In single form she appears on Greek vases and coins. She acted as a sort of guardian because she watched over the places that allowed passage into homes, cities, or even states. 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. Hecate first appears in Hesiods Theogony, written in the 7th century BCE. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. The time of the dark moon is a special time of the month to give offerings to Hecate. In the sources about Hekate that are from the ancient world, the crossroads are not mentioned as a symbol of Hecate. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. Hecate was considered an ancient Thracian divinity and she was also a titan; the titans ruled the heavens, the earth and the sea. Many of the rituals described in ancient texts, for example the elaborate sacrifice of a ewe in Argonautica, are in keeping with what is known about the worship of other deities of the underworld. One can view the doors between the worlds as being very thin during this time therefore it is a golden opportunity to show her your respect. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Parents: Perses (and Asteria) or Zeus and Asteria (a second-generation Titan) or Nyx (Night) or Aristaios or Demeter (see Theoi Hecate) Like Hermes, who was also a deity of liminal spaces, statues of Hecate were often placed at crossroads and borders. Hecate. Her priests are normally accompanied by hell hounds sent by their goddess to guard her temples. Link will appear as Hecate: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, October 19, 2019, Greek Gods and Goddesses 2010 - 2023 | About | Contact | Sitemap | Privacy, Hecate: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net, Magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy, None, however in some myths there are various potential offspring mentioned - (Aegialeus, Circe, Empusa, Medea, Scylla). But Hekate was in this time also connected to liminality. 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). "Worker-from-afar." Author: Hecate He | Editor: Michael Sarazen. The Egyptian god Anubis, who led souls to the Underworld, may also have something to do with dogs. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. She could switch between being a Titan and a goddess in Greek mythology. In a hymn to Hecate, Hesiod detailed the ways in which the goddess could both allow good fortune and deny it: Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgment, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. Hecate carrying a torch is a common way to show this myth in art. Major temple shrines to Hecate were in the regions of Phrygia and Caria. On the other hand, Euripides says that Leto is her mother. Because of this, some people would make sacrifices of dogs, especially puppies, to her. In fact she seems to have started out as Heket, the Egyptian Goddess of Childbirth. Of course, as the goddess of boundaries she had the power to let things in as well as keep them out. In the physical world this could mean anything from doorways to city walls and state borders. It even appears in Christianity, with the gospels placing three Marys at both the Crucifixion and Christs tomb. Her halos are usually made of moonbeams. Many Anatolian gods had their roots in the Greek pantheon. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. 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. She was often placed at the entrance of homes to help protect against the evil forces of the world. The goddess was frequently associated with Demeter and even assimilated to her in some cults. 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. Some scholars believe that Hecate was one such goddess. Tzetzes on Lycophron, 1175; Scholiast on Theocritus, ii, 36. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. Her liminality came from the fact that she was the daughter of a Titan and a goddess. According to her story, Hecate sometimes withheld these blessings if she felt mortals did not deserve them. This made her one of the few deities to have the power to move freely between the world of the living and the underworld. When Alcmene was in labor with Heracles, Hera attempted to stop the childs birth. Posted by 7thphoenix | May 27, 2020 | Magick Articles | 0 |. To find out more about LearningMole please visit our about us page or visit more of our topics available. The triple Hecate represented three aspects of a single goddess. But Hecate herself existed in the in between spaces, as well. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss . Hecate could give her worshipers wealth and blessings, but she could also take them away if they didnt worship her well enough. 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. The goddess was often linked to Demeter, and in some cults, she was seen as the same as Demeter. Some depictions show the Goddess with the head of a dog, horse, and lion, which could be the constellations during the year. Polecats hid in dirty holes and, it was believed by the Greeks, had a grotesque and unnatural way of mating. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The parentage of Scylla is hotly debated. She was the ruler of crossroads, entrances, nighttime, light, magic (witchcraft and sorcery), herbs and plants. In mythology Nyx represented night. Further, the home would be blessed and any wrong-doing by family members would be forgiven and the household purified. Hecate, however, is routinely described as the goddess of witchcraft and associated with characters like Medea and Circe, the witch of Homers Odyssey. outlandish in her infernal aspects, she is more at home on the fringes than in the centre ofGreekpolytheism. 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. She was known by her Roman name, Trivia, as well as by her triple form. She is helping a dog attack a giant who looks like a snake. 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. During the Romans, many of her traits belonged to the world of the dead. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. The one in Lagina stood out the most. Hecate hugged the girl when Persephone was reunited with her mother, Demeter. Earlier, though, there may have been fewer gods with more complex functions. 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. According to the Greek writer Hesiod*, Hecate was the daughter of the Titan* Perses and the nymph Asteria. This grouping of the goddesses happens again in Aristophanes Frogs (1358f) when Aeschylus character calls on the goddesses. It is unclear exactly when Hecate became so closely linked with magic and witchcraft. 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). Hecate was also offered the sacrifice of dogs, especially puppies. Her companions are known to punish wrong doing and criminals. As Apollo was sometimes known as Hecatos, it is still possible that this feminine form of the name referred to his sister and not a separate goddess. Another story said that Hecate herself had cursed a witch named Gale to be a polecat for disgusting her with incontinence and abnormal desires. 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. Hecate is remembered best not as a goddess of boundaries, but as a goddess of magic. Hecate can banishghosts(or produce a ghost infestation). There are many other interesting facts about Hecate as pointed out by philosophers and researchers. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. And there is a good book titled Hekate liminal rites By David Rankine and Sorite DEsteyou should check out. Hecate the goddess of Greek mythology has been primarily remembered for her associations with magic and witchcraft. The aspects of the goddess that had darker connotations were separated from her to create another goddess altogether in the character of Hecate. Long before Hesiod and Homer began writing their poetry, the stories of the gods were passed on through oral tradition. Click to reveal Hecate was also known as the queen or Goddess of the night. In fact, the earliest depictions of Hecate can only be differentiated from those of Artemis by inscriptions. Hectate is derived from the Greek word 'hekatos,' which 'means worker from afar.' Although they combined her with Diana and Artemis, the Romans also worshipped this deity, referred to her as Trivia, which means three ways. According to Greek mythology when the universe first came into being the primordial gods were there, fully formed. We know you don't want to miss any news or research breakthroughs. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Originally she seems to have been an extremely powerful and benevolent goddess, identified with three other goddessesSelene (in heaven), Artemis (on earth), and Persephone (in the underworld). Corrections? There is a belief, therefore, that the three goddesses may be aspects of a singular, earlier deity. Because she was associated with borders, gates, and doorways, Hecate took on a protective role. creative tips and more. Hesiod claimed that Hecate was a favorite of Zeus . She has long been associated with witchcraft and the occult, even necromancy. https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205 (accessed March 4, 2023). Follow for more great fun learning. On any trip to Greece, it's helpful to have some knowledge of the Greek gods and goddesses. She is also known as Soteria (Savior), the Mother of Angels, and the Cosmic World. 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. 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. Hecate: [noun] a Greek goddess associated especially with the underworld, night, and witchcraft. Latin Spelling. Hecate was also linked to a lot of other goddesses from other pantheons. Witches do gather together or solitary on crossroads as do magicians , hoodoo and voudan practitioners to cast their enchantments and spells. 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. The Hades and Persephone Story. Etymology. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. This does not influence our choices. She may be invoked for protection for dogs and from dogs. Hesiod, for example, seemed to hold in in high regard and makes no mention of this darker association. Meanwhile, others believe she is the progeny of Hecate and Phorcys. However, the queen killed the Thracian king when on her way to Greece. She is the witness to every crime. 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. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. Offerings to this Goddess were also made during the night of the new moon. It is unclear why this change took place. Some authors say that she was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Picture of the Greek Underworld, the residence of Hecate. By joining Kidadl you agree to Kidadls Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receiving marketing communications from Kidadl. 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.