Even in descriptions of Medeas witchcraft, it is difficult to distinguish magical rituals from more standard worship and rites. Other writers claim her as the daughter ofZeusandDemeter, Aristaion. Historian Robert Graves notes that the heads could be distinctive of a dog, lion and horse, representing the constellations which cover the calendar year. On any trip to Greece, it's helpful to have some knowledge of the Greek gods and goddesses. This makes her the granddaughter of Phoebe and Coeus, both Titans. Selenite, tiger's eye, obsidian, rhodochrosite, jet, jasper, agate, and amber are the most suited crystals for Hecate. This concept became a central figure in many later versions of polytheism. Her parentage was given differently by various writers. 2 Beds. She was accepted at an early date into Greek religion, but she probably was originally a goddess of the Carians in southwestern Asia Minor. A lot of the same things were said about all of the goddesses. If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content. She was born into the world ruled by the Titans, but continued to be influential and powerful in the Olympian pantheon. Hecate was a goddess in Greek Mythology. They call her Aristaion or Night. The Greeks, too, had many different theories about Hecates origins. Hecate is a goddess in Greek mythology often associated with darkness and witchcraft. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The goddess was given gifts every month on the night of a new moon. Because she was associated with borders, gates, and doorways, Hecate took on a protective role. Her group included the Lampades, the nymphs of the Underworld, and ghosts. People used to believe that dogs would eat the dead if they werent buried. Hecate was said to be a beautiful lady with dark hair. Check your inbox for your latest news from us. The duration ofa dark moonvaries between 1.5 and 3.5 days) to the crossroads. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. Hecate Triformis, Hecate of the three faces or three forms, corresponding to the phases of the moon: dark, waxing, and waning. In Late Antiquity, the empousai have been described as a category of phantoms or spectres, equated with the lamiai and mormolykeia . 1,178 Sq. Some authors say that she was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. These took the form of small cakes of eggs, cheese, bread, and dog meat, which were lit with miniature torches or, alternatively, a dish of red mullet, which was usually prohibited from offerings to the other gods. It measured 21m x 28m and was built in the Corinthian order with 8 columns on its shorter sides and 11 columns on its longer sides. Hecate appears in the pseudo-Homeric hymn to Demeter- there Hecate dwelled in a cave during Kores abduction and appeared to Demeter in the dawn while she was searching for her lost daughter. The goddess was frequently associated with Demeter and even assimilated to her in some cults. 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. Your IP: Although Hecate found Persephone, instead of rescuing her, she helped her settle into her new life as the bride of Hades. MAGE ENERGETICS The most complete course in magick ever released! The name Hecate means:The Most Lovely One; Worker from Afar; Three -Headed Hound of the Moon; Influence from Afar; The One Before the Gate; Light Bringer. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. This is shown by her names and cult titles, such as India (which means on the way), Trodia (which means frequenter of the crossroads), and Propylaia (of the gates). She has also been mentioned in the works of Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear, and Macbeth. The name Hecate comes from the Greek word "Hekatos," which was thought to be a really distant and obscure epithet associated with Apollo, the Greek god of music . The Greek goddess Hecate, or Hekate, is Greece's dark goddess of the crossroads. It was said that she learned herbalism and spells from Hecate herself. They believed that by praising the goddess, the restless dead would be soothed and not deliver vengeance on the family. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Of course, as the goddess of boundaries she had the power to let things in as well as keep them out. We offer advice and practical, interactive ideas to help parents challenge, teach and develop their childrens skills at home. She could not be forced to love anyone. Hecate is invoked when justice is not forthcoming from other channels. Another option was a dish of red mullet, which was usually not allowed to be given to other gods. They are associated with certain ideas, occupations, or stages of life. Some poets say her mother is Crataeis. 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. From the three supposedly came her image in Greek . She was accompanied by packs of barking dogs. Hecate typically responds to petitions via visions and dreams. The dog was so closely tied to her than in many ancient stories people could hear the howling and barking of her sacred animal when her magic was used nearby. Some versions of Scylla's myth say she was once a beautiful sea nymph. $204,000 Last Sold Price. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. Many historians believe that the Greek pantheon was once much smaller than we know it today. Hesiod only talks about her family and how she killed Clytius in the Gigantomachy. Hesiod, for example, seemed to hold in in high regard and makes no mention of this darker association. The Greek three-headed hound of Hades, Cerberus, may have been an earlier version of Hecate. Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0. If you enjoyed this content why not dive into some more historical eras check out these articles: Ancient Rome, Ancient Egyptians The First Woman Pharaoh, Greek Mythology Medusa, Native American History. On Greek pottery, she is usually shown as a young woman holding a torch or a key. Hecate has been referenced in various literary works, including the plays by Sophocles and Euripides. She can be a shadowy, oblique goddess: her response may be subtle. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them and to those whose business is in the grey discomfortable sea, and who pray to Hekate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker [Poseidon], easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. According to the Greek writer Hesiod*, Hecate was the daughter of the Titan* Perses and the nymph Asteria. As punishment, she was transformed into a dog to be the companion of Hecate. The hekataion depicted Hecate as three women encircling a central column. The heads could be of a dog, a lion, or a horse, representing the constellations that make up the year. Hecate. A statue called Hekate Epipyrgidia (On the Ramparts) stood at the Athens Acropolis entrance. . The goddess was often linked to Demeter, and in some cults, she was seen as the same as Demeter. Greek pantheon was once much smaller than we know. Empusa or Empousa (/ m p j u s /; Ancient Greek: ; plural: Empousai) is a shape-shifting female being in Greek mythology, said to possess a single leg of copper, commanded by Hecate, whose precise nature is obscure. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Interesting facts: Hestia was one of three goddesses immune to the influence of Aphrodite. There might not be any figure in Greek mythology that is as misunderstood as Hecate. Hekat) is the feminine form of hekatos, an epithet of the god Apollo meaning "the one who works from afar."But the true etymology of the name is uncertain. The food offered to this deity included cheese, cakes of eggs, and a dish of red mullet. Hecate doesnt often appear in Greek art and writing until the 5th century BCE. She thus becomes a deity of the lower world; but this notion does not occur till the time of the Greek tragedians, though it is generally current among the later writers. According to them, Hecate is known to support bravery and hence encourage soldiers, warriors, athletes, etc. One of her epithets, Apotropaia, references the protection she gave in these spaces. She was a goddess that could be both a protective guardian and a source of menace. As worshippers began to focus on one aspect of a god more than others, that gods secondary purposes were separated into another deity altogether. Some early writers claimed that Hecate was actually the princess Iphigenia, saved from death by Artemis and transformed into a goddess. She is not a typical one-dimensional goddess but lives on many different levels. She held several different roles, including earth goddess, queen of the underworld, and goddess of magic and witchcraft.. Witches do gather together or solitary on crossroads as do magicians , hoodoo and voudan practitioners to cast their enchantments and spells. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Many people think that worshipping the goddess began before the Greeks, while others think it started in Thrace. By joining Kidadl you agree to Kidadls Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receiving marketing communications from Kidadl. Hecate is usually thought to have originated in Thrace, a wild northern region of Greece that is also known for its tales of Amazons. Updates? Regula, deTraci. As an Amazon Associate, Kidadl earns from qualifying purchases. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, According to her story, Hecate sometimes withheld these blessings if she felt mortals did not deserve them. In the Greek religion, strange rituals were done to honour the goddess. A: This Greek Goddess is often considered to be capable of both good and evil. This does not influence our choices. Hecate is petitioned for fertility, especially for female children. In single form she appears on Greek vases and coins. The goddess Hecate is one of the Greek goddesses that not many people know about. Lycophron, 77; Scholiast on Aristophanes'. It has been suggested that this arose from the use of watchdogs, particularly at night, to scare away intruders and warn their owners of danger. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. However. Hecate was believed to be a goddess of both the living world and the underworld. In the writings of Hesiod, Hecate is the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria. Hecate is the daughter of Perses and Asteria. Etymology. A case in point is the Greek goddess Hecate. She was the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. As the Romans developed and constructed superior road systems, we started to see the emergence of choices and nowadays in modern. A mysterious divinity, who, according to the most common tradition, was a daughter of Persaeus or Perses and Asteria, whence she is called Perseis.1 Others describe her as a daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and state that she was sent out by her father in search of Persephone;2 others again make her a daughter of Zeus either by Pheraea or by Hera;3 and others, lastly, say that she was a daughter of Leto or Tartarus.4 Homer does not mention her. The Orphic Mysteries said that Hestia was the daughter of Demeter instead. In fact she seems to have started out as Heket, the Egyptian Goddess of Childbirth. But because these Anatolian cult sites were built later, other classicists say that the goddess could not have come from Anatolia. It is believed that Hecate represented witchcraft, magic and ghosts. In the post-Christian writings of the Chaldean Oracles ( 2nd-3rd century AD ), she was regarded with some rulership over earth, sea, and sky, as well as a more . This is a reminder of her role as a goddess of the night, a guardian of the gates to Hades, and a goddess of boundaries. Both goddesses were usually shown with dogs by their sides, wearing hunting boots and carrying torches. According to Hesiods Theogony, the Titans were the first Greek gods born of earth and the heavens. According to Theogony. She was most famously the goddess of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, necromancy, the Moon, and the night. As was already said, the dog was Hecates most holy animal. Trade, colonization, and migration resulted in a great deal of cultural exchange between the two regions. We will examine her origins and describe the crossroads ritual. Numerous smaller sculptures of Hecate remain in which the goddess appears as three separate women, wearing chitons, with the backs pressed against a pillar. She acted as a sort of guardian because she watched over the places that allowed passage into homes, cities, or even states. From the 5th century BCE, the goddess hecate is associated with the darker side of the human experience, that isdeath, witchcraft, magick, the Moon, dreams, hell hounds and creatures which roam the darkness of night. She is capable of both good and evil and is most often associated with magic and witchcraft. She is also mentioned in Aeneid, a play by Virgil where she guides one of the characters, Sibyl, in the Underworld. 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. Regula, deTraci. Sometimes, as was the case with Hecate, it was a single goddess who was shown with three aspects. This grouping of the goddesses happens again in Aristophanes Frogs (1358f) when Aeschylus character calls on the goddesses. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss, and sea. At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. The goddess had a lot of powers, some of which were later taken over by other gods. There are cult sites for the goddess Hecate in Caria, which shows that people there worshipped her. In 1929, an expert in religious cults noted that the Blackburn Cult or The Cult of the Great Eleven that was formed in the '20s was connected with Hecate worship and rituals. One sculpture depicts Hecate with a friendly dog and another with heads of a cow, dog, boar, serpent or horse. Q: How do the three witches make Hecate angry? The Goddess Hecate is supposed to be the daughter of Perses, a Titan, and Asteria, a nymph. They include, science, maths, English and more. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. Some lexicographers, experts that study the origins of language, believe that the word hag and hex, which means witch, is derived from the word Hecate. Still, she was in charge of things that put her in the spotlight. Mythical Facts about Hecate Fact 1: Shrines to the goddess were placed at the doorways of homes and as protection from the dead and evil spirits. But Hekate was in this time also connected to liminality. This article contains incorrect information, This article doesnt have the information Im looking for. It is even more enjoyable Coconuts are delicious. These three goddesses are also linked in the Mystery cults. Hecate was considered an ancient Thracian divinity and she was also a titan; the titans ruled the heavens, the earth and the sea. Zorya The Slavic goddess of beauty and light took three forms corresponding to morning, evening, and midnight. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. People often put pictures of the triple goddess on city walls, especially at city gates, the entrances to sacred sites, and the doorways of private homes. The Lampades are people who carry torches and travel with the goddess at night. In this manner, pillars known as Hecate stood at key intersections and entryways, possibly to ward off malevolent spirits. Her liminality came from the fact that she was the daughter of a Titan and a goddess. Apollonius of Rhodes says that the sound of dogs barking from the Underworld can be heard when Hecate is nearby. outlandish in her infernal aspects, she is more at home on the fringes than in the centre ofGreekpolytheism. She is also Queen of the Night, and is highly connected to All Hallow's Eve. But she isnt in the Homeric epics, which is a big deal. SOLD JUN 14, 2022. However, she is believed to be protective of human beings. Her halos are usually made of moonbeams. Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermes's wife. 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. The chief Greek god, Zeus, was very fond of this Goddess and gave her a share of the earth and sea. Even in her origin, Hecate moved between two places. the Jinn or Genie-good, bad or simply Goetic spirits of another name? Hecate - A mysterious nature goddess associated with sorcery and witchcraft, who went with Demeter to the Underworld to fetch Persephone, but then stayed to assist Persephone. A shrine to Hecate was placed at the entrances of homes or even cities, hoping to protect them from the evil spirits that roamed the world. Midwives, witches, healers, herbalists, dog lovers and rescuers; she is the matron of women in general and protects those who ride horses, male warriors or cavalry as well. Due to her magical powers, Hecate was believed to protect children, sailors, and shepherds. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss . It is the story of how the polecat became one of her companions. All these were also given Hekate in her Deipnon (food offering). In the physical world this could mean anything from doorways to city walls and state borders. When Alcmene was in labor with Heracles, Hera attempted to stop the childs birth. In the sources about Hekate that are from the ancient world, the crossroads are not mentioned as a symbol of Hecate. A: In Greek mythology, Hecate was the Goddess of witchcraft and magic. Hecate was also offered dogs, especially puppies, as a sacrifice. In ancient times, Hecates three-part form was shown as three separate bodies surrounding a central column. A mysterious goddess of sorcery, necromancy, and ghosts, Greek Goddess Hecate is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing characters in all of Greek mythology! She witnessed the abduction of Demeters daughter Persephone to the underworld and, torch in hand, assisted in the search for her. Hecate was the chief goddess presiding over magic and spells. Symbols of Hecate are her place, the crossroads, two torches, and black dogs. Instead, some believe that the goddess originated in Asia Minor. In fact, the earliest depictions of Hecate can only be differentiated from those of Artemis by inscriptions. Long before Hesiod and Homer began writing their poetry, the stories of the gods were passed on through oral tradition. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." The goddess Hecate is one of the lesser-known goddesses of the Greek pantheon. It is unclear exactly when Hecate became so closely linked with magic and witchcraft. During the Romans, many of her traits belonged to the world of the dead. A: Hecate is the Greek Goddess of magic and witchcraft. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon. Her friends are the Erinyes, winged creatures that punish bad behaviour, and her children are the Empusae, female demons that like to seduce travellers. According to Greek mythology when the universe first came into being the primordial gods were there, fully formed. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? Hecate appears in many plays and poems as the personification of darkness, the moon, and magic. Hecate is invoked when justice is not forthcoming from other channels. In fact, Hecate might have been another goddess altogether! Persephone was married to Hades and was the queen of the Underworld. Her name was derived from the Greek word hekatos which means "worker from afar". The boundaries she oversaw were not limited to the physical world, though. Origin and Family Persis and Asteria, two Titans from the generation of deities prior to the Olympians, are the legendary parents of Hecate. She could not undo the curse, but she made the polecat her sacred servant. People believed that by honoring and praying to this Goddess, their homes would be preserved from the vengeance of the dead. Such triple goddesses were common in ancient religions. Authors from the past, like Ovid and Pausanias, say that dogs, especially black dogs, were given to the goddess as sacrifices. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) On an Attic vase from the 5th century BCE, a woman is shown giving a goddess a puppy and a basket of cakes. Posted by 7thphoenix | May 27, 2020 | Magick Articles | 0 |. We know you don't want to miss any news or research breakthroughs. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. 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). The triple goddesses are often referred to as the Maiden, Mother (or Matron), and Crone. In the 6th century BCE, a circular altar was built in Miletos to honour the goddess (the earliest archaeological evidence of her worship). Apollo is often called Hekatos, the masculine form of his name. You may request to banish harm from you and to protect you and your loved ones. Hecate first appears in Hesiods Theogony, written in the 7th century BCE. Hecate (also spelt Hekate) is a goddess capable of both good and evil. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? On the Pergamon Altar of Zeus, from the 2nd century BCE, a three-headed Hecate and a dog attack a snake-like giant. This myth led to goddess Hecate being depicted with torches in her hand. Hecate was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, dogs, light, the moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery. Hecate hugged the girl when Persephone was reunited with her mother, Demeter. She was a goddess in charge of magic, witchcraft, and much more. 170 BCE). Asteria may be the original goddess associated with the Asterion mountain range on the island of Crete. As such, she was greatly honored by Zeus, who allowed her to operate on Earth, as well as the sky and the Underworld. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. Hecate was the goddess of borders, barriers, and boundaries. She was both a product of the Titans and an honored member of Zeuss court at Olympus. Hecate is often depicted with three heads as she was called the Goddess of the Crossroads. First you can set down the offerings to Hekate on the crossroad, just be sure to choose a less travelled crossroads free of heavy traffic for your safety. She was also bound to other goddesses in a closely-linked trio. A popular story among the Greeks was that the dog that accompanied Hecate was the Trojan queen Hecuba. This was a group started by May Otis Blackburn in Los Angeles, California. In Ancient Greek religion, Hecate had a wide range of godly tasks. One of these was the supper of Hecate, where food was left at crossroads, road junctions, and any other kind of boundary or threshold. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, A Recommended Book on Hekate Liminal Rites, Planetary MAGICK -7 Facts you should know, Magickal Protection-The BEST 10 SOLUTIONS. When they heard this the Moirai uncrossed their arms, releasing the bonds that kept the infant Heracles from the earth. This could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. The Furies, winged creatures who punished wrongdoing, were also said to be the companions of Hecate. She may be petitioned for a swift, painless death. Like her Greek counterpart, she was also a goddess of domestic animals. Hecate was a complex, ancient goddess known to the Greeks but originally worshiped by people of Asia Minor*. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. Any information you provide to us via this website may be placed by us on servers located in countries outside the EU if you do not agree to such placement, do not provide the information. The beginnings of Hecates worship are shrouded in mystery. Although much of her power appeared generally dark or menacing, Hecate could also be a merciful goddess. Eventually, this came to include the boundary between the natural and the supernatural, making her a goddess of magic. The goddess Hecate had unusual rituals performed in her honour, which include the offerings of food given at crossroads, road junctions, and any other sort of boundary or threshold known as the supper of Hecate. Article created on Monday, March 3, 1997. In fact, she existed in such a nominal place that its difficult to say whether she existed as a singular goddess, a trio of beings, or as a minor aspect of a more major deity. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. These statues took on a distinctive appearance. When her city fell, the queen was taken captive and lept off a cliff to her death. The blessings she gave them were eventually seen as magic, while prayers were seen as incantations. Her origins and powers were unexplained and changeable. The aspects of the goddess that had darker connotations were separated from her to create another goddess altogether in the character of Hecate. In other Indo-European cultures, the three-part goddesses included: The archetype of the triple goddess is so common that its considered one of the fundamental aspects of Indo-European religion. Earlier, though, there may have been fewer gods with more complex functions. Who is Hecate? Originally she seems to have been an extremely powerful and benevolent goddess, identified with three other goddessesSelene (in heaven), Artemis (on earth), and Persephone (in the underworld). During the time of the Romans, Hecate was often combined with the gods Artemis and Selene, especially in Roman poetry. Hecate was often shown as a single person wearing a long robe and holding burning torches. Her companions are known to punish wrong doing and criminals. The Moirai crossed their arms and Eileithyia refused to help the laboring woman. Roman poets encouraged the idea that Hecate was three different things by calling her Hecate-Selene and other similar names. (2021, December 6). Hecate or Hekate [a] is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, [1] and in later periods depicted as three-formed or triple-bodied. Eleusis was in Greece, which is where it is now. 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. She could switch between being a Titan and a goddess in Greek mythology. The moon goddess and the huntress were often linked, and it is believed by some that as Greeks focused worship on the more protective aspects of Artemis they shifted her darker characteristics to Hecate. She is also associated with the moon and is sometimes depicted as having three faces which symbolize the waxing, waning, and full moon phases. If you are interested in effective unique protection magickCLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE! Dogs also howl at the Moon, so this could be a link. In sculptures from the Classical and Hellenistic Periods, Hecate has been shown as a woman with three bodies or a single body with three heads. Hecate is known to rule over the sky, the earth, and the sea. The Charites (Graces) and Horai (Seasons) were also trios of minor goddesses in Greek mythology. There is evidence that this may have been the case with Hecate. 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. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads. Even though there arent many myths about the goddess Hecate, the ones that do exist tell us a lot about where she has power. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) In her form as a triple goddess, Hecate was closely linked to intersections.