Since the fifth century BCE, Hecate has been associated with magic, witchcraft, the moon, and other dark influences. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. She's ill at ease in cities and civilization. She guides Sibyl through the Underworld in Virgils Aeneid. Hecate was a goddess in Greek Mythology. Some speculate that it represents the full moon, half moon, and new moon. Numerous smaller sculptures of Hecate remain in which the goddess appears as three separate women, wearing chitons, with the backs pressed against a pillar. Hecate was a cathonic goddess that preceded the Olympians, and it seems that she was highly worshipped in Thrace. Later periods show statues of Hecate in three-fold having 3 separate bodies and faces. Scylla Greek Gods & Goddesses 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. She may be invoked for protection for dogs and from dogs. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. Quite often warriors worshipped the goddess Hecate just as readily. 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. Zorya The Slavic goddess of beauty and light took three forms corresponding to morning, evening, and midnight. One of these was the supper of Hecate, where food was left at crossroads, road junctions, and any other kind of boundary or threshold. She was born into the world ruled by the Titans, but continued to be influential and powerful in the Olympian pantheon. (2021, December 6). Dogs also howl at the Moon, so this could be a link. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. Even though there arent many myths about the goddess Hecate, the ones that do exist tell us a lot about where she has power. Hecate's powers transcended the boundaries of the sky, the earth, the seas, and the underworld. The witches were telling Macbeth about his future and had not consulted the Goddess and had left her out of the meeting. These crystals possess unique energies and properties that enhance spiritual practices and aid connections with Hecate. She witnessed the abduction of Demeters daughter Persephone to the underworld and, torch in hand, assisted in the search for her. The well-known Pergamon Altar (from around the 2nd century BCE) shows Hecate as three different things. 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. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. Your privacy is important to us. 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. Hecate is also sometimes interpreted in association with Artemis and Selene. As a cthonic goddess of the underworld, her rituals and rites were often associated with death and secrecy. A case in point is the Greek goddess Hecate. One sculpture depicts Hecate with a friendly dog and another with heads of a cow, dog, boar, serpent or horse. 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. Her companions are known to punish wrong doing and criminals. Therefore, this deity is also invoked when there is thought to be a miscarriage of justice. She was the only Titan who kept her power while Zeus was in charge. The goddess was given gifts every month on the night of a new moon. She is also said to be the Goddess of childbirth and the protector of children. This makes her the granddaughter of Phoebe and Coeus, both Titans. She was specifically associated with witchcraft, magick, the Moon, Archways, and creatures of the night such as hell-hounds and ghosts. Greek pantheon was once much smaller than we know. Hecate was the chief goddess presiding over magic and spells. Hecate Greek Goddess of Witchcraft : The Complete Guide. The goddess told Demeter everything she had heard, but Demeter didnt know who had taken her daughter. Sorceresses ask the goddess for help with their magic and spells, and she is shown on curse tablets that have survived. This concept became a central figure in many later versions of polytheism. 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. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. 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. The myth says that Zeus gave the Lampades to Hera as a reward for her loyalty during the Titanomachy. Hecate is closely associated with several other goddesses in the Greek pantheon, with symbolism and function seeming to overlap. These three goddesses are also linked in the Mystery cults. Hecate was an only child and was worshiped in households of Athens where families hoped to receive protection, prosperity and daily blessings. Empusa - Wikipedia Hecate - Greek Mythology She may be petitioned for a swift, painless death. Look for her animals: snakes, dragons, cats, and especially dogs. Another story of Hecates protective nature also involves another of her sacred animals. It is unclear why this change took place. At least one story, however, gives the goddess a much more human origin. The goddess had a lot of powers, some of which were later taken over by other gods. 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. 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). She could not be forced to love anyone. There might not be any figure in Greek mythology that is as misunderstood as Hecate. 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. The facts about Hecate provides a list detailing fascinating additional info to increase your knowledge about Hecate in Greek Mythology. In mythology Nyx represented night. 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. Study medicinal and magical herbalism and become one of Hecate's priestesses. She is capable of both good and evil and is most often associated with magic and witchcraft. A statue called Hekate Epipyrgidia (On the Ramparts) stood at the Athens Acropolis entrance. A shrine to this Goddess was built at the entrance of homes and cities as she was believed to keep evil spirits away. She was the only one among the Titans who retained this power under the rule of Zeus, and she was honored by all the immortal gods. 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. Hecate was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, dogs, light, the moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery. Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0. 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. But she isnt in the Homeric epics, which is a big deal. Hecate is a goddess of life, death, regeneration, and magic. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? From the three supposedly came her image in Greek . 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. Regula, deTraci. Hecate became Persephones guardian and close friend while she was living in the Underworld. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. Hecate Facts and Information on the Goddess Hecate It even appears in Christianity, with the gospels placing three Marys at both the Crucifixion and Christs tomb. She is not a typical one-dimensional goddess but lives on many different levels. If you are interested in effective unique protection magickCLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE! Hecate was represented as single-formed, clad in a long robe, holding burning torches; in later representations she was triple-formed, with three bodies standing back-to-back, probably so that she could look in all directions at once from the crossroads. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Even in descriptions of Medeas witchcraft, it is difficult to distinguish magical rituals from more standard worship and rites. Due to her magical powers, Hecate was believed to protect children, sailors, and shepherds. The offerings to the goddess were made each month during the night of a new moon. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Hecates powers to protect were passed on from Titan parents Perses and Asteria and covered the heavens, earth and sea. In Greece, there is some evidence that Hecate was originally seen as a much more benevolent, cosmic goddess. She is also associated with the moon and is sometimes depicted as having three faces which symbolize the waxing, waning, and full moon phases. Hecate helps or protects warriors, athletes, hunters, horsemen, herders, shepherds, fishermen, and children. They gave mortals wealth, victory, wisdom and luck. The beginnings of Hecates worship are shrouded in mystery. And there is a good book titled Hekate liminal rites By David Rankine and Sorite DEsteyou should check out. Her attributes, besides the torch, are the snake, whip, dagger, and sword. Who is Hecate? Hecate is invoked when justice is not forthcoming from other channels. Long before Hesiod and Homer began writing their poetry, the stories of the gods were passed on through oral tradition. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. This grouping of the goddesses happens again in Aristophanes Frogs (1358f) when Aeschylus character calls on the goddesses. She is invoked for justice, especially for sexual crimes against women and girls. Offerings to this Goddess were also made during the night of the new moon. During the Hellenistic and Roman times, people still worshipped Hecate. Some versions of Scylla's myth say she was once a beautiful sea nymph. The time of the dark moon is a special time of the month to give offerings to Hecate. The Moirai crossed their arms and Eileithyia refused to help the laboring woman. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a28cb13cce875e3 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. 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. The Hades and Persephone Story. Facts About Hestia, the Greek Goddess of Home and Hearth - ThoughtCo However. 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. The Egyptian fertility goddess Heqet was associated with magic, which the Egyptians called heqa. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content. In the Greek religion, strange rituals were done to honour the goddess. A: Hecate is the Greek Goddess of magic and witchcraft. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. In ancient times, Hecates three-part form was shown as three separate bodies surrounding a central column. She was the ruler of crossroads, entrances, nighttime, light, magic (witchcraft and sorcery), herbs and plants.