facts about hecate
She was both a product of the Titans and an honored member of Zeuss court at Olympus. 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 became Persephones guardian and close friend while she was living in the Underworld. "Worker-from-afar." All Rights Reserved, Ancient Egyptians The First Woman Pharaoh, A Crunchy Pistachios Tale: 13 Interesting Facts About These Salty Munchies. A: This Greek Goddess is often considered to be capable of both good and evil. The keys that she is sometimes shown holding are supposed to be the keys of the Underworld. Origin and Family Persis and Asteria, two Titans from the generation of deities prior to the Olympians, are the legendary parents of Hecate. Even in descriptions of Medeas witchcraft, it is difficult to distinguish magical rituals from more standard worship and rites. Author: Hecate He | Editor: Michael Sarazen. Seneca often talks about Hecate and her moon-based counterparts and even links Medea to the goddess. 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. She acted as a sort of guardian because she watched over the places that allowed passage into homes, cities, or even states. The most famous witch in Greek mythology received her knowledge of magic from Hecate. When Alcmene was in labor with Heracles, Hera attempted to stop the childs birth. 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. In the 6th century BCE, a circular altar was built in Miletos to honour the goddess (the earliest archaeological evidence of her worship). The triple goddesses are often referred to as the Maiden, Mother (or Matron), and Crone. As such, she was greatly honored by Zeus, who allowed her to operate on Earth, as well as the sky and the Underworld. There might not be any figure in Greek mythology that is as misunderstood as Hecate. She is also mentioned in Aeneid, a play by Virgil where she guides one of the characters, Sibyl, in the Underworld. They thought she would protect them and keep away evil spirits. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. Updates? Some experts believe that the three heads or faces of the Goddess Hecate denote the full, half, and new moon. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Therefore, this deity is also invoked when there is thought to be a miscarriage of justice. Regula, deTraci. Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. The things that make Hecate seem like an older woman are in the Pharsalia. If lost at a crossroads, literal or metaphoric, invoke her name and then pay attention to signs from her. As was already said, the dog was Hecates most holy animal. She's also the Queen of Witches. Both of these gods were thought to be in charge of the dead and had something to do with Persephone coming back in the spring. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Hecates powers to protect were passed on from Titan parents Perses and Asteria and covered the heavens, earth and sea. Many of the traditional offerings to Hecate- are: milk, honey, oil, cakes, cheese, bloody meat, eggs, onions, garlic. The well-known Pergamon Altar (from around the 2nd century BCE) shows Hecate as three different things. 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. She was often placed at the entrance of homes to help protect against the evil forces of the world. 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. Female monsters also often came in threes, as was the case with the Gorgons and Graea. 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. By the 2nd century AD, a story had developed around Galinthias, a daughter of Proteus and friend of Alcmene. Hecate was considered an ancient Thracian divinity and she was also a titan; the titans ruled the heavens, the earth and the sea. Meanwhile, others believe she is the progeny of Hecate and Phorcys. The worship of Hecate continued into theHellenisticandRomanperiods with significant archaeological finds of votive offerings to the goddess being found at Lagina in Caria andPhrygia. We offer advice and practical, interactive ideas to help parents challenge, teach and develop their childrens skills at home. Roman poets encouraged the idea that Hecate was three different things by calling her Hecate-Selene and other similar names. Hecate also presided over more mystical boundaries. According to the Greek writer Hesiod*, Hecate was the daughter of the Titan* Perses and the nymph Asteria. As Apollo was sometimes known as Hecatos, it is still possible that this feminine form of the name referred to his sister and not a separate goddess. But Hecate is not the evil hag that popular legend suggests. The boundaries she oversaw were not limited to the physical world, though. The witches were telling Macbeth about his future and had not consulted the Goddess and had left her out of the meeting. Hecate doesnt often appear in Greek art and writing until the 5th century BCE. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content. Over time, some of the Olympians changed form and function. 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. Posted by 7thphoenix | May 27, 2020 | Magick Articles | 0 |. There is evidence that this may have been the case with Hecate. The chief Greek god, Zeus, was very fond of this Goddess and gave her a share of the earth and sea. 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. Regula, deTraci. It is believed that Zeus, the king of the gods, asked Hecate to help find Persephone after Hades kidnapped her. The necromancers not only conjured the spirits of the dead on nightly cemeteries but also on the crossroads, the leftovers from spells are buried on the crossroads in many magical traditions and in many religions it is believed that the spirits are lingering on the crossroads. (2021, December 6). This does not influence our choices. She appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. On her head she sometimes wears a kalathos, a tall wicker basket, or a moon sickle. SOLD JUN 15, 2022. Her friends are the Erinyes, winged creatures that punish bad behaviour, and her children are the Empusae, female demons that like to seduce travellers. Some scholars believe that Hecate was one such goddess. 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. On Greek pottery, she is usually shown as a young woman holding a torch or a key. Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermes's wife. Trade, colonization, and migration resulted in a great deal of cultural exchange between the two regions. Throughout history however, her sphere of influence also included the moon, night, crossroads, boundaries, ghosts and necromancy.Although Hecate was once considered to be a powerful Greek goddess of witchcraft, Hecate was not a major deity when compared, for instance, to the . She guides Sibyl through the Underworld in Virgils Aeneid. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. This made her one of the few deities to have the power to move freely between the world of the living and the underworld. 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. You then connect yourself to her through visualizing and forming a mental image of her presence, you then thank her and pray to her. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). A popular story among the Greeks was that the dog that accompanied Hecate was the Trojan queen Hecuba. 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. The first example of the triple-Hecate form, called hekataia, was made by the sculptor Alcamenes in the 5th century BCE. 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. Interesting facts: Hestia was one of three goddesses immune to the influence of Aphrodite. Corrections? Lastly, the goddess is mentioned in the tragedies of Euripides and Sophocles, among others. According to a legend, Odysseus got the Trojan queen Hecuba as a captive after the defeat of Troy. 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. 1,178 Sq. 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. It was believed that she could see in all directions. Esoteric writing from this time says that Hecate has the heads of a horse, a dog, and a snake. According to Hesiods Theogony, the Titans were the first Greek gods born of earth and the heavens. 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. She is sometimes shown holding a key. However, she was transformed by Circe into the monster form. Hecate was a goddess of boundaries and in between spaces. Small cakes made of eggs, cheese, bread, and dog meat were lit with tiny torches. Omissions? Both goddesses were usually shown with dogs by their sides, wearing hunting boots and carrying torches. Follow for more great fun learning. Hecate carrying a torch is a common way to show this myth in art. Hades was pleased with this, and Hecate was allowed to come and go as she pleased from the Underworld. This could mean that the goddess didnt come to Greece from Caria until a relatively late date. She may be petitioned for a swift, painless death. A competing theory says that Hecate did not develop in Greece at all. In Aeschylus Suppliants, for example, they were often mixed up to make a goddess with two faces. Lycophron, 77; Scholiast on Aristophanes'. She was also the goddess of the Oikos and the guardian of its entrances. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. Some later stories agreed that Asteria was her mother, but claimed Zeus had been her father. Ft. 1302 Covington Ct, Virginia Beach, VA 23453. https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205 (accessed March 4, 2023). But Hecate herself existed in the in between spaces, as well. In single form she appears on Greek vases and coins. Seeing her friend in pain, Galinthias tricked the Moirai into thinking the child had been born despite their interference. Hecate was also known as the queen or Goddess of the night. 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 is closely associated with several other goddesses in the Greek pantheon, with symbolism and function seeming to overlap. The goddess was given gifts every month on the night of a new moon. Hecate is portrayed in single form on sculptures of Myron and Naucydes. Hecate the goddess of Greek mythology has been primarily remembered for her associations with magic and witchcraft. She was accompanied by packs of barking dogs. The goddess was also worshipped in Kos, Erythrai, Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos. It was said that she learned herbalism and spells from Hecate herself. 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. 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. The earliest archaeological evidence that has been found that proved that this deity was important and worshipped by the people was the circular altar that was used in the 6th century BCE for sacrifices to her. 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