Lady of Pestilence / Red Lady: Alignment with the desert, sends plagues to those who angered her. However, there is indeed a definitive Egyptian frog deity in the form of Goddess Heqet. The Triple Goddess is arguably the most important deity in the vast majority of Pagan and Wiccan pantheons. Images of her attended by a dog[35] are also found at times when she is shown as in her role as mother goddess with child, and when she is depicted alongside the god Hermes and the goddess Cybele in reliefs. In two fragments of Aeschylus she appears as a great goddess. In the Argolid, near the shrine of the Dioscuri, Pausanias saw the temple of Hecate opposite the sanctuary of Eileithyia; He reported the image to be the work of Scopas, stating further, "This one is of stone, while the bronze images opposite, also of Hecate, were made respectively by Polycleitus and his brother Naucydes, son of Mothon. There are also many that are put together as triple Goddesses but as individuals, such as in Egyptian Mythology, Bast (Maiden), Hathor (Mother) and Sekhmet (Crone). Danu was the source of the tribe's common heritage, as well as its nobility, unity, and power. Sekhmet was depicted with the body of a woman clothed in red linen, wearing a Uraeus and a sun disc on her lioness head. She was represented as the heat of the mid-day sun (Nesert the flame) and is described as being able to breathe fire, her breath likened to the hot, desert winds. "[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. It could also be that the fragment reads 'Phorcys', agreeing with Acusilaus' version. So, then, albeit her mother's only child, she is honored amongst all the deathless gods. Lady of Life: Spells exist that regard plagues as brought by the messengers of Sekhmet. Medusa came to Greece from Libya as the Serpent Goddess, and the destroyer aspect of the Great Triple Goddess. In the 1st century CE, Virgil described the entrance to hell as "Hecate's Grove", though he says that Hecate is equally "powerful in Heaven and Hell." According to Memphite theology, Sekhmet was the first-born daughter of Ra. Hecate (Hekate) is a goddess of Greek mythology capable of both good and evil. Here, Hecate is a mortal priestess often associated with Iphigenia. The yawning gates of Hades were guarded by the monstrous watchdog Cerberus, whose function was to prevent the living from entering the underworld, and the dead from leaving it."[64]. [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. [47], Comparative mythologist Alexander Haggerty Krappe cited that Hecate was also named (hippeutria 'the equestrienne'), since the horse was "the chthonic animal par excellence". [75] In one version of Hecate's parentage, she is the daughter of Perses not the son of Crius but the son of Helios, whose mother is the Oceanid Perse. Shakespeare mentions Hecate also in King Lear. Within the enclosure is a temple; its wooden image is the work of Myron, and it has one face and one body. [83], Dogs were sacred to Hecate and associated with roads, domestic spaces, purification, and spirits of the dead. Isis, for instance, was a mother goddess in ancient Egypt. Inscriptions of many of the statues declare that Sekhmet and Bastet are different aspects of Hathor. Pages 57 to 64, Roscher, 1889; Heckenbach, 2781; Rohde, ii. When the center of power shifted from Memphis to Thebes during the New Kingdom, her attributes were absorbed into Mut. Weird Rituals Laid to Primitive Minds, Los Angeles Examiner, 14 October 1929. Osiris, one of Egypt's most important deities, was god of the underworld. Sorita d'Este, Avalonia, 2010, "Hecate had a "botanical garden" on the island of Colchis where the following alkaloid plants were kept: Akoniton (. To commemorate this timely phenomenon, which was attributed to Hecate, they erected a public statue to that goddess []". Deities, heroes, animals, and other entities often fight against each other because they are representations of opposing qualities. In her book The Dark Goddess: Dancing with the Shadow, Marcia Stark describes Sekhmet as Lady of the beginning / Self-contained / She who is the source / Destroyer of appearances / Devourer and creator / She who is and is not. Similar descriptions are used for many lunar goddesses serving esoteric functions. If Hecate's cult spread from Anatolia into Greece, then it possibly presented a conflict, as her role was already filled by other more prominent deities in the Greek pantheon, above all by Artemis and Selene. [13], R. S. P. Beekes rejected a Greek etymology and suggested a Pre-Greek origin. 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.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 became the patroness of the Nile Delta and the protector of all of Lower Egypt. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Pp. She is seated on a throne, with a chaplet around her head; the depiction is otherwise relatively generic. [67] Another work connecting Hecate to Helios possibly as a moon goddess is Sophocles' lost play The Root Cutters, where Helios is described as Hecate's spear: O Sun our lord and sacred fire, the spear of Hecate of the [13] Another Greek word suggested as the origin of the name Hecate is Hekatos, an obscure epithet of Apollo[10] interpreted as "the far reaching one" or "the far-darter". Hecate was one of several deities worshipped in ancient Athens as a protector of the oikos (household), alongside Zeus, Hestia, Hermes, and Apollo. 1 (2002): Bergmann, Bettina, Joseph Farrell, Denis Feeney, James Ker, Damien Nelis, and Celia Schultz. [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. It is speculated that these statues were created to pacify the goddess and please her. [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. There are three different ways you can cite this article. 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? The Triple Goddess is a deity or deity archetype revered in many Neopagan religious and spiritual traditions. [139], Hecate is also referenced in the Gnostic text Pistis Sophia. Goddess of boundaries, transitions, crossroads, magic, the New Moon, necromancy, and ghosts. [98] According to Hesychius of Miletus there was once a statue of Hecate at the site of the Hippodrome in Constantinople. "[162] This theory of the Roman origins of many European folk traditions related to Diana or Hecate was explicitly advanced at least as early as 1807[163] and is reflected[dubious discuss] in etymological claims by early modern lexicographers from the 17th to the 19th century, connecting hag, hexe "witch" to the name of Hecate. She scorns and insults Artemis, who in retribution eventually brings about the mortal's suicide. Fairbanks, Arthur. As a goddess of sovereignty and power, Danu would grant gifts to rulers and those of noble birth. Great honor comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favorably, and she bestows wealth upon him; for the power surely is with her. Sekhmet is the instrument of divine retribution. [28] Like Hermes, Hecate takes on the role of guardian not just of roads, but of all journeys, including the journey to the afterlife. [citation needed], During the Gigantomachy, Hecate fought by the side of the Olympian gods, and slew the giant Clytius using her torches. A digital collage showing an image of Qetesh together with hieroglyphs taken from a separate Egyptian relief, Iconography of Deities and Demons in the Ancient Near East, Reallexikon der Assyriologie und vorderasiatischen Archologie, A Reconsideration of the Aphrodite-Ashtart Syncretism, Transformation of a Goddess. [28], By the 1st century CE, Hecate's chthonic and nocturnal character had led to her transformation into a goddess heavily associated with witchcraft, witches, magic, and sorcery. She was also the patron of physicians and healers. [123], Hesiod's inclusion and praise of Hecate in the Theogony has been troublesome for scholars, in that he seems to hold her in high regard, while the testimony of other writers, and surviving evidence, suggests that this may have been the exception. [140], In the earliest written source mentioning Hecate, Hesiod emphasized that she was an only child, the daughter of Perses and Asteria, the sister of Leto (the mother of Artemis and Apollo). All of that information has been concised so far in this article. Because of this association, Hecate was one of the chief goddesses of the Eleusinian Mysteries, alongside Demeter and Persephone,[1] and there was a temple dedicated to her near the main sanctuary at Eleusis. Moreover is Qadesh, also called Qwynn, a character in Holly Roberds' fantasy novel "Bitten by Death", published in 2021. One theory is that Hesiod's original village had a substantial Hecate following and that his inclusion of her in the Theogony was a way of adding to her prestige by spreading word of her among his readers. Egyptian equivalent: Neith: Statue of Diana-Artemis, fresco from Pompeii, 50-1 BCE. The one who loves Maat and who detests evil. 264 f., and notes, 275277, ii. Ions Veronica (1983) Egyptian Mythology, Peter Bedrick Books, 9. The Athenian Greeks honoured Hecate during the Deipnon. However, Sekhmet is a solar goddess. Her name literally means She who is powerful or One who has control. "[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]. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. [81] Shrines to Hecate were often placed at doorways to homes, temples, and cities with the belief that it would protect from restless dead and other spirits. roads, which she carries as she attends her mistress in the sky[68], This speech from the Root Cutters may or may not be an intentional association of Hecate with the Moon. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . Iusaas (Egyptian) Izanami-No-Kami (Shinto-Japanese) Mawu (West African) Nammu (Mesopotamian) Neith (Egyptian) Nu Kua (Chinese) Nut (Egyptian) White Buffalo Calf Woman (Native American) Yhi (Australian) Crones/Wise Women Baba Yaga (Slavic) Black Annis (Celtic) Cailleach (Celtic) Greine (Celtic) Hecate (Greek) Hel (Norse/Germanic) Oya (Santeria) . Artemis would have, at that point, become more strongly associated with purity and maidenhood, on the one hand, while her originally darker attributes like her association with magic, the souls of the dead, and the night would have continued to be worshipped separately under her title Hecate. Supporters of this etymology suggest that Hecate was originally considered an aspect of Artemis prior to the latter's adoption into the Olympian pantheon. Apollonius of Rhodes, in the Argonautica mentions that Medea was taught by Hecate, "I have mentioned to you before a certain young girl whom Hecate, daughter of Perses, has taught to work in drugs. Qetesh is the name given to the Goa'uld that once possessed Vala Mal Doran, a recurring and then regular character in Seasons 9 and 10, respectively of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. [19][20], Modern egyptologists, such as Christiane Zivie-Coche, do not consider Qetesh to be a hypostasis of Anat or Astarte, but a goddess developed in Egypt possibly without a clear forerunner among Canaanite or Syrian goddesses, though given a Semitic name and associated mostly with foreign deities.[21]. When Philip of Macedon was about to attack the city, according to the legend she alerted the townspeople with her ever present torches, and with her pack of dogs, which served as her constant companions. [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. 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. [155], Strmiska (2005) claimed that Hecate, conflated with the figure of Diana, appears in late antiquity and in the Early Middle Ages as part of an "emerging legend complex" known as "The Society of Diana"[161] associated with gatherings of women, the Moon, and witchcraft that eventually became established "in the area of Northern Italy, southern Germany, and the western Balkans. She is believed to have caused plagues. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper, use: Amy Parikh, "Sekhmet: Egypts Forgotten Esoteric Goddess", History Cooperative, March 13, 2023, https://historycooperative.org/sekhmet/. Caria was a major center of worship and her most famous temple there was located in the town of Lagina. Hecate was greatly worshipped in Byzantium. Hecate's importance to Byzantium was above all as a deity of protection. [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. [63], Thanks to her association with boundaries and the liminal spaces between worlds, Hecate is also recognized as a chthonic (underworld) goddess. During the New Kingdom (18th and 19th dynasty), when Memphis was the capital of the Egyptian empire; Ra, Sekhmet, and Nefertum were known as the Memphite Triad. Qetesh (also Qadesh, Qedesh, Qetesh, Kadesh, Kedesh, Kade or Qades /kd/) was a goddess who was incorporated into the ancient Egyptian religion in the late Bronze Age. According to the myth, Osiris was a king of Egypt who was murdered and dismembered by his brother Seth. Her breath is said to be the hot desert winds. A medieval commentator has suggested a link connecting the word "jinx" with Hecate: "The Byzantine polymath Michael Psellus [] speaks of a bullroarer, consisting of a golden sphere, decorated throughout with symbols and whirled on an oxhide thong. [59], This function would appear to have some relationship with the iconographic association of Hecate with keys, and might also relate to her appearance with two torches, which when positioned on either side of a gate or door illuminated the immediate area and allowed visitors to be identified. Mesopotamian Magic Traditions in the Papyri Graecae Magicae", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hecate&oldid=1151338190. Mastery over the suns power. [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. We are well aware of dualities existing in the world of mythology. Barret Clive (1996) The Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, Diamond Books, 10. As a goddess expected to avert harmful or destructive spirits from the house or city over which she stood guard and to protect the individual as she or he passed through dangerous liminal places, Hecate would naturally become known as a goddess who could also refuse to avert the demons, or even drive them on against unfortunate individuals. 9. English translation used here from: William Wynn Wescott (tr. 1. 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. No, right? [169] Researcher Samuel Fort noted additional parallels, to include the cult's focus on mystic and typically nocturnal rites, its female dominated membership, the sacrifice of other animals (to include horses and mules), a focus on the mystical properties of roads and portals, and an emphasis on death, healing, and resurrection. Later poets and historians looked to Diana's identity as a triple goddess to merge her with triads heavenly, earthly, and underworld (cthonic) goddesses. 362, and note, 411413, 424425), whose enthumion, the quasi-technical word designating their longing for vengeance, was much dreaded. Circle for Hekate: volume 1. [93], Hecate's most important sanctuary was Lagina, a theocratic city-state in which the goddess was served by eunuchs. This aligns with the pyramid texts mentioning that Sekhmet conceived the king. ", deEste, Sorita. [16], A strong possibility for the foreign origin of the name may be Heqet (qt), a frog-headed Egyptian goddess of fertility and childbirth, who, like Hecate, was also associated with q, ruler. So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young, and these are her honours. Triple Goddess: origin stories. thou who are pre-eminent, who riseth in the seat of silence who is mightier than the gods who are the source, the mother, from whence souls come and who makest a place for them in the hidden underworld And the abode of everlastingness. This description matches completely with that of the Triple Goddess, a deity who presides over birth, life, and death.[4]. 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]. In the New Kingdom funerary literature, Sekhmet is said to defend Ra from Apophis. [3] Marcia Stark & Gynne Stern (1993) The Dark Goddess: Dancing with the Shadow, The Crossing Press, [4] Marcia Stark & Gynne Stern (1993) The Dark Goddess: Dancing with the Shadow, The Crossing Press. The eye of Horus This line of reasoning lies behind the widely accepted hypothesis that she was a foreign deity who was incorporated into the Greek pantheon. 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. [65] Hecate's association with Helios in literary sources and especially in cursing magic has been cited as evidence for her lunar nature, although this evidence is pretty late; no artwork before the Roman period connecting Hecate to the Moon exists. However, there were distinct war gods (Ares), gods of strategy (Athena), and gods of death (Hades). Rohde, i. She appears to have been particularly associated with being 'between' and hence is frequently characterized as a "liminal" goddess. The initiates supposed that these things save [them] from terrors and from storms. These statues are rarely discovered in complete form. "Hekate: Representations in Art", Hekate Her Sacred Fires, ed. "[34] The sacrifice of dogs to Hecate is attested for Thrace, Samothrace, Colophon, and Athens. Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 4. For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favor according to custom, he calls upon Hecate. [69] In Seneca's Medea, the titular Medea invokes her patron Hecate whom she addresses as "Moon, orb of the night" and "triple form". Robert Graves called her by a few 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. 7. 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.