All' ei tis humn en Samothraikei memuemenos esti, The play Plutus by Aristophanes (388 BCE), line 594 any translation will do or. Corrections? She was said to have saved the city from Philip II of Macedon, warning the citizens of a night time attack by a light in the sky, for which she was known as Hecate Lampadephoros. She could not undo the curse, but she made the polecat her sacred servant. The origin of the name Hecate (, Hekt) and the original country of her worship are both unknown, though several theories have been proposed. Cartwright, M. (2017, June 22). Modern neopagan and Wiccan religions often include worship of a triple goddess, and of Hecate herself. And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will: and to those whose business is in the grey discomfortable sea, and who pray to Hecate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Circle for Hekate: volume 1. Her name has been connected to dark magic and disturbing rituals in the works of Shakespeare and well into modern times. Do you know which hero took a dip in the River Styx? World History Encyclopedia. Over time, some of the Olympians changed form and function. Some later stories agreed that Asteria was her mother, but claimed Zeus had been her father. The yew was associated with the alphabet and the scientific name for yew today, taxus, was probably derived from the Greek word for yew, toxos, which is hauntingly similar to toxon, their word for bow and toxicon, their word for poison. Hekate, or Hecate is the Goddess of Witchcraft, magic, sorcery, necromancy, the night, the dark side of the moon, ghosts, crossroads, trivial knowledge, herbalism, witches and the underworld, often seen as a threefold goddess like the phases of Moon; the Crone (full), The Mother (half), and The Maiden (quarter). "[160], Shakespeare mentions Hecate both before the end of the 16th century (A Midsummer Night's Dream, 15941596), and just after, in Macbeth (1605): specifically, in the title character's "dagger" soliloquy: "Witchcraft celebrates pale Hecate's offerings"[161] 22. Subsequently, Hecate became Persephone's companion on her yearly journey to and from the realms of Hades, serving as a psychopomp. Less than that may signal that the women are not suited . Origin and Family She seems to respect Persephone's capabilities and sees much potential in her. Because she was associated with borders, gates, and doorways, Hecate took on a protective role. [citation needed], One surviving group of stories[clarification needed] suggests how Hecate might have come to be incorporated into the Greek pantheon without affecting the privileged position of Artemis. She has long been associated with witchcraft and the occult, even necromancy. Physical appearance Hecate has dark indigo hair with a lighter blue streak in it, pink skin, and wears a blue headdress. From whom we do exist and cease to be, Cartwright, Mark. It has been suggested that the use of dogs for digging up mandrake is further corroboration of the association of this plant with Hecate; indeed, since at least as early as the 1st century CE, there are a number of attestations to the apparently widespread practice of using dogs to dig up plants associated with magic.[56]. Historian Robert Graves notes that the heads could be distinctive of a dog, lion and horse, representing the constellations which cover the calendar year. Signs and Traits of Lightworkers: Earthbound Energy Healers Most of all, Hecate was a goddess of mystery. [93], Hecate's most important sanctuary was Lagina, a theocratic city-state in which the goddess was served by eunuchs. 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. In fact, Hecate might have been another goddess altogether! It was a common practice to place images of the triple goddess on city walls, in particular, at city gates, entrances to sacred sites and the doorways of private homes where it was believed she acted as a protectress and warded off evil spirits. She is the first born child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and a founding member of The Twelve Olympians, until she passed her seat to her nephew, Dionysus. Sometimes, as was the case with Hecate, it was a single goddess who was shown with three aspects. The triple Hecate represented three aspects of a single goddess. On each end of the hat is a strip of the same white cloth, each attached to a large red sphere with three thin strips of gold at the bottom. Hecate or Hekate is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicted as three-formed or triple-bodied. [53], A number of other plants (often poisonous, medicinal and/or psychoactive) are associated with Hecate. [7] However, it is clear that the special position given to Hecate by Zeus is upheld throughout her history by depictions found on coins of Hecate on the hand of Zeus[121] as highlighted in more recent research presented by d'Este and Rankine. Hesiod, for example, seemed to hold in in high regard and makes no mention of this darker association. Originally a benevolent entity, she was corrupted by her own power and banished from The Underworld for her wickedness. 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. She is sometimes shown holding a key. Hecate is certainly no exception. The offerings to the goddess were made each month during the night of a new moon. Of course, as the goddess of boundaries she had the power to let things in as well as keep them out. [36], Although in later times Hecate's dog came to be thought of as a manifestation of restless souls or daemons who accompanied her, its docile appearance and its accompaniment of a Hecate who looks completely friendly in many pieces of ancient art suggests that its original signification was positive and thus likelier to have arisen from the dog's connection with birth than the dog's underworld associations. 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. "[22] In particular, there is some evidence that she might be derived from the local sun goddesses (see also Arinna) based on similar attributes.[23]. The blessings she gave them were eventually seen as magic, while prayers were seen as incantations. Character . HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. Appendices 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. When she is in the Mortal Realm, she wears black Greek robes, a thin golden headband, and golden armbands. Hecate was the goddess of borders, barriers, and boundaries. [31], The east frieze of a Hellenistic temple of hers at Lagina shows her helping protect the newborn Zeus from his father Cronus; this frieze is the only evidence of Hecate's involvement in the myth of his birth. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. Hades smells like a forest fire in winter and Persephone is drawn to him from the beginning. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. "[30], While Greek anthropomorphic conventions of art generally represented Hecate's triple form as three separate bodies, the iconography of the triple Hecate eventually evolved into representations of the goddess with a single body, but three faces. American Book Company, 1910. HB, as the . This will help you figure out which type of starseed you are. [2][3][4] Her earliest appearance in literature was in Hesiod's Theogony in the 8th century BCE[5] as a goddess of great honour with domains in sky, earth, and sea. She was associated with witchcraft, necromancy, and poisons. Eventually, this came to include the boundary between the natural and the supernatural, making her a goddess of magic. Her association with dark magic is also tied to her identification as an underworld goddess. Polecats hid in dirty holes and, it was believed by the Greeks, had a grotesque and unnatural way of mating. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Controlling who moved through the border between the earth and the underworld gave her a unique power to summon spirits and raise the dead. A round stone altar dedicated to the goddess was found in the Delphinion (a temple dedicated to Apollo) at Miletus. Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!/. [12] However, no sources suggested list will or willingness as a major attribute of Hecate, which makes this possibility unlikely. The Witch: Uses knowledge of the universal laws of nature, the conscious mind and esoteric powers to manifest their desires. (649). "[129] This appears to refer to a variant of the device mentioned by Psellus.[130]. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. She was also bound to other goddesses in a closely-linked trio. In studying the peculiar characteristics which Hecate . "[92] She was most commonly worshipped in nature, where she had many natural sanctuaries. [66] Nevertheless, the Homeric Hymn to Demeter shows Helios and Hecate informing Demeter of Persephone's abduction, a common theme found in many parts of the world where the Sun and the Moon are questioned concerning events that happen on earth based on their ability to witness everything[66] and implies Hecate's capacity as a moon goddess in the hymn. "[37] The association with dogs, particularly female dogs, could be explained by a metamorphosis myth in Lycophron: the friendly looking female dog accompanying Hecate was originally the Trojan Queen Hecuba, who leapt into the sea after the fall of Troy and was transformed by Hecate into her familiar.[38]. Signs and Traits of Lightworkers: Earthbound Energy Healers. In Greek, deipnon means the evening meal, usually the largest meal of the day. Another ability they possess is healing quickly when they are in water, as shown after Percy was attacked by a Hellhound in The Lightning Thief. Hecate | Charmed | Fandom They also have limited control over ice, wind, electricity and cold. [70] Hecate and the moon goddess Selene were frequently identified with each other and a number of Greek and non-Greek deities;[71] the Greek Magical Papyri and other magical texts emphasize a syncretism between Selene-Hecate with Artemis and Persephone among others. To refer to a variant of the universal laws hecate physical traits nature, where she had the power to summon and. Persephone & # x27 ; s ill at ease in cities and civilization to be, cartwright, Mark are! Goddesses in a closely-linked trio most commonly worshipped in nature, the conscious mind esoteric. Black Greek robes, a theocratic city-state in which the goddess were each... 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