ΧΘΩΝ/CHTHON has been on my mind as an entity, for at least twenty years. It is a very old word that can be found in ancient Greek scripture, as far back as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. It was used to describe the surface of the earth or was attributed to objects to describe them as being ‘of the earth’. The passing of time and the evolution of the Greek language changed the word’s meaning, so that in later centuries it was used to describe the subterranean kingdom of Hades and ‘chthonic’ were such beings that dwelled in the underworld, whether they were smaller deities or creatures of unimaginable power and importance in Greek mythology, like the Titans.
In my youth I started describing my darkest of times as if descending to Hades, to be alone and to ponder. I would imagine myself sitting inside a cavern, a bonfire the only form of life keeping me company, shadows and dark images dancing on the walls, terrors and personal daimons rising all around me, forcing me to look at them, to face them, until I would cower from them no more. I still remember those periods of depression or failure, and the bonfire is the symbol of me overcoming them; me sitting around the fire with my many daimons and telling stories and truths to each other, learning more of myself, coming to terms with who I am and what comprises me; it is an internal, personal process, and it works for me.
So there; I am of the subterranean earth. I hide deep and dark caverns inside. The promethean bonfire reminds me of who I am. My good friend Kain Morgenmeer created the many different bonfire logos for ΧΘΩΝ/CHTHON. Unfortunately I had to choose only one of them as my main logo, but I like them all, and I may use the other variants for other future ventures.
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