The Myth of Cronus

Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St. Andrews are named after him.

From Lang’s fundamental essay Custom and Myth, published in 1884, we have drawn the study The Myth of Cronus, which today we propose to modern readers.

In Ancient Greek religion and mythology, Cronus, Cronos, or Kronos (Κρόνος) was the seventh king and and the youngest of first generation of Titans, the divine descendants of the primordial Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Sky). In an ancient myth recorded by Hesiod's Theogony, Cronus envied the power of his father, Uranus, the ruler of the universe. In this excellent study of comparative mythology, Andrew Lang reveals its secrets and summarizes its history and its myths.