30 Mar

facts about hecate

Writings throughout the centuries have woven different tales about Hecate and her role as a goddess. 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. 8 Best Crystals for Hecate (Important Facts) They spun the threads of fate at the base of. Scholars think that the goddess arrived in Greece during the Archaic period. In ancient times, Hecates three-part form was shown as three separate bodies surrounding a central column. She was also bound to other goddesses in a closely-linked trio. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. times its difficult to find a quite crossroads to perform workings except in remote areas. There are few legends about Her, and no fixed genealogy. The triple Hecate represented three aspects of a single goddess. She was a goddess that could be both a protective guardian and a source of menace. During the Hellenistic and Roman times, people still worshipped Hecate. Her main jobs were to control boundaries, witchcraft, and the Underworld. The goddess Hecate is one of the lesser-known goddesses of the Greek pantheon. The Greek goddess Hecate, or Hekate, is Greece's dark goddess of the crossroads. Her companions are theFuries(Erinyes), the winged creatures who punished wrong-doing, and her children are the Empusae, female demons partial to seducing travellers. Tackling Hallucinations: Microsoft's LLM-Augmenter - medium.com The goddess was also worshipped in Kos, Erythrai, Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos. Study medicinal and magical herbalism and become one of Hecate's priestesses. 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 is invoked for justice, especially for sexual crimes against women and girls. Hecate was a cathonic goddess that preceded the Olympians, and it seems that she was highly worshipped in Thrace. https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205 (accessed March 4, 2023). Archaeologists have found essential offerings to the goddess at Lagina in Caria and Phrygia. Her liminality came from the fact that she was the daughter of a Titan and a goddess. Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends. Some experts believe that the three heads or faces of the Goddess Hecate denote the full, half, and new moon. As early as the 5th century BC, the image of the hekataion was the standard way of showing the goddess in sculpture. Contrary to popular current belief she wasnt originally a matron for women but for all who fit the above categories. Hecate (also spelt Hekate) is a goddess capable of both good and evil. Apollo is often called Hekatos, the masculine form of his name. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! The masculine form of this word is said to be used for Apollo, one of the Greek gods. Lastly, the goddess is mentioned in the tragedies of Euripides and Sophocles, among others. They are sometimes represented with the familiar aspects of the maiden, mother, and crone. Hecate Facts and Information on the Goddess Hecate This food offering was known as the Supper of Hecate. Hecate was an only child and was worshiped in households of Athens where families hoped to receive protection, prosperity and daily blessings. She was also the goddess of the Oikos and the guardian of its entrances. While Hera was considered a singular being, she was given three names to represent her different stages in life maiden, wife, and mother. During ancient times the place where roads met or at crossroads, a pole with three masks was erected. She is often pictured holding keys because, as the goddess of boundaries, she held the power to open and close the doors to the realm of Hades. According to the Greek writer Hesiod*, Hecate was the daughter of the Titan* Perses and the nymph Asteria. A: This Greek Goddess is often considered to be capable of both good and evil. The most popular theory is that the Carians in Asia Minor brought Hecate to Greece, where she became a part of their religion. With a torch in her hand, she accompanied Demeter in the search after Persephone; and when the latter was found, Hecate remained with her as her attendant and companion. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. You may request to banish harm from you and to protect you and your loved ones. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. Hecate: The Goddess of Witchcraft in Greek Mythology In ancient times the crossroads didnt have our modern symbolism as a place of choices. The Egyptian god Anubis, who led souls to the Underworld, may also have something to do with dogs. She is capable of both good and evil and is most often associated with magic and witchcraft. A lot of the same things were said about all of the goddesses. Even in descriptions of Medeas witchcraft, it is difficult to distinguish magical rituals from more standard worship and rites. The chief Greek god, Zeus, was very fond of this Goddess and gave her a share of the earth and sea. Subscribe to our popular newsletter Synced Global AI Weekly to get weekly AI updates. There are cult sites for the goddess Hecate in Caria, which shows that people there worshipped her. Who is Hecate? Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermes's wife. And during these times Hecate was also very much connected to other portals- such as doors, entrances, thresholds and eventually the crossroads. . She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. HECATE - the Greek Goddess of Crossroads (Greek mythology) - Godchecker Hecate is usually depicted with a burning torch in her hand and with a dog laying at her feet, its head raised. Intrinsically ambivalent and polymorphous, she straddles conventional boundaries and eludes definition. Omissions? Check your inbox for your latest news from us. Hecate Triodos is the specific aspect presiding over crossroads. Hecate is usually depicted with a burning torch in her hand and with a dog laying at her feet, its head raised. Q: Why was Hecate excluded from witch meetings? Quite often warriors worshipped the goddess Hecate just as readily. On the Pergamon Altar of Zeus, from the 2nd century BCE, a three-headed Hecate and a dog attack a snake-like giant. Is Hecate a jealous goddess? This was a terrible fate. As the goddess of the night, witchcraft and sorcery, Hecate was very important to ancient Greeks, particularly to the famed author and scholar Hesiod. Hecate can banishghosts(or produce a ghost infestation). The three-part goddess was able to keep watch in all directions, and became standard in both written and visual representations. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Other writers claim her as the daughter ofZeusandDemeter, Aristaion. Her parentage was given differently by various writers. As punishment, she was transformed into a dog to be the companion of Hecate. Home History Great Facts about Goddess Hecate. She was the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? Hecate is closely associated with several other goddesses in the Greek pantheon, with symbolism and function seeming to overlap. Her friends are the Erinyes, winged creatures that punish bad behaviour, and her children are the Empusae, female demons that like to seduce travellers. This makes her the granddaughter of Phoebe and Coeus, both Titans. A shrine to this Goddess was built at the entrance of homes and cities as she was believed to keep evil spirits away. 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. Hecate: 15 Ways to Work With the Goddess of Witchcraft Hecate is portrayed in single form on sculptures of Myron and Naucydes. Although much of her power appeared generally dark or menacing, Hecate could also be a merciful goddess. She was the only Titan who kept her power while Zeus was in charge. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. 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). These primordial gods each represented a different aspect of existence, together they formed the building blocks of the early universe. 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. Hecate has the power to grant or deny any mortals wish. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Hecate was the goddess of borders, barriers, and boundaries. 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. These crystals possess unique energies and properties that enhance spiritual practices and aid connections with Hecate. Regula, deTraci. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) From the Greek word for to turn away, apotropaic magic is that which defends by turning away evil or harm. Her symbols were two torches, the crossroads, and black dogs. Modern neopagan and Wiccan religions often include worship of a triple goddess, and of Hecate herself. The blessings she gave them were eventually seen as magic, while prayers were seen as incantations. This made her one of the few deities to have the power to move freely between the world of the living and the underworld. Classical scholars have differing views about where the worship of Hecate in Ancient Greece came from. Click to reveal The cave and the dawn are both thresholds- liminal times, thresholds between the earth and the underworld and night and day. HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. As was already said, the dog was Hecates most holy animal. On Greek pottery, she is usually shown as a young woman holding a torch or a key. DeTraci Regula is a freelance writer who has specialized in Greek travel and tours for 18 years. According toHesiodin hisTheogony, Hecate is the daughter of Perses and Asteria, making her the granddaughter of the Titans Phoebe and Coeus. As such, she was greatly honored by Zeus, who allowed her to operate on Earth, as well as the sky and the Underworld. Still another school of thought links her, at least linguistically, to Egypt. Origin and Family Persis and Asteria, two Titans from the generation of deities prior to the Olympians, are the legendary parents of Hecate. 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. Hecate first appears in Hesiods Theogony, written in the 7th century BCE. 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. Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptus Course, THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEASED. As a fertility deity she was invoked by women to aid conception and delivery. Hecate - goddess of ghosts, witchcraft & magic - Religious Talks Hecate was the chief goddess presiding over magic and spells. She was often shown holding two torches, such as would be found beside gates, to allow her to illuminate both sides of a boundary. It is even more enjoyable Coconuts are delicious. Learning Mole focuses on educating children of all ages in key skills of Maths, English and learning through crafts. Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads. According to Greek mythology when the universe first came into being the primordial gods were there, fully formed. 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 . She is helping a dog attack a giant who looks like a snake. 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. Hekate: A beginner's guide to witchcraft, ghosts, spirituality, and She was associated with witchcraft, necromancy, and poisons. 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. In this manner, pillars known as Hecate stood at key intersections and entryways, possibly to ward off malevolent spirits. The most commonly repeated story of her birth was that Hecate was the daughter of Perses and Asteria, two second-generation Titans. However, the queen killed the Thracian king when on her way to Greece. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." 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. Apollonius of Rhodes says that the sound of dogs barking from the Underworld can be heard when Hecate is nearby. You then connect yourself to her through visualizing and forming a mental image of her presence, you then thank her and pray to her. Hecate | Wiki | Pagans & Witches Amino When Alcmene was in labor with Heracles, Hera attempted to stop the childs birth. 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). Mike Greenberg, PhD. Major temple shrines to Hecate were in the regions of Phrygia and Caria. Further, the home would be blessed and any wrong-doing by family members would be forgiven and the household purified. According to them, Hecate is known to support bravery and hence encourage soldiers, warriors, athletes, etc. The well-known Pergamon Altar (from around the 2nd century BCE) shows Hecate as three different things. One of these was the boundary between life and death. Local sun goddesses from before the Greek era have many of the same attributes as those later associated with Hecate. Some scholars believe that Hecate was one such goddess. The best of the LearningMole geography tutorials. They call her Aristaion or Night. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. To learn more about other Goddesses and exciting information, keep visiting on LearningMole. Greece itself worshipped many trios of goddesses or goddesses with three forms that fit this archetype. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. The iconography had not yet come to include her usual attributes, such as her keys and torches or her three aspects. She would go with Persephone to the Underworld every year when the girl returned to Hades. She is also associated with the moon and is sometimes depicted as having three faces which symbolize the waxing, waning, and full moon phases. People believed that by honoring and praying to this Goddess, their homes would be preserved from the vengeance of the dead. In Ancient Greek religion, Hecate had a wide range of godly tasks. Many people think that worshipping the goddess began before the Greeks, while others think it started in Thrace. In the sources about Hekate that are from the ancient world, the crossroads are not mentioned as a symbol of Hecate. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. 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. Even Zeus, the King of the Olympian Gods, is said to have reverenced her, and there are hints that she was considered to be an all-powerful goddess. One sculpture depicts Hecate with a friendly dog and another with heads of a cow, dog, boar, serpent or horse. We know you don't want to miss any news or research breakthroughs. As worshippers began to focus on one aspect of a god more than others, that gods secondary purposes were separated into another deity altogether. Even in her origin, Hecate moved between two places. 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. 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. The Ancient Greek Underworld and Hades - ThoughtCo Hecate | Myth & Symbols | Britannica Numerous smaller sculptures of Hecate remain in which the goddess appears as three separate women, wearing chitons, with the backs pressed against a pillar. 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. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss, and sea. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. As a cthonic goddess of the underworld, her rituals and rites were often associated with death and secrecy. 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. Since the fifth century BCE, Hecate has been associated with magic, witchcraft, the moon, and other dark influences. Those who failed to win the goddesss favor could expect her to invite evil and misfortune into their lives. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. She was accompanied by packs of barking dogs. 170 BCE). She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. The one in Lagina stood out the most. Article created on Monday, March 3, 1997. To the Greeks this meant not only the moment at which the soul crossed between those to states, but also to a literal place.