by Lian Slayford-Wei

Created on: May 19, 2009

Greek Goddesses: Hecate, Her History and Significance - Then and Now

The Greek goddess Hecate is not a deity one immediately recognises from classical mythology. However, Hecate is an important element within the Greek pantheon, as well as Greek society in a whole. In this article I will explore her history and her significance both in antiquity and today.

According to mythology, Hecate was the goddess of many attributes; these included the moon, witchcraft, crossroads, dog sacrifices, torches and ghosts. Among Hecate's powers was a measure of control over the fertility of the earth. She gave honour and wealth to those men who sacrificed properly and called upon her.

Our first mention of Hecate is within Hesiod's Hymn to Hecate, where she is depicted as a benevolent goddess. She is shown as a deity closely involved in the affairs of the community with powers broadly founded in the natural world. "The son of Cronus neither constrained her nor took away anything of what she obtained by lot among the Titans of early day, but she holds, as the division was initially in the beginning... honours on earth, in heaven and on sea" (Berg, p.243).

Expressions of Hecate's closeness in the lives of men and her generous nature form a recurring theme in the Hymn. Her presence resulted in accomplishment and prominence in courts and assemblies, in battles and athletic contests, and in horsemanship.

Hecate was one of the three goddesses of the moon often depicted as one - these were Artemis and Selene. The three linked goddesses symbolised the three phases of the lunar cycle. Artemis represented the crescent-shaped moon, Selene the full moon and Hecate the new moon.

As well as this, she is a nurse of the young. In this capacity, she is linked with the Muses, who attend upon chosen princes from the time of their birth, and with Gaia, who raised the young Zeus on Crete (Marquardt, p.244).

The genealogy of Hecate is particularly interesting. She was the only child of the Titans Perses and Asteria, and through her ties to Leto, the cousin of the Olympian gods Artemis and Apollo. Though theoretically contemporary with them, Hecate is obviously older and has a closer relation to the Titans than to the Olympians. The fact that Hecate is also the sole issue of a less renowned part of the family makes her exceptional reputation and status among the younger gods all the more extraordinary, if not actually anachronistic. The "emphasis on Hecate's status as an only child is generally

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