Hectate is derived from the Greek word 'hekatos,' which 'means worker from afar.' As one of the deities capable of passing between realms, she had access to the secrets of the dead. Much later, Shakespeare referenced her in Macbeth, where she is mentioned in the scene of the three witches boiling together their dire brew. As an Amazon Associate, Kidadl earns from qualifying purchases. 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, however, is routinely described as the goddess of witchcraft and associated with characters like Medea and Circe, the witch of Homers Odyssey. 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. She can be a shadowy, oblique goddess: her response may be subtle. Some poets say her mother is Crataeis. In Aeschylus Suppliants, for example, they were often mixed up to make a goddess with two faces. In a few cases, Hecate was said to have shared these powers with her most devoted followers. 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. Sources say there was a sacred garden dedicated to Hecate at her temple in Colchis (modern day Georgia). Hecate, however, took pity on Galinthias. Most of all, Hecate was a goddess of mystery. Hecate is a goddess in Greek mythology often associated with darkness and witchcraft. Another story of Hecates protective nature also involves another of her sacred animals. The Furies, winged creatures who punished wrongdoing, were also said to be the companions of Hecate. Some lexicographers, experts that study the origins of language, believe that the word hag and hex, which means witch, is derived from the word Hecate. Another option was a dish of red mullet, which was usually not allowed to be given to other gods. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. Numerous smaller sculptures of Hecate remain in which the goddess appears as three separate women, wearing chitons, with the backs pressed against a pillar. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The Lampades are people who carry torches and travel with the goddess at night. In revenge for the trick, Eileithyia turned Galinthias into a polecat. 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. She was often placed at the entrance of homes to help protect against the evil forces of the world. This could be because she sided with him during the 10-year battle between the Titans and the Olympians. People often put pictures of the triple goddess on city walls, especially at city gates, the entrances to sacred sites, and the doorways of private homes. Hecate is also sometimes interpreted in association with Artemis and Selene. Hecate became Persephones guardian and close friend while she was living in the Underworld. creative tips and more. On the Pergamon Altar of Zeus, from the 2nd century BCE, a three-headed Hecate and a dog attack a snake-like giant. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. They were often associated with the three stages of life youth, adulthood, and old age. Some say that Hecate is the daughter of Erebus and Nyx, ageless Goddess of the night, while others believe that She is one of the Furies or the last surviving Titan except for Zeus. She is also Queen of the Night, and is highly connected to All Hallow's Eve. She has also been associated with the dark side of human beings, which is death. Check your inbox for your latest news from us. 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. The masculine form of this word is said to be used for Apollo, one of the Greek gods. However, she was transformed by Circe into the monster form. During the time of the Romans, Hecate was often combined with the gods Artemis and Selene, especially in Roman poetry. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. Female monsters also often came in threes, as was the case with the Gorgons and Graea. Therefore, this deity is also invoked when there is thought to be a miscarriage of justice. At doorways and crossroads, pillars of the goddess Hecate, who held a torch, stood. The hekataion depicted Hecate as three women encircling a central column. Hecate was a goddess in Greek Mythology. (2021, December 6). One of these was the boundary between life and death. When the marriage of Persephone was finalized and she became the queen of the underworld, the bond between the three goddesses was strengthened. They include, science, maths, English and more. It is believed that Hecate represented witchcraft, magic and ghosts. The goddess Hecate is one of the Greek goddesses that not many people know about. Click to reveal I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. 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. Due to her magical powers, Hecate was believed to protect children, sailors, and shepherds. Please like and share this article if you found it useful. 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. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. This myth led to goddess Hecate being depicted with torches in her hand. She has long been associated with witchcraft and the occult, even necromancy. She is also said to be the Goddess of childbirth and the protector of children. This is especially ironic since, after this, she seems to have become more associated with the underworld, not less. The blessings she gave them were eventually seen as magic, while prayers were seen as incantations. She was both a product of the Titans and an honored member of Zeuss court at Olympus. A shrine to this Goddess was built at the entrance of homes and cities as she was believed to keep evil spirits away. HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. Hesiod goes on to say that the goddess supports warriors, athletes, hunters, horsemen, herdsmen, shepherds, fishermen, and children. But Hekate was in this time also connected to liminality. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, A Recommended Book on Hekate Liminal Rites, Planetary MAGICK -7 Facts you should know, Magickal Protection-The BEST 10 SOLUTIONS. Her priests are normally accompanied by hell hounds sent by their goddess to guard her temples. Hecate: [noun] a Greek goddess associated especially with the underworld, night, and witchcraft. As such, she was greatly honored by Zeus, who allowed her to operate on Earth, as well as the sky and the Underworld. 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. In Ancient Greek religion, Hecate had a wide range of godly tasks. Why notsubscribe to our LearningMole Library for as little as 1.99 per month to access over1000fun educational videos. 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. Of course, as the goddess of boundaries she had the power to let things in as well as keep them out. 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. All these were also given Hekate in her Deipnon (food offering). It even appears in Christianity, with the gospels placing three Marys at both the Crucifixion and Christs tomb. Hekate assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, guiding her through the night with flaming torches. Performing a protection rite on yourself and use of amulet is always encouraged as well. 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. First you can set down the offerings to Hekate on the crossroad, just be sure to choose a less travelled crossroads free of heavy traffic for your safety. Most likely, the cults of Thessalian Pherai (Pherae) and Eleusis saw Hekate as Chthonian (Underworld) Hermes's wife. 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. This was all about Hecate, a goddess in ancient Greek religion. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." 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. This grouping of the goddesses happens again in Aristophanes Frogs (1358f) when Aeschylus character calls on the goddesses. There are many other interesting facts about Hecate as pointed out by philosophers and researchers. The beginnings of Hecates worship are shrouded in mystery. In the Greek religion, strange rituals were done to honour the goddess. 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. Archaeologists have found essential offerings to the goddess at Lagina in Caria and Phrygia. Her group included the Lampades, the nymphs of the Underworld, and ghosts. Learning Mole focuses on educating children of all ages in key skills of Maths, English and learning through crafts. According to Theogony. Her companions are theFuries(Erinyes), the winged creatures who punished wrong-doing, and her children are the Empusae, female demons partial to seducing travellers. 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. Her liminality came from the fact that she was the daughter of a Titan and a goddess. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. Intrinsically ambivalent and polymorphous, she straddles conventional boundaries and eludes definition. Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptus Course, THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEASED. When her city fell, the queen was taken captive and lept off a cliff to her death. A statue called Hekate Epipyrgidia (On the Ramparts) stood at the Athens Acropolis entrance. Well send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out. The offerings to the goddess were made each month during the night of a new moon. Hecates name comes from the Greek word hekatos, which means worker from afar.. 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 . 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. Her name has been connected to dark magic and disturbing rituals in the works of Shakespeare and well into modern times. Hecate was often shown as a single person wearing a long robe and holding burning torches. The evening meal in ancient Greece, especially in Athens known as Deipnon, was in honor of Hecate. They gave mortals wealth, victory, wisdom and luck. Hecate is often depicted with three heads as she was called the Goddess of the Crossroads. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. This made her one of the few deities to have the power to move freely between the world of the living and the underworld. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content. Hecate Triformis, Hecate of the three faces or three forms, corresponding to the phases of the moon: dark, waxing, and waning. Hecate is the Goddess of witchcraft, magic, crossroads, ghosts and necromancy. Your IP: 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 goddess of crossroads, magic, poison, and the undead, Hecate was also the daughter of the Titan Perses and the nymph Asteria, according to Hesiod. As the Romans developed and constructed superior road systems, we started to see the emergence of choices and nowadays in modern.
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