Cottus

THE HEKATONKHEIRES (Hecatoncheires) or Hundred-Handed giants were three primordial sons of Ouranos (Uranus, the Sky) and Gaia (Gaea, the Earth). Each had a hundred hands for wielding clouds and fifty heads for blustering winds (theullai). Their three companion brothers, the Kyklopes (Cyclopes), were masters of thunder and lightning. Fearing the power of his gigantic sons, Ouranos promptly locked them away in the pit of Tartaros.

An age later, the six giants were released by Zeus during his war against the Titanes (Titans) and helped drive the elder gods from heaven down into the pit. The Hekatonkheires were then appointed as the prison's eternal wardens.

As deities the Hekatonkheires presided over the stormy season of ancient Greece which was heralded by the rising of the Constellation Atlar in November. This heavenly altar was forged by the Kyklopes at the start of the Titan War and the six giants sealed their pact with Zeus upon it. As part of the bargain the brothers were apparently granted free reign over the heavens for one season of the year when they would emerge from Tartaros bringing storms.

There were several other giants and gods which closely resemble the Hekatonkheires in function if not form. The first was Typhoeus, a monstrous giant representing destructive storms who was a son of Tartaros and enemy of Zeus. After being defeated by the god, he was bound in Tartaros and became the source of the Anemoi Thuellai or Storm-Winds. Another was Aigaios (Aegeaus), a storm-giant ally of the Titanes, who was also defeated by Zeus. And a third was the god Aiolos (Aeolus) who like the Hekatonkheires guarded a cavern of storms-winds (thuellai).