Sometimes, as was the case with Hecate, it was a single goddess who was shown with three aspects. It was believed that she could see in all directions. Hecate is a Goddess shrouded in mystery, for there is continuing debate about Her name, origin and character. 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. Hecate is one of the many goddesses in Greek mythology. Omissions? The first sculpture of Hecate in triple form was the (lost) statue by Alcamenes (fifth century BCE) at the Acropolis. In Ancient Greece, this Goddess was honored in most homes as she was considered to bring prosperity. Her symbols were two torches, the crossroads, and black dogs. Persis and Asteria, two Titans from the generation of deities prior to the Olympians, are the legendary parents of Hecate. There might not be any figure in Greek mythology that is as misunderstood as Hecate. Information on Hecate Dark Goddess of the Crossroads - ThoughtCo The Greek three-headed hound of Hades, Cerberus, may have been an earlier version of Hecate. Hecate could give her worshipers wealth and blessings, but she could also take them away if they didnt worship her well enough. The Twelve Olympian Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology, Fast Facts on Helios - Greek God of the Sun, 10 Fast Facts on Athena and Her Parthenon, The Story of Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory, The Greek God Hades, Lord of the Underworld, Fascinating Stories About the Greek God Cronos, Marzanna, Slavic Goddess of Death and Winter, The Greek Mythology of Clash of the Titans. It is believed that Hecate represented witchcraft, magic and ghosts. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a28cb13cce875e3 Hecate is the Goddess of witchcraft, magic, crossroads, ghosts and necromancy. Although much of her power appeared generally dark or menacing, Hecate could also be a merciful goddess. 170 BCE). Some early writers claimed that Hecate was actually the princess Iphigenia, saved from death by Artemis and transformed into a goddess. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Her name has been connected to dark magic and disturbing rituals in the works of Shakespeare and well into modern times. 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. To the Greeks this meant not only the moment at which the soul crossed between those to states, but also to a literal place. A competing theory says that Hecate did not develop in Greece at all. Small cakes made of eggs, cheese, bread, and dog meat were lit with tiny torches. Updates? But she isnt in the Homeric epics, which is a big deal. When Persephone was abducted to the underworld by Hades, Hecate was the only witness willing to help Demeter search for her daughter. Even though there arent many myths about the goddess Hecate, the ones that do exist tell us a lot about where she has power. 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: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." In Greece, there is some evidence that Hecate was originally seen as a much more benevolent, cosmic goddess. 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. On her head she sometimes wears a kalathos, a tall wicker basket, or a moon sickle. Hecate can banishghosts(or produce a ghost infestation). HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) She was there when Demeters daughter Persephone was taken to the Underworld, and she helped search for her with a torch in her hand after she saw it happen. In ancient times, Hecates three-part form was shown as three separate bodies surrounding a central column. Euripides, on the other hand, mentions her mother isLeto. A goddess of crossroads, magic, poison, and the undead, Hecate was also the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria, according to Hesiod. This does not influence our choices. Her priests are normally accompanied by hell hounds sent by their goddess to guard her temples. These crystals possess unique energies and properties that enhance spiritual practices and aid connections with Hecate. She is sometimes depicted as being accompanied by dogs or hounds and ghosts. As one of the deities capable of passing between realms, she had access to the secrets of the dead. Most of the ceremonies and festivals dedicated to this Goddess were often celebrated at night. Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. The people of Sparta claimed that Ares had been nursed by a nymph called Thero. Hecate has been referenced in various literary works, including the plays by Sophocles and Euripides. But Hecate herself existed in the in between spaces, as well. She is invoked for justice, especially for sexual crimes against women and girls. Hecate first appears in Hesiods Theogony, written in the 7th century BCE. This could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. Many Anatolian gods had their roots in the Greek pantheon. She held several different roles, including earth goddess, queen of the underworld, and goddess of magic and witchcraft.. By her very nature Hecate was a goddess that existed on the edges of the Greek pantheon, yet she was also a household goddess who watched over every door in Greece. 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. 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 Orphic Mysteries said that Hestia was the daughter of Demeter instead. Many people think that worshipping the goddess began before the Greeks, while others think it started in Thrace. Hecate hkt, hkt , in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. The name "Hecate" (Greek , translit. 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 was often placed at the entrance of homes to help protect against the evil forces of the world. Hecate was said to be a beautiful lady with dark hair. The triple Hecate represented three aspects of a single goddess. On the other hand, Euripides says that Leto is her mother. Hecate has the power to grant or deny any mortals wish. A lot of the same things were said about all of the goddesses. The goddess told Demeter everything she had heard, but Demeter didnt know who had taken her daughter. Roman poets encouraged the idea that Hecate was three different things by calling her Hecate-Selene and other similar names. Some authors say that she was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Hecate | Sacred Wicca It is unclear why this change took place. The Moirai crossed their arms and Eileithyia refused to help the laboring woman. Controlling who moved through the border between the earth and the underworld gave her a unique power to summon spirits and raise the dead. 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. Hecate, however, is routinely described as the goddess of witchcraft and associated with characters like Medea and Circe, the witch of Homers Odyssey. 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. Corrections? A: The three witches in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare made Hecate angry by meeting and predicting the future of the main character, Macbeth, without consulting her. Hecate rules over the night, magic, and places where three roads meet. Mother of Hermes: A Complete Guide to Maia Greek Goddess - MythologySource As punishment, she was transformed into a dog to be the companion of Hecate. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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. The goddess Hecate is one of the Greek goddesses that not many people know about. There are few legends about Her, and no fixed genealogy. And there is a good book titled Hekate liminal rites By David Rankine and Sorite DEsteyou should check out. Not only could she move between the realms, but she had power to control the passage of others. When they heard this the Moirai uncrossed their arms, releasing the bonds that kept the infant Heracles from the earth. 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. The cave and the dawn are both thresholds- liminal times, thresholds between the earth and the underworld and night and day. Story of Hecate The Lampades are people who carry torches and travel with the goddess at night. As these stories were passed on, though, they often changed. Her name is akin to the Latin words dium ("sky") and dius ("daylight"). Hecate also has several temples where her shrine is worshipped. The darkness, the moon, and magic have been personified as Hecate in many popular and well-known works of literature and in art. Hekate: A beginner's guide to witchcraft, ghosts, spirituality, and I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. The worship of Hecate continued into theHellenisticandRomanperiods with significant archaeological finds of votive offerings to the goddess being found at Lagina in Caria andPhrygia. In this manner, pillars known as Hecate stood at key intersections and entryways, possibly to ward off malevolent spirits. 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. The various statues have also raised questions as to her duties. 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 has also been mentioned in the works of Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear, and Macbeth. There are many other interesting facts about Hecate as pointed out by philosophers and researchers. The myth says that Zeus gave the Lampades to Hera as a reward for her loyalty during the Titanomachy. 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. Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads. She is sometimes shown holding a key. Hecate Triodos is the specific aspect presiding over crossroads. They believed that by praising the goddess, the restless dead would be soothed and not deliver vengeance on the family. She has long been associated with witchcraft and the occult, even necromancy. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. She was often shown holding two torches, such as would be found beside gates, to allow her to illuminate both sides of a boundary. Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. 139.162.195.99 We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! Hecate - A mysterious nature goddess associated with sorcery and witchcraft, who went with Demeter to the Underworld to fetch Persephone, but then stayed to assist Persephone. In many cultures and religions in many lands. Her companions are known to punish wrong doing and criminals. Her halos are usually made of moonbeams. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. A statue called Hekate Epipyrgidia (On the Ramparts) stood at the Athens Acropolis entrance. Hecate was often shown as a single person wearing a long robe and holding burning torches. This made her one of the few deities to have the power to move freely between the world of the living and the underworld. Some speculate that it represents the full moon, half moon, and new moon. 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. Persephone was married to Hades and was the queen of the Underworld. Further, the home would be blessed and any wrong-doing by family members would be forgiven and the household purified. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Hecate is often depicted with three heads as she was called the Goddess of the Crossroads. Parents: Perses (and Asteria) or Zeus and Asteria (a second-generation Titan) or Nyx (Night) or Aristaios or Demeter (see Theoi Hecate) On Greek pottery, she is usually shown as a young woman holding a torch or a key. Hades was pleased with this, and Hecate was allowed to come and go as she pleased from the Underworld. Hecate - Greek Mythology 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. A few pagans and Wiccans have also been known to worship Hecate as a dark goddess. Subscribe to our popular newsletter Synced Global AI Weekly to get weekly AI updates. 8 Best Crystals for Hecate (Important Facts) Hecate (also spelt Hekate) is a goddess capable of both good and evil. Hecate is invoked when justice is not forthcoming from other channels. Earlier, though, there may have been fewer gods with more complex functions. 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. Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptus Course, THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEASED. Even in her origin, Hecate moved between two places. 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. Several modern devotees already adapted the tradition of giving food offerings to Hekate- these are sacred meals, that are bought on the dark moon ( This is the last visible crescent of a waningMoon. Athenian Greeks used the evening meal, known as Deipnon, to honor Hecate. In fact, she existed in such a nominal place that its difficult to say whether she existed as a singular goddess, a trio of beings, or as a minor aspect of a more major deity. These statues took on a distinctive appearance. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? Scylla's most retold appearance is in Homer's Odyssey. The goddess was also worshipped in Kos, Erythrai, Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos. 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. In the 6th century BCE, a circular altar was built in Miletos to honour the goddess (the earliest archaeological evidence of her worship). In Late Antiquity, the empousai have been described as a category of phantoms or spectres, equated with the lamiai and mormolykeia . According to Greek mythology when the universe first came into being the primordial gods were there, fully formed. The Greeks likewise borrowed many deities and legends from their eastern neighbors. Share This Post. Another option was a dish of red mullet, which was usually not allowed to be given to other gods. 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 . Esoteric writing from this time says that Hecate has the heads of a horse, a dog, and a snake. Several times, authors make a connection between Medeas use of magic, both harmful and protective, and her worship of Hecate. Lycophron, 77; Scholiast on Aristophanes'. The most popular theory is that the Carians in Asia Minor brought Hecate to Greece, where she became a part of their religion. Quite often each face is different, one of a dog, one of a horse and one of a goddess. Although Hecate found Persephone, instead of rescuing her, she helped her settle into her new life as the bride of Hades. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. Apollo is often called Hekatos, the masculine form of his name. 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. All Rights Reserved, Ancient Egyptians The First Woman Pharaoh, A Crunchy Pistachios Tale: 13 Interesting Facts About These Salty Munchies. In fact she seems to have started out as Heket, the Egyptian Goddess of Childbirth. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss, and sea. 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. Lagina was one of the most important Carian sanctuaries.Hecate also has a strong connection with Georgia as well as throughout Italy. Hecates name comes from the Greek word hekatos, which means worker from afar.. In addition to magic and witchcraft, Hecate was also considered to be the Goddess of crossroads, gates, and ghosts. They are sometimes represented with the familiar aspects of the maiden, mother, and crone. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. Everything You Need To Know About Hecate (Maiden, Mother, Crone) Hecate - Roman and Greek Gods and Goddesses In fact, the earliest depictions of Hecate can only be differentiated from those of Artemis by inscriptions. While some scholars attribute these displays as holding a dark side to Hecate, most myths associate her with a protective nature toward humans.