Maia facts for kids
Maia is a special goddess in Greek mythology. She is known as the goddess of the fields, which means she looked after nature and growing things. Maia was the oldest of the seven sisters called the Pleiades. People also thought she was the most beautiful and the shyest of them all.
The Pleiades were the daughters of Atlas, a powerful Titan, and Pleione, an ocean nymph. Maia and her sisters were all born on Mount Cyllene, a mountain in a beautiful region called Arcadia.
Maia and her son, Hermes
Maia had a son named Hermes. His father was Zeus, the king of the gods. Maia gave birth to Hermes in a quiet cave in Arcadia. After Hermes was born, Maia wrapped him in warm blankets and then went to sleep.
When Maia woke up, something amazing had happened! Baby Hermes had already crawled all the way to Thessaly, a place far away. Even as a baby, Hermes was very clever and mischievous. He quickly invented the lyre, which is a musical instrument like a small harp. He also managed to steal some of the god Apollo's cattle.
Maia's kindness to Arkas
Maia was also very kind and caring. She looked after a young boy named Arkas. Arkas's mother was Kallisto. But Hera, Zeus's wife, was very jealous of Kallisto and turned her into a bear. Because of this, Maia took care of Arkas, making sure he was safe and loved.
Related pages
Images for kids
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This old silver cup shows Mercury (who is Hermes in Roman mythology) and Maia. It was found at a religious site from long ago.
See also
In Spanish: Maya (mitología) para niños
