It is unclear exactly when Hecate became so closely linked with magic and witchcraft. Hecate was said to be a beautiful lady with dark hair. Hecate became Persephones guardian and close friend while she was living in the Underworld. Related Topics: greek. Hecate can banishghosts(or produce a ghost infestation). She was often placed at the entrance of homes to help protect against the evil forces of the world. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. In single form she appears on Greek vases and coins. Such triple goddesses were common in ancient religions. On the Pergamon Altar of Zeus, from the 2nd century BCE, a three-headed Hecate and a dog attack a snake-like giant. Seneca often talks about Hecate and her moon-based counterparts and even links Medea to the goddess. Hecate is usually depicted with a burning torch in her hand and with a dog laying at her feet, its head raised. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. They include, science, maths, English and more. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. While Hera was considered a singular being, she was given three names to represent her different stages in life maiden, wife, and mother. Nearby Recently Sold Homes. This food offering was known as the Supper of Hecate. Euripides, on the other hand, mentions her mother isLeto. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. She was known by her Roman name, Trivia, as well as by her triple form. 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. Article created on Monday, March 3, 1997. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. However. She has long been associated with witchcraft and the occult, even necromancy. Even though there arent many myths about the goddess Hecate, the ones that do exist tell us a lot about where she has power. Even in her origin, Hecate moved between two places. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. She was often placed at the entrance of homes to help protect against the evil forces of the world. She was made to look like a goddess who could easily move from the Underworld to the real world. Hesiod only talks about her family and how she killed Clytius in the Gigantomachy. Hecate | Encyclopedia.com On the other hand, Euripides says that Leto is her mother. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. Archaeologists have found essential offerings to the goddess at Lagina in Caria and Phrygia. Hecate's name (Greek: Hekate, Latin: Hecate) means far-reaching one, and hints at this goddess's wide influence over a variety of earthly and supernatural affairs. Picture of the Greek Underworld, the residence of Hecate. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. It is the story of how the polecat became one of her companions. Victorian Era, Ibn Khaldun or Celts. They believed that by praising the goddess, the restless dead would be soothed and not deliver vengeance on the family. Hectate is derived from the Greek word 'hekatos,' which 'means worker from afar.' On any trip to Greece, it's helpful to have some knowledge of the Greek gods and goddesses. According to the Greek writer Hesiod*, Hecate was the daughter of the Titan* Perses and the nymph Asteria. 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. She appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Hecate was an only child and was worshiped in households of Athens where families hoped to receive protection, prosperity and daily blessings. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. 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. However, the queen killed the Thracian king when on her way to Greece. Hecate was often shown as a single person wearing a long robe and holding burning torches. Another option was a dish of red mullet, which was usually not allowed to be given to other gods. She is invoked for justice, especially for sexual crimes against women and girls. Her name was derived from the Greek word hekatos which means "worker from afar". This makes her the granddaughter of Phoebe and Coeus, both Titans. 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. When Persephone was abducted to the underworld by Hades, Hecate was the only witness willing to help Demeter search for her daughter. Your privacy is important to us. 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. 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. Hecate - Roman and Greek Gods and Goddesses While Hecates temples in the area are from a later period, she bears a resemblance to a more ancient goddess in Caria. Some of the statues she made as offerings to the goddess had the Graces dancing around her. Mythical Facts about Hecate Fact 1: Shrines to the goddess were placed at the doorways of homes and as protection from the dead and evil spirits. Hecate was the chief goddess presiding over magic and spells. During the Hellenistic and Roman times, people still worshipped Hecate. 170 BCE). 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). The myth says that Zeus gave the Lampades to Hera as a reward for her loyalty during the Titanomachy. They are sometimes represented with the familiar aspects of the maiden, mother, and crone. Of course, as with many stories of Hecate there was also a darker version. Writings throughout the centuries have woven different tales about Hecate and her role as a goddess. Scylla Greek Gods & Goddesses Learning Mole focuses on educating children of all ages in key skills of Maths, English and learning through crafts. Hecate Triformis, Hecate of the three faces or three forms, corresponding to the phases of the moon: dark, waxing, and waning. Parents: Perses (and Asteria) or Zeus and Asteria (a second-generation Titan) or Nyx (Night) or Aristaios or Demeter (see Theoi Hecate) The heads could be of a dog, a lion, or a horse, representing the constellations that make up the year. Hesiod claimed that Hecate was a favorite of Zeus . The Egyptian fertility goddess Heqet was associated with magic, which the Egyptians called heqa. Some versions of Scylla's myth say she was once a beautiful sea nymph. You then connect yourself to her through visualizing and forming a mental image of her presence, you then thank her and pray to her. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. People left the food there to honor Hecate. Her friends are the Erinyes, winged creatures that punish bad behaviour, and her children are the Empusae, female demons that like to seduce travellers. 6 Amazing facts about Hecate | High-Percentage-Magick Hesiod, for example, seemed to hold in in high regard and makes no mention of this darker association. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. 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). 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. 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. She is sometimes shown holding a key. And there is a good book titled Hekate liminal rites By David Rankine and Sorite DEsteyou should check out. The goddess had a lot of powers, some of which were later taken over by other gods. The name Hecate means:The Most Lovely One; Worker from Afar; Three -Headed Hound of the Moon; Influence from Afar; The One Before the Gate; Light Bringer. Hecate | Wiki | Pagans & Witches Amino 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. We know you don't want to miss any news or research breakthroughs. She held several different roles, including earth goddess, queen of the underworld, and goddess of magic and witchcraft.. This was a terrible fate. In mythology Nyx represented night. The chief Greek god, Zeus, was very fond of this Goddess and gave her a share of the earth and sea. The ancient Greeks thought of her as a Greek goddess, not someone from another country. Hecate also presided over more mystical boundaries. Hecate typically responds to petitions via visions and dreams. The dog was so closely tied to her than in many ancient stories people could hear the howling and barking of her sacred animal when her magic was used nearby. Her symbols were two torches, the crossroads, and black dogs. The cave and the dawn are both thresholds- liminal times, thresholds between the earth and the underworld and night and day. Hecate was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, dogs, light, the moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery. All these were also given Hekate in her Deipnon (food offering). Follow for more great fun learning. Hecate - Greek Mythology 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. The Goddess Hecate is supposed to be the daughter of Perses, a Titan, and Asteria, a nymph. Long before Hesiod and Homer began writing their poetry, the stories of the gods were passed on through oral tradition. This is a reminder of her role as a goddess of the night, a guardian of the gates to Hades, and a goddess of boundaries. Witches do gather together or solitary on crossroads as do magicians , hoodoo and voudan practitioners to cast their enchantments and spells. As such, she was greatly honored by Zeus, who allowed her to operate on Earth, as well as the sky and the Underworld. She guides Sibyl through the Underworld in Virgils Aeneid. Another story said that Hecate herself had cursed a witch named Gale to be a polecat for disgusting her with incontinence and abnormal desires. Hecate was a cathonic goddess that preceded the Olympians, and it seems that she was highly worshipped in Thrace. Another story of Hecates protective nature also involves another of her sacred animals. In literature, there is a clear link between her, Demeter, and Persephone. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." Facts About Hestia, the Greek Goddess of Home and Hearth - ThoughtCo 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 is also known as Soteria (Savior), the Mother of Angels, and the Cosmic World. 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. 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. Her companions are known to punish wrong doing and criminals. 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. The Goddess Hecate is supposed to be the daughter of Perses, a Titan, and Asteria, a nymph. The Egyptian god Anubis, who led souls to the Underworld, may also have something to do with dogs. The goddess was often linked to Demeter, and in some cults, she was seen as the same as Demeter. Like her Greek counterpart, she was also a goddess of domestic animals. As punishment, she was transformed into a dog to be the companion of Hecate. First 6 Months for 1.99 with Monthly Student and Teacher Plans Dismiss, 2022 Learning Mole. She was associated with witchcraft, necromancy, and poisons. Home History Great Facts about Goddess Hecate. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. One sculpture depicts Hecate with a friendly dog and another with heads of a cow, dog, boar, serpent or horse. It was said that she learned herbalism and spells from Hecate herself. 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. Selenite, tiger's eye, obsidian, rhodochrosite, jet, jasper, agate, and amber are the most suited crystals for Hecate. The Greek three-headed hound of Hades, Cerberus, may have been an earlier version of Hecate. Updates? 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. From lino cutting to surfing to childrens mental health, their hobbies and interests range far and wide. While some scholars attribute these displays as holding a dark side to Hecate, most myths associate her with a protective nature toward humans. The dog connection may be the fact that dogs were known to eat the dead if left unburied; they also howl at the moon, of course. Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads. In the Pharsalia, the witch Erichtho calls on Persephone as the lowest part of Hecate. According to Hesiods Theogony, the Titans were the first Greek gods born of earth and the heavens. In the physical world this could mean anything from doorways to city walls and state borders. Sources say there was a sacred garden dedicated to Hecate at her temple in Colchis (modern day Georgia). Etymology. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. As these stories were passed on, though, they often changed. Share This Post. 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. Both goddesses were usually shown with dogs by their sides, wearing hunting boots and carrying torches. Medeas magic was often described as having to do with necromancy, sleep, and the night. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. (2021, December 6). Subscribe to our popular newsletter Synced Global AI Weekly to get weekly AI updates. 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. According to a legend, Odysseus got the Trojan queen Hecuba as a captive after the defeat of Troy. As goddesses that straddled the boundary between this world and the afterlife, they were believed to be the keys to uncovering the secrets of what lay beyond that boundary. 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. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 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. According to her story, Hecate sometimes withheld these blessings if she felt mortals did not deserve them. She was a goddess in charge of magic, witchcraft, and much more. She witnessed the abduction of Demeter's daughter Persephone to the underworld and, torch in hand, assisted in the search for her. On her head she sometimes wears a kalathos, a tall wicker basket, or a moon sickle. Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermess wife. Hecates powers to protect were passed on from Titan parents Perses and Asteria and covered the heavens, earth and sea. The evening meal in ancient Greece, especially in Athens known as Deipnon, was in honor of Hecate. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. For many it is a time to connect with Her, to thank her for her blessings, her guidance and her protection during the last lunar cycle and also to ask her to bless and protect them in the new lunar cycle. Hecate - goddess of ghosts, witchcraft & magic - Religious Talks The offerings to the goddess were made each month during the night of a new moon. 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. Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Hecate was believed to be a goddess of both the living world and the underworld. She thus becomes a deity of the lower world; but this notion does not occur till the time of the Greek tragedians, though it is generally current among the later writers. She is also Queen of the Night, and is highly connected to All Hallow's Eve. 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. Classical scholars have differing views about where the worship of Hecate in Ancient Greece came from. Her association with dark magic is also tied to her identification as an underworld goddess. Hecate, Greek Goddess of Magic and Witchcraft - Hecate Myths and Facts Since the 5th century BCE, the goddess has been linked to the darker parts of life, like death, witchcraft, magic, the Moon, dreams, fierce hounds, and creatures that roam the night. Hecate is known to rule over the sky, the earth, and the sea. They thought she would protect them and keep away evil spirits. The blessings she gave them were eventually seen as magic, while prayers were seen as incantations. It is believed that Hecate represented witchcraft, magic and ghosts. She acted as a sort of guardian because she watched over the places that allowed passage into homes, cities, or even states. 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. Wormwood and cypress are traditional herbs in spirit work and lavender brings a kind of protection to your workings without banishing all the spirits around you at the crossroads. A case in point is the Greek goddess Hecate. Due to her magical powers, Hecate was believed to protect children, sailors, and shepherds. During the time of the Romans, Hecate was often combined with the gods Artemis and Selene, especially in Roman poetry. This is shown in Act III, scene five of the play. She was a goddess of magic and the underworld, but she was also a protector of the home and a guardian of borders. These took the form of small cakes of eggs, cheese, bread, and dog meat, which were lit with miniature torches or, alternatively, a dish of red mullet, which was usually prohibited from offerings to the other gods. In fact, Hecate might have been another goddess altogether! 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. 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. When Alcmene was in labor with Heracles, Hera attempted to stop the childs birth. Hecate was also known as the queen or Goddess of the night. Asteria may be the original goddess associated with the Asterion mountain range on the island of Crete. Quite often each face is different, one of a dog, one of a horse and one of a goddess. This could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. By the first century CE, Lucans Pharsalia made it clear that Hecate was the goddess of magic and witchcraft. Hecate rules over the night, magic, and places where three roads meet. Scylla's most retold appearance is in Homer's Odyssey. She was also the goddess of the Oikos and the guardian of its entrances. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Her name was derived from the Greek word hekatos which means worker from afar. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. There is evidence that this may have been the case with Hecate. This was a group started by May Otis Blackburn in Los Angeles, California. 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. When her city fell, the queen was taken captive and lept off a cliff to her death. Hecate acted as a veil between the world of the mortals and the supernatural. Hecate, goddess accepted at an early date into Greek religion but probably derived from the Carians in southwest Asia Minor. In the Greek religion, strange rituals were done to honour the goddess. All Rights Reserved, Ancient Egyptians The First Woman Pharaoh, A Crunchy Pistachios Tale: 13 Interesting Facts About These Salty Munchies. This could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. She was also called the Goddess of the threshold or the Goddess of the house. Hecate. Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft and was specifically known for her herbal knowledge. Hecate hkt, hkt , in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. Hecate is invoked when justice is not forthcoming from other channels. Hecate was also offered the sacrifice of dogs, especially puppies. The hekataion depicted Hecate as three women encircling a central column. Some speculate that it represents the full moon, half moon, and new moon. A: Hecate is the Greek Goddess of magic and witchcraft. 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. Performing a protection rite on yourself and use of amulet is always encouraged as well. 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. In ancient times the crossroads didnt have our modern symbolism as a place of choices. 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. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205 (accessed March 4, 2023). We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! Hecate was weaved strongly into all these symbolisms of the crossroads and still does to her devotees. The name "Hecate" (Greek , translit. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. 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. And during these times Hecate was also very much connected to other portals- such as doors, entrances, thresholds and eventually the crossroads. Over time, some of the Olympians changed form and function. And all these views if we go back in time can also be found in the Greco-Roman world. If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content. The darkness, the moon, and magic have been personified as Hecate in many popular and well-known works of literature and in art. Empusa or Empousa (/ m p j u s /; Ancient Greek: ; plural: Empousai) is a shape-shifting female being in Greek mythology, said to possess a single leg of copper, commanded by Hecate, whose precise nature is obscure. Names derived from hers were common, including Hecatomnus, the father of the ruler Mausolus who built the famous tomb. You may like to light incense such as the smoke of wormwood, cypress and lavender in these offerings. Modern neopagan and Wiccan religions often include worship of a triple goddess, and of Hecate herself. 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. But because these Anatolian cult sites were built later, other classicists say that the goddess could not have come from Anatolia. 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. 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. Hectate has neither spouse nor children. Because she was associated with borders, gates, and doorways, Hecate took on a protective role. Look for her animals: snakes, dragons, cats, and especially dogs. Some poets say her mother is Crataeis. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so its important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. A statue called Hekate Epipyrgidia (On the Ramparts) stood at the Athens Acropolis entrance. Historian Robert Graves notes that the heads could be distinctive of a dog, lion and horse, representing the constellations which cover the calendar year. The aspects of the goddess that had darker connotations were separated from her to create another goddess altogether in the character of Hecate.

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