It is also precisely
to this fact that refers the legend of Atlas, the Pillar of Heaven. Unable
to bear the load of an earth overpopulated with gods, Atlas collapsed,
and let the sky fall dawn over the earth, destroying it.
The name of Atlas indeed derives from the
Greek radix
tla meaning "to bear", preceded by the negative affix
a, meaning "not". Hence, the name of Atlas literally means "the
one unable to bear [the skies]". Such is the reason why Atlas (and other Titans like himself) are often portrayed with weak, serpentine legs. The collapse of the skies
is, of course, a clever allegory of the fall of volcanic dust and debris
from the afar explosion of Mt. Atlas. In Hindu myths, one layer buries
the former one, giving rise to a new heaven and a new
earth, just as we read in
Revelation.
