Hekate

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Hekate has proven to be one of the most complex goddesses of her era and today.

Believed to have originated in Karia situated in Asia Minor1 she was adopted early on into Greek mythology. The first reference of Hekate in Greek literature dates back to the 8th and 7th Century BC in Hesiod's Theogony "Hymn to Hekate" and was followed by many more texts and references as time passed.

The most intriguing and noticeable aspect of Hekate in both Greek and Roman literature is how sharply and abruptly her depiction is transformed.

Looking at her transformation closely in conjunction with various ancient texts, we can notice that there are three major stages of her evolution in both religious and magical aspects of the ancient world.

Beginning with Hesiod's Theogony "Hymn to Hekate", the earliest known testimony for the goddess, we can address her first description in ancient literature.

"Hymn to Hekate" is an enigmatic poem that contrasts the usual picture of the 'goddess of the witches' by presenting her as a young and independent goddess free from her picturesque coils of snakes and entourage of ghosts.

What especially characterizes Hekate in this hymn is her broad range of powers granted to her by Zeus…"whom above all Zeus, Krono's son honored; he gave her noticeable gifts."

She has the power to grant the wishes of men who pray to her for assistance…"For even now, whenever someone of men on earth sacrifices fine things and prays in due ritual, he invokes Hekate; much honor comes to him very easily…" though she has a choice as to wether she chooses to grant these wishes or not…"Greatly she assists and benefits whom she will…"

This all potrays a young goddess who has been nothing but benefited with Zeus's honor and praise so as to allow her the freedom to do as she will.

The reference to her guardianship of the young…"So always she guards the young, and these are her honors." flags her as a goddess of childbirth.

In this capacity she is called kourotrophos literally meaning 'child's nurse', applied to several Greek goddesses, has connotations with a general caring, nurturing aspect of a particular goddess toward all human beings. Once again a far cry from the frightening, monstrous imagery used in the "Prayer to Selene".

Hekate's best known role in Greek mythology appears in the "Homeric Hymn to Demeter" written around the late 7th Century BC. In the story Hekate witnesses and reveals the truth to Demeter about the capture of Persephone by Hades, she then is agreed upon as Persephone's guide in her journey between the two worlds.

Thus reinforcing the view that Hekate was a goddess of the liminal she guards doorways and at crossroads and guides people through change.

Homer and Hesiod depicted Hekate bearing torches, emphasising her importance in guiding human kind through their most emotionally and physically enduring journeys through out their lives.

Progressing on through the Hellenistic era, Hekate's sweet and innocent overview slowly corrupting into what finalizes as a gruesome and horrifying depicture of what truly was thought a witch displayed.

It is in the Hellenistic age we see the Sophocles's 'Hymn to Helios and Hekate' and the 'Prayer to Selene' arise.

Sophocles was the first writer to combine witchcraft connotations with the goddess Hekate. He arises the first references of Hekate and the serpent, a common symbol for evil in both religion and magic… "She who is crowned with oak-leaves and the coils of wild snakes"…

Sophocles also restates the title of Hekate as the goddess of crossroads… "O spear of Hekate of the crossroads"…also relayed in The Orphic Hymn "Hymn 1 To Hekate" … "I invoke

you, beloved Hekate of the crossroads and the three ways.

Still both these hymns portray a very different picture to a young maiden. Both reinforcing each other in depicting a more magical and frightening figure related to the more evil side of life, magic and religion.

The 'Prayer to Selene' was a spell used pre 4th Century AD to invoke the goddess Selene, the lunar goddess as she was aptly named during the waxing moon aspect, distinct from her waning moon personification as Hekate.

The spell along with the Orphic Hymn and Sophocles, paints a horrid picture of Hekate, even referencing her as animal like … "bull-faced and bull headed one you have the eyes of bulls and the voice of dogs"…

What is the reason that over that period of time Hekate's depiction changed so dramatically from Hesiod and Homer's saviour and light bearer to the 'Prayer to Selene's'…"blood drinker, death-bringer, who breeds corruption, feaster on hearts, flesh-eater who devours those who died before their time"…

The answer to this lays in Hekate's dark references for just as Hekate guides Persephone on her journey between the two worlds, so she guides the dead, and the witches who seek to make the journey to the underworld4. Taking into account this background history it becomes simpler to see and understand Hekate's association with being a 'dark goddess'.

Hekate's darker side has gradually been emphasized since the 5th Century BC, so that by Medieval times she was nothing but a parody of her true self.

Hekate's representation in Shakespeare has been many people's final view and opinion of Hekate; as an evil old crone.

"O well done! I commend you pains;

And every one shall share I' the gains;

And now about the cauldron sing,

Live elves and fairies in a ring,

Enchanting all that you put in."

Hekate in 'Macbeth'5

Hekate began as a popular, young goddess, in Pre-Classical Ancient Greece she was represented as a young maiden bearing torches to lead the way. Later on she appears as a triple deity with three bodies so as to see in all directions and guard the crossroads6. Her final depiction was as a dark and terrifying Goddess of death associated with ghosts, ghouls and witches. An interesting picture of Hekate was that of her appearing from the mists of night with an entourage of howling dogs and ghost in her wake, searching for lost souls7.

Her change brought on by simple misunderstood connotations of dark connections that were blown out of proportion into what eventually became a fantasy as described in Roman literatures such as Virgil's 'Aeneid' and Ovid's 'Metamorphoses'.

As people have researched and looked more into the complexities they have found the 'true' Hekate is much more than just a 'dark crone'" she is a guardian of entrances, an averter of evil, a light-bringer, a guide and companion and a nursemaid who blesses childbirth and brings abundance to those who honor her8.8

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