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. 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. During the time of the Romans, Hecate was often combined with the gods Artemis and Selene, especially in Roman poetry. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. The dog connection may be the fact that dogs were known to eat the dead if left unburied; they also howl at the moon, of course. Hecate was weaved strongly into all these symbolisms of the crossroads and still does to her devotees. Roman poets encouraged the idea that Hecate was three different things by calling her Hecate-Selene and other similar names. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. By the 2nd century AD, a story had developed around Galinthias, a daughter of Proteus and friend of Alcmene. 170 BCE). Performing a protection rite on yourself and use of amulet is always encouraged as well. There are cult sites for the goddess Hecate in Caria, which shows that people there worshipped her. She was most famously the goddess of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, necromancy, the Moon, and the night. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Hecate's name (Greek: Hekate, Latin: Hecate) means far-reaching one, and hints at this goddess's wide influence over a variety of earthly and supernatural affairs. In the Greek religion, strange rituals were done to honour the goddess. The crossroads are special places, places of great power, but at the same time haunting places. 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. SOLD JUN 14, 2022. (2021, December 6). They are associated with certain ideas, occupations, or stages of life. Sorceresses ask the goddess for help with their magic and spells, and she is shown on curse tablets that have survived. She's also the Queen of Witches. Her priests are normally accompanied by hell hounds sent by their goddess to guard her temples. This makes her the granddaughter of Phoebe and Coeus, both Titans. 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. Her tasks went beyond the heavens, the earth, the seas, and the Underworld. In his book Description of Greece, Pausanias says that the sculptor Alcamenes was the first to show Hecate in three forms in the 5th century BCE. In mythology Nyx represented night. 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). 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. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss . Of course, as with many stories of Hecate there was also a darker version. Mike Greenberg, PhD. Hecate is the Goddess of witchcraft, magic, crossroads, ghosts and necromancy. The facts about Hecate provides a list detailing fascinating additional info to increase your knowledge about Hecate in Greek Mythology. It is unclear exactly when Hecate became so closely linked with magic and witchcraft. Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends. Euripides, on the other hand, mentions her mother isLeto. Follow for more great fun learning. Study medicinal and magical herbalism and become one of Hecate's priestesses. HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. Scholars think that the goddess arrived in Greece during the Archaic period. Hesiod goes on to say that the goddess supports warriors, athletes, hunters, horsemen, herdsmen, shepherds, fishermen, and children. 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. 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. Sometimes, as was the case with Hecate, it was a single goddess who was shown with three aspects. Origin and Family Persis and Asteria, two Titans from the generation of deities prior to the Olympians, are the legendary parents of Hecate. 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. There are many other interesting facts about Hecate as pointed out by philosophers and researchers. Click to reveal Hecate typically responds to petitions via visions and dreams. Lagina was one of the most important Carian sanctuaries.Hecate also has a strong connection with Georgia as well as throughout Italy. Hecate's appearance is dark-haired and beautiful, but with an eerie edge to that beauty befitting a goddess of the night (though the actual goddess of the night is Nyx). As the worship of Artemis evolved over time, the Greeks began to focus more on her purity and positive aspects. First 6 Months for 1.99 with Monthly Student and Teacher Plans Dismiss, 2022 Learning Mole. A competing theory says that Hecate did not develop in Greece at all. Hecate is usually depicted with a burning torch in her hand and with a dog laying at her feet, its head raised. 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. ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205. 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. MAGE ENERGETICS The most complete course in magick ever released! Some speculate that it represents the full moon, half moon, and new moon. Hecate was considered an ancient Thracian divinity and she was also a titan; the titans ruled the heavens, the earth and the sea. A popular story among the Greeks was that the dog that accompanied Hecate was the Trojan queen Hecuba. Hectate has neither spouse nor children. This grouping of the goddesses happens again in Aristophanes Frogs (1358f) when Aeschylus character calls on the goddesses. 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. Share This Post. While Hecates temples in the area are from a later period, she bears a resemblance to a more ancient goddess in Caria. Hecate is known to rule over the sky, the earth, and the sea. Proponents of this theory believe that this may have been the case with Hecate. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. 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 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. One of these was the supper of Hecate, where food was left at crossroads, road junctions, and any other kind of boundary or threshold. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. As worshippers began to focus on one aspect of a god more than others, that gods secondary purposes were separated into another deity altogether. The goddess was frequently associated with Demeter and even assimilated to her in some cults. Hesiod, for example, seemed to hold in in high regard and makes no mention of this darker association. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. 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. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. In Ancient Greece, this Goddess was honored in most homes as she was considered to bring prosperity. Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermes's wife. The parentage of Scylla is hotly debated. Hecate rules over the night, magic, and places where three roads meet. 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. Hecate took pity on her, though, and brought her back to life as a dog to be her companion. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The ancient Greeks thought of her as a Greek goddess, not someone from another country. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. Witches do gather together or solitary on crossroads as do magicians , hoodoo and voudan practitioners to cast their enchantments and spells. Her friends are the Erinyes, winged creatures that punish bad behaviour, and her children are the Empusae, female demons that like to seduce travellers. Although much of her power appeared generally dark or menacing, Hecate could also be a merciful goddess. She is the witness to every crime. The most famous witch in Greek mythology received her knowledge of magic from Hecate. Meanwhile, others believe she is the progeny of Hecate and Phorcys. She was made to look like a goddess who could easily move from the Underworld to the real world. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. This article incorporates text from Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) by William Smith, which is in the public domain. As was already said, the dog was Hecates most holy animal. Your IP: 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. The Greek goddess Hecate, or Hekate, is Greece's dark goddess of the crossroads. Another story of Hecates protective nature also involves another of her sacred animals. 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 evening meal in ancient Greece, especially in Athens known as Deipnon, was in honor of Hecate. One of these was the boundary between life and death. From the three supposedly came her image in Greek . Still another school of thought links her, at least linguistically, to Egypt. She acted as a sort of guardian because she watched over the places that allowed passage into homes, cities, or even states. The myth says that Zeus gave the Lampades to Hera as a reward for her loyalty during the Titanomachy. As the Romans developed and constructed superior road systems, we started to see the emergence of choices and nowadays in modern. A: Hecate is the Greek Goddess of magic and witchcraft. Read on to find out more about Greeces most mystical goddess! They spun the threads of fate at the base of. This could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. creative tips and more. 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. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. To the Greeks this meant not only the moment at which the soul crossed between those to states, but also to a literal place. Many depictions, such as those of the Moirae, show the three goddesses corresponding to the three stages of a womans life. To find out more about LearningMole please visit our about us page or visit more of our topics available. A statue called Hekate Epipyrgidia (On the Ramparts) stood at the Athens Acropolis entrance. 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. Although they combined her with Diana and Artemis, the Romans also worshipped this deity, referred to her as Trivia, which means three ways. Controlling who moved through the border between the earth and the underworld gave her a unique power to summon spirits and raise the dead. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. Hecate is usually thought to have originated in Thrace, a wild northern region of Greece that is also known for its tales of Amazons. A goddess of crossroads, magic, poison, and the undead, Hecate was also the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria, according to Hesiod. According to Theogony. 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. Nearby Recently Sold Homes. She is believed to visit the Underworld to help other gods and people who were outcasts due to fear. According to a legend, Odysseus got the Trojan queen Hecuba as a captive after the defeat of Troy. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. Hecate was the principal goddess who had jurisdiction over enchantments and spells. In ancient times the crossroads didnt have our modern symbolism as a place of choices. In single form she appears on Greek vases and coins. Hekate assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, guiding her through the night with flaming torches. Hecate doesnt often appear in Greek art and writing until the 5th century BCE. 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. 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. She could switch between being a Titan and a goddess in Greek mythology. Hades was pleased with this, and Hecate was allowed to come and go as she pleased from the Underworld. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. According to the Greek writer Hesiod*, Hecate was the daughter of the Titan* Perses and the nymph Asteria. Her main jobs were to control boundaries, witchcraft, and the Underworld. Much later, Shakespeare referenced her in Macbeth, where she is mentioned in the scene of the three witches boiling together their dire brew. During the Hellenistic and Roman times, people still worshipped Hecate. When they heard this the Moirai uncrossed their arms, releasing the bonds that kept the infant Heracles from the earth. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published. Some experts believe that the three heads or faces of the Goddess Hecate denote the full, half, and new moon. 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. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. We will examine her origins and describe the crossroads ritual. Home History Great Facts about Goddess Hecate. Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft and was specifically known for her herbal knowledge. She has also been mentioned in the works of Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear, and Macbeth. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Her name has been connected to dark magic and disturbing rituals in the works of Shakespeare and well into modern times. They claim she originated in Caria, a region in southern Anatolia on the Mediterranean, and was adopted into the Greek pantheon. 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. In sculptures from the Classical and Hellenistic periods, she looks most striking when she has three bodies and three heads, one body with three heads, or three bodies and one head. In the writings of Hesiod, Hecate is the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. Hecate, goddess accepted at an early date into Greek religion but probably derived from the Carians in southwest Asia Minor. She was known by her Roman name, Trivia, as well as by her triple form. Earlier, though, there may have been fewer gods with more complex functions. A: In Greek mythology, Hecate was the Goddess of witchcraft and magic. 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. Some poets say her mother is Crataeis. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. She is not a typical one-dimensional goddess but lives on many different levels. She can be a shadowy, oblique goddess: her response may be subtle. Trade, colonization, and migration resulted in a great deal of cultural exchange between the two regions. The various statues have also raised questions as to her duties. Many Anatolian gods had their roots in the Greek pantheon. DeTraci Regula is a freelance writer who has specialized in Greek travel and tours for 18 years. Archaeological items found in Lagina in Caria and Phrygia also point to the importance of this Goddess during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. 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 . However, the queen killed the Thracian king when on her way to Greece. Her name is akin to the Latin words dium ("sky") and dius ("daylight"). In Greece, there is some evidence that Hecate was originally seen as a much more benevolent, cosmic goddess. In fact she seems to have started out as Heket, the Egyptian Goddess of Childbirth. She is also known as Soteria (Savior), the Mother of Angels, and the Cosmic World. Hecate was represented as single-formed, clad in a long robe, holding burning torches; in later representations she was triple-formed, with three bodies standing back-to-back, probably so that she could look in all directions at once from the crossroads. She was the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria. Learning Mole focuses on educating children of all ages in key skills of Maths, English and learning through crafts. The hekataion depicted Hecate as three women encircling a central column. Sources say there was a sacred garden dedicated to Hecate at her temple in Colchis (modern day Georgia). Some say that Hecate is the daughter of Erebus and Nyx, ageless Goddess of the night, while others believe that She is one of the Furies or the last surviving Titan except for Zeus.
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