Most ancient religions elaborate the idea of the first parents. Their primary role seems to have been being the progenitors of the main phalanx of gods upon which the pantheon is built. Dyavaprivithi is the name given to the progenitors of the Hindu pantheon. It is the combination of Earth and Heaven. Earth is the mother and heaven the father. From the union of Heaven and Earth were born Indra, the God of Thunder and rain, the god Agni and the Goddess Usha.
The Father is referred to Dyava or Daus in the Rig Veda. It is only the ancient texts that mention these primordial gods. As time passes and concepts become more developed and complicated, these gods lost their eminence. However, even today, rituals invoke Dyavaprithvi at the outset, asking for their blessings for a fruitful conclusion.
The goddess Prithvi seems to have evolved as time passed with her taking on several other names and roles. So we hear of Prithvi being the daughter of King Prithu and Vishnu’s wife. Some stories refer to her as Indra’s wife also.
The Incas, the Mayas, the Maoris and the Native Indians of the Americas also worshipped forces of nature. Since they lived off the bounties of the Earth, she was designated a Goddess who could give life or destroy life.
