Hades Candle

Hades was the son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and was consumed by his father (along with his siblings Demeter, Hestia, Hera, and Poseidon) immediately after birth due to a prophecy that one of his children would overthrow him as King of the Gods. Eventually, Zeus, Hades' brother, freed him and his siblings and together they drove the Titans down to the pits of Tartarus and claimed godship for themselves.

After their triumphant victory, the three brothers, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon drew lots for their portion of the cosmos to rule.  Zeus drew the clear skies and become the king of Mount Olympus, Poseidon drew the fearsome seas, and Hades the dismal and undesirable underworld.

One popular misconception about Hades is that he is the god of death but that is not the case--he is the god of the dead. This simple bit of wordplay is key.  Hades presides over the dead and the Underworld but he does not physically take the souls of people or cause their demise.  Those deathly duties belong to Thanatos, the true god of death and Charon, the ferryman, who carries departed souls across the river, Styx, which separates the land of the living from the dead.

In addition to being the god of the dead, Hades is the god of the hidden treasures beneath the earth -- such as gold, silver, and other precious minerals.  Like most Greek gods, Hades has different facets of his being that serve different purposes -- there is Hades, King of the Underworld and Hades, "the Lord of Riches" who was a giver of wealth and earth's bounty.


Read more on our blog post about Hades!