Online Reference For Body, Mind & Spirit

Term: Maia

DEFINITION:

Greek goddess. Oldest of the Pleiades. Daughter of Atlas and Pleione. Mother of Hermes. A nurturer. She was also honored in ancient Rome as a goddess of all forms of growth. The Roman goddess is believed to be separate from the Greek goddess, but because the name sounds alike (a homophone), they may have become mixed. The month of May might have been named after her and she became associated with the Great Goddess, one of her titles.