Attributes Functions, Origins, and Transformations Hecate possessed numerous (sometimes contradictory) epithets that reflected the many different sides of her nature.Īs an Underworld goddess, Hecate was chthoniē (“chthonic, of the Underworld”) as a goddess of magic and witchcraft, she was nyktypolos (“she who wanders at night”) or skylakagetis (“leader of dogs”) as a goddess of crossroads, she was trioditis (“she of the triple road,” translated into Trivia by the Romans) and enodia (“she of the road”) and in her capacity as a helper to mortals, she was sōteira (“savior”), atalos (“tender”), kourotrophos (“nurse of the young”), or phōsphoros (“bringer of light”). The Romans often referred to Hecate as Trivia (“she of the triple road”), echoing the goddess’s association with crossroads. Consequently, “Hecate” could be seen as an alternate name for any one of these deities. Hecate was often identified with a number of other goddesses (both Greek and non-Greek), including Artemis, Selene, Persephone, Crataeis, and Brimo. 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). Hekatē) is the feminine form of hekatos, an epithet of the god Apollo meaning “the one who works from afar.” But the true etymology of the name is uncertain. The name “Hecate” (Greek Ἑκάτη, translit. What we do know is that she was virtually ubiquitous in ancient Greece, being at once the goddess of witches, the household, crossroads and travel, agriculture, and more. She does not appear in the Homeric epics and was most likely adopted into the Greek pantheon from the Carians of Asia Minor. Like Athena and Artemis, she was considered a virgin goddess. Though Hecate was most commonly depicted as a sinister goddess of magic, witchcraft, and the Underworld, she was sometimes portrayed as kind and helpful.
She was usually called the daughter of the Titans Asteria and Perses, but there were many alternate versions of her parentage, including some that made her a daughter of Zeus. Hecate was a powerful goddess of uncertain origin. Other Worship: Magic Papyri, Curse Tablets, and the.Functions, Origins, and Transformations.
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