She was often shown holding two torches, such as would be found beside gates, to allow her to illuminate both sides of a boundary. The myth says that Zeus gave the Lampades to Hera as a reward for her loyalty during the Titanomachy. Is Hecate a jealous goddess? She guides Sibyl through the Underworld in Virgils Aeneid. This Goddess is often shown as a woman carrying a key or torches. 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. They believed that by praising the goddess, the restless dead would be soothed and not deliver vengeance on the family. This myth led to goddess Hecate being depicted with torches in her hand. SOLD JUN 14, 2022. As a fertility deity she was invoked by women to aid conception and delivery. Hecate has been depicted in Greek art, literature, and pottery dating from the fifth century BCE. During the Hellenistic and Roman times, people still worshipped Hecate. For many it is a time to connect with Her, to thank her for her blessings, her guidance and her protection during the last lunar cycle and also to ask her to bless and protect them in the new lunar cycle. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. Her group included the Lampades, the nymphs of the Underworld, and ghosts. Why notsubscribe to our LearningMole Library for as little as 1.99 per month to access over1000fun educational videos. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Seeing her friend in pain, Galinthias tricked the Moirai into thinking the child had been born despite their interference. Mike Greenberg, PhD. It even appears in Christianity, with the gospels placing three Marys at both the Crucifixion and Christs tomb. She may be petitioned for a swift, painless death. The three-part goddess was able to keep watch in all directions, and became standard in both written and visual representations. Posted by 7thphoenix | May 27, 2020 | Magick Articles | 0 |. Several modern devotees already adapted the tradition of giving food offerings to Hekate- these are sacred meals, that are bought on the dark moon ( This is the last visible crescent of a waningMoon. According to a legend, Odysseus got the Trojan queen Hecuba as a captive after the defeat of Troy. She was accepted at an early date into Greek religion, but she probably was originally a goddess of the Carians in southwestern Asia Minor. Hecate is often depicted with three heads as she was called the Goddess of the Crossroads. Quite often each face is different, one of a dog, one of a horse and one of a goddess. 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. 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). Hecate hkt, hkt , in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. Parents: Perses (and Asteria) or Zeus and Asteria (a second-generation Titan) or Nyx (Night) or Aristaios or Demeter (see Theoi Hecate) Authors from the past, like Ovid and Pausanias, say that dogs, especially black dogs, were given to the goddess as sacrifices. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. This was a group started by May Otis Blackburn in Los Angeles, California. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. She was made to look like a goddess who could easily move from the Underworld to the real world. 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. 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. Hecate Triformis, Hecate of the three faces or three forms, corresponding to the phases of the moon: dark, waxing, and waning. Kos, Erythrai,Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos also worshipped the. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, Her friends are the Erinyes, winged creatures that punish bad behaviour, and her children are the Empusae, female demons that like to seduce travellers. Selenite, tiger's eye, obsidian, rhodochrosite, jet, jasper, agate, and amber are the most suited crystals for Hecate. Her halos are usually made of moonbeams. 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. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. It is believed that Zeus, the king of the gods, asked Hecate to help find Persephone after Hades kidnapped her. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." It was said that she learned herbalism and spells from Hecate herself. Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptus Course, THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEASED. Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads. Nearby Recently Sold Homes. Some authors say that she was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. ThoughtCo. She could not be forced to love anyone. 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. A competing theory says that Hecate did not develop in Greece at all. 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. 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. This could mean that the goddess didnt come to Greece from Caria until a relatively late date. 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 . Hecate first appears in Hesiods Theogony, written in the 7th century BCE. She is also Queen of the Night, and is highly connected to All Hallow's Eve. 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. She was a goddess of magic and the underworld, but she was also a protector of the home and a guardian of borders. When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. Of course, as with many stories of Hecate there was also a darker version. As punishment, she was transformed into a dog to be the companion of Hecate. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 139.162.195.99 Your IP: From the Greek word for to turn away, apotropaic magic is that which defends by turning away evil or harm. This was a terrible fate. Long before Hesiod and Homer began writing their poetry, the stories of the gods were passed on through oral tradition. 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. Article created on Monday, March 3, 1997. When Alcmene was in labor with Heracles, Hera attempted to stop the childs birth. The goddess was also worshipped in Kos, Erythrai, Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos. 170 BCE). The goddess Hecate is one of the Greek goddesses that not many people know about. The witches were telling Macbeth about his future and had not consulted the Goddess and had left her out of the meeting. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. In aiding Demeter during her search for the missing Persephone and transfiguring Hecuba to spare her captivity or death she showed a level of compassion that might not be expected from an occult figure. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The most popular theory is that the Carians in Asia Minor brought Hecate to Greece, where she became a part of their religion. The Greek three-headed hound of Hades, Cerberus, may have been an earlier version of Hecate. Hekate: A beginner's guide to witchcraft, ghosts, spirituality, and Hekate advance rituals and spells for Meditation and Divination Kindle Edition by Johander Kholms (Author) Format: Kindle Edition 9 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $5.49 Read with Our Free App Share This Post. She is invoked for justice, especially for sexual crimes against women and girls. Numerous smaller sculptures of Hecate remain in which the goddess appears as three separate women, wearing chitons, with the backs pressed against a pillar. The Tridevi The triad of goddesses in Hinduism often represents the three states of creation, preservation, and destruction. Most of all, Hecate was a goddess of mystery. While Hecates temples in the area are from a later period, she bears a resemblance to a more ancient goddess in Caria. Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0. Hecate's powers transcended the boundaries of the sky, the earth, the seas, and the underworld. 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. According to Greek mythology when the universe first came into being the primordial gods were there, fully formed. 1.5 Baths. Her name was derived from the Greek word hekatos which means "worker from afar". She was the only Titan who kept her power while Zeus was in charge. Like most of the Olympic pantheon, Hecate predates the written mythology of Greece. She is invoked for justice, especially for sexual crimes against women and girls. $204,000 Last Sold Price. Scholars think that the goddess arrived in Greece during the Archaic period. According toPausanias, the 2nd-century CE Greek traveller, the island ofAeginahad a mystery cult dedicated to the goddess where it was believed those suffering mental illness could be cured. Hesiod goes on to say that the goddess supports warriors, athletes, hunters, horsemen, herdsmen, shepherds, fishermen, and children. Still another school of thought links her, at least linguistically, to Egypt. In Aeschylus Suppliants, for example, they were often mixed up to make a goddess with two faces. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. She was also closely associated to the spiritual world, ghosts, and the dead. Since the fifth century BCE, Hecate has been associated with magic, witchcraft, the moon, and other dark influences. Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermes's wife. We will examine her origins and describe the crossroads ritual. Click to reveal Victorian Era, Ibn Khaldun or Celts. Hecate was the chief goddess presiding over magic and spells. On the Pergamon Altar of Zeus, from the 2nd century BCE, a three-headed Hecate and a dog attack a snake-like giant. She would go with Persephone to the Underworld every year when the girl returned to Hades. All these were also given Hekate in her Deipnon (food offering). She can be a shadowy, oblique goddess: her response may be subtle. Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends. Hecate was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, dogs, light, the moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery. She's also the Queen of Witches. Hecate typically responds to petitions via visions and dreams. From the three supposedly came her image in Greek . 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 could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. During the Romans, many of her traits belonged to the world of the dead. As an Amazon Associate, Kidadl earns from qualifying purchases. On any trip to Greece, it's helpful to have some knowledge of the Greek gods and goddesses. Hecate is the Goddess of witchcraft, magic, crossroads, ghosts and necromancy. It is the story of how the polecat became one of her companions. SOLD JUN 15, 2022. She is not a typical one-dimensional goddess but lives on many different levels. In the 6th century BCE, a circular altar was built in Miletos to honour the goddess (the earliest archaeological evidence of her worship). This makes her the granddaughter of Phoebe and Coeus, both Titans. Those who failed to win the goddesss favor could expect her to invite evil and misfortune into their lives. Proponents of this theory believe that this may have been the case with Hecate. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. The Goddess Hecate is supposed to be the daughter of Perses, a Titan, and Asteria, a nymph. As worshippers began to focus on one aspect of a god more than others, that gods secondary purposes were separated into another deity altogether. If lost at a crossroads, literal or metaphoric, invoke her name and then pay attention to signs from her. One of Hecates frequent animal companions, and the one that shes most often depicted with, was a black dog. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. As goddesses that straddled the boundary between this world and the afterlife, they were believed to be the keys to uncovering the secrets of what lay beyond that boundary. Lycophron, 77; Scholiast on Aristophanes'. As the worship of Artemis evolved over time, the Greeks began to focus more on her purity and positive aspects. https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205 (accessed March 4, 2023). 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. One sculpture depicts Hecate with a friendly dog and another with heads of a cow, dog, boar, serpent or horse. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. Hecate, however, took pity on Galinthias. Hecate was also known as the queen or Goddess of the night. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss, and sea. According toHesiodin hisTheogony, Hecate is the daughter of Perses and Asteria, making her the granddaughter of the Titans Phoebe and Coeus. But Hekate was in this time also connected to liminality. This article incorporates text from Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) by William Smith, which is in the public domain. Omissions? She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. The crossroads were and are also places where several accidents occurred and or ambushes, holdups they can be places of vulnerability where fates seem to be on rare occasions sealed. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. It is believed that Hecate represented witchcraft, magic and ghosts. Scholars say that this Apolline name connects Hecate to Artemis, another goddess with a similar area of power. She was born into the world ruled by the Titans, but continued to be influential and powerful in the Olympian pantheon. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. Hecate is usually depicted with a burning torch in her hand and with a dog laying at her feet, its head raised. She is the witness to every crime. Sources say there was a sacred garden dedicated to Hecate at her temple in Colchis (modern day Georgia). Many Anatolian gods had their roots in the Greek pantheon. In literature, there is a clear link between her, Demeter, and Persephone. Greece itself worshipped many trios of goddesses or goddesses with three forms that fit this archetype. She was a goddess in charge of magic, witchcraft, and much more. Local sun goddesses from before the Greek era have many of the same attributes as those later associated with Hecate. She is described in this capacity as a mighty and formidable divinity, ruling over the souls of the departed; she is the goddess of purifications and expiations, and is accompanied by Stygian dogs.11 By Phorcys she became the mother of Scylla.12, There is another very important feature which arose out of the notion of her being an infernal divinity, namely, she was regarded as a spectral being, who at night sent from the lower world all kinds of demons and terrible phantoms, who taught sorcery and witchcraft, who dwelt at places where two roads crossed each other, on tombs, and near the blood of murdered persons. As these stories were passed on, though, they often changed. Hecate hugged the girl when Persephone was reunited with her mother, Demeter. The worship of Hecate continued into theHellenisticandRomanperiods with significant archaeological finds of votive offerings to the goddess being found at Lagina in Caria andPhrygia. Classical scholars have differing views about where the worship of Hecate in Ancient Greece came from. The aspects of the goddess that had darker connotations were separated from her to create another goddess altogether in the character of Hecate. The crossroads are special places, places of great power, but at the same time haunting places. Some depictions show the Goddess with the head of a dog, horse, and lion, which could be the constellations during the year. Historian Robert Graves notes that the heads could be distinctive of a dog, lion and horse, representing the constellations which cover the calendar year. In a few cases, Hecate was said to have shared these powers with her most devoted followers. 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. Modern neopagan and Wiccan religions often include worship of a triple goddess, and of Hecate herself. Her symbols were two torches, the crossroads, and black dogs. On her head she sometimes wears a kalathos, a tall wicker basket, or a moon sickle. They call her Aristaion or Night. She was also bound to other goddesses in a closely-linked trio. Hecate appears in many plays and poems as the personification of darkness, the moon, and magic. In fact she seems to have started out as Heket, the Egyptian Goddess of Childbirth. She is sometimes shown holding a key. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. Her association with dark magic is also tied to her identification as an underworld goddess. MAGE ENERGETICS The most complete course in magick ever released! Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. The darkness, the moon, and magic have been personified as Hecate in many popular and well-known works of literature and in art. We know you don't want to miss any news or research breakthroughs. In mythology Nyx represented night. Her liminality came from the fact that she was the daughter of a Titan and a goddess. It is unclear exactly when Hecate became so closely linked with magic and witchcraft. But she isnt in the Homeric epics, which is a big deal. Hecate also presided over more mystical boundaries. Symbols of Hecate are her place, the crossroads, two torches, and black dogs. She was specifically associated with witchcraft, magick, the Moon, Archways, and creatures of the night such as hell-hounds and ghosts. Hecate carrying a torch is a common way to show this myth in art. However, she was transformed by Circe into the monster form. Like her Greek counterpart, she was also a goddess of domestic animals. Well send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out. Regula, deTraci. Latin Spelling. The one in Lagina stood out the most. Archaeological items found in Lagina in Caria and Phrygia also point to the importance of this Goddess during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. Many historians believe that the Greek pantheon was once much smaller than we know it today. 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. The Moirai, or Fates, were one such trio of goddesses. Polecats hid in dirty holes and, it was believed by the Greeks, had a grotesque and unnatural way of mating. Greek pantheon was once much smaller than we know. A: In the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, in Act three, scene five, Hecate was shown to be angry with the witches as they excluded her from their meetings with Macbeth. 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. According to Hesiods Theogony, the Titans were the first Greek gods born of earth and the heavens. She was accompanied by packs of barking dogs. 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). The Charites (Graces) and Horai (Seasons) were also trios of minor goddesses in Greek mythology. Eating crunchy while enjoying a good movie or your favourite video game is a blessing. Hecate is remembered best not as a goddess of boundaries, but as a goddess of magic. DeTraci Regula is a freelance writer who has specialized in Greek travel and tours for 18 years. In the Pharsalia, the witch Erichtho calls on Persephone as the lowest part of Hecate. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Zorya The Slavic goddess of beauty and light took three forms corresponding to morning, evening, and midnight. Hecate. Hecate may be invoked for healing, especially if medical solutions have failed or are not an option. Updates? Hesiod, for example, seemed to hold in in high regard and makes no mention of this darker association. Some poets say her mother is Crataeis. Performance & security by Cloudflare. They spun the threads of fate at the base of. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. Her name has been connected to dark magic and disturbing rituals in the works of Shakespeare and well into modern times. Child of Perses and Asteria, she was the only Titan to retain her control under Zeus' reign. Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermess wife. While some scholars attribute these displays as holding a dark side to Hecate, most myths associate her with a protective nature toward humans. Hecate rules over the night, magic, and places where three roads meet. Another story said that Hecate herself had cursed a witch named Gale to be a polecat for disgusting her with incontinence and abnormal desires. The Carians were devoted to Hecate, and she was the primary deity worshipped in the town of Lagina. 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. Her parentage was given differently by various writers. Hecate can banishghosts(or produce a ghost infestation). She is often pictured holding keys because, as the goddess of boundaries, she held the power to open and close the doors to the realm of Hades. The Orphic Mysteries said that Hestia was the daughter of Demeter instead. Hesiod claimed that Hecate was a favorite of Zeus . Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published. First 6 Months for 1.99 with Monthly Student and Teacher Plans Dismiss, 2022 Learning Mole. Although Hecate found Persephone, instead of rescuing her, she helped her settle into her new life as the bride of Hades. Some of the statues she made as offerings to the goddess had the Graces dancing around her. It is believed that Hecate represented witchcraft, magic and ghosts. A lot of the same things were said about all of the goddesses. Several times, authors make a connection between Medeas use of magic, both harmful and protective, and her worship of Hecate. Hecate was often shown as a single person wearing a long robe and holding burning torches. When Persephone was abducted to the underworld by Hades, Hecate was the only witness willing to help Demeter search for her daughter. It has been suggested that the idea of magic coming from Hecate was an evolution of the many gifts she was capable of bestowing upon her favorites. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). She is sometimes depicted as being accompanied by dogs or hounds and ghosts. This garden would've contained her sacred trees, herbs and poisons. Your privacy is important to us. Hecates powers to protect were passed on from Titan parents Perses and Asteria and covered the heavens, earth and sea. Esoteric writing from this time says that Hecate has the heads of a horse, a dog, and a snake. She was known by her Roman name, Trivia, as well as by her triple form. These statues took on a distinctive appearance. The first example of the triple-Hecate form, called hekataia, was made by the sculptor Alcamenes in the 5th century BCE. Euripides, on the other hand, mentions her mother isLeto. But because these Anatolian cult sites were built later, other classicists say that the goddess could not have come from Anatolia. The Twelve Olympian Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology, Fast Facts on Helios - Greek God of the Sun, 10 Fast Facts on Athena and Her Parthenon, The Story of Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory, The Greek God Hades, Lord of the Underworld, Fascinating Stories About the Greek God Cronos, Marzanna, Slavic Goddess of Death and Winter, The Greek Mythology of Clash of the Titans. Greeks focused worship on the more protective aspects of Artemis, goddess that existed on the edges of the Greek, The Norns These three goddesses were the Norse equivalent of the Moirai. They include, science, maths, English and more. The duration ofa dark moonvaries between 1.5 and 3.5 days) to the crossroads. As one of the deities capable of passing between realms, she had access to the secrets of the dead. Some scholars believe that Hecate was one such goddess. Origin and Family Persis and Asteria, two Titans from the generation of deities prior to the Olympians, are the legendary parents of Hecate. Other writers claim her as the daughter ofZeusandDemeter, Aristaion. Intrinsically ambivalent and polymorphous, she straddles conventional boundaries and eludes definition. Still, she was in charge of things that put her in the spotlight. 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.