My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. She appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Hecate Triodos is the specific aspect presiding over crossroads. The crossroads are special places, places of great power, but at the same time haunting places. The most famous witch in Greek mythology received her knowledge of magic from Hecate. According toHesiodin hisTheogony, Hecate is the daughter of Perses and Asteria, making her the granddaughter of the Titans Phoebe and Coeus. Because she was associated with borders, gates, and doorways, Hecate took on a protective role. Performance & security by Cloudflare. SOLD JUN 14, 2022. Her companions are theFuries(Erinyes), the winged creatures who punished wrong-doing, and her children are the Empusae, female demons partial to seducing travellers. Hecate may be invoked for healing, especially if medical solutions have failed or are not an option. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. On any trip to Greece, it's helpful to have some knowledge of the Greek gods and goddesses. She was a goddess of magic and the underworld, but she was also a protector of the home and a guardian of borders. Hecate was also known as the queen or Goddess of the night. Local sun goddesses from before the Greek era have many of the same attributes as those later associated with Hecate. Hecate was both Greek and foreign at the same time. But she isnt in the Homeric epics, which is a big deal. Hecate helps or protects warriors, athletes, hunters, horsemen, herders, shepherds, fishermen, and children. To the Greeks this meant not only the moment at which the soul crossed between those to states, but also to a literal place. Hectate has neither spouse nor children. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. 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. 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. As these stories were passed on, though, they often changed. Hecate (also spelt Hekate) is a goddess capable of both good and evil. She was often shown holding two torches, such as would be found beside gates, to allow her to illuminate both sides of a boundary. 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. Small cakes made of eggs, cheese, bread, and dog meat were lit with tiny torches. 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. A mysterious goddess of sorcery, necromancy, and ghosts, Greek Goddess Hecate is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing characters in all of Greek mythology! Greece itself worshipped many trios of goddesses or goddesses with three forms that fit this archetype. The chief Greek god, Zeus, was very fond of this Goddess and gave her a share of the earth and sea. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. The most popular theory is that the Carians in Asia Minor brought Hecate to Greece, where she became a part of their religion. Later periods show statues of Hecate in three-fold having 3 separate bodies and faces. In fact, Hecate might have been another goddess altogether! 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 Lampades are people who carry torches and travel with the goddess at night. The Egyptian fertility goddess Heqet was associated with magic, which the Egyptians called heqa. In Ancient Greek religion, Hecate had a wide range of godly tasks. Trade, colonization, and migration resulted in a great deal of cultural exchange between the two regions. Moreover, the fact that Hecate had a Greek name does not necessarily mean that her cult originated in Greece (she more likely emerged from Caria in Asia Minor). They are sometimes represented with the familiar aspects of the maiden, mother, and crone. Like most of the Olympic pantheon, Hecate predates the written mythology of Greece. 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 not undo the curse, but she made the polecat her sacred servant. (2021, December 6). Hecate was a complex, ancient goddess known to the Greeks but originally worshiped by people of Asia Minor*. Hecate was the principal goddess who had jurisdiction over enchantments and spells. According to Greek mythology when the universe first came into being the primordial gods were there, fully formed. A: In Greek Mythology, Hecate was the Goddess of magic and witchcraft. The parentage of Scylla is hotly debated. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. Her group included the Lampades, the nymphs of the Underworld, and ghosts. Check your inbox for your latest news from us. 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. At doorways and crossroads, pillars of the goddess Hecate, who held a torch, stood. The offerings to the goddess were made each month during the night of a new moon. Well send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out. If you are interested in effective unique protection magickCLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE! Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. In ancient times, Hecates three-part form was shown as three separate bodies surrounding a central column. The name "Hecate" (Greek , translit. Euripides, on the other hand, mentions her mother isLeto. 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. While Hecates temples in the area are from a later period, she bears a resemblance to a more ancient goddess in Caria. Another story of Hecates protective nature also involves another of her sacred animals. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 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 first appears in Hesiods Theogony, written in the 7th century BCE. Hectate is derived from the Greek word 'hekatos,' which 'means worker from afar.' According to Hesiods Theogony, the Titans were the first Greek gods born of earth and the heavens. However, she is believed to be protective of human beings. The heads could be of a dog, a lion, or a horse, representing the constellations that make up the year. Each of the Greek gods has a few specialized functions. The masculine form of this word is said to be used for Apollo, one of the Greek gods. Instead, some believe that the goddess originated in Asia Minor. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. Her parentage was given differently by various writers. Hecate took pity on her, though, and brought her back to life as a dog to be her companion. According to Theogony. This made her one of the few deities to have the power to move freely between the world of the living and the underworld. The Moirai crossed their arms and Eileithyia refused to help the laboring woman. During ancient times the place where roads met or at crossroads, a pole with three masks was erected. She convinced her daughter Eiliethyia, the goddess of childbirth, and the Moirai, the Fates, to prevent the birth. The boundaries she oversaw were not limited to the physical world, though. Corrections? 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. But Hekate was in this time also connected to liminality. Hecate was the chief goddess presiding over magic and spells. Related Topics: greek. One sculpture depicts Hecate with a friendly dog and another with heads of a cow, dog, boar, serpent or horse. And all these views if we go back in time can also be found in the Greco-Roman world. 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. Many historians believe that the Greek pantheon was once much smaller than we know it today. 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. Those who failed to win the goddesss favor could expect her to invite evil and misfortune into their lives. Hecate was a goddess in Greek Mythology. Sometimes, as was the case with Hecate, it was a single goddess who was shown with three aspects. As such, she was greatly honored by Zeus, who allowed her to operate on Earth, as well as the sky and the Underworld. This could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." There is evidence that this may have been the case with Hecate. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. 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). These crystals possess unique energies and properties that enhance spiritual practices and aid connections with Hecate. They claim she originated in Caria, a region in southern Anatolia on the Mediterranean, and was adopted into the Greek pantheon. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. Some experts believe that the three heads or faces of the Goddess Hecate denote the full, half, and new moon. 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. And there is a good book titled Hekate liminal rites By David Rankine and Sorite DEsteyou should check out. This food offering was known as the Supper of Hecate. She was accompanied by packs of barking dogs. Learning Mole focuses on educating children of all ages in key skills of Maths, English and learning through crafts. Symbols of Hecate are her place, the crossroads, two torches, and black dogs. The goddess, on the other hand, usually has human heads. Some versions of Scylla's myth say she was once a beautiful sea nymph. 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. Hecate carrying a torch is a common way to show this myth in art. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. We offer advice and practical, interactive ideas to help parents challenge, teach and develop their childrens skills at home. They include, science, maths, English and more. The first literary reference to Hecate was in the Theogony, a Greek poem by Hesiod that is believed to have been written in 700 BCE. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, Hecate appears in many plays and poems as the personification of darkness, the moon, and magic. Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends. Hecate was a cathonic goddess that preceded the Olympians, and it seems that she was highly worshipped in Thrace. This was all about Hecate, a goddess in ancient Greek religion. On Greek pottery, she is usually shown as a young woman holding a torch or a key. She was the only Titan who kept her power while Zeus was in charge. MAGE ENERGETICS The most complete course in magick ever released! She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. Hesiod goes on to say that the goddess supports warriors, athletes, hunters, horsemen, herdsmen, shepherds, fishermen, and children. 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. Hecate was often shown as a single person wearing a long robe and holding burning torches. Hecate was a goddess of boundaries and in between spaces. She was also associated with some of the most revered and respected goddesses of Olympus. 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. Origin and Family Persis and Asteria, two Titans from the generation of deities prior to the Olympians, are the legendary parents of Hecate. Read on to find out more about Greeces most mystical goddess! 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. Her tasks went beyond the heavens, the earth, the seas, and the Underworld. 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. 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. Regula, deTraci. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so its important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. As a cthonic goddess of the underworld, her rituals and rites were often associated with death and secrecy. Why notsubscribe to our LearningMole Library for as little as 1.99 per month to access over1000fun educational videos. 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. While some scholars attribute these displays as holding a dark side to Hecate, most myths associate her with a protective nature toward humans. 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. She was also bound to other goddesses in a closely-linked trio. Hecate typically responds to petitions via visions and dreams. Hecate. As a protective goddess, it was common for statuettes of Hecate to be placed in the doorways of homes in Greece in the hopes that she would intervene to prevent bad fortune from passing in. 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. It is the story of how the polecat became one of her companions. Mike Greenberg, PhD. In Aeschylus Suppliants, for example, they were often mixed up to make a goddess with two faces. 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. This is shown in Act III, scene five of the play. Q: Why was Hecate excluded from witch meetings? She is helping a dog attack a giant who looks like a snake. Hecate was also offered dogs, especially puppies, as a sacrifice. Quite often each face is different, one of a dog, one of a horse and one of a goddess. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. Classical scholars have differing views about where the worship of Hecate in Ancient Greece came from. She can be a shadowy, oblique goddess: her response may be subtle. Hecate has the power to grant or deny any mortals wish. She was known by her Roman name, Trivia, as well as by her triple form. The Charites (Graces) and Horai (Seasons) were also trios of minor goddesses in Greek mythology. Hesiod only talks about her family and how she killed Clytius in the Gigantomachy. They thought she would protect them and keep away evil spirits. Much later, Shakespeare referenced her in Macbeth, where she is mentioned in the scene of the three witches boiling together their dire brew. The Goddess Hecate is supposed to be the daughter of Perses, a Titan, and Asteria, a nymph. A few pagans and Wiccans have also been known to worship Hecate as a dark goddess. 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. The best of the LearningMole geography tutorials. A: Hecate is the Greek Goddess of magic and witchcraft. Some depictions show the Goddess with the head of a dog, horse, and lion, which could be the constellations during the year. 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. As you may already know Hecateis a goddess ofGreek mythologywho was capable of both good and evil. Contrary to popular current belief she wasnt originally a matron for women but for all who fit the above categories. By the first century CE, Lucans Pharsalia made it clear that Hecate was the goddess of magic and witchcraft. 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. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. Hecate was the daughter of Perses and "gold-wreathed" Astraea (the starry night), and her sway extended over earth, heaven, and hell, for which reason she is represented in works of art as a triple divinity, having three female bodies, all young and beautiful, and united together. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. $204,000 Last Sold Price. People believed that by honoring and praying to this Goddess, their homes would be preserved from the vengeance of the dead. Her name was derived from the Greek word hekatos which means "worker from afar". Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. Earlier, though, there may have been fewer gods with more complex functions. The Furies, winged creatures who punished wrongdoing, were also said to be the companions of Hecate. Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. 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. Some scholars of ancient Greek religion have noted that Apollo was occasionally given the name Hecatos, which they interpret to mean one who reaches far. These academics believe that Hecate, therefore, may have once been another name for Apollos twin sister, Artemis. In the Greco-Roman world, the crossroads were places of spirits, doorways to the other world(s), places of magic, spells and necromancy and also places of purification. 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 . Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. Hecate rules over the night, magic, and places where three roads meet. She was not portrayed as being loving towards children but as someone who took revenge against anyone that harmed children. Moving between the barrier between life and death explains Hecates connection to both ghosts and necromancy. Hecate can banishghosts(or produce a ghost infestation). But because these Anatolian cult sites were built later, other classicists say that the goddess could not have come from Anatolia. 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. 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. But Hecate herself existed in the in between spaces, as well. Her liminality came from the fact that she was the daughter of a Titan and a goddess. ThoughtCo. In the sources about Hekate that are from the ancient world, the crossroads are not mentioned as a symbol of Hecate. She was also the goddess of the Oikos and the guardian of its entrances. 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). Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. She has long been associated with witchcraft and the occult, even necromancy. You then connect yourself to her through visualizing and forming a mental image of her presence, you then thank her and pray to her. Her origins and powers were unexplained and changeable. A competing theory says that Hecate did not develop in Greece at all. Ft. 1302 Covington Ct, Virginia Beach, VA 23453. There is a belief, therefore, that the three goddesses may be aspects of a singular, earlier deity. Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermes's wife. Parents: Perses (and Asteria) or Zeus and Asteria (a second-generation Titan) or Nyx (Night) or Aristaios or Demeter (see Theoi Hecate) While Hecate was described as a single goddess with three parts, the tripartite goddess in other instances was shown as three separate but intrinsically-linked beings. But Hecate is not the evil hag that popular legend suggests. She was also closely associated to the spiritual world, ghosts, and the dead. This was a terrible fate. It is even more enjoyable Coconuts are delicious. To learn more about other Goddesses and exciting information, keep visiting on LearningMole. Since the fifth century BCE, Hecate has been associated with magic, witchcraft, the moon, and other dark influences. She was most famously the goddess of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, necromancy, the Moon, and the night. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. The chief Greek god, Zeus, was very fond of this Goddess and gave her a share of the earth and sea. The blessings she gave them were eventually seen as magic, while prayers were seen as incantations. She was born into the world ruled by the Titans, but continued to be influential and powerful in the Olympian pantheon. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." Hecate, however, is routinely described as the goddess of witchcraft and associated with characters like Medea and Circe, the witch of Homers Odyssey. Seeing her friend in pain, Galinthias tricked the Moirai into thinking the child had been born despite their interference. Her association with dark magic is also tied to her identification as an underworld goddess. When Persephone was abducted to the underworld by Hades, Hecate was the only witness willing to help Demeter search for her daughter. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. Author: Hecate He | Editor: Michael Sarazen. The duration ofa dark moonvaries between 1.5 and 3.5 days) to the crossroads. 170 BCE). On an Attic vase from the 5th century BCE, a woman is shown giving a goddess a puppy and a basket of cakes. They were so closely linked that Hecate was referred to as Medeas mother in some later texts, although earlier ones had said she was the child of an Oceanid. Eating crunchy while enjoying a good movie or your favourite video game is a blessing. 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 people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. Your privacy is important to us. Home History Great Facts about Goddess Hecate. The Moirai, or Fates, were one such trio of goddesses. The Hades and Persephone Story. Apollo is often called Hekatos, the masculine form of his name. The darkness, the moon, and magic have been personified as Hecate in many popular and well-known works of literature and in art. A lot of the same things were said about all of the goddesses. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published. Hesiod, for example, seemed to hold in in high regard and makes no mention of this darker association. Hecate is usually thought to have originated in Thrace, a wild northern region of Greece that is also known for its tales of Amazons. Hecate doesnt often appear in Greek art and writing until the 5th century BCE. 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.
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