Symbols of Hecate are her place, the crossroads, two torches, and black dogs. 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. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. In the 6th century BCE, a circular altar was built in Miletos to honour the goddess (the earliest archaeological evidence of her worship). But she isnt in the Homeric epics, which is a big deal. Dogs also howl at the Moon, so this could be a link. "Worker-from-afar." Hecate has the power to grant or deny any mortals wish. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. 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 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. 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. Hecate is known to rule over the sky, the earth, and the sea. To find out more about LearningMole please visit our about us page or visit more of our topics available. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. 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. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. Over time, some of the Olympians changed form and function. Updates? Hecate has been depicted in Greek art, literature, and pottery dating from the fifth century BCE. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. Both goddesses were usually shown with dogs by their sides, wearing hunting boots and carrying torches. Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." Witches do gather together or solitary on crossroads as do magicians , hoodoo and voudan practitioners to cast their enchantments and spells. 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. Earlier, though, there may have been fewer gods with more complex functions. Many people think that worshipping the goddess began before the Greeks, while others think it started in Thrace. The facts about Hecate provides a list detailing fascinating additional info to increase your knowledge about Hecate in Greek Mythology. Long before Hesiod and Homer began writing their poetry, the stories of the gods were passed on through oral tradition. According to her story, Hecate sometimes withheld these blessings if she felt mortals did not deserve them. At least one story, however, gives the goddess a much more human origin. 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. 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. 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. Your IP: 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. In ancient times the crossroads didnt have our modern symbolism as a place of choices. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. According to Greek mythology when the universe first came into being the primordial gods were there, fully formed. 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. 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. Omissions? Hecate was said to be a beautiful lady with dark hair. The cave and the dawn are both thresholds- liminal times, thresholds between the earth and the underworld and night and day. When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. times its difficult to find a quite crossroads to perform workings except in remote areas. They are sometimes represented with the familiar aspects of the maiden, mother, and crone. Her halos are usually made of moonbeams. Hades was pleased with this, and Hecate was allowed to come and go as she pleased from the Underworld. Etymology. Midwives, witches, healers, herbalists, dog lovers and rescuers; she is the matron of women in general and protects those who ride horses, male warriors or cavalry as well. 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. Hecate was considered an ancient Thracian divinity and she was also a titan; the titans ruled the heavens, the earth and the sea. Hecate is often depicted with three heads as she was called the Goddess of the Crossroads. Greek pantheon was once much smaller than we know. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) 139.162.195.99 Some speculate that it represents the full moon, half moon, and new moon. By the 2nd century AD, a story had developed around Galinthias, a daughter of Proteus and friend of Alcmene. If lost at a crossroads, literal or metaphoric, invoke her name and then pay attention to signs from her. As the worship of Artemis evolved over time, the Greeks began to focus more on her purity and positive aspects. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. Modern neopagan and Wiccan religions often include worship of a triple goddess, and of Hecate herself. 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. This garden would've contained her sacred trees, herbs and poisons. Hecate was a goddess in Greek Mythology. Regula, deTraci. The most popular theory is that the Carians in Asia Minor brought Hecate to Greece, where she became a part of their religion. While Hera was considered a singular being, she was given three names to represent her different stages in life maiden, wife, and mother. In single form she appears on Greek vases and coins. 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). However, she was transformed by Circe into the monster form. 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. A popular story among the Greeks was that the dog that accompanied Hecate was the Trojan queen Hecuba. She is also mentioned in Aeneid, a play by Virgil where she guides one of the characters, Sibyl, in the Underworld. Trade, colonization, and migration resulted in a great deal of cultural exchange between the two regions. According to them, Hecate is known to support bravery and hence encourage soldiers, warriors, athletes, etc. She was accepted at an early date into Greek religion, but she probably was originally a goddess of the Carians in southwestern Asia Minor. Her symbols were two torches, the crossroads, and black dogs. It measured 21m x 28m and was built in the Corinthian order with 8 columns on its shorter sides and 11 columns on its longer sides. Anatolia, which covered most of what is now Turkey, was a region that had close ties to the Greek world. They are associated with certain ideas, occupations, or stages of life. Hecate is closely associated with several other goddesses in the Greek pantheon, with symbolism and function seeming to overlap. Hecate is petitioned for fertility, especially for female children. Her name was derived from the Greek word hekatos which means worker from afar. The Lampades are people who carry torches and travel with the goddess at night. Some scholars believe that Hecate was one such goddess. But Hekate was in this time also connected to liminality. Hecate, however, is routinely described as the goddess of witchcraft and associated with characters like Medea and Circe, the witch of Homers Odyssey. As a cthonic goddess of the underworld, her rituals and rites were often associated with death and secrecy. Authors from the past, like Ovid and Pausanias, say that dogs, especially black dogs, were given to the goddess as sacrifices. The goddess was often linked to Demeter, and in some cults, she was seen as the same as Demeter. The aspects of the goddess that had darker connotations were separated from her to create another goddess altogether in the character of Hecate. Like most of the Olympic pantheon, Hecate predates the written mythology of Greece. Several times, authors make a connection between Medeas use of magic, both harmful and protective, and her worship of Hecate. Regula, deTraci. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The hekataion depicted Hecate as three women encircling a central column. Hecate can banishghosts(or produce a ghost infestation). Scholars say that this Apolline name connects Hecate to Artemis, another goddess with a similar area of power. It is the story of how the polecat became one of her companions. Although Hecate found Persephone, instead of rescuing her, she helped her settle into her new life as the bride of Hades. The triple goddesses are often referred to as the Maiden, Mother (or Matron), and Crone. Lycophron, 77; Scholiast on Aristophanes'. Some of the statues she made as offerings to the goddess had the Graces dancing around her. Hecate is the Goddess of witchcraft, magic, crossroads, ghosts and necromancy. These three goddesses are also linked in the Mystery cults. However. Writings throughout the centuries have woven different tales about Hecate and her role as a goddess. By joining Kidadl you agree to Kidadls Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receiving marketing communications from Kidadl. Hecate first appears in Hesiods Theogony, written in the 7th century BCE. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. It even appears in Christianity, with the gospels placing three Marys at both the Crucifixion and Christs tomb. 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. Hecate was believed to be a goddess of both the living world and the underworld. 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. Persephone was married to Hades and was the queen of the Underworld. 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 include, science, maths, English and more. She is also associated with the moon and is sometimes depicted as having three faces which symbolize the waxing, waning, and full moon phases. She is believed to visit the Underworld to help other gods and people who were outcasts due to fear. Hecate hkt, hkt , in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. The Carians were devoted to Hecate, and she was the primary deity worshipped in the town of Lagina. Because she was associated with borders, gates, and doorways, Hecate took on a protective role. Eleusis was in Greece, which is where it is now. The Charites (Graces) and Horai (Seasons) were also trios of minor goddesses in Greek mythology. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? SOLD JUN 14, 2022. IT WAS A COMMON PRACTICE TO PLACE IMAGES OF HECATE ATCITYGATES & THE DOORWAYS OF PRIVATE HOMES AS SHE COULD WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS. Apollo is often called Hekatos, the masculine form of his name. The goddess told Demeter everything she had heard, but Demeter didnt know who had taken her daughter. At doorways and crossroads, pillars of the goddess Hecate, who held a torch, stood. This myth led to goddess Hecate being depicted with torches in her hand. It was said that she learned herbalism and spells from Hecate herself. She witnessed the abduction of Demeters daughter Persephone to the underworld and, torch in hand, assisted in the search for her. According to Theogony. Her name is akin to the Latin words dium ("sky") and dius ("daylight"). She was the ruler of crossroads, entrances, nighttime, light, magic (witchcraft and sorcery), herbs and plants. The myth says that Zeus gave the Lampades to Hera as a reward for her loyalty during the Titanomachy. Her association with dark magic is also tied to her identification as an underworld 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. Before that, she was just a minor character in the stories of Demeter (Persephones maid) and Artemis. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? Hecate is invoked when justice is not forthcoming from other channels. 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. She was both a product of the Titans and an honored member of Zeuss court at Olympus. 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. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. In the Pharsalia, the witch Erichtho calls on Persephone as the lowest part of Hecate. However, she is believed to be protective of human beings. A shrine to this Goddess was built at the entrance of homes and cities as she was believed to keep evil spirits away. Mike Greenberg, PhD. There is a belief, therefore, that the three goddesses may be aspects of a singular, earlier deity. All Rights Reserved, Ancient Egyptians The First Woman Pharaoh, A Crunchy Pistachios Tale: 13 Interesting Facts About These Salty Munchies. 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 . She is capable of both good and evil and is most often associated with magic and witchcraft. 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. She is also Queen of the Night, and is highly connected to All Hallow's Eve. Hekate assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, guiding her through the night with flaming torches. Apollonius of Rhodes says that the sound of dogs barking from the Underworld can be heard when Hecate is nearby. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. This is a reminder of her role as a goddess of the night, a guardian of the gates to Hades, and a goddess of boundaries. As early as the 5th century BC, the image of the hekataion was the standard way of showing the goddess in sculpture. Regula, deTraci. This could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. Offerings to this Goddess were also made during the night of the new moon. This article contains incorrect information, This article doesnt have the information Im looking for. They gave mortals wealth, victory, wisdom and luck. One of these was the boundary between life and death. She was known by her Roman name, Trivia, as well as by her triple form. Nearby Recently Sold Homes. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. The Greek goddess Hecate, or Hekate, is Greece's dark goddess of the crossroads. Hecates powers to protect were passed on from Titan parents Perses and Asteria and covered the heavens, earth and sea. Scholars think that the goddess arrived in Greece during the Archaic period. Seeing her friend in pain, Galinthias tricked the Moirai into thinking the child had been born despite their interference. Hecate (also spelt Hekate) is a goddess capable of both good and evil. 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. HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. To the Greeks this meant not only the moment at which the soul crossed between those to states, but also to a literal place. Moving between the barrier between life and death explains Hecates connection to both ghosts and necromancy. A mysterious goddess of sorcery, necromancy, and ghosts, Greek Goddess Hecate is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing characters in all of Greek mythology! As was already said, the dog was Hecates most holy animal. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. She was often shown holding two torches, such as would be found beside gates, to allow her to illuminate both sides of a boundary. Such triple goddesses were common in ancient religions. Hecate has been referenced in various literary works, including the plays by Sophocles and Euripides. Well send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out. This grouping of the goddesses happens again in Aristophanes Frogs (1358f) when Aeschylus character calls on the goddesses. Sources say there was a sacred garden dedicated to Hecate at her temple in Colchis (modern day Georgia). Persis and Asteria, two Titans from the generation of deities prior to the Olympians, are the legendary parents of Hecate. 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. The food offered to this deity included cheese, cakes of eggs, and a dish of red mullet. The Moirai, or Fates, were one such trio of goddesses. 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. A lot of the same things were said about all of the goddesses. This was a group started by May Otis Blackburn in Los Angeles, California. Hecate was a goddess in Greek Mythology. A competing theory says that Hecate did not develop in Greece at all. There is evidence that this may have been the case with Hecate. In the sources about Hekate that are from the ancient world, the crossroads are not mentioned as a symbol of Hecate. The Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends from their eastern neighbors. In Late Antiquity, the empousai have been described as a category of phantoms or spectres, equated with the lamiai and mormolykeia . Hecate acted as a veil between the world of the mortals and the supernatural. The parentage of Scylla is hotly debated. 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. Many depictions, such as those of the Moirae, show the three goddesses corresponding to the three stages of a womans life. 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. As a fertility deity she was invoked by women to aid conception and delivery. Child of Perses and Asteria, she was the only Titan to retain her control under Zeus' reign. The Egyptian god Anubis, who led souls to the Underworld, may also have something to do with dogs. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. 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. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. Each of the Greek gods has a few specialized functions. 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. 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. She's also the Queen of Witches. The one in Lagina stood out the most. Hectate has neither spouse nor children. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. 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. The evening meal in ancient Greece, especially in Athens known as Deipnon, was in honor of Hecate. Hesiod claimed that Hecate was a favorite of Zeus . Article created on Monday, March 3, 1997. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss, and sea. Hecate, however, was not just a goddess shown in three parts. Performance & security by Cloudflare. The heads could be of a dog, a lion, or a horse, representing the constellations that make up the year. Of course, as the goddess of boundaries she had the power to let things in as well as keep them out. As she is said to be the guardian of the crossroads, she is most often depicted with three faces and carrying torches or a key. But the version of Hecate that appears in Greek texts is not so straightforward. People believed that by honoring and praying to this Goddess, their homes would be preserved from the vengeance of the dead. She may be petitioned for a swift, painless death. Even in her origin, Hecate moved between two places. The three-part goddess was able to keep watch in all directions, and became standard in both written and visual representations. And the dark moon is also a powerful time to cleanse you, from negative energy, negative influences or potentially harmful spirits. Lastly, the goddess is mentioned in the tragedies of Euripides and Sophocles, among others. Is Hecate a jealous goddess? Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends. Hecate the goddess of Greek mythology has been primarily remembered for her associations with magic and witchcraft. The various statues have also raised questions as to her duties. On Greek pottery, she is usually shown as a young woman holding a torch or a key. Home History Great Facts about Goddess Hecate. Even though there arent many myths about the goddess Hecate, the ones that do exist tell us a lot about where she has power. Asteria may be the original goddess associated with the Asterion mountain range on the island of Crete. On the other hand, Euripides says that Leto is her mother. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. Another story of Hecates protective nature also involves another of her sacred animals. 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. 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. 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 . Hecate was also offered the sacrifice of dogs, especially puppies. 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. Since the fifth century BCE, Hecate has been associated with magic, witchcraft, the moon, and other dark influences. Because of this, some people would make sacrifices of dogs, especially puppies, to her. Those who failed to win the goddesss favor could expect her to invite evil and misfortune into their lives. Her companions are theFuries(Erinyes), the winged creatures who punished wrong-doing, and her children are the Empusae, female demons partial to seducing travellers. The goddess was especially appealed to by sorceresses for aid in their magic and spellsand appears on surviving examples of curse tablets. She acted as a sort of guardian because she watched over the places that allowed passage into homes, cities, or even states. Many historians believe that the Greek pantheon was once much smaller than we know it today. The Matres While little is known of their exact function, over 1,000 images of the three goddesses have been found in Northwestern Europe. She was also called the Goddess of the threshold or the Goddess of the house. This Goddess is often shown as a woman carrying a key or torches. As punishment, she was transformed into a dog to be the companion of Hecate. One of these was the supper of Hecate, where food was left at crossroads, road junctions, and any other kind of boundary or threshold. Her main jobs were to control boundaries, witchcraft, and the Underworld. She was made to look like a goddess who could easily move from the Underworld to the real world. Hecate was the goddess of borders, barriers, and boundaries. In fact she seems to have started out as Heket, the Egyptian Goddess of Childbirth. Some authors say that she was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Hecate typically responds to petitions via visions and dreams. outlandish in her infernal aspects, she is more at home on the fringes than in the centre ofGreekpolytheism. They claim she originated in Caria, a region in southern Anatolia on the Mediterranean, and was adopted into the Greek pantheon. 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). There are many other interesting facts about Hecate as pointed out by philosophers and researchers. Hecate doesnt often appear in Greek art and writing until the 5th century BCE. She was also associated with some of the most revered and respected goddesses of Olympus. This was all about Hecate, a goddess in ancient Greek religion. Hecate became Persephones guardian and close friend while she was living in the Underworld. 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.