Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. She acted as a sort of guardian because she watched over the places that allowed passage into homes, cities, or even states. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. 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. The moon goddess and the huntress were often linked, and it is believed by some that as Greeks focused worship on the more protective aspects of Artemis they shifted her darker characteristics to Hecate. As the worship of Artemis evolved over time, the Greeks began to focus more on her purity and positive aspects. On the Pergamon Altar of Zeus, from the 2nd century BCE, a three-headed Hecate and a dog attack a snake-like giant. 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. . The goddess was also worshipped in Kos, Erythrai, Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos. As the Romans developed and constructed superior road systems, we started to see the emergence of choices and nowadays in modern. 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. It is unclear why this change took place. Scholars think that the goddess arrived in Greece during the Archaic period. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. Meanwhile, others believe she is the progeny of Hecate and Phorcys. ThoughtCo. Major temple shrines to Hecate were in the regions of Phrygia and Caria. outlandish in her infernal aspects, she is more at home on the fringes than in the centre ofGreekpolytheism. 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). To the Greeks this meant not only the moment at which the soul crossed between those to states, but also to a literal place. She appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Contrary to popular current belief she wasnt originally a matron for women but for all who fit the above categories. She was the ruler of crossroads, entrances, nighttime, light, magic (witchcraft and sorcery), herbs and plants. Many people think that worshipping the goddess began before the Greeks, while others think it started in Thrace. Numerous smaller sculptures of Hecate remain in which the goddess appears as three separate women, wearing chitons, with the backs pressed against a pillar. 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. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss, and sea. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? She was not portrayed as being loving towards children but as someone who took revenge against anyone that harmed children. A case in point is the Greek goddess Hecate. Of course, as the goddess of boundaries she had the power to let things in as well as keep them out. Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0. But she isnt in the Homeric epics, which is a big deal. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. Further, the home would be blessed and any wrong-doing by family members would be forgiven and the household purified. 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 was considered an ancient Thracian divinity and she was also a titan; the titans ruled the heavens, the earth and the sea. 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. Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. She was often placed at the entrance of homes to help protect against the evil forces of the world. Instead, some believe that the goddess originated in Asia Minor. The well-known Pergamon Altar (from around the 2nd century BCE) shows Hecate as three different things. She is sometimes shown holding a key. This could mean that the goddess didnt come to Greece from Caria until a relatively late date. The first example of the triple-Hecate form, called hekataia, was made by the sculptor Alcamenes in the 5th century BCE. They were often associated with the three stages of life youth, adulthood, and old age. By the first century CE, Lucans Pharsalia made it clear that Hecate was the goddess of magic and witchcraft. She was associated with witchcraft, necromancy, and poisons. Some early writers claimed that Hecate was actually the princess Iphigenia, saved from death by Artemis and transformed into a goddess. In Late Antiquity, the empousai have been described as a category of phantoms or spectres, equated with the lamiai and mormolykeia . I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. She is also known as Soteria (Savior), the Mother of Angels, and the Cosmic World. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. Zorya The Slavic goddess of beauty and light took three forms corresponding to morning, evening, and midnight. The Orphic Mysteries said that Hestia was the daughter of Demeter instead. They gave mortals wealth, victory, wisdom and luck. Some lexicographers, experts that study the origins of language, believe that the word hag and hex, which means witch, is derived from the word Hecate. Omissions? She is invoked for justice, especially for sexual crimes against women and girls. 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. 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. She is also associated with the moon and is sometimes depicted as having three faces which symbolize the waxing, waning, and full moon phases. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. It is believed that Hecate represented witchcraft, magic and ghosts. While Hera was considered a singular being, she was given three names to represent her different stages in life maiden, wife, and mother. The cave and the dawn are both thresholds- liminal times, thresholds between the earth and the underworld and night and day. Although Hecate found Persephone, instead of rescuing her, she helped her settle into her new life as the bride of Hades. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? 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. This is shown in Act III, scene five of the play. Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. They thought she would protect them and keep away evil spirits. The goddess was given gifts every month on the night of a new moon. By joining Kidadl you agree to Kidadls Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receiving marketing communications from Kidadl. She can be a shadowy, oblique goddess: her response may be subtle. Mike Greenberg, PhD. The Greek goddess Hecate, or Hekate, is Greece's dark goddess of the crossroads. Hecate has been referenced in various literary works, including the plays by Sophocles and Euripides. Those who failed to win the goddesss favor could expect her to invite evil and misfortune into their lives. Hecate, goddess accepted at an early date into Greek religion but probably derived from the Carians in southwest Asia Minor. The myth says that Zeus gave the Lampades to Hera as a reward for her loyalty during the Titanomachy. 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. Hecate is portrayed in single form on sculptures of Myron and Naucydes. Hecate took pity on her, though, and brought her back to life as a dog to be her companion. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. Much later, Shakespeare referenced her in Macbeth, where she is mentioned in the scene of the three witches boiling together their dire brew. These statues took on a distinctive appearance. Even though there arent many myths about the goddess Hecate, the ones that do exist tell us a lot about where she has power. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. Hecate typically responds to petitions via visions and dreams. But Hecate herself existed in the in between spaces, as well. She has also been associated with the dark side of human beings, which is death. 2 Beds. 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. As an Amazon Associate, Kidadl earns from qualifying purchases. Like her Greek counterpart, she was also a goddess of domestic animals. This grouping of the goddesses happens again in Aristophanes Frogs (1358f) when Aeschylus character calls on the goddesses. 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. Hecate the goddess of Greek mythology has been primarily remembered for her associations with magic and witchcraft. On an Attic vase from the 5th century BCE, a woman is shown giving a goddess a puppy and a basket of cakes. She was known by her Roman name, Trivia, as well as by her triple form. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. 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. Her origins and powers were unexplained and changeable. Hecate doesnt often appear in Greek art and writing until the 5th century BCE. 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. As these stories were passed on, though, they often changed. Tzetzes on Lycophron, 1175; Scholiast on Theocritus, ii, 36. Nearby Recently Sold Homes. She has also been mentioned in the works of Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear, and Macbeth. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) Her considerable power over nature ensured her continued popularity, but she's never fitted in with the crowd. Local sun goddesses from before the Greek era have many of the same attributes as those later associated with Hecate. Hecate is also sometimes interpreted in association with Artemis and Selene. 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. This concept became a central figure in many later versions of polytheism. Hecate was weaved strongly into all these symbolisms of the crossroads and still does to her devotees. These crystals possess unique energies and properties that enhance spiritual practices and aid connections with Hecate. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published. Hecate is invoked when justice is not forthcoming from other channels. EFFECTIVE MAGICK AND ALPHA STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS, Seventh Phoenix MY Amazing STORY,My Journey, REAL LIFE Curses That STUNNED THEIR VICTIMS, HOW THE ALPHA FREQUENCY POWER-CHARGES YOUR MAGICK, Protection Magick Mastery Course #1 Best Rated. 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. Origin and Family Persis and Asteria, two Titans from the generation of deities prior to the Olympians, are the legendary parents of Hecate. Another story of Hecates protective nature also involves another of her sacred animals. She's also the Queen of Witches. As early as the 5th century BC, the image of the hekataion was the standard way of showing the goddess in sculpture. Hecate has been depicted in Greek art, literature, and pottery dating from the fifth century BCE. Hecate was a goddess of boundaries and in between spaces. The worship of Hecate continued into theHellenisticandRomanperiods with significant archaeological finds of votive offerings to the goddess being found at Lagina in Caria andPhrygia. Her group included the Lampades, the nymphs of the Underworld, and ghosts. In her form as a triple goddess, Hecate was closely linked to intersections. Since the fifth century BCE, Hecate has been associated with magic, witchcraft, the moon, and other dark influences. Learning Mole focuses on educating children of all ages in key skills of Maths, English and learning through crafts. A: This Greek Goddess is often considered to be capable of both good and evil. This myth led to goddess Hecate being depicted with torches in her hand. The masculine form of this word is said to be used for Apollo, one of the Greek gods. The Egyptian fertility goddess Heqet was associated with magic, which the Egyptians called heqa. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) Hecate hugged the girl when Persephone was reunited with her mother, Demeter. Several times, authors make a connection between Medeas use of magic, both harmful and protective, and her worship of Hecate. Hecate was also linked to a lot of other goddesses from other pantheons. 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. Hecate, however, was not just a goddess shown in three parts. In the writings of Hesiod, Hecate is the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Subscribe to our popular newsletter Synced Global AI Weekly to get weekly AI updates. Some speculate that it represents the full moon, half moon, and new moon. Eventually, this came to include the boundary between the natural and the supernatural, making her a goddess of magic. 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. 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. In Ancient Greece, this Goddess was honored in most homes as she was considered to bring prosperity. Hecate could give her worshipers wealth and blessings, but she could also take them away if they didnt worship her well enough. Hecate Triodos is the specific aspect presiding over crossroads. She was both a product of the Titans and an honored member of Zeuss court at Olympus. A few pagans and Wiccans have also been known to worship Hecate as a dark goddess. On Greek pottery, she is usually shown as a young woman holding a torch or a key. According to a legend, Odysseus got the Trojan queen Hecuba as a captive after the defeat of Troy. If lost at a crossroads, literal or metaphoric, invoke her name and then pay attention to signs from her. Q: How do the three witches make Hecate angry? All Rights Reserved, Ancient Egyptians The First Woman Pharaoh, A Crunchy Pistachios Tale: 13 Interesting Facts About These Salty Munchies. 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. HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. Most of the ceremonies and festivals dedicated to this Goddess were often celebrated at night. Hecate was a cathonic goddess that preceded the Olympians, and it seems that she was highly worshipped in Thrace. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. The Egyptian god Anubis, who led souls to the Underworld, may also have something to do with dogs. It was believed that she could see in all directions. Study medicinal and magical herbalism and become one of Hecate's priestesses. She convinced her daughter Eiliethyia, the goddess of childbirth, and the Moirai, the Fates, to prevent the birth. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. The duration ofa dark moonvaries between 1.5 and 3.5 days) to the crossroads. She was born into the world ruled by the Titans, but continued to be influential and powerful in the Olympian pantheon. And during these times Hecate was also very much connected to other portals- such as doors, entrances, thresholds and eventually the crossroads. Still, she was in charge of things that put her in the spotlight. And the dark moon is also a powerful time to cleanse you, from negative energy, negative influences or potentially harmful spirits. First you can set down the offerings to Hekate on the crossroad, just be sure to choose a less travelled crossroads free of heavy traffic for your safety. 1,178 Sq. Regula, deTraci. 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. Archaeologists have found essential offerings to the goddess at Lagina in Caria and Phrygia. Hectate is derived from the Greek word 'hekatos,' which 'means worker from afar.' Esoteric writing from this time says that Hecate has the heads of a horse, a dog, and a snake. She would go with Persephone to the Underworld every year when the girl returned to Hades. 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. Dogs also howl at the Moon, so this could be a link. However, she was transformed by Circe into the monster form. She was the only Titan who kept her power while Zeus was in charge. In the 6th century BCE, a circular altar was built in Miletos to honour the goddess (the earliest archaeological evidence of her worship). 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. In other Indo-European cultures, the three-part goddesses included: The archetype of the triple goddess is so common that its considered one of the fundamental aspects of Indo-European religion. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. Corrections? Her name has been connected to dark magic and disturbing rituals in the works of Shakespeare and well into modern times. IT WAS A COMMON PRACTICE TO PLACE IMAGES OF HECATE ATCITYGATES & THE DOORWAYS OF PRIVATE HOMES AS SHE COULD WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS. To find out more about LearningMole please visit our about us page or visit more of our topics available. Victorian Era, Ibn Khaldun or Celts. Your privacy is important to us. Historian Robert Graves notes that the heads could be distinctive of a dog, lion and horse, representing the constellations which cover the calendar year. Like Hermes, who was also a deity of liminal spaces, statues of Hecate were often placed at crossroads and borders. Many of the traditional offerings to Hecate- are: milk, honey, oil, cakes, cheese, bloody meat, eggs, onions, garlic. Hecate (Hekate) is the goddess of boundaries and guardian of crossroads; she is often shown with three faces and carrying a torch to show her connection to the night. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The witches were telling Macbeth about his future and had not consulted the Goddess and had left her out of the meeting. Hecate hkt, hkt , in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. 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. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205. 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. She was the only one among the Titans who retained this power under the rule of Zeus, and she was honored by all the immortal gods. HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. Scylla's most retold appearance is in Homer's Odyssey. They include, science, maths, English and more. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! A lot of the same things were said about all of the goddesses. She also assisted the gods in their war with the Gigantes, and slew Clytius.5, This extensive power possessed by Hecate was probably the reason that subsequently she was confounded and identified with several other divinities, and at length became a mystic goddess, to whom mysteries were celebrated in Samothrace6 and in Aegina.7 For being as it were the queen of all nature, we find her identified with Demeter, Rhea (Cybele or Brimo); being a huntress and the protector of youth, she is the same as Artemis (Curotrophos); and as a goddess of the moon, she is regarded as the mystic Persephone.8 She was further connected with the worship of other mystic divinities, such as the Cabeiri and Curetes,9 and also with Apollo and the Muses.10, The ground-work of the above-mentioned confusions and identifications, especially with Demeter and Persephone, is contained in the Homeric hymn to Demeter; for, according to this hymn, she was, besides Helios, the only divinity who, from her cave, observed the abduction of Persephone.