Cybele/Kybele/Matar/Magna Mater/Meter Theon- mother goddess, also a goddess of protection, nature, mountains, and wild animals. Originally an Anatolian goddess, she was linked to Gaia, Rhea and Demeter.
She could also be linked to Artemis as a wilderness and animal goddess and Dionysus as a goddess associated with wild cats (Dionysus was linked to tigers) whose procession was usually accompanied by wine and music.
Pausanias describes Cybele as being born as both male and female, and called Agdistis, born from Zeus' semen falling onto Gaia while he slept. The gods fearing this being cut the male organ away and from it grew an almond tree, the female remaining was sibling. A nymph, Nana, ate an almond from the tree and became impregnated with Attis.
Attis was exposed as a child and suckled by a he-goat. He grew up and was to marry a princess but the goddess appeared before him and he, and the king, went mad and cut off his genitals, Cybele then asked Zeus to give him a form that would not rot or age. He became a god of vegetation, depicted a shepherd with a crook or panpipes. Sometimes he was killed by a boar sent by Zeus in punishment for introducing the cult of Cybele. With Cybele he was her priest attendant as well as lover.
The Corybantes/Korybantes and Dactyl were her followers. The Corybantes were male armed, crested dancers who drummed, they drummed to drown out infant Zeus' crying so that Cronus would not hear, alternatively the Kuretes, Rhea's attendants, did this. The dactyl were linked to her and/or Rhea, they were small phallic beings who practised metalwork and magic and were usually ten in number.
She turned Atalanta and Hippomenes/Melanion into lions for making love in Zeus' temple. Alternatively, Zeus himself, Rhea or Aphrodite did this, Aphrodite because they did not honour her properly.
Sabazios may have been a son of hers, he was a horseman and Phrygian/Thracian sky god, he was later linked to Dionysus.
Aura the Titaness goddess of the breeze is sometimes said to be a daughter of hers, alternatively she was the daughter of the Titan Lelantos/Lelantus and the Okeanid Periboea/Periboia. She was raped by Dionysus after saying Artemis was too womanly to be a virgin and went mad. Alternatively, Dionysus loved her and compelled Aphrodite to make her love him but she went mad giving birth to their twins. She ate one son and the other, Iakkhos/Iacchus was rescued by Artemis and became a demigod attendant of Artemis.
Another daughter was Nicaea/Nikaia, a Naiad, and a daughter with the river god Sangarius/Saggarios, she was a follower of Artemis seduced by Dionysus with Hypnos' help. One story says she was loved by the shepherd Hymnus but killed him causing Eros to take vengeance. Dionysus got her drunk and impregnated her while she was asleep, after giving birth she hung herself. Their daughter was Telete daimon of Bacchic orgies.
King Gordius/Gordias of Phrygia was a lover of hers or consort and they are said to have adopted Midas, the infamous king with the golden touch. Alternatively, Midas was simply Gordias' son.
She is depicted with a polos (high, cylindrical hat) and a chiton usually in a lion drawn chariot.
The Romans called her Magna Mater (Great Mother).
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