1.5 Baths. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. It is believed that Hecate represented witchcraft, magic and ghosts. Hecate was also offered dogs, especially puppies, as a sacrifice. She was a goddess of magic and the underworld, but she was also a protector of the home and a guardian of borders. They claim she originated in Caria, a region in southern Anatolia on the Mediterranean, and was adopted into the Greek pantheon. Hecate | Wiki | Pagans & Witches Amino In the Pharsalia, the witch Erichtho calls on Persephone as the lowest part of Hecate. Hecate's powers transcended the boundaries of the sky, the earth, the seas, and the underworld. Updates? Mystifying Hecate Facts: The Greek Goddess Of Magic And Spells Modern neopagan and Wiccan religions often include worship of a triple goddess, and of Hecate herself. 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. Sources say there was a sacred garden dedicated to Hecate at her temple in Colchis (modern day Georgia). The Ancient Greek Underworld and Hades - ThoughtCo Hecate, goddess accepted at an early date into Greek religion but probably derived from the Carians in southwest Asia Minor. In Hesiod she is the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria and has power over heaven, earth, and sea; hence, she bestows wealth and all the blessings of daily life. Hecate: Greek Goddess of Witchcraft, Sorcery and Magic You then connect yourself to her through visualizing and forming a mental image of her presence, you then thank her and pray to her. The one in Lagina stood out the most. The facts about Hecate provides a list detailing fascinating additional info to increase your knowledge about Hecate in Greek Mythology. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. She would go with Persephone to the Underworld every year when the girl returned to Hades. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. 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. She was a goddess that could be both a protective guardian and a source of menace. Mike Greenberg, PhD. The goddess told Demeter everything she had heard, but Demeter didnt know who had taken her daughter. 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. 2 Beds. She was a goddess in charge of magic, witchcraft, and much more. On the Pergamon Altar of Zeus, from the 2nd century BCE, a three-headed Hecate and a dog attack a snake-like giant. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! Archaeologists have found essential offerings to the goddess at Lagina in Caria and Phrygia. Etymology. According to her story, Hecate sometimes withheld these blessings if she felt mortals did not deserve them. The time of the dark moon is a special time of the month to give offerings to Hecate. She was born into the world ruled by the Titans, but continued to be influential and powerful in the Olympian pantheon. This Goddess is often shown as a woman carrying a key or torches. She is believed to visit the Underworld to help other gods and people who were outcasts due to fear. Hecate (also spelt Hekate) is a goddess capable of both good and evil. Story of Hecate Lagina was one of the most important Carian sanctuaries.Hecate also has a strong connection with Georgia as well as throughout Italy. According to the most genuine traditions, she appears to have been an ancient Thracian divinity, and a Titan, who, from the time of the Titans, ruled in heaven, on the earth, and in the sea, who bestowed on mortals wealth, victory, wisdom, good luck to sailors and hunters, and prosperity to youth and to the flocks of cattle; but all these blessings might at the same time be withheld by her, if mortals did not deserve them. Many of the traditional offerings to Hecate- are: milk, honey, oil, cakes, cheese, bloody meat, eggs, onions, garlic. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. During the Romans, many of her traits belonged to the world of the dead. The three-part goddess was able to keep watch in all directions, and became standard in both written and visual representations. 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). Hecate was weaved strongly into all these symbolisms of the crossroads and still does to her devotees. Hecate was believed to be a goddess of both the living world and the underworld. In a few cases, Hecate was said to have shared these powers with her most devoted followers. In Ancient Greece, this Goddess was honored in most homes as she was considered to bring prosperity. She herself too wanders about with the souls of the dead, and her approach is announced by the whining and howling of dogs.13, A number of epithets given her by the poets contain allusions to these features of the popular belief, or to her form. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Hekate assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, guiding her through the night with flaming torches. As a fertility deity she was invoked by women to aid conception and delivery. Follow for more great fun learning. 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. 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. 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. Persis and Asteria, two Titans from the generation of deities prior to the Olympians, are the legendary parents of Hecate. The Moirai crossed their arms and Eileithyia refused to help the laboring woman. Hecate | Myth & Symbols | Britannica 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. Hecate is petitioned for fertility, especially for female children. Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. 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. The Charites (Graces) and Horai (Seasons) were also trios of minor goddesses in Greek mythology. What are interesting facts about Hecate? - WisdomAnswer My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) Female monsters also often came in threes, as was the case with the Gorgons and Graea. Everything You Need To Know About Hecate (Maiden, Mother, Crone) But by the end of the ancient world, this image had changed into a single goddess with three heads. She acted as a sort of guardian because she watched over the places that allowed passage into homes, cities, or even states. The Kidadl Team is made up of people from different walks of life, from different families and backgrounds, each with unique experiences and nuggets of wisdom to share with you. Your privacy is important to us. She could switch between being a Titan and a goddess in Greek mythology. As punishment, she was transformed into a dog to be the companion of Hecate. Parents: Perses (and Asteria) or Zeus and Asteria (a second-generation Titan) or Nyx (Night) or Aristaios or Demeter (see Theoi Hecate) What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEA Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptu 3 Special gods of old Briton You should revisit! The goddess had a lot of powers, some of which were later taken over by other gods. Both goddesses were usually shown with dogs by their sides, wearing hunting boots and carrying torches. Symbols of Hecate are her place, the crossroads, two torches, and black dogs. Roman poets encouraged the idea that Hecate was three different things by calling her Hecate-Selene and other similar names. According toPausanias, the 2nd-century CE Greek traveller, the island ofAeginahad a mystery cult dedicated to the goddess where it was believed those suffering mental illness could be cured. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. While Hecates temples in the area are from a later period, she bears a resemblance to a more ancient goddess in Caria. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. In the Greek religion, strange rituals were done to honour the goddess. Most of all, Hecate was a goddess of mystery. As such, she was greatly honored by Zeus, who allowed her to operate on Earth, as well as the sky and the Underworld. 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. Another story of Hecates protective nature also involves another of her sacred animals. Hekat) is the feminine form of hekatos, an epithet of the god Apollo meaning "the one who works from afar."But the true etymology of the name is uncertain. One of Hecates frequent animal companions, and the one that shes most often depicted with, was a black dog. Trade, colonization, and migration resulted in a great deal of cultural exchange between the two regions. The well-known Pergamon Altar (from around the 2nd century BCE) shows Hecate as three different things. Nyx, the Primordial Goddess of the Night | Ancient Origins the Jinn or Genie-good, bad or simply Goetic spirits of another name? She's also the Queen of Witches. When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. Another option was a dish of red mullet, which was usually not allowed to be given to other gods. Hecate Triformis, Hecate of the three faces or three forms, corresponding to the phases of the moon: dark, waxing, and waning. 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. 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. The Greek goddess Hecate, or Hekate, is Greece's dark goddess of the crossroads. She was also bound to other goddesses in a closely-linked trio. Her companions are known to punish wrong doing and criminals. 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. 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). Your IP: Hecate rules over the night, magic, and places where three roads meet. She has also been mentioned in the works of Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear, and Macbeth. Greece itself worshipped many trios of goddesses or goddesses with three forms that fit this archetype. Corrections? Due to her magical powers, Hecate was believed to protect children, sailors, and shepherds. Hecate was the chief goddess presiding over magic and spells. She is also known as Soteria (Savior), the Mother of Angels, and the Cosmic World. The goddess was frequently associated with Demeter and even assimilated to her in some cults. 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. She held several different roles, including earth goddess, queen of the underworld, and goddess of magic and witchcraft.. Hesiod, for example, seemed to hold in in high regard and makes no mention of this darker association. Hecate (also spelt Hekate) is a goddess capable of both good and evil. She was specifically associated with witchcraft, magick, the Moon, Archways, and creatures of the night such as hell-hounds and ghosts. A case in point is the Greek goddess Hecate. But she isnt in the Homeric epics, which is a big deal. 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. Posted by 7thphoenix | May 27, 2020 | Magick Articles | 0 |. Performance & security by Cloudflare. This garden would've contained her sacred trees, herbs and poisons. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. Hecate. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. Hecate has been depicted in Greek art, literature, and pottery dating from the fifth century BCE. https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205 (accessed March 4, 2023). Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends. As a protector of the Oikos (home), like Zeus, Hestia, Hermes, and Apollo, the goddess is usually shown holding a set of keys or torches, which she is said to have used to help or stop people from entering cities and homes. Hecate, however, is routinely described as the goddess of witchcraft and associated with characters like Medea and Circe, the witch of Homers Odyssey. They were often associated with the three stages of life youth, adulthood, and old age. In mythology Nyx represented night. 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. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." 6 Amazing facts about Hecate | High-Percentage-Magick . This is especially ironic since, after this, she seems to have become more associated with the underworld, not less. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. 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. Dogs also howl at the Moon, so this could be a link. She was also called the Goddess of the threshold or the Goddess of the house. This was a group started by May Otis Blackburn in Los Angeles, California. 755 Hecate Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23454 | MLS# 10469859 | Redfin But Hecate herself existed in the in between spaces, as well. Her tasks went beyond the heavens, the earth, the seas, and the Underworld. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. People used to believe that dogs would eat the dead if they werent buried. She has long been associated with witchcraft and the occult, even necromancy. Still, she was in charge of things that put her in the spotlight. A competing theory says that Hecate did not develop in Greece at all. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. The most popular theory is that the Carians in Asia Minor brought Hecate to Greece, where she became a part of their religion. "Worker-from-afar." Some experts believe that the three heads or faces of the Goddess Hecate denote the full, half, and new moon. Her group included the Lampades, the nymphs of the Underworld, and ghosts. First 6 Months for 1.99 with Monthly Student and Teacher Plans Dismiss, 2022 Learning Mole. These three goddesses are also linked in the Mystery cults. 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 | Infoplease - Fact Monster A: In Greek mythology, Hecate was the Goddess of witchcraft and magic. 170 BCE). 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. She could not undo the curse, but she made the polecat her sacred servant. They are associated with certain ideas, occupations, or stages of life. On any trip to Greece, it's helpful to have some knowledge of the Greek gods and goddesses. Hecate was said to be a beautiful lady with dark hair. Hecate took pity on her, though, and brought her back to life as a dog to be her companion. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." According to Theogony. Many historians believe that the Greek pantheon was once much smaller than we know it today. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. Empusa - Wikipedia Hecate | Encyclopedia.com In single form she appears on Greek vases and coins. These primordial gods each represented a different aspect of existence, together they formed the building blocks of the early universe. The witches were telling Macbeth about his future and had not consulted the Goddess and had left her out of the meeting. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. HECATE (Hekate) - Greek Goddess of Witchcraft, Magic & Ghosts - Theoi 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). As early as the 5th century BC, the image of the hekataion was the standard way of showing the goddess in sculpture. SOLD JUN 15, 2022. Regula, deTraci. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Tackling Hallucinations: Microsoft's LLM-Augmenter - medium.com She is sometimes depicted as being accompanied by dogs or hounds and ghosts. The triple goddesses are often referred to as the Maiden, Mother (or Matron), and Crone. 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 often shown holding two torches, such as would be found beside gates, to allow her to illuminate both sides of a boundary. This concept became a central figure in many later versions of polytheism. 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. Facts About Hestia, the Greek Goddess of Home and Hearth - ThoughtCo Hecate is invoked when justice is not forthcoming from other channels. However, she is believed to be protective of human beings. Scylla's most retold appearance is in Homer's Odyssey. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. IT WAS A COMMON PRACTICE TO PLACE IMAGES OF HECATE ATCITYGATES & THE DOORWAYS OF PRIVATE HOMES AS SHE COULD WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS. DeTraci Regula is a freelance writer who has specialized in Greek travel and tours for 18 years. One sculpture depicts Hecate with a friendly dog and another with heads of a cow, dog, boar, serpent or horse. Her considerable power over nature ensured her continued popularity, but she's never fitted in with the crowd. Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermess wife. 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. If you are interested in effective unique protection magickCLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE! As you may already know Hecateis a goddess ofGreek mythologywho was capable of both good and evil. To the Greeks this meant not only the moment at which the soul crossed between those to states, but also to a literal place. The goddess was often linked to Demeter, and in some cults, she was seen as the same as Demeter. Hecate was an only child and was worshiped in households of Athens where families hoped to receive protection, prosperity and daily blessings.
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