Her companions are theFuries(Erinyes), the winged creatures who punished wrong-doing, and her children are the Empusae, female demons partial to seducing travellers. To the Greeks this meant not only the moment at which the soul crossed between those to states, but also to a literal place. Controlling who moved through the border between the earth and the underworld gave her a unique power to summon spirits and raise the dead. They call her Aristaion or Night. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents. Hecate the goddess of Greek mythology has been primarily remembered for her associations with magic and witchcraft. This made her one of the few deities to have the power to move freely between the world of the living and the underworld. Hecate (also spelt Hekate) is a goddess capable of both good and evil. Pausanias, a Greek traveller who lived in the second century CE, said that the goddess had a mystery cult on the island of Aegina, where people with mental illness thought they could be cured. Each of the Greek gods has a few specialized functions. During the time of the Romans, Hecate was often combined with the gods Artemis and Selene, especially in Roman poetry. Hecate became Persephones guardian and close friend while she was living in the Underworld. She was the ruler of crossroads, entrances, nighttime, light, magic (witchcraft and sorcery), herbs and plants. She was specifically associated with witchcraft, magick, the Moon, Archways, and creatures of the night such as hell-hounds and ghosts. Her name is akin to the Latin words dium ("sky") and dius ("daylight"). In her form as a triple goddess, Hecate was closely linked to intersections. Hecate was a cathonic goddess that preceded the Olympians, and it seems that she was highly worshipped in Thrace. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss, and sea. (2021, December 6). There are few legends about Her, and no fixed genealogy. The masculine form of this word is said to be used for Apollo, one of the Greek gods. On an Attic vase from the 5th century BCE, a woman is shown giving a goddess a puppy and a basket of cakes. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. Some experts believe that the three heads or faces of the Goddess Hecate denote the full, half, and new moon. Moreover, the fact that Hecate had a Greek name does not necessarily mean that her cult originated in Greece (she more likely emerged from Caria in Asia Minor). A competing theory says that Hecate did not develop in Greece at all. Corrections? My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) She could not undo the curse, but she made the polecat her sacred servant. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published. The most commonly repeated story of her birth was that Hecate was the daughter of Perses and Asteria, two second-generation Titans. In ancient times the crossroads didnt have our modern symbolism as a place of choices. Seneca often talks about Hecate and her moon-based counterparts and even links Medea to the goddess. The chief Greek god, Zeus, was very fond of this Goddess and gave her a share of the earth and sea. A further canine connection may be with theEgyptiangodAnubiswho guided souls to the underworld, and the Greek three-headed hound ofHades, Cerberus, may be an earlier form of Hecate. There is a belief, therefore, that the three goddesses may be aspects of a singular, earlier deity. Some of the statues she made as offerings to the goddess had the Graces dancing around her; In other versions of the story, she is with a pack of dogs. But because these Anatolian cult sites were built later, other classicists say that the goddess could not have come from Anatolia. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. Even though there arent many myths about the goddess Hecate, the ones that do exist tell us a lot about where she has power. This article was most recently revised and updated by, From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology, Ancient Origins - Hecate: Triple-Bodied Greek Goddess of Witchcraft and Keeper of Keys, Hecate - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). But by the end of the ancient world, this image had changed into a single goddess with three heads. You may like to light incense such as the smoke of wormwood, cypress and lavender in these offerings. Hecate was a goddess of boundaries and in between spaces. The Egyptian god Anubis, who led souls to the Underworld, may also have something to do with dogs. Names derived from hers were common, including Hecatomnus, the father of the ruler Mausolus who built the famous tomb. Authors from the past, like Ovid and Pausanias, say that dogs, especially black dogs, were given to the goddess as sacrifices. According toHesiodin hisTheogony, Hecate is the daughter of Perses and Asteria, making her the granddaughter of the Titans Phoebe and Coeus. Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0. Hecate's name (Greek: Hekate, Latin: Hecate) means far-reaching one, and hints at this goddess's wide influence over a variety of earthly and supernatural affairs. ThoughtCo. She witnessed the abduction of Demeter's daughter Persephone to the underworld and, torch in hand, assisted in the search for her. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. She was also closely associated to the spiritual world, ghosts, and the dead. Follow for more great fun learning. Proponents of this theory believe that this may have been the case with Hecate. The goddess was often linked to Demeter, and in some cults, she was seen as the same as Demeter. She has also been associated with the dark side of human beings, which is death. As she is said to be the guardian of the crossroads, she is most often depicted with three faces and carrying torches or a key. Hesiod only talks about her family and how she killed Clytius in the Gigantomachy. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! Hecate is usually depicted with a burning torch in her hand and with a dog laying at her feet, its head raised. Contrary to popular current belief she wasnt originally a matron for women but for all who fit the above categories. By her very nature Hecate was a goddess that existed on the edges of the Greek pantheon, yet she was also a household goddess who watched over every door in Greece. The Furies, winged creatures who punished wrongdoing, were also said to be the companions of Hecate. She is sometimes shown holding a key. Hecate (Hekate) is the goddess of boundaries and guardian of crossroads; she is often shown with three faces and carrying a torch to show her connection to the night. Of course, as the goddess of boundaries she had the power to let things in as well as keep them out. The first sculpture of Hecate in triple form was the (lost) statue by Alcamenes (fifth century BCE) at the Acropolis. The goddess was also worshipped in Kos, Erythrai, Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. She would go with Persephone to the Underworld every year when the girl returned to Hades. She was often placed at the entrance of homes to help protect against the evil forces of the world. A mysterious goddess of sorcery, necromancy, and ghosts, Greek Goddess Hecate is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing characters in all of Greek mythology! The Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends from their eastern neighbors. Child of Perses and Asteria, she was the only Titan to retain her control under Zeus' reign. Regula, deTraci. At doorways and crossroads, pillars of the goddess Hecate, who held a torch, stood. This was all about Hecate, a goddess in ancient Greek religion. The Moirai, or Fates, were one such trio of goddesses. This garden would've contained her sacred trees, herbs and poisons. But she isnt in the Homeric epics, which is a big deal. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. She is also Queen of the Night, and is highly connected to All Hallow's Eve. She herself too wanders about with the souls of the dead, and her approach is announced by the whining and howling of dogs.13, A number of epithets given her by the poets contain allusions to these features of the popular belief, or to her form. This could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. Quite often warriors worshipped the goddess Hecate just as readily. According to the most genuine traditions, she appears to have been an ancient Thracian divinity, and a Titan, who, from the time of the Titans, ruled in heaven, on the earth, and in the sea, who bestowed on mortals wealth, victory, wisdom, good luck to sailors and hunters, and prosperity to youth and to the flocks of cattle; but all these blessings might at the same time be withheld by her, if mortals did not deserve them. With a torch in her hand, she accompanied Demeter in the search after Persephone; and when the latter was found, Hecate remained with her as her attendant and companion. The daughter of Perses and Asteria (twin sister of Leto ), Hecate was a member of the third generation of Titans, but sided with Zeus and his siblings during the Titanomachy. Hecate is a Goddess shrouded in mystery, for there is continuing debate about Her name, origin and character. When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. Subscribe to our popular newsletter Synced Global AI Weekly to get weekly AI updates. Hecate was the goddess of borders, barriers, and boundaries. In Ancient Greek religion, Hecate had a wide range of godly tasks. Seeing her friend in pain, Galinthias tricked the Moirai into thinking the child had been born despite their interference. Her liminality came from the fact that she was the daughter of a Titan and a goddess. She was often shown holding two torches, such as would be found beside gates, to allow her to illuminate both sides of a boundary. She was most famously the goddess of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, necromancy, the Moon, and the night. For even now, whenever any human on the earth seeks to regain the favor or goodwill by performing fine sacrifices according to custom, he invokes Hecate; and much honor very easily stays with that man whose prayers the goddess accepts with gladness, and she bestows happiness upon him. She is also known as Soteria (Savior), the Mother of Angels, and the Cosmic World. Hecates actual origins may be in caria, Turkey we can find The Temple of Hecate in the Sanctuary of Hecate at Lagina in Caria (modern-day Turkey which has been dated to the last quarter of the 2nd century CE. You ask Hecate to feed on these offerings, to accept them as an act of friendship and continued bond and also as an act of gratitude on your part. In a hymn to Hecate, Hesiod detailed the ways in which the goddess could both allow good fortune and deny it: Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgment, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. Numerous smaller sculptures of Hecate remain in which the goddess appears as three separate women, wearing chitons, with the backs pressed against a pillar. They are sometimes represented with the familiar aspects of the maiden, mother, and crone. Who is Hecate? She was a goddess that could be both a protective guardian and a source of menace. In a few cases, Hecate was said to have shared these powers with her most devoted followers. Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptus Course, THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEASED. The goddess was given gifts every month on the night of a new moon. Scylla's most retold appearance is in Homer's Odyssey. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. times its difficult to find a quite crossroads to perform workings except in remote areas. Asteria may be the original goddess associated with the Asterion mountain range on the island of Crete. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. Hecate was believed to be a goddess of both the living world and the underworld. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. Hecate is closely associated with several other goddesses in the Greek pantheon, with symbolism and function seeming to overlap. Persephone was married to Hades and was the queen of the Underworld. A: In Greek mythology, Hecate was the Goddess of witchcraft and magic. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. She was accepted at an early date into Greek religion, but she probably was originally a goddess of the Carians in southwestern Asia Minor. One can view the doors between the worlds as being very thin during this time therefore it is a golden opportunity to show her your respect. Instead, some believe that the goddess originated in Asia Minor. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. The goddess was frequently associated with Demeter and even assimilated to her in some cults.
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