It is the story of how the polecat became one of her companions. The one in Lagina stood out the most. 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. A shrine to Hecate was placed at the entrances of homes or even cities, hoping to protect them from the evil spirits that roamed the world. You may request to banish harm from you and to protect you and your loved ones. She witnessed the abduction of Demeter's daughter Persephone to the underworld and, torch in hand, assisted in the search for her. The heads could be of a dog, a lion, or a horse, representing the constellations that make up the year. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. She is sometimes shown holding a key. Hecates name comes from the Greek word hekatos, which means worker from afar.. Those who failed to win the goddesss favor could expect her to invite evil and misfortune into their lives. Hecate was a goddess in Greek Mythology. Etymology. There is evidence that this may have been the case with Hecate. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. 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. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. 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. 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. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. Further, the home would be blessed and any wrong-doing by family members would be forgiven and the household purified. The crossroads were and are also places where several accidents occurred and or ambushes, holdups they can be places of vulnerability where fates seem to be on rare occasions sealed. Regula, deTraci. Apollo is often called Hekatos, the masculine form of his name. Hecate is closely associated with several other goddesses in the Greek pantheon, with symbolism and function seeming to overlap. She is the witness to every crime. When they heard this the Moirai uncrossed their arms, releasing the bonds that kept the infant Heracles from the earth. According to Greek mythology when the universe first came into being the primordial gods were there, fully formed. On her head she sometimes wears a kalathos, a tall wicker basket, or a moon sickle. She is commonly depicted as a three-headed Goddess, or the Greek version of The Triple Goddess, being the Maiden, Mother, and Crone depending on the season. Author: Hecate He | Editor: Michael Sarazen. 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. The worship of Hecate continued into theHellenisticandRomanperiods with significant archaeological finds of votive offerings to the goddess being found at Lagina in Caria andPhrygia. Some authors say that she was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Hecate - Mythopedia A: In Greek mythology, Hecate was the Goddess of witchcraft and magic. The Charites (Graces) and Horai (Seasons) were also trios of minor goddesses in Greek mythology. Hecate has been referenced in various literary works, including the plays by Sophocles and Euripides. As such, she was greatly honored by Zeus, who allowed her to operate on Earth, as well as the sky and the Underworld. Witches do gather together or solitary on crossroads as do magicians , hoodoo and voudan practitioners to cast their enchantments and spells. Mystifying Hecate Facts: The Greek Goddess Of Magic And Spells 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. Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermess wife. 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. Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0. Therefore, this deity is also invoked when there is thought to be a miscarriage of justice. 8 Best Crystals for Hecate (Important Facts) She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. Another story said that Hecate herself had cursed a witch named Gale to be a polecat for disgusting her with incontinence and abnormal desires. Most of the ceremonies and festivals dedicated to this Goddess were often celebrated at night. Hecate is the Goddess of witchcraft, magic, crossroads, ghosts and necromancy. Some nymphs in Greek mythology were famous, but others were only known in a certain time Echidna: Greek Mythologys Mother of Monsters, Lamia: The Child-Eating Monster of Greek Legend. Eleusis was in Greece, which is where it is now. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. Subscribe to our popular newsletter Synced Global AI Weekly to get weekly AI updates. The most commonly repeated story of her birth was that Hecate was the daughter of Perses and Asteria, two second-generation Titans. Hecate can banishghosts(or produce a ghost infestation). 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. Both of these gods were thought to be in charge of the dead and had something to do with Persephone coming back in the spring. A case in point is the Greek goddess Hecate. Hecate hkt, hkt , in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. And the dark moon is also a powerful time to cleanse you, from negative energy, negative influences or potentially harmful spirits. There might not be any figure in Greek mythology that is as misunderstood as Hecate. 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 . There are many other interesting facts about Hecate as pointed out by philosophers and researchers. Hekate: A beginner's guide to witchcraft, ghosts, spirituality, and Due to her magical powers, Hecate was believed to protect children, sailors, and shepherds. This could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. Hecate is one of the many goddesses in Greek mythology. the Jinn or Genie-good, bad or simply Goetic spirits of another name? In the writings of Hesiod, Hecate is the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria. Hecate doesnt often appear in Greek art and writing until the 5th century BCE. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. In this manner, pillars known as Hecate stood at key intersections and entryways, possibly to ward off malevolent spirits. If lost at a crossroads, literal or metaphoric, invoke her name and then pay attention to signs from her. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The best of the LearningMole geography tutorials. She is capable of both good and evil and is most often associated with magic and witchcraft. Seeing her friend in pain, Galinthias tricked the Moirai into thinking the child had been born despite their interference. When Alcmene was in labor with Heracles, Hera attempted to stop the childs birth. Sorceresses ask the goddess for help with their magic and spells, and she is shown on curse tablets that have survived. Hecate the goddess of Greek mythology has been primarily remembered for her associations with magic and witchcraft. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. She was also called the Goddess of the threshold or the Goddess of the house. Historian Robert Graves notes that the heads could be distinctive of a dog, lion and horse, representing the constellations which cover the calendar year. Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptus Course, THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEASED. 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. In many cultures and religions in many lands. The aspects of the goddess that had darker connotations were separated from her to create another goddess altogether in the character of Hecate. Greece itself worshipped many trios of goddesses or goddesses with three forms that fit this archetype. Sources say there was a sacred garden dedicated to Hecate at her temple in Colchis (modern day Georgia). According to the Greek writer Hesiod*, Hecate was the daughter of the Titan* Perses and the nymph Asteria. The blessings she gave them were eventually seen as magic, while prayers were seen as incantations. She is believed to visit the Underworld to help other gods and people who were outcasts due to fear. People believed that by honoring and praying to this Goddess, their homes would be preserved from the vengeance of the dead. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? In the sources about Hekate that are from the ancient world, the crossroads are not mentioned as a symbol of Hecate. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword.