It has been claimed that her association with dogs is "suggestive of her connection with birth, for the dog was sacred to Eileithyia, Genetyllis, and other birth goddesses. She is mentioned a number of times in the spells of The Book of the Dead as both a creative and destructive force. Subsequently, Hecate became Persephone's companion on her yearly journey to and from the realms of Hades, serving as a psychopomp. I worship Hekate but have not worked with her personally. She is variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, night, light, magic, protection from witchcraft, the Moon, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, graves, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery. [29][28] Some hekataia, including a votive sculpture from Attica of the 3rd century BCE, include additional dancing figures identified as the Charites circling the triple Hecate and her central column. Archaeologists have discovered approximately 700 larger-than-life granite statues of Sekhmet dated to the reign of Amenhotep III (18th Dynasty). Lady of Life: Spells exist that regard plagues as brought by the messengers of Sekhmet. So, then, albeit her mother's only child, she is honored amongst all the deathless gods. Serket (also known as Serqet, Selkis, and Selket) is an Egyptian goddess of protection associated with the scorpion. She was worshipped widely in Lower Egypt as a great Mother Goddess in the Predynastic Period (c. 6000- c. 3150 BCE) and so is among the older deities of Egypt. 1910191078, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 11:43. [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. Though such gifts varied in value and substance, it is nevertheless clear that the kings, chiefs, and Ollam of the Tuatha D Danann all drew their power . Eg: in the battle of Kadesh, she is visualized on the horses of Ramesses II, her flames scorching the bodies of enemy soldiers. It is presumed that the latter were named after the tree because of its superiority for both bows and poison. Known sources do not associate her with fertility or sex, and theories presenting her as a "sacred harlot" are regarded as obsolete in modern scholarship due to lack of evidence. You find her in the labyrinthine places of Minoan Crete. (Most Americans today know them better by the names the Greeks gave them: Osiris, Isis, and Horus, respectively.) A Handbook of Greek Religion. Of the 200 books available in open source about Egyptian mythology, hardly seven or eight had anything substantial to say about Sekhmet. 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. 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]. Hekate's Suppers, by K. F. Smith. Beginning during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, a Semitic goddess named Qetesh ("holiness", sometimes reconstructed as Qudshu) appears prominently. The number three has a long history of mythical associations and triple deities are common throughout world mythology. [3], A passage from the Book of the Dead reads, superior to whom the gods cannot be . These are the biaiothanatoi, aoroi and ataphoi (cf. 22. the biblical Asherah) in 1941. Other than in the Theogony, the Greek sources do not offer a consistent story of her parentage or of her relations in the Greek pantheon. 2. Otherwise, they are typically generic, or Artemis-like. "Hecate mediated between regimesOlympian and Titanbut also between mortal and divine spheres. Hecate was one of several deities worshipped in ancient Athens as a protector of the oikos (household), alongside Zeus, Hestia, Hermes, and Apollo. Much like Shiva did with Kali, Ra had to resort to trickery to calm Sekhmets anger and bring her out of her killing spree. Goddess of Fertility, Rebirth, and Magic In addition to being the fertile wife of Osiris, Isis is honored for her role as the mother of Horus, one of Egypt's most powerful gods. The monuments to Hecate in Phrygia and Caria are numerous but of late date. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. "[167], 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"[168] Mesopotamian Magic Traditions in the Papyri Graecae Magicae", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hecate&oldid=1151338190. As the holder of the keys that can unlock the gates between realms, she can unlock the gates of death, as described in a 3rd-century BCE poem by Theocritus. 9. "[10], The Romans knew her by the epithet of Trivia, an epithet she shares with Diana/Artemis, each in their roles as protector of travel and of the crossroads (trivia, "three ways").[11]. [130] All these elements betoken the rites owed to a chthonic deity. The cult of Sekhmet declined in the New Kingdom. Some think this deity is Athirat/Ashratu under her Ugaritic name. The polecat is also associated with Hecate. Chapter in the book The Goddess Hekate: Studies in Ancient Pagan and Christian Philosophy edited by Stephen Ronan. [21], William Berg observes, "Since children are not called after spooks, it is safe to assume that Carian theophoric names involving hekat- refer to a major deity free from the dark and unsavoury ties to the underworld and to witchcraft associated with the Hecate of classical Athens. [16] The concept of Athirat, Anat and Ashtart as a trinity and the only prominent goddesses in the entire region (popularized by authors like Tikva Frymer-Kensky) is modern and ignores the large role of other female deities, for example Shapash, in known texts, as well as the fact El appears to be the deity most closely linked to Athirat in primary sources. The Faces of the Goddess. The Triple Goddess is arguably the most | by [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. Aradia in Sardinia: The Archaeology of a Folk Character. [citation needed], During the Gigantomachy, Hecate fought by the side of the Olympian gods, and slew the giant Clytius using her torches. From whom we do exist and cease to be, The left side of the symbol features a waxing moon, the center features a full moon, while the right side depicts a waning moon. [17][18] One of the authors relying on the Anat-Ashtart-Athirat trinity theory is Saul M. Olyan (author of Asherah and the Cult of Yahweh in Israel) who calls the Qudshu-Astarte-Anat plaque "a triple-fusion hypostasis", and considers Qudshu to be an epithet of Athirat by a process of elimination, for Astarte and Anat appear after Qudshu in the inscription. [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[127] as highlighted in more recent research presented by d'Este and Rankine. The initiates supposed that these things save [them] from terrors and from storms. Limestone fragments discovered from the valley temple of Sneferu (dynasty IV) at Dahshur depict the monarchs head closely juxtaposed to the muzzle of a lioness deity (presumed to be Sekhmet) as if to symbolize Sneferu breathing in the divine life force emanating from the goddesss mouth. She also is often one of the most misunderstood. A triple deity is a deity with three apparent forms that function as a singular whole. Sekhmet was depicted with the body of a woman clothed in red linen, wearing a Uraeus and a sun disc on her lioness head. Her cult subsequently spread . Grandmother of the three cousins was Phoebe[123] the ancient Titan goddess whose name was often used for the moon goddess. "[28], Apart from traditional hekataia, Hecate's triplicity is depicted in the vast frieze of the great Pergamon Altar, now in Berlin, wherein she is shown with three bodies, taking part in the battle with the Titans. In Egyptian-inspired Greek esoteric writings connected with Hermes Trismegistus, and in the Greek Magical Papyri of Late Antiquity, Hecate is described as having three heads: one dog, one serpent, and one horse. Priests of Sekhmet became known as skilled doctors. [85], The earliest definitive record of Hecate's worship dates to the 6th century BCE, in the form of a small terracotta statue of a seated goddess, identified as Hecate in its inscription. In the Greek pantheon, Apollo was the god of medicine and often brought down plagues to punish mankind. Martha Ann & Dorothy Myers Imel (1993) Goddesses in World Mythology: A Biographical Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 5. While this sculpture has not survived to the present day, numerous later copies are extant. The possibility of not to be, of returning to nothingness, distinguishes Egyptian gods and goddesses from deities of all other pagan pantheons.[1]. Many of her statues can be found in museums and archaeological sites, and her presence testifies to the historical and cultural importance of this goddess. Priesthood seems to have had a prophylactic role in medicine. [71] In Italy, the triple unity of the lunar goddesses Diana (the huntress), Luna (the Moon) and Hecate (the underworld) became a ubiquitous feature in depictions of sacred groves, where Hecate/Trivia marked intersections and crossroads along with other liminal deities. [28] It has been speculated that this triple image, usually situated around a pole or pillar, was derived from earlier representations of the goddess using three masks hung on actual wooden poles, possibly placed at crossroads and gateways. [125] Another theory is that Hecate was mainly a household god and humble household worship could have been more pervasive and yet not mentioned as much as temple worship. [93], Hecate's most important sanctuary was Lagina, a theocratic city-state in which the goddess was served by eunuchs. Triple Goddess Symbol - What Does It Really Mean? I have worked with Selene and still work with Persephone. . "page21 (image of Hecate attended by a dog)", "CULT OF HEKATE: Ancient Greek religion", "Travels in Greece and Turkey: Undertaken by Order of Louis XVI, and with the Authority of the Ottoman Court", Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), Claviger, "Baktria, Kings, Agathokles, ancient coins index with thumbnails", "No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth: Act 2, Scene 1, Page 2", Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Ions Veronica (1983) Egyptian Mythology, Peter Bedrick Books, 9. [43] After mentioning that this fish was sacred to Hecate, Alan Davidson writes, In her three-headed representations, discussed above, Hecate often has one or more animal heads, including cow, dog, boar, serpent, and horse. Lewis Richard Farnell, (1896). Food offerings might include cake or bread, fish, eggs and honey. Different myths interchangeably call Sekhmet an angry manifestation of Hathor or Hathor and Bastet as docile manifestations of Sekhmet. Her cult became popular in Egypt during the New Kingdom. Horus was an ancient Egyptian God of the sky, and he is typically depicted as a falcon. Her earliest known representation is a small terracotta statue found in Athens. Paper 4651. [3], The 2nd-century travel writer Pausanias stated that Hecate was first depicted in triplicate by the sculptor Alcamenes in the Greek Classical period of the late 5th century BCE,[4] whose sculpture was placed before the temple of the Wingless Nike in Athens. The History of Guns, Greek Mythology: Stories, Characters, Gods, and Culture, Aztec Mythology: Important Stories and Characters, Greek Gods and Goddesses: Family Tree and Fun Facts, Roman Gods and Goddesses: The Names and Stories of 29 Ancient Roman Gods, The Dark Goddess: Dancing with the Shadow, https://arce.org/resource/statues-sekhmet-mistress-dread/#:~:text=A%20mother%20goddess%20in%20the,as%20a%20lion%2Dheaded%20woman, https://egyptianmuseum.org/deities-sekhmet, Skadi: The Norse Goddess of Skiing, Hunting, and Pranks, Druids: The Ancient Celtic Class That Did It All, iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order, US History Timeline: The Dates of Americas Journey, Ancient Civilizations Timeline: The Complete List from Aboriginals to Incans, Why Are Hot Dogs Called Hot Dogs? There she was worshipped with her consort Ptah. Lagina, where the famous temple of Hecate drew great festal assemblies every year, lay close to the originally Macedonian colony of Stratonikeia, where she was the city's patron. Danu - Mythopedia Pp. She is seated on a throne, with a chaplet around her head; the depiction is otherwise relatively generic. "Beyond Erekigal? Regarding the nature of her cult, it has been remarked, "she is more at home on the fringes than in the centre of Greek polytheism. [18], Hecate possibly originated among the Carians of Anatolia,[6] the region where most theophoric names invoking Hecate, such as Hecataeus or Hecatomnus, the father of Mausolus, are attested,[19] and where Hecate remained a Great Goddess into historical times, at her unrivalled[b] It is speculated that these statues were created to pacify the goddess and please her. [7] In the post-Christian writings of the Chaldean Oracles (2nd3rd century CE) she was also regarded with (some) rulership over earth, sea, and sky, as well as a more universal role as Savior (Soteira), Mother of Angels and the Cosmic World Soul. Sekhmet: Egypt's Forgotten Esoteric Goddess | History Cooperative Aside from her own temples, Hecate was also worshipped in the sanctuaries of other gods, where she was apparently sometimes given her own space. In the Old Kingdom, the priests of Sekhmet are an organized phyle and from a slightly later date, in its extant copy, the Ebers papyrus attributes to these priests a detailed knowledge of the heart. In common Neopagan usage, the Triple Goddess is viewed as a triunity of three distinct aspects or figures united in one being. Accessed May 2, 2023. She appears to have been particularly associated with being 'between' and hence is frequently characterized as a "liminal" goddess. [d] It shows Hecate, with a hound beside her, placing a wreath on the head of a mare. Moreover is Qadesh, also called Qwynn, a character in Holly Roberds' fantasy novel "Bitten by Death", published in 2021. Roel Sterckx, Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. Hekate: Her Role and Character in Greek Literature from before the Fifth Century B.C. "[92] She was most commonly worshipped in nature, where she had many natural sanctuaries. There are three different ways you can cite this article. Principally the Ethiopians which dwell in the Orient, and the Egyptians which are excellent in all kind of ancient doctrine, and by their proper ceremonies accustomed to worship me, do call me Queen Isis. Sekhmet was worshipped along with Ra at the Heliopolis since the early Old Kingdom. Mistress of Ankhtawy (life of the two lands, a name for Memphis). [138] Schwemer believes that this use of Ereshkigal's name merely furnished "the Greek Netherworld goddess with a mysterious-sounding, foreign name". In the Amarna period, Amenhoteps name was systematically erased from inscriptions of the thrones, then methodically re-inscribed at the end of the 18th dynasty.[2]. And the son of Cronos made her a nurse of the young who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing Dawn. This one is of stone, while the bronze images opposite, also of Hecate, were made respectively by Polykleitos and his brother Naukydes.[87]. The pharaohs wore the uraeus as a head ornament: either with the body of Wadjet . [28], Hecate's cult became established in Athens about 430 BCE. American Book Company, 1910. In Sanskrit it's Medha, in Greek Metis, and in Egyptian she is Ma'at herself. Enodia's very name ("In-the-Road") suggests that she watched over entrances, for it expresses both the possibility that she stood on the main road into a city, keeping an eye on all who entered, and in the road in front of private houses, protecting their inhabitants. According to the myth, Osiris was a king of Egypt who was murdered and dismembered by his brother Seth. "[28], Like Hecate, "the dog is a creature of the threshold, the guardian of doors and portals, and so it is appropriately associated with the frontier between life and death, and with demons and ghosts which move across the frontier. Berg, William, "Hecate: Greek or "Anatolian"? Egyptian equivalent: Neith: Statue of Diana-Artemis, fresco from Pompeii, 50-1 BCE. Such deities may sometimes be referred to as threefold, tripled, triplicate, tripartite, triune, triadic, or as a trinity. Circle for Hekate: volume 1. Here, Hecate is a mortal priestess often associated with Iphigenia. Here I disclaim all my paternal care" (The Arden Shakespeare, King Lear, Page no.165), In 1929, Lewis Brown, an expert on religious cults, connected the 1920s Blackburn Cult (also known as, "The Cult of the Great Eleven,") with Hecate worship rituals. Heqet - The Egyptian Frog Goddess It should be noted that in spite of popular culture, the 'connection' of Kek to frogs is quite obscure, given the ambiguous nature of primordial gods in Egyptian mythology. The Athenian Greeks honoured Hecate during the Deipnon. In other representations, her animal heads include those of a cow and a boar. ), "A top of Hekate is a golden sphere enclosing a lapis lazuli in its middle that is twisted through a cow-hide leather thong and having engraved letters all over it. Berg's argument for a Greek origin rests on three main points: "In 340 B.C., however, the Byzantines, with the aid of the Athenians, withstood a siege successfully, an occurrence the more remarkable as they were attacked by the greatest general of the age, Philip of Macedon. [76] Karl Kerenyi noted the similarity between the names, perhaps denoting a chthonic connection among the two and the goddess Persephone;[77] it is possible that this epithet gives evidence of a lunar aspect of Hecate. There was also a shrine to Hecate in Aigina, where she was very popular: Of the gods, the Aiginetans worship most Hecate, in whose honour every year they celebrate mystic rites which, they say, Orpheus the Thrakian established among them. Deities, heroes, animals, and other entities often fight against each other because they are representations of opposing qualities. [98] According to Hesychius of Miletus there was once a statue of Hecate at the site of the Hippodrome in Constantinople. Hecate was seen as a triple deity, identified with the goddesses Luna (Moon) in the sky and Diana (hunting) on the earth, while she represents the Underworld. Sekhmet represented the Lower Nile region (north Egypt). [10] In what appears to be a 7th-century indication of the survival of cult practices of this general sort, Saint Eligius, in his Sermo warns the sick among his recently converted flock in Flanders against putting "devilish charms at springs or trees or crossroads",[62] and, according to Saint Ouen would urge them "No Christian should make or render any devotion to the deities of the trivium, where three roads meet". She was also the patron of physicians and healers. by Patricia Monaghan, which is a very comprehensive encyclopedia of Goddesses; Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses. World Goddesses List | 350+ Names Sorted by Responsibility Within the enclosure is a temple; its wooden image is the work of Myron, and it has one face and one body. In Early Modern English, the name was also pronounced disyllabically (as /hk.t/) and sometimes spelled Hecat.
How Much Does A Funny Car Weigh,
Magnolia Bakery Strawberry Cupcake Recipe,
Articles E