They were often associated with the three stages of life youth, adulthood, and old age. Those who failed to win the goddesss favor could expect her to invite evil and misfortune into their lives. The cave and the dawn are both thresholds- liminal times, thresholds between the earth and the underworld and night and day. This garden would've contained her sacred trees, herbs and poisons. Hecate - goddess of ghosts, witchcraft & magic - Religious Talks Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon. It even appears in Christianity, with the gospels placing three Marys at both the Crucifixion and Christs tomb. It was said that she learned herbalism and spells from Hecate herself. The chief Greek god, Zeus, was very fond of this Goddess and gave her a share of the earth and sea. She could not undo the curse, but she made the polecat her sacred servant. Check your inbox for your latest news from us. 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 . Related Topics: greek. The goddess was given gifts every month on the night of a new moon. If you are interested in effective unique protection magickCLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE! This article contains incorrect information, This article doesnt have the information Im looking for. 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. Hecate hkt, hkt , in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. But because these Anatolian cult sites were built later, other classicists say that the goddess could not have come from Anatolia. 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. On Greek pottery, she is usually shown as a young woman holding a torch or a key. She is the witness to every crime. She was specifically associated with witchcraft, magick, the Moon, Archways, and creatures of the night such as hell-hounds and ghosts. Hecate was also linked to a lot of other goddesses from other pantheons. Her origins and powers were unexplained and changeable. Latin Spelling. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. Later periods show statues of Hecate in three-fold having 3 separate bodies and faces. 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. During the time of the Romans, Hecate was often combined with the gods Artemis and Selene, especially in Roman poetry. Hecate was said to be a beautiful lady with dark hair. The goddess had a lot of powers, some of which were later taken over by other gods. 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. Demeter descended to the underworld every spring to bring her daughter back to the surface, making the three goddesses share an association with the underworld. As worshippers began to focus on one aspect of a god more than others, that gods secondary purposes were separated into another deity altogether. On the other hand, Euripides says that Leto is her mother. 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. But Hekate was in this time also connected to liminality. While some scholars attribute these displays as holding a dark side to Hecate, most myths associate her with a protective nature toward humans. Story of Hecate Hecate, goddess accepted at an early date into Greek religion but probably derived from the Carians in southwest Asia Minor. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! To find out more about LearningMole please visit our about us page or visit more of our topics available. However, she is believed to be protective of human beings. The triple goddesses are often referred to as the Maiden, Mother (or Matron), and Crone. In the physical world this could mean anything from doorways to city walls and state borders. Even though there arent many myths about the goddess Hecate, the ones that do exist tell us a lot about where she has power. 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. There is a belief, therefore, that the three goddesses may be aspects of a singular, earlier deity. Hecate was often shown as a single person wearing a long robe and holding burning torches. Throughout history however, her sphere of influence also included the moon, night, crossroads, boundaries, ghosts and necromancy.Although Hecate was once considered to be a powerful Greek goddess of witchcraft, Hecate was not a major deity when compared, for instance, to the . A lot of the same things were said about all of the goddesses. Hecate is the Goddess of witchcraft, magic, crossroads, ghosts and necromancy. Hecate helps or protects warriors, athletes, hunters, horsemen, herders, shepherds, fishermen, and children. Her symbols were two torches, the crossroads, and black dogs. Hecate was a cathonic goddess that preceded the Olympians, and it seems that she was highly worshipped in Thrace. The witches were telling Macbeth about his future and had not consulted the Goddess and had left her out of the meeting. The Matres While little is known of their exact function, over 1,000 images of the three goddesses have been found in Northwestern Europe. The one in Lagina stood out the most. One of these was the supper of Hecate, where food was left at crossroads, road junctions, and any other kind of boundary or threshold. This is especially ironic since, after this, she seems to have become more associated with the underworld, not less. People believed that by honoring and praying to this Goddess, their homes would be preserved from the vengeance of the dead. Archaeological items found in Lagina in Caria and Phrygia also point to the importance of this Goddess during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. By the 2nd century AD, a story had developed around Galinthias, a daughter of Proteus and friend of Alcmene. Hecate was a goddess in Greek Mythology. The goddess was especially appealed to by sorceresses for aid in their magic and spellsand appears on surviving examples of curse tablets. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205. Nearby Recently Sold Homes. She was also bound to other goddesses in a closely-linked trio. When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. Authors from the past, like Ovid and Pausanias, say that dogs, especially black dogs, were given to the goddess as sacrifices. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? On the Pergamon Altar of Zeus, from the 2nd century BCE, a three-headed Hecate and a dog attack a snake-like giant. 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. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. But the version of Hecate that appears in Greek texts is not so straightforward. One of these was the boundary between life and death. And the dark moon is also a powerful time to cleanse you, from negative energy, negative influences or potentially harmful spirits. The offerings to the goddess were made each month during the night of a new moon. One of her epithets, Apotropaia, references the protection she gave in these spaces. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. Hecate was also known as the queen or Goddess of the night. One can view the doors between the worlds as being very thin during this time therefore it is a golden opportunity to show her your respect. Hecate took pity on her, though, and brought her back to life as a dog to be her companion. Polecats hid in dirty holes and, it was believed by the Greeks, had a grotesque and unnatural way of mating. She could not be forced to love anyone. Instead, some believe that the goddess originated in Asia Minor. This concept became a central figure in many later versions of polytheism. In Ancient Greek religion, Hecate had a wide range of godly tasks. 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. In many cultures and religions in many lands. Tzetzes on Lycophron, 1175; Scholiast on Theocritus, ii, 36. Hekate: A beginner's guide to witchcraft, ghosts, spirituality, and Hekate advance rituals and spells for Meditation and Divination Kindle Edition by Johander Kholms (Author) Format: Kindle Edition 9 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $5.49 Read with Our Free App I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Therefore, this deity is also invoked when there is thought to be a miscarriage of justice. They claim she originated in Caria, a region in southern Anatolia on the Mediterranean, and was adopted into the Greek pantheon. When her city fell, the queen was taken captive and lept off a cliff to her death. Q: How do the three witches make Hecate angry? Some early writers claimed that Hecate was actually the princess Iphigenia, saved from death by Artemis and transformed into a goddess. Anatolia, which covered most of what is now Turkey, was a region that had close ties to the Greek world. Not only could she move between the realms, but she had power to control the passage of others. The goddess was often linked to Demeter, and in some cults, she was seen as the same as Demeter. Her companions are known to punish wrong doing and criminals. (2021, December 6). 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. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Some versions of Scylla's myth say she was once a beautiful sea nymph. Look for her animals: snakes, dragons, cats, and especially dogs. Most of the ceremonies and festivals dedicated to this Goddess were often celebrated at night. Female monsters also often came in threes, as was the case with the Gorgons and Graea. The time of the dark moon is a special time of the month to give offerings to Hecate. She was accepted at an early date into Greek religion, but she probably was originally a goddess of the Carians in southwestern Asia Minor. Her halos are usually made of moonbeams. According to the Greek writer Hesiod*, Hecate was the daughter of the Titan* Perses and the nymph Asteria. Some poets say her mother is Crataeis. 1.5 Baths. There are few legends about Her, and no fixed genealogy. ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205. 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. Hecate - Roman and Greek Gods and Goddesses Asteria may be the original goddess associated with the Asterion mountain range on the island of Crete. Sources say there was a sacred garden dedicated to Hecate at her temple in Colchis (modern day Georgia). In the Pharsalia, the witch Erichtho calls on Persephone as the lowest part of Hecate. Hecate was believed to be a goddess of both the living world and the underworld. Share This Post. She is believed to visit the Underworld to help other gods and people who were outcasts due to fear. However, she was transformed by Circe into the monster form. She is also said to be the Goddess of childbirth and the protector of children. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. Dogs also howl at the Moon, so this could be a link. She is helping a dog attack a giant who looks like a snake. Hecate. 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. Her main jobs were to control boundaries, witchcraft, and the Underworld. Hecate was weaved strongly into all these symbolisms of the crossroads and still does to her devotees. The Furies, winged creatures who punished wrongdoing, were also said to be the companions of Hecate. Each of the Greek gods has a few specialized functions. Kos, Erythrai,Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos also worshipped the. Pausanias, a Greek traveller who lived in the second century CE, said that the goddess had a mystery cult on the island of Aegina, where people with mental illness thought they could be cured. As was already said, the dog was Hecates most holy animal. The crossroads are special places, places of great power, but at the same time haunting places. This is shown in Act III, scene five of the play. She was accompanied by packs of barking dogs. As a fertility deity she was invoked by women to aid conception and delivery. Your privacy is important to us. She has also been associated with the dark side of human beings, which is death. The Egyptian fertility goddess Heqet was associated with magic, which the Egyptians called heqa. They call her Aristaion or Night. Her tasks went beyond the heavens, the earth, the seas, and the Underworld. Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft and was specifically known for her herbal knowledge. Hecate is usually depicted with a burning torch in her hand and with a dog laying at her feet, its head raised. Hecate is portrayed in single form on sculptures of Myron and Naucydes. Her name is akin to the Latin words dium ("sky") and dius ("daylight"). 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. Symbols of Hecate are her place, the crossroads, two torches, and black dogs. The masculine form of this word is said to be used for Apollo, one of the Greek gods. The chief Greek god, Zeus, was very fond of this Goddess and gave her a share of the earth and sea. This was a terrible fate. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. At least one story, however, gives the goddess a much more human origin. People left the food there to honor Hecate. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. There are many other interesting facts about Hecate as pointed out by philosophers and researchers. Hecate also presided over more mystical boundaries. When Persephone was abducted to the underworld by Hades, Hecate was the only witness willing to help Demeter search for her daughter. According to her story, Hecate sometimes withheld these blessings if she felt mortals did not deserve them. During the Romans, many of her traits belonged to the world of the dead. Hecate: Triple-Bodied Greek Goddess of Witchcraft and Keeper of Keys Hesiod goes on to say that the goddess supports warriors, athletes, hunters, horsemen, herdsmen, shepherds, fishermen, and children. Omissions? But Hecate is not the evil hag that popular legend suggests. Some authors say that she was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. In sculptures from the Classical and Hellenistic Periods, Hecate has been shown as a woman with three bodies or a single body with three heads. She was the only Titan who kept her power while Zeus was in charge. It is unclear exactly when Hecate became so closely linked with magic and witchcraft. 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. In the sources about Hekate that are from the ancient world, the crossroads are not mentioned as a symbol of Hecate. . Hecate can banishghosts(or produce a ghost infestation). 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. The conflicting origins of Hecate were only the beginning of what made this goddess so mysterious. Persephone was married to Hades and was the queen of the Underworld. However. 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. Hecate Facts and Information on the Goddess Hecate 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. The Greeks, too, had many different theories about Hecates origins. She's also the Queen of Witches. Hecate was considered an ancient Thracian divinity and she was also a titan; the titans ruled the heavens, the earth and the sea. Eating crunchy while enjoying a good movie or your favourite video game is a blessing. She was the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria. They are sometimes represented with the familiar aspects of the maiden, mother, and crone. As a protective goddess, it was common for statuettes of Hecate to be placed in the doorways of homes in Greece in the hopes that she would intervene to prevent bad fortune from passing in. But Hecate herself existed in the in between spaces, as well. 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. Learning Mole focuses on educating children of all ages in key skills of Maths, English and learning through crafts. Hecate was also offered dogs, especially puppies, as a sacrifice. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. Hekate assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, guiding her through the night with flaming torches. The Greek goddess Hecate, or Hekate, is Greece's dark goddess of the crossroads. Hesiod describes the goddess in the following glowing terms: Zeus, Cronus son, honoured [Hecate] above all others: he gave her splendid gifts to have a share of the earth and of the barren sea, and from the starry sky as well she has a share in honour, and is honoured most of all by the immortal gods. Hecate is also sometimes interpreted in association with Artemis and Selene. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. Many depictions, such as those of the Moirae, show the three goddesses corresponding to the three stages of a womans life. They spun the threads of fate at the base of. One of Hecates frequent animal companions, and the one that shes most often depicted with, was a black dog. Roman poets encouraged the idea that Hecate was three different things by calling her Hecate-Selene and other similar names. The myth says that Zeus gave the Lampades to Hera as a reward for her loyalty during the Titanomachy. HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. Quite often each face is different, one of a dog, one of a horse and one of a goddess. She was both a product of the Titans and an honored member of Zeuss court at Olympus. By joining Kidadl you agree to Kidadls Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receiving marketing communications from Kidadl. Great Facts about Goddess Hecate - Learning Mole 170 BCE). 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). Hecate doesnt often appear in Greek art and writing until the 5th century BCE. While Hera was considered a singular being, she was given three names to represent her different stages in life maiden, wife, and mother. In Aeschylus Suppliants, for example, they were often mixed up to make a goddess with two faces. Lastly, the goddess is mentioned in the tragedies of Euripides and Sophocles, among others. From the Greek word for to turn away, apotropaic magic is that which defends by turning away evil or harm. Performing a protection rite on yourself and use of amulet is always encouraged as well. 2 Beds. She is sometimes depicted as being accompanied by dogs or hounds and ghosts. This made her one of the few deities to have the power to move freely between the world of the living and the underworld. In Greece, there is some evidence that Hecate was originally seen as a much more benevolent, cosmic goddess. Hecate was a complex, ancient goddess known to the Greeks but originally worshiped by people of Asia Minor*. Her liminality came from the fact that she was the daughter of a Titan and a goddess. 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 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. Hecates name comes from the Greek word hekatos, which means worker from afar.. DeTraci Regula is a freelance writer who has specialized in Greek travel and tours for 18 years. There are cult sites for the goddess Hecate in Caria, which shows that people there worshipped her. Although Hecate found Persephone, instead of rescuing her, she helped her settle into her new life as the bride of Hades. When they heard this the Moirai uncrossed their arms, releasing the bonds that kept the infant Heracles from the earth. Hecate Triodos is the specific aspect presiding over crossroads. Hecate appears in many plays and poems as the personification of darkness, the moon, and magic. If lost at a crossroads, literal or metaphoric, invoke her name and then pay attention to signs from her. In sculptures from the Classical and Hellenistic periods, she looks most striking when she has three bodies and three heads, one body with three heads, or three bodies and one head. 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 was known by her Roman name, Trivia, as well as by her triple form. Hecate is known to rule over the sky, the earth, and the sea. Further, the home would be blessed and any wrong-doing by family members would be forgiven and the household purified. 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. times its difficult to find a quite crossroads to perform workings except in remote areas. Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. She witnessed the abduction of Demeter's daughter Persephone to the underworld and, torch in hand, assisted in the search for her. Is Hecate a jealous goddess? 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). Everything You Need To Know About Hecate (Maiden, Mother, Crone) It is believed that Hecate represented witchcraft, magic and ghosts. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. Mystifying Hecate Facts: The Greek Goddess Of Magic And Spells Hecate first appears in Hesiods Theogony, written in the 7th century BCE. Hecate acted as a veil between the world of the mortals and the supernatural. The goddess was also worshipped in Kos, Erythrai, Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos. The beginnings of Hecates worship are shrouded in mystery. The boundaries she oversaw were not limited to the physical world, though. A mysterious goddess of sorcery, necromancy, and ghosts, Greek Goddess Hecate is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing characters in all of Greek mythology! Like Hermes, who was also a deity of liminal spaces, statues of Hecate were often placed at crossroads and borders. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. Nyx, the Primordial Goddess of the Night | Ancient Origins Her friends are the Erinyes, winged creatures that punish bad behaviour, and her children are the Empusae, female demons that like to seduce travellers. Was the Griffin a Bird from Greek Mythology? Greece itself worshipped many trios of goddesses or goddesses with three forms that fit this archetype. These primordial gods each represented a different aspect of existence, together they formed the building blocks of the early universe. You may like to light incense such as the smoke of wormwood, cypress and lavender in these offerings. 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. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Regula, deTraci. 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. Many people think that worshipping the goddess began before the Greeks, while others think it started in Thrace. Hecate: Goddess of the Moon, Light and Magic in Greek Mythology and We will examine her origins and describe the crossroads ritual. As the Romans developed and constructed superior road systems, we started to see the emergence of choices and nowadays in modern. 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. According to Theogony. Athenian Greeks used the evening meal, known as Deipnon, to honor Hecate. And there is a good book titled Hekate liminal rites By David Rankine and Sorite DEsteyou should check out.