god of love), the force opposing fate and death.
In Roman mythology
, she was called Necessitas ("necessity").
's novel Notre-Dame de Paris, written upon a wall of Notre-Dame by the hand of Dom Claude Frollo. In his Toute La Lyre
, Hugo also mentions Ananke as a symbol of love.
"Ananke" is the title of a science fiction short story by Stanislav Lem, in the series of the Tales of Pirx the Pilot
. Ananke is the key to the solution of a disastrous spaceship accident. Ananke is used in the meaning of force and obsession.
In Kelly McCullough's "Ravirn" series, Ananke is a prominent figure in all the books under the guise of Necessity.
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, Ananke, also spelled Anangke, Anance, or Anagke (Ancient Greek: , from the common noun ἀνάγκη, "force, constraint, necessity"), was the personification of destiny
Destiny
Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
, necessity
Necessity
In U.S. criminal law, necessity may be either a possible justification or an exculpation for breaking the law. Defendants seeking to rely on this defense argue that they should not be held liable for their actions as a crime because their conduct was necessary to prevent some greater harm and when...
and fate, depicted as holding a spindle
Spindle (textiles)
A spindle is a wooden spike used for spinning wool, flax, hemp, cotton, and other fibres into thread. It is commonly weighted at either the bottom middle or top, most commonly by a circular or spherical object called a whorl, and may also have a hook, groove or notch, though spindles without...
. She marks the beginning of the cosmos
Cosmos
In the general sense, a cosmos is an orderly or harmonious system. It originates from the Greek term κόσμος , meaning "order" or "ornament" and is antithetical to the concept of chaos. Today, the word is generally used as a synonym of the word Universe . The word cosmos originates from the same root...
, along with Chronos
Chronos
In Greek mythology, Chronos in pre-Socratic philosophical works is said to be the personification of time. His name in Greek means "time" and is alternatively spelled Chronus or Khronos.Chronos was imagined as an incorporeal god, serpentine in form, with three heads—those of a man, a bull, and...
. She was seen as the most powerful dictator of all fate and circumstance which meant that mortals, as well as the Gods, respected her and paid homage. She was also the mother of the Moirae
Moirae
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
, the three fates who were fathered by Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
.
According to the ancient Greek traveller Pausanias
Pausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...
, there was a temple in ancient Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
where the goddesses Ananke and Bia
Bia (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Bia was the personification of force, daughter of Pallas and Styx. She was the sister of Nike, Kratos, and Zelus; she and her siblings were constant companions of Zeus. They achieved this honour after supporting Zeus in the war against the Titans along with their mother...
(meaning violence or violent haste) were worshipped together in the same shrine.
She was worshipped until the creation of the Orphic
Orphism (religion)
Orphism is the name given to a set of religious beliefs and practices in the ancient Greek and the Hellenistic world, as well as by the Thracians, associated with literature ascribed to the mythical poet Orpheus, who descended into Hades and returned...
mystery religion
Greco-Roman mysteries
Mystery religions, sacred Mysteries or simply mysteries, were religious cults of the Greco-Roman world, participation in which was reserved to initiates....
. Through the long process of the Orphic mysteries cult, it transpires that Ananke, symbolizing destiny and the inevitable, fell gradually into oblivion
Oblivion
Oblivion may refer to:*The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a 2006 video game*Oblivion , a Marvel Comics character*Oblivion , a 1994 western/science fiction film from Full Moon Entertainment...
, until finally, she was replaced by the god Eros
Eros
Eros , in Greek mythology, was the Greek god of love. His Roman counterpart was Cupid . Some myths make him a primordial god, while in other myths, he is the son of Aphrodite....
(the god of love), the force opposing fate and death.
In Roman mythology
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
, she was called Necessitas ("necessity").
Ananke in literature
The word "Ananke" is featured in Victor HugoVictor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
's novel Notre-Dame de Paris, written upon a wall of Notre-Dame by the hand of Dom Claude Frollo. In his Toute La Lyre
Toute la Lyre
Toute la Lyre is a posthumous collection of poems by Victor Hugo.While the title is Hugo's, and had been previously announced, the selection was in fact made by Paul Meurice on the basis of the author's notes, and appeared in two instalments, in 1888 and 1893, with a revised version in 1897.The...
, Hugo also mentions Ananke as a symbol of love.
"Ananke" is the title of a science fiction short story by Stanislav Lem, in the series of the Tales of Pirx the Pilot
Tales of Pirx the Pilot
Stanisław Lem's Tales of Pirx the Pilot , published in Poland in 1968, and translated to English in two parts in 1979 and 1982, is a series of short stories about a spaceship pilot named Pirx...
. Ananke is the key to the solution of a disastrous spaceship accident. Ananke is used in the meaning of force and obsession.
In Kelly McCullough's "Ravirn" series, Ananke is a prominent figure in all the books under the guise of Necessity.