fbpx

KidsKonnect

Maia Facts & Worksheets

Maia was a shy goddess who dwelled alone in a cave located close to the peak of Mount Kyllene.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /Social Studies /Ancient History /Maia Facts & Worksheets
Premium
Maia Worksheets
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

Maia was a shy goddess who dwelled alone in a cave located close to the peak of Mount Kyllene.

See the fact file below for more information on the Maia or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Maia worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

INTRODUCTION

  • Maia was the eldest of the Pleiades.
  • Pleiades are the seven nymphs of the constellation Pleiades.
  • Maia stayed in a cave near the peaks of Mount Kyllene in Arkadia where she gave birth to Hermes (the god of trade, wealth, luck, language, and travel), the result of her affair with Zeus, the god of thunder.
  • Besides Hermes, Maia also raised Arkas, the son of Kallisto (or Callisto), a nymph.
  • Kallisto was transformed from a woman to a bear, so Maia took care of Arkas.
  • Maia was the daughter of Atlas, a Titan who was condemned to hold up the celestial heaven for eternity, and of Pleione, an Oceanid nymph.

PLEIADES

  • The Pleiades were also known as companions or followers of Artemis.
  • The Pleiades is composed of the seven daughters of the titan Atlas, and of the sea-nymph Pleione.
  • Maia was the eldest of the seven Pleiades.
  • Electra was also one of the Pleiades, the wife of Corythus and the mother of Iasion and Dardanus.
  • Taygete was also one of the Pleiades and was the mother of Lacedaemon, who was known to be the mythical king of Laconia.
  • Alcyone, another of the seven Pleiades, and she gave birth to several children of Poseidon; some of them included Hyrieus, Hyperenor, and Aethusa.
  • Celaeno, also known as Celeno or Kelaino, was another of the seven Pleiades. Celaeno was said to have given birth to Lycus, Nycteus, and Eurypylus which are children of Poseidon.
  • Sterope or Asterope, another Pleiades, was known to be the wife of King Oenomaus of Pisa and to be the mother of Ares.
  • Merope was the youngest of the seven Pleiades. According to some myths, she bore Sisyphus several sons.

MYTHS

  • According to some myths, when Atlas was forced to carry the heavens on his shoulders, Zeus decided to turn the seven Pleiades to doves, and then later on to stars, to comfort their father, Atlas.
  • Another myth about the Pleiades sisters becoming stars is that Orion wanted to pursue all of them so Zeus turned them into stars.
  • Another memorable myth involving the sisters is the story of how all of them committed suicide due to the sadness they felt because of what happened to their father, Atlas. Dueto that, Zeus decided to immortalize the seven Pleiades by placing them in the sky.

MAIA AND THE OTHER GODS

  • According to myths, Zeus took an interest at Maia. Maia attempted to escape from his advances by hiding in a cave.
  • However, Zeus was able to found her and took advantage of Maia while she was sleeping.
  • Zeus’ advances to Maia resulted in Hermes.
  • Maia was also known as the goddess of nursing mothers as she appeared to have taken the role of mother in the story of Arcas.
  • Arcas was the son of Callisto with Zeus.
  • However, Hera transformed Callisto into a bear as revenge for the affair that Callisto and Zeus had. But Zeus was able to ensure that his son was safe by entrusting him to Hermes. Hermes then brought Arcas to Maia and Maia took care of Arcas.
  • Orion, who wanted to pursue each of the seven Pleiades, also took interest to Maia.

Maia Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Maia across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Maia worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Maia who was a shy goddess who dwelled alone in a cave located close to the peak of Mount Kyllene.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Maia Facts
  • More Facts
  • Seven Heaven
  • Keep It Moving!
  • Look For Me
  • Who Am I?
  • Connect
  • Comic-ized!
  • My Own
  • Correct?
  • I Write

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Maia Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 24, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources