), "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. [13] However, while Ashtart (Astarte) and Anat were closely associated with each other in Ugarit, in Egyptian sources, and elsewhere,[14][15] there is no evidence for conflation of Athirat and Ashtart, nor is Athirat associated closely with Ashtart and Anat in Ugaritic texts. [93], Hecate's most important sanctuary was Lagina, a theocratic city-state in which the goddess was served by eunuchs. As Sterckx (2002) observes, "The use of dog sacrifices at the gates and doors of the living and the dead as well as its use in travel sacrifices suggest that dogs were perceived as daemonic animals operating in the liminal or transitory realm between the domestic and the unknown, danger-stricken outside world". While this sculpture has not survived to the present day, numerous later copies are extant. [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. Of the 200 books available in open source about Egyptian mythology, hardly seven or eight had anything substantial to say about Sekhmet. What's interesting about this deity is that Isis has mothered more religions than you may think. Sometimes she is seen as the daughter of Geb and Nut, and sometimes as the principal daughter of Ra. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. Antiphanes, in Athenaeus, 313 B (2. She appears to have been particularly associated with being 'between' and hence is frequently characterized as a "liminal" goddess. [28] The frog, which was also the symbol of the similarly named Egyptian goddess Heqet,[46] has also become sacred to Hecate in modern pagan literature, possibly due in part to its ability to cross between two elements. "Hekate: Representations in Art", Hekate Her Sacred Fires, ed. Open Access Dissertations and heses. A round stone altar dedicated to the goddess was found in the Delphinion (a temple dedicated to Apollo) at Miletus. Triple Goddess (Neopaganism) - Wikipedia [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. Goddess of boundaries, transitions, crossroads, magic, the New Moon, necromancy, and ghosts. The gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt were an integral part of the people's everyday lives for over 3,000 years. [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. Sekhmet: Egypt's Forgotten Esoteric Goddess | History Cooperative [28], Hecate was a popular divinity, and her cult was practiced with many local variations all over Greece and Western Anatolia. 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. [69] In Seneca's Medea, the titular Medea invokes her patron Hecate whom she addresses as "Moon, orb of the night" and "triple form". 7. 1910191078, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 11:43. Inscriptions of many of the statues declare that Sekhmet and Bastet are different aspects of Hathor. She was a warrior goddess. Hecate - Wikipedia [78] Fowler also noted that the pairing (i. e. Helios and Perse) made sense given Hecates association with the Moon. [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. In the New Kingdom funerary literature, Sekhmet is said to defend Ra from Apophis. 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. [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. Uraeus - Wikipedia 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. According to Memphite theology, Sekhmet was the first-born daughter of Ra. The goddess had many titles and epithets, often overlapping with other deities. She was also the patron of physicians and healers. Ions Veronica (1983) Egyptian Mythology, Peter Bedrick Books, 9. Whether or not Hecate's worship originated in Greece, some scholars have suggested that the name derives from a Greek root, and several potential source words have been identified. 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. Larger Hekataions, often enclosed within small walled areas, were sometimes placed at public crossroads near important sites for example, there was one on the road leading to the Acropolis. [72] The Romans celebrated enthusiastically the multiple identities of Diana as Hecate, Luna and Trivia. Her attendants draped wreathes of yew around the necks of black bulls which they slaughtered in her honor and yew boughs were burned on funeral pyres. Triple deity - Wikipedia [143] She was said to be the daughter of Zeus by either Asteria, according to Musaeus,[144] Hera, thus identified with Angelos,[145] or Pheraea, daughter of Aeolus;[146] the daughter of Aristaeus the son of Paion, according to Pherecydes;[147] the daughter of Nyx, according to Bacchylides;[144] the daughter of Perses, the son of Helios, by an unknown mother, according to Diodorus Siculus;[76] while in Orphic literature, she was said to be the daughter of Demeter[148] or Leto[149] or even Tartarus. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. Lewis Richard Farnell, (1896). If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: Sekhmet: Egypts Forgotten Esoteric Goddess. "[60] This suggests that Hecate's close association with dogs derived in part from the use of watchdogs, who, particularly at night, raised an alarm when intruders approached. As a consort of the female Triple Goddess, the two aspects of the Horned God highlight night and day, battle and peace, sun and the moon, cold and warmth. [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. She is believed to have caused plagues. According to a New Kingdom story, as 'Lady of the Sycamore', she heals the eye of Horus with milk from a gazelle. 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. 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. 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. 4. At this time, the sculptor Alcamenes made the earliest known triple-formed Hecate statue for use at her new temple. One name was known to Sekhmet and eight associated deities, and; and one name (known only to Sekhmet herself) was the means by which Sekhmet could modify her being or cease to exist. He also performs other secret rites [of Hecate] at four pits, taming the fierceness of the blasts [of the winds], and he is said to chant as well the charms of Medea. Mesopotamian Magic Traditions in the Papyri Graecae Magicae", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hecate&oldid=1151338190. She was said to have saved the city from Philip II of Macedon, warning the citizens of a night time attack by a light in the sky, for which she was known as Hecate Lampadephoros. Within the enclosure is a temple; its wooden image is the work of Myron, and it has one face and one body. Grandmother of the three cousins was Phoebe[123] the ancient Titan goddess whose name was often used for the moon goddess. [95] In Thrace she played a role similar to that of lesser-Hermes, namely a ruler of liminal regions, particularly gates, and the wilderness. Her name was likely developed by the Egyptians based on the Semitic root Q-D- meaning 'holy' or 'blessed,'[2] attested as a title of El and possibly Athirat and a further independent deity in texts from Ugarit. [138] Schwemer believes that this use of Ereshkigal's name merely furnished "the Greek Netherworld goddess with a mysterious-sounding, foreign name". [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. Hecate was associated with borders, city walls, doorways, crossroads and, by extension, with realms outside or beyond the world of the living. Hecate was known by a number of epithets: Hecate has been characterized as a pre-Olympian chthonic goddess. In a middle kingdom treatise, the wrath of the pharaoh toward rebels is compared to the rage of Sekhmet. [7] A connection with Ptah or Ra evident in her epithets is also known from Egyptian texts about Anat and Astarte. 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 . The figure is flanked by lions, an animal associated with Hecate both in the Chaldean Oracles, coinage, and reliefs from Asia Minor. Lionesses are rarely depicted in the pre-dynastic period of Egypt yet in the early pharaonic period the lioness goddesses are already well established and important. Some of the significant ones are listed below: 1. Sekhmet was worshipped along with Ra at the Heliopolis since the early Old Kingdom. Robert Graves called her by a few Aside from her own temples, Hecate was also worshipped in the sanctuaries of other gods, where she was apparently sometimes given her own space. Goddess of: creation, war, rivers, the cosmos, mothers, childbirth, rivers, and hunting Consort: Set, Khnum Children: Sobek, Re, Tutu, Serket, Apep Association: Isis, Hathor, Mehturt (Mehet-Weret) Symbol: Spider, loom, Deshret (Red Crown of Lower Egypt), ankh symbol, bow and crossed arrows Barret Clive (1996) The Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, Diamond Books, 10. [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] Most display systematic mutilations of specific parts, especially the head and arms. Subsequent studies tried to find further evidence for equivalence of Qetesh and Asherah, despite dissimilar functions and symbols. "[135] This appears to refer to a variant of the device mentioned by Psellus.[136]. Serket (also known as Serqet, Selkis, and Selket) is an Egyptian goddess of protection associated with the scorpion. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order cult site in Lagina. [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. [citation needed], During the Gigantomachy, Hecate fought by the side of the Olympian gods, and slew the giant Clytius using her torches. "[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] Egyptian Triple Goddess Viewed as the Egyptian triple goddess, Isis is considered a steadfast symbol of fertility, magic, and motherhood. Shakespeare mentions Hecate also in King Lear. 1 (2002): Bergmann, Bettina, Joseph Farrell, Denis Feeney, James Ker, Damien Nelis, and Celia Schultz. [25]Webster's Dictionary of 1866 particularly credits the influence of Shakespeare for the then-predominant disyllabic pronunciation of the name. Priesthood seems to have had a prophylactic role in medicine. Antoninus Liberalis used a myth to explain this association: Aelian told a different story of a woman transformed into a polecat: Athenaeus of Naucratis, drawing on the etymological speculation of Apollodorus of Athens, notes that the red mullet is sacred to Hecate, "on account of the resemblance of their names; for that the goddess is trimorphos, of a triple form". [3], A passage from the Book of the Dead reads, superior to whom the gods cannot be . This narrative is often cited to explain her epithet as Protector of Maat. Sekhmets bloodlust is so out of hands that, according to narratives inscribed in the royal tombs at Thebes, Ra ordered his priests at Heliopolis to obtain red ochre from Elephantine and grind it with beer mash. [28], Hecate's cult became established in Athens about 430 BCE. Her cult subsequently spread . The polecat is also associated with Hecate. An Exciting Provocation: John F. Millers Apollo, Augustus, and the Poets. Vergilius (1959-) 58 (2012): Wycherley, R. (1970). I have worked with Selene and still work with Persephone. 8. 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. A Handbook of Greek Religion. Sekhmets origins are unclear. Some think this deity is Athirat/Ashratu under her Ugaritic name. Food offerings might include cake or bread, fish, eggs and honey. Egypt is perhaps the only pantheon to have all of these responsibilities attributed to one deity. 4060 in. [90] This sanctuary was called Hecatesion (Shrine of Hecate). "[92] She was most commonly worshipped in nature, where she had many natural sanctuaries. [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". Hart George (1986). 264 f., and notes, 275277, ii. An annual festival was celebrated in honor of Sekhmet. The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few, or makes many to be less. Triple Goddess Symbol - What Does It Really Mean? It is difficult to distinguish Sekhmet from other feline goddesses, especially Bastet. 7000 jars of red beer are spread over the land during the night. Her name is the Greek form of an ancient Egyptian word for "throne." Isis was initially an obscure goddess who lacked her own dedicated temples, but she grew in importance as the dynastic age progressed, until she became one of the most important deities of ancient Egypt. "[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]. 2. Diana (mythology) - Wikipedia [82] Likewise, shrines to Hecate at three way crossroads were created where food offerings were left at the new Moon to protect those who did so from spirits and other evils. The eye of Horus [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. [131] Hecate is depicted fighting Clytius in the east frieze of the Gigantomachy, in the Pergamon Altar next to Artemis;[132] she appears with a different weapon in each of her three right hands, a torch, a sword and a lance. Hecate's importance to Byzantium was above all as a deity of protection. Mastery over the suns power. 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. This and other early depictions of Hecate lack distinctive attributes that would later be associated with her, such as a triple form or torches, and can only be identified as Hecate thanks to their inscriptions. Marcia Stark & Gynne Stern (1993) The Dark Goddess: Dancing with the Shadow, The Crossing Press. The dog was Hecate's regular sacrificial animal, and was often eaten in solemn sacrament. Memphis and Leontopolis were the major centers of the worship of Sekhmet, with Memphis being the principal seat. Danu - Mythopedia The Uraeus is a symbol for the goddess Wadjet. [13], R. S. P. Beekes rejected a Greek etymology and suggested a Pre-Greek origin. [164] Such derivations are today proposed only by a minority[165][166] [53], A number of other plants (often poisonous, medicinal and/or psychoactive) are associated with Hecate. [86], Over against the sanctuary of Eileithyia is a temple of Hecate [the goddess probably here identified with the apotheosed Iphigenia, and the image is a work of Skopas. (2009). In ancient Egyptian mythology, Horus injured his left eye during his battles with the god Set, and thus his left eye represents the waxing and waning of the moon. [170], As a "goddess of witchcraft", Hecate has been incorporated in various systems of modern witchcraft, Wicca, and neopaganism,[171] in some cases associated with the Wild Hunt of Germanic tradition,[172] in others as part of a reconstruction of specifically Greek polytheism, in English also known as "Hellenismos". Beginning during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, a Semitic goddess named Qetesh ("holiness", sometimes reconstructed as Qudshu) appears prominently. 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. 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. A triple deity is a deity with three apparent forms that function as a singular whole. Pinch Geraldine (2003) Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt, Oxford University Press. 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]. Much like Shiva did with Kali, Ra had to resort to trickery to calm Sekhmets anger and bring her out of her killing spree. Sekhmet brought terrible plagues toon the land. 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 goddess is carved with a Uraeus raising at her forehead, holding a papyrus scepter (the symbol of lower / north Egypt), and an ankh (giver of fertility and life through the annual flooding of the Nile).
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