Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptus Course, THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEASED. HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. She was the only Titan who kept her power while Zeus was in charge. 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. Hecate the goddess of Greek mythology has been primarily remembered for her associations with magic and witchcraft. 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 article contains incorrect information, This article doesnt have the information Im looking for. She was accompanied by packs of barking dogs. 139.162.195.99 Article created on Monday, March 3, 1997. 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 The daughter of Perses and Asteria (twin sister of Leto ), Hecate was a member of the third generation of Titans, but sided with Zeus and his siblings during the Titanomachy. Some early writers claimed that Hecate was actually the princess Iphigenia, saved from death by Artemis and transformed into a goddess. Another option was a dish of red mullet, which was usually not allowed to be given to other gods. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Many of the traditional offerings to Hecate- are: milk, honey, oil, cakes, cheese, bloody meat, eggs, onions, garlic. IT WAS A COMMON PRACTICE TO PLACE IMAGES OF HECATE ATCITYGATES & THE DOORWAYS OF PRIVATE HOMES AS SHE COULD WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS. While Hecates temples in the area are from a later period, she bears a resemblance to a more ancient goddess in Caria. By joining Kidadl you agree to Kidadls Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receiving marketing communications from Kidadl. Authors from the past, like Ovid and Pausanias, say that dogs, especially black dogs, were given to the goddess as sacrifices. THE MOST COMPLETE COURSE IN PRACTICAL MAGICK EVER RELEA Advanced Magick for the 21st Century The Adeptu 3 Special gods of old Briton You should revisit! In this manner, pillars known as Hecate stood at key intersections and entryways, possibly to ward off malevolent spirits. Well send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out. She is depicted on the altar of Pergamon with one body and three heads (ca. I have been in love with all things related to Mythology. I am the owner and chief researcher at this site. Of course, as the goddess of boundaries she had the power to let things in as well as keep them out. Many of the rituals described in ancient texts, for example the elaborate sacrifice of a ewe in Argonautica, are in keeping with what is known about the worship of other deities of the underworld. 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. Each of the Greek gods has a few specialized functions. Hecate (also spelt Hekate) is a goddess capable of both good and evil. She was associated with witchcraft, necromancy, and poisons. The three-part goddess was able to keep watch in all directions, and became standard in both written and visual representations. The goddess was also worshipped in Kos, Erythrai, Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss . She was often placed at the entrance of homes to help protect against the evil forces of the world. 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. The food offered to this deity included cheese, cakes of eggs, and a dish of red mullet. This made her one of the few deities to have the power to move freely between the world of the living and the underworld. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. Because of this, some people would make sacrifices of dogs, especially puppies, to her. The Furies, winged creatures who punished wrongdoing, were also said to be the companions of Hecate. Hecate is remembered best not as a goddess of boundaries, but as a goddess of magic. If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content. Later periods show statues of Hecate in three-fold having 3 separate bodies and faces. She guides Sibyl through the Underworld in Virgils Aeneid. In literature, there is a clear link between her, Demeter, and Persephone. This Goddess is often shown as a woman carrying a key or torches. Eventually, this came to include the boundary between the natural and the supernatural, making her a goddess of magic. Hecate is defined by her powerful magic, being at ease with the night and darkness and in wild surroundings. 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. Q: How do the three witches make Hecate angry? Apollonius of Rhodes says that the sound of dogs barking from the Underworld can be heard when Hecate is nearby. This article incorporates text from Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) by William Smith, which is in the public domain. The ancient Greeks thought of her as a Greek goddess, not someone from another country. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Eating crunchy while enjoying a good movie or your favourite video game is a blessing. 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. 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. In her form as a triple goddess, Hecate was closely linked to intersections. Those who failed to win the goddesss favor could expect her to invite evil and misfortune into their lives. She was also bound to other goddesses in a closely-linked trio. Even Zeus, the King of the Olympian Gods, is said to have reverenced her, and there are hints that she was considered to be an all-powerful 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). 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. Archaeologists have found essential offerings to the goddess at Lagina in Caria and Phrygia. The first example of the triple-Hecate form, called hekataia, was made by the sculptor Alcamenes in the 5th century BCE. Hecate helps or protects warriors, athletes, hunters, horsemen, herders, shepherds, fishermen, and children. Hecate acted as a veil between the world of the mortals and the supernatural. Hecate was a cathonic goddess that preceded the Olympians, and it seems that she was highly worshipped in Thrace. To find out more about LearningMole please visit our about us page or visit more of our topics available. The masculine form of this word is said to be used for Apollo, one of the Greek gods. 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. In the Greco-Roman world, the crossroads were places of spirits, doorways to the other world(s), places of magic, spells and necromancy and also places of purification. 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. Hecate typically responds to petitions via visions and dreams. Interesting facts: Hestia was one of three goddesses immune to the influence of Aphrodite. "Worker-from-afar." It is believed that Hecate represented witchcraft, magic and ghosts. During the Romans, many of her traits belonged to the world of the dead. They thought she would protect them and keep away evil spirits. She was accepted at an early date into Greek religion, but she probably was originally a goddess of the Carians in southwestern Asia Minor. ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/greek-mythology-hecate-1526205. The darkness, the moon, and magic have been personified as Hecate in many popular and well-known works of literature and in art. A: In Greek Mythology, Hecate was the Goddess of magic and witchcraft. Victorian Era, Ibn Khaldun or Celts. These three goddesses are also linked in the Mystery cults. She may be petitioned for a swift, painless death. creative tips and more. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. This article was most recently revised and updated by, From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology, Ancient Origins - Hecate: Triple-Bodied Greek Goddess of Witchcraft and Keeper of Keys, Hecate - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). 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. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. 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. 1.5 Baths. Trade, colonization, and migration resulted in a great deal of cultural exchange between the two regions. Moreover, the fact that Hecate had a Greek name does not necessarily mean that her cult originated in Greece (she more likely emerged from Caria in Asia Minor). Any information you provide to us via this website may be placed by us on servers located in countries outside the EU if you do not agree to such placement, do not provide the information. In a few cases, Hecate was said to have shared these powers with her most devoted followers. The most commonly repeated story of her birth was that Hecate was the daughter of Perses and Asteria, two second-generation Titans. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. Hecate is invoked when justice is not forthcoming from other channels. Greece itself worshipped many trios of goddesses or goddesses with three forms that fit this archetype. People used to believe that dogs would eat the dead if they werent buried. Lastly, the goddess is mentioned in the tragedies of Euripides and Sophocles, among others. Nearby Recently Sold Homes. She was connected to occult practices such as witchcraft and magic, the Moon, gateways, and nocturnal beasts such as hellhounds and ghosts. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. It was said that she learned herbalism and spells from Hecate herself. 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. It is the story of how the polecat became one of her companions. The goddess was given gifts every month on the night of a new moon. 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. 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. Most of the ceremonies and festivals dedicated to this Goddess were often celebrated at night. Follow for more great fun learning. In a hymn to Hecate, Hesiod detailed the ways in which the goddess could both allow good fortune and deny it: Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgment, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. 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. She was known by her Roman name, Trivia, as well as by her triple form. She's also the Queen of Witches. Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0. In the sources about Hekate that are from the ancient world, the crossroads are not mentioned as a symbol of Hecate. Hecate was weaved strongly into all these symbolisms of the crossroads and still does to her devotees. Subscribe to our popular newsletter Synced Global AI Weekly to get weekly AI updates. When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. This food offering was known as the Supper of Hecate. Seneca often talks about Hecate and her moon-based counterparts and even links Medea to the goddess. Though perhaps originally an indigenous woodland goddess, Diana early became identified with Artemis. She rules wisdom, choices, expiation, victory, vengeance, and travel. 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. Hecate's powers transcended the boundaries of the sky, the earth, the seas, and the underworld. Hesiod only talks about her family and how she killed Clytius in the Gigantomachy. The Carians were devoted to Hecate, and she was the primary deity worshipped in the town of Lagina. Roman poets encouraged the idea that Hecate was three different things by calling her Hecate-Selene and other similar names. Moving between the barrier between life and death explains Hecates connection to both ghosts and necromancy. She is often displayed holding two torches or a key. Hecate was considered an ancient Thracian divinity and she was also a titan; the titans ruled the heavens, the earth and the sea. The Egyptian fertility goddess Heqet was associated with magic, which the Egyptians called heqa. She was both a product of the Titans and an honored member of Zeuss court at Olympus. A lot of the same things were said about all of the goddesses. 170 BCE). Long before Hesiod and Homer began writing their poetry, the stories of the gods were passed on through oral tradition. This is shown by her names and cult titles, such as India (which means on the way), Trodia (which means frequenter of the crossroads), and Propylaia (of the gates). Kos, Erythrai,Samothrace, Thessaly, and Miletos also worshipped the. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content. This is a reminder of her role as a goddess of the night, a guardian of the gates to Hades, and a goddess of boundaries. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Hecate was sometimes seen as a Titan, like her parents, and in the battle between the Titans and the Greek gods led by Zeus, she helped Zeus and so was not banished to the underworld with the rest of them. As worshippers began to focus on one aspect of a god more than others, that gods secondary purposes were separated into another deity altogether. 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. This is how she came to command the earth, bliss, and sea. A case in point is the Greek goddess Hecate. To learn more about other Goddesses and exciting information, keep visiting on LearningMole. The goddess Hecate is one of the lesser-known goddesses of the Greek pantheon. In the Pharsalia, the witch Erichtho calls on Persephone as the lowest part of Hecate. These crystals possess unique energies and properties that enhance spiritual practices and aid connections with Hecate. They include, science, maths, English and more. Hecate. Hecate or Hekate [a] is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, [1] and in later periods depicted as three-formed or triple-bodied. Why notsubscribe to our LearningMole Library for as little as 1.99 per month to access over1000fun educational videos. Another story of Hecates protective nature also involves another of her sacred animals. Study medicinal and magical herbalism and become one of Hecate's priestesses. Before that, she was just a minor character in the stories of Demeter (Persephones maid) and Artemis. Hecates powers to protect were passed on from Titan parents Perses and Asteria and covered the heavens, earth and sea. Posted by 7thphoenix | May 27, 2020 | Magick Articles | 0 |. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. She is also Queen of the Night, and is highly connected to All Hallow's Eve. She has long been associated with witchcraft and the occult, even necromancy. Hecate is a Goddess shrouded in mystery, for there is continuing debate about Her name, origin and character. On the Pergamon Altar of Zeus, from the 2nd century BCE, a three-headed Hecate and a dog attack a snake-like giant. Hecate is one of the many goddesses in Greek mythology. As she is said to be the guardian of the crossroads, she is most often depicted with three faces and carrying torches or a key. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil spirits. They spun the threads of fate at the base of. The aspects of the goddess that had darker connotations were separated from her to create another goddess altogether in the character of Hecate. Quite often each face is different, one of a dog, one of a horse and one of a goddess. Hades was pleased with this, and Hecate was allowed to come and go as she pleased from the Underworld. 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 . There are cult sites for the goddess Hecate in Caria, which shows that people there worshipped her. Hecate, however, is routinely described as the goddess of witchcraft and associated with characters like Medea and Circe, the witch of Homers Odyssey. She was also called the Goddess of the threshold or the Goddess of the house. EFFECTIVE MAGICK AND ALPHA STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS, Seventh Phoenix MY Amazing STORY,My Journey, REAL LIFE Curses That STUNNED THEIR VICTIMS, HOW THE ALPHA FREQUENCY POWER-CHARGES YOUR MAGICK, Protection Magick Mastery Course #1 Best Rated. The goddess Hecate is one of the Greek goddesses that not many people know about. 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. Eleusis was in Greece, which is where it is now. Hecate is usually depicted with a burning torch in her hand and with a dog laying at her feet, its head raised. Some authors say that she was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Since the fifth century BCE, Hecate has been associated with magic, witchcraft, the moon, and other dark influences. The Greek three-headed hound of Hades, Cerberus, may have been an earlier version of Hecate. 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. "Hecate: Greece's Dark Goddess of the Crossroads." Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Picture of the Greek Underworld, the residence of Hecate. As a fertility deity she was invoked by women to aid conception and delivery. What Were the Hamadryads in Greek Mythology? In his book Description of Greece, Pausanias says that the sculptor Alcamenes was the first to show Hecate in three forms in the 5th century BCE.