Read on to find out more about Greeces most mystical goddess! $204,000 Last Sold Price. 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. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. DeTraci Regula is a freelance writer who has specialized in Greek travel and tours for 18 years. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. She was also associated with some of the most revered and respected goddesses of Olympus. The Goddess Hecate is supposed to be the daughter of Perses, a Titan, and Asteria, a nymph. Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0. The Greek name of Hecate may derive from an earlier Egyptian frog-headed goddess called Heqet, who ruled over magic and fertility and was a favorite of women. Hecate was said to be a beautiful lady with dark hair. In Rome, a similar goddess, Vesta, ruled over the group of priestesses called the Vestal Virgins whose duty it was to keep the sacred fire perpetually lit. SOLD JUN 15, 2022. She would go with Persephone to the Underworld every year when the girl returned to Hades. In revenge for the trick, Eileithyia turned Galinthias into a polecat. A: This Greek Goddess is often considered to be capable of both good and evil. Some authors say that she was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. As a protector of the Oikos (home), like Zeus, Hestia, Hermes, and Apollo, the goddess is usually shown holding a set of keys or torches, which she is said to have used to help or stop people from entering cities and homes. As the worship of Artemis evolved over time, the Greeks began to focus more on her purity and positive aspects. The beginnings of Hecates worship are shrouded in mystery. Her name was derived from the Greek word hekatos which means "worker from afar". 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. Proponents of this theory believe that this may have been the case with Hecate. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! Her companions are theFuries(Erinyes), the winged creatures who punished wrong-doing, and her children are the Empusae, female demons partial to seducing travellers. Her association with dark magic is also tied to her identification as an underworld goddess. Hecate is the Goddess of witchcraft, magic, crossroads, ghosts and necromancy. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. She has long been associated with witchcraft and the occult, even necromancy. Hecate has the power to grant or deny any mortals wish. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. She was often placed at the entrance of homes to help protect against the evil forces of the world. Hecate was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, dogs, light, the moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery. The things that make Hecate seem like an older woman are in the Pharsalia. Greece itself worshipped many trios of goddesses or goddesses with three forms that fit this archetype. Hecate is the daughter of Perses and Asteria. Anatolia, which covered most of what is now Turkey, was a region that had close ties to the Greek world. Her companions are known to punish wrong doing and criminals. Sources say there was a sacred garden dedicated to Hecate at her temple in Colchis (modern day Georgia). At doorways and crossroads, pillars of the goddess Hecate, who held a torch, stood. Hesiod, for example, seemed to hold in in high regard and makes no mention of this darker association. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. goddess, with the latter having a 6th-century BCE circular altar for sacrifices to be made in her honour (the earliest archaeological evidence of her worship). "Worker-from-afar." She was often shown holding two torches, such as would be found beside gates, to allow her to illuminate both sides of a boundary. 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. Esoteric writing from this time says that Hecate has the heads of a horse, a dog, and a snake. By the first century CE, Lucans Pharsalia made it clear that Hecate was the goddess of magic and witchcraft. The most famous witch in Greek mythology received her knowledge of magic from Hecate. Her halos are usually made of moonbeams. Subscribe to our popular newsletter Synced Global AI Weekly to get weekly AI updates. 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. But Hecate is not the evil hag that popular legend suggests. She was accompanied by packs of barking dogs. Even in descriptions of Medeas witchcraft, it is difficult to distinguish magical rituals from more standard worship and rites. Hecates powers to protect were passed on from Titan parents Perses and Asteria and covered the heavens, earth 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. This article contains incorrect information, This article doesnt have the information Im looking for. This could mean that the goddess didnt come to Greece from Caria until a relatively late date. The Greeks, too, had many different theories about Hecates origins. A popular story among the Greeks was that the dog that accompanied Hecate was the Trojan queen Hecuba. She witnessed the abduction of Demeters daughter Persephone to the underworld and, torch in hand, assisted in the search for her. The Greek form is hekatos, which means "who works from afar," a probable reference to her magic powers, but it may also distantly reference her possible origins in Egypt. Some myths suggest that Zeus and Hera were the parents of this Goddess, and that is how she came to control the heavens and the earth. Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. While some scholars attribute these displays as holding a dark side to Hecate, most myths associate her with a protective nature toward humans. Hecate was the goddess of borders, barriers, and boundaries. Since the 5th century BCE, the goddess has been linked to the darker parts of life, like death, witchcraft, magic, the Moon, dreams, fierce hounds, and creatures that roam the night. Hesiod describes the goddess in the following glowing terms: Zeus, Cronus son, honoured [Hecate] above all others: he gave her splendid gifts to have a share of the earth and of the barren sea, and from the starry sky as well she has a share in honour, and is honoured most of all by the immortal gods. Regula, deTraci. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. Dogs also howl at the Moon, so this could be a link. The goddess, on the other hand, usually has human heads. You may like to light incense such as the smoke of wormwood, cypress and lavender in these offerings. Apollo is often called Hekatos, the masculine form of his name. To the Greeks this meant not only the moment at which the soul crossed between those to states, but also to a literal place. 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. She is not a typical one-dimensional goddess but lives on many different levels. 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. Her name is akin to the Latin words dium ("sky") and dius ("daylight"). 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. Hecate (also spelt Hekate) is a goddess capable of both good and evil. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. Hecate: [noun] a Greek goddess associated especially with the underworld, night, and witchcraft. Hecate was a goddess of boundaries and in between spaces. This myth led to goddess Hecate being depicted with torches in her hand. 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. Click to reveal 139.162.195.99 Hecate also presided over more mystical boundaries. In this manner, pillars known as Hecate stood at key intersections and entryways, possibly to ward off malevolent spirits. Seeing her friend in pain, Galinthias tricked the Moirai into thinking the child had been born despite their interference. 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. As these stories were passed on, though, they often changed. She is also mentioned in Aeneid, a play by Virgil where she guides one of the characters, Sibyl, in the Underworld. The duration ofa dark moonvaries between 1.5 and 3.5 days) to the crossroads. Although they combined her with Diana and Artemis, the Romans also worshipped this deity, referred to her as Trivia, which means three ways. People believed that by honoring and praying to this Goddess, their homes would be preserved from the vengeance of the dead. Another story said that Hecate herself had cursed a witch named Gale to be a polecat for disgusting her with incontinence and abnormal desires. 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. She may be petitioned for a swift, painless death. She has also been associated with the dark side of human beings, which is death. Look for her animals: snakes, dragons, cats, and especially dogs. Some poets say her mother is Crataeis. Hecate, goddess accepted at an early date into Greek religion but probably derived from the Carians in southwest Asia Minor. Quite often warriors worshipped the goddess Hecate just as readily. 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. Archaeologists have found essential offerings to the goddess at Lagina in Caria and Phrygia. The blessings she gave them were eventually seen as magic, while prayers were seen as incantations. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. She appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Like most of the Olympic pantheon, Hecate predates the written mythology of Greece. Related Topics: greek. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. Her name has been connected to dark magic and disturbing rituals in the works of Shakespeare and well into modern times. Hecate was the chief goddess presiding over magic and spells. Most of the ceremonies and festivals dedicated to this Goddess were often celebrated at night. To learn more about other Goddesses and exciting information, keep visiting on LearningMole. 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. In many cultures and religions in many lands. Medeas magic was often described as having to do with necromancy, sleep, and the night. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. These statues took on a distinctive appearance. Her liminality came from the fact that she was the daughter of a Titan and a goddess. 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. The Greek three-headed hound of Hades, Cerberus, may have been an earlier version of Hecate. Her origins and powers were unexplained and changeable. Roman poets encouraged the idea that Hecate was three different things by calling her Hecate-Selene and other similar names. She was a goddess of magic and the underworld, but she was also a protector of the home and a guardian of borders. As a result, the goddess of magic remained a major deity in regulating evil spirits in the Underworld. Hecate, however, is routinely described as the goddess of witchcraft and associated with characters like Medea and Circe, the witch of Homers Odyssey. The chief Greek god, Zeus, was very fond of this Goddess and gave her a share of the earth and sea. It is unclear exactly when Hecate became so closely linked with magic and witchcraft. 170 BCE). Hecate is often depicted with three heads as she was called the Goddess of the Crossroads. 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. Hecate is known to rule over the sky, the earth, and the sea. Hecate the goddess of Greek mythology has been primarily remembered for her associations with magic and witchcraft. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. This does not influence our choices. Even Zeus, the King of the Olympian Gods, is said to have reverenced her, and there are hints that she was considered to be an all-powerful goddess. She can be a shadowy, oblique goddess: her response may be subtle. Hecate is also sometimes interpreted in association with Artemis and Selene. Demeter descended to the underworld every spring to bring her daughter back to the surface, making the three goddesses share an association with the underworld. She is described as of terrible appearance, either with three bodies or three heads, the one of a horse, the second of a dog, and the third of a lion.14 In works of art she was some-times represented as a single being, but sometimes also as a three-headed monster.15, Besides Samothrace and Aegina, we find express mention of her worship at Argos16 and at Athens, where she had a sanctuary under the name of Epipyrgidia (), on the acropolis, not far from the temple of Nike.17 Small statues or symbolical representations of Hecate, called (hekataia), were very numerous, especially at Athens, where they stood before or in houses, and on spots where two roads crossed each other; and it would seem that people consulted such as oracles.18, At the close of every month dishes with food were set out for her and other averters of evil at the points where two roads crossed each other; and this food was consumed by poor people.19 The sacrifices offered to her consisted of dogs, honey, and black female lambs.20. Performing a protection rite on yourself and use of amulet is always encouraged as well. Etymology. The darkness, the moon, and magic have been personified as Hecate in many popular and well-known works of literature and in art. Apollonius of Rhodes says that the sound of dogs barking from the Underworld can be heard when Hecate is nearby. Before that, she was just a minor character in the stories of Demeter (Persephones maid) and Artemis. In the physical world this could mean anything from doorways to city walls and state borders. The food offered to this deity included cheese, cakes of eggs, and a dish of red mullet. Many Anatolian gods had their roots in the Greek pantheon. She is commonly depicted as a three-headed Goddess, or the Greek version of The Triple Goddess, being the Maiden, Mother, and Crone depending on the season. Updates? But the version of Hecate that appears in Greek texts is not so straightforward. This Goddess is often shown as a woman carrying a key or torches. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. The Kidadl Team is made up of people from different walks of life, from different families and backgrounds, each with unique experiences and nuggets of wisdom to share with you. 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. Wormwood and cypress are traditional herbs in spirit work and lavender brings a kind of protection to your workings without banishing all the spirits around you at the crossroads. She is the witness to every crime. Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptus Course, THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEASED. Hecate Triodos is the specific aspect presiding over crossroads. She is often depicted carrying one or several torches to remind of her connection with the night and insculpturewith three faces, representing her role as the guardian of crossroads. Hecate was a cathonic goddess that preceded the Olympians, and it seems that she was highly worshipped in Thrace. According toHesiodin hisTheogony, Hecate is the daughter of Perses and Asteria, making her the granddaughter of the Titans Phoebe and Coeus. Who is Hecate? In single form she appears on Greek vases and coins. Learning Mole focuses on educating children of all ages in key skills of Maths, English and learning through crafts. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few, or makes many to be less. The ancient Greeks thought of her as a Greek goddess, not someone from another country. In her form as a triple goddess, Hecate was closely linked to intersections. In later times, the most common way to show Hecate in art is as a three-headed goddess with each head facing a different direction at a crossroads. As early as the 5th century BC, the image of the hekataion was the standard way of showing the goddess in sculpture. Some scholars believe that Hecate was one such goddess. In ancient times the crossroads didnt have our modern symbolism as a place of choices. 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. Nearby Recently Sold Homes. In single form she appears on Greek vases and coins. In the writings of Hesiod, Hecate is the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. She may be invoked for protection for dogs and from dogs. Your IP: The facts about Hecate provides a list detailing fascinating additional info to increase your knowledge about Hecate in Greek Mythology. Sometimes, as was the case with Hecate, it was a single goddess who was shown with three aspects. One of these was the supper of Hecate, where food was left at crossroads, road junctions, and any other kind of boundary or threshold. The Goddess Hecate is supposed to be the daughter of Perses, a Titan, and Asteria, a nymph. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. Hecate is usually depicted with a burning torch in her hand and with a dog laying at her feet, its head raised. The Moirai, or Fates, were one such trio of goddesses. The one in Lagina stood out the most. According to a legend, Odysseus got the Trojan queen Hecuba as a captive after the defeat of Troy. From the Greek word for to turn away, apotropaic magic is that which defends by turning away evil or harm. Hecate has been depicted in Greek art, literature, and pottery dating from the fifth century BCE. Of course, as with many stories of Hecate there was also a darker version. Major temple shrines to Hecate were in the regions of Phrygia and Caria. She could switch between being a Titan and a goddess in Greek mythology. One of her epithets, Apotropaia, references the protection she gave in these spaces.
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