Vepo:World of Water

By Group 3: Regina Crawford, Emily

Fortner, Colleen Lang, and Trisha Wood

Vepo’s Pantheon

He possesses

the power to

move

and control all

of the natural

elements but

his favorite

element is

water.

Dimiourgia is

the God that

created Vepo. It

is said that he

created the

world through

means of a

swirling vortex.

Thalassa is the King of the Gods and the God of the Sea. He

wields all of the powers of the seas, and the creatures and

coruscations among them. He was Dimiourgia’s favorite God

and received the most power.

Epouranios is the

God of the

Heavens. He looks

over the world of

Vepo as he lives in

a waterfall in

Ouranios. His job

is to help the good

souls of Vepo

move onto the

spirit world and

live with him

amongst the

heavens.

Thanatos the ruler

of the lower part

of the

Underworld. His

curse is to ferry

the evil souls from

the world of the

living to that of the

dead. This curse

was put on him by

Dimiourgia for

doing wrong and

stealing from the

poor.

Epigeios is the Goddess of the earth. She has the power to change the seasons. She is

Mother Earth. She wears skins of the forest and protects all wild and plant life.

Phileó, the Goddess of love, twin sister of Epigeios. She is love in a physical form. She

helps the people of Vepo find their loves. She is the lover of Thanatos the God of the

underworld.

Epigeios and Phileó are twin sisters. Phileó was the only deity to die and descend into

the lower part of the Underworld where she fell in love with Thanatos. Because her

sister grieved, Thalassa decided the Phileó would spend half the year with Epigeios

and the other half with Thanatos. While she is with Epigeios, it is Spring and when

she is with Thanatos it is Winter.

The Creation of Vepo

All was dark and

silent in the abyss.

Dimiourgia

roamed the

darkness on his

chariot and was

so saddened by

his eternal

loneliness he

allowed the first

tear to fall from

his eye.

As the tear rolled down his cheek, it began to grow and take form.

Dimiourgia caught the tear in his hand, and loved the globe of water so

much he reached deep into his chest and removed his own heart.

Dimiourgia tore his heart into seven

equal pieces. The first two pieces were

used to create the moon and stars. The

third portion was used to create the

sun and the fourth was scattered

evenly around the globe to grow plants.

Dimiourgia saw the colorful plants he

created and decided to take the fifth

piece of his heart and create the

animals of the sea. Dimiourgia gazed

at his creation but was still not pleased.

He breathed the breath of life

into both of them and placed

them gently onto the

beautiful new world of water.

Dimiourgia loved the man

and woman, he loved the

beautiful world of water. No

longer would he roam the

empty heavens alone. When

all was finished, Dimiourgia

smiled at all he had created

and the planet began to

dance in celebration.

With the final two sections of

his heart, Dimiourgia created

man and woman. He tenderly

molded them each in his hands.

The woman would be the most

beautiful living thing ever

created. He chose two of the

brightest stars to put in place of

her eyes, and caught rays of

the sun to place in her cheeks.

Dimiourgia then rode

ferociously in his chariot in

order to harness the winds of

strength for man’s body. Man

would be the most powerful

thing ever created.

The Flood of Vepo

One day Thanatos was watching humans, waiting for

a new shade to come to his kingdom.

He saw the people of a small village burning a body

and he became angry.

Out of his anger came fire that set the world aflame.

Epigeios was insulted by Thanatos' actions. He allowed the

fire to burn her land so he could punish those who had

disrespected the dead.

Epigeios did not have the power to stop the fire. Out of her

despair she went to Thalassa seeking help.

Thalassa was annoyed by both Thanatos and Epigeios. He

decided that because both Gods showed immaturity, he

would not allow for the earth to have fire nor dry land and

he submerged the earth in water.

Thalassa

realized that

Epigeios’ grief

was not by

her own

doing and

allowed her to

grow plants

on the land at

the bottom of

the sea. Of

particular

importance to

Epigeios was

seaweed.

Epigeios was

fond of growing

seaweed because

it had the same

healing

properties that

aloe had on her

beloved dry land

that no long

existed. She used

the seaweed to

soothe and heal

the burns of the

people who had

survived

Thanatos’ fire.

Vepo’s Afterlife

Thanatos is the God of

the lower part of the

Underworld. Thanatos is

responsible for taking the

unworthy dead to the

lower part of the

Underworld.

Epouranios is the God of

the upper part of the

Underworld. Epouranios

is responsible for leading

the worthy dead into the

upper part of the

Underworld.

Pulé is the gate to the lower part of

the Underworld where Thanatos

resides. The only way to return

from Hupokató is if the King of

the Gods, Thalassa, decides that

the dead is worthy to live again.

Anabainó is the stairway to the

upper part of the Underworld

where Epouranios resides.

Epouranios decides who is worthy

to enter into Ouranios. If you are

not, you are sent to Hupokató.

Agathopoieó is the

guardian of Anabainó, the

stairway to the upper part

of the Underworld.

Kakos is the guardian of

Pulé, the gateway to the

lower part of the

Underworld.

Hupokató is the lower part of the Underworld. It is opposite of the land of the living and of the

upper part of the Underworld. Hupokató is reserved for those who lived bad lives and

disrespected the Gods. It is very hot and dry and does not have much water. The only water in

Hupokató is the river that Thanatos transports the dead on. The river water is dirty, salty, hot,

and not refreshing.

Ouranios is the upper part of the Underworld. It contains all of the best aspects of Earth. It is a

peaceful place reserved for those who lived good lives and honored the Gods. It has never

ending waters that are crystal clear, clean, and refreshing. Epouranios leads all that are worthy

to enter Ouranios.

The End

Works Cited

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<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dbag/hd_dbag.htm>

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Goddess. 2011. Salem Creation. 14 Oct. 2013.

<http://salemwitchchild.blogspot.com/2011/10/pagan-blog-prompt-art.html>

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