Wondra's World: Hekate

Hecate I am, Dark Mother, the Crone.
My face is wrinkled like the ancient stone.
My eyes pitch black my hair snowy white.
I am the moonless dark night.
I lead the Wild Hunt with my dark power
Through winter time at midnight's hour
My reign begins in the Samhain night
And lasts till the day of Imbolg's Light.
For the witches, I am their holy Queen
Their leader for centuries uncounted I've been
I teach them magickal power so strong
I teach them to tell the right from the wrong.
But if they do wrong, my wrath they shall feel
And my vengeance their fate on Earth shall seal.
Cause I'm Justice, I'm Death, I'm vengeance, Dark Moon
I'm wisdom and Love and Evil's doom.
I guard the crossroads everywhere
Who travels with evil there, they should beware!
I stop away their souls and make them insane
That they will never chance to cross my path again.
I'm terribl, gentle, inexorable, too.
What you see in me, that is all up to you.
When your time has come, I will call you to me
To ride the Wild Hunt till reborn you shall be.
So come, my Witch Daughter
Follow my path
Of magickal power, Fear not my wrath.
If you have the courage, my priestess then be
The choice is yours, what you choose we will see.

("Hecate I Am", Author Unkown)


Hekate: The One and the Three
Note: This is an essay done for a college course at CMU in 2003.


"Come, infernal, terrestrial, and heavenly Bombos (Hekate), goddess of the broad roadways, of the crossroad, thou who goest to and fro at night, torch in hand, enemy of the day. Friend and lover of darkness, thou who dost rejoice when the bitcehs are howling and warm blood is spilled, thou who art walking amid the phantom and in the place of tombs, thou whose thirst is blood, thou who dost strike a chill fear into mortal hearts, Gorgo, Mormo, Moon of a thousand forms, cast a propitious eye upon our sacrifice."

This invocation, taken from Hippolytus's Philosphumena, paints a frightening image of the complex goddess known as Hekate. (More commonly spelled Hecate.) In ancient times, She was said to send daemons to haunt men's dreams and drive them mad. She was also said to roam the night with a pack of Hellhounds at her feet and an entourage of dead souls. Fear of Her was so great that Hekate was often referred to as simply, "The Nameless One." Who is this daunting goddess and why does she "strike a chill fear into mortal hearts?"

Many people would agree that Hekate is the Greek Goddess of Witchcraft and Magick. This is only a half-truth. Yes, She is the patron Goddess of Witchcraft and She does appear in a lot of Greek mythology. There are, however, innumerable dimensions to Hekate tha tmost people fail to see. Although most people recognize Her only for the role She played in the rape of Persephone, Her orgins are not Greek at all. Like much of the Greek Parthenon, Hekate was abducted from another culture and forced into a lesser role when the Sun Gods conquered history.

In ancient Egyptian mythology, Hekate was called "Heket." As the Midwife Goddess, and the consrot of Haroeris (Horus), she was given the head of a frog and helped to give birth to the dawn each day. (The frog is an Egyptian symbol for the fetus.) Her origins can be traced even farther back than that, though. It is impossible to give an exact date to Hekate's creation or even a name to Her original form because there just aren't enough records from that time. What we do know, however, is that Hekate originated somewhere in Asia Minor where She was worshipped as the primary Mother Goddess.

Just the fact that Hekate is called a Titan is proof to the fact that she is a Pre-Olympian Goddess. The Greeks, like the Christians in this apsect, were very good at "borrowing" other deities and using them to their own ends. The Greeks shoved subjugated gods into their parthenon under the name of "Titan." And, of course, the Titans were conquered and cast into a sort of Hell. It's just a very clever way of saying "See how easily your Gods were defeated? Our Gods are better and stronger. Na na na." But why, then, didn't Hekate go down in history and being just another conquered monster?

Every other Titan was disposed of when Zeus claimed the Heavens for his own-but not Hekate. The Theogony of Hesiod tells us that:

"Zeus the son of Cronos honoured [her] above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She recieved honour also in starry heaven, and is honoured exceedingly by the deathless gods. For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for facvour according to custom, he calls upon Hecate. Great honour comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives facourably, and she bestows wealth upon him; for the power surely is with her. For as many as were born of Earth and Ocean amongst all these she has her due portion. The son of Cronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods: but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privelege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea."

This passage is probably the most important in all Greek literature that deals with Hekate. It states very clearly that Hekate had dominino over the Earth, the Sea and the Heaven. Take this fact, in addition to the fact that Hekate is alos called the Queen of the Dead (Hekate Prytania) and you have a very intersting concept. It takes three ment (Zeus rules the Heavens, Posiedon rules the Sea and Hades rules the Underwold) to control all of existence...but only one woman: Hekate. Notice it says that "she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea." Zeus didn't give her anything that she didn't already have.

It is impossible to say, however, that Hekate wasn't beaten by the Sun Gods. Our Dark Goddess suffered a more subtle abuse than the rest of the Titans. During the Middle Ages, the Catholic authorities were becoming increasingly afraid of midwives, hearlers and seers. They were beginning to suspect the truth: that they didn't have nearly as much power as they fancied they did. The real people with the power weren't the men behind the brick walls of the church, they were the simple women of the fields who stood on the boundary between life and death-the healers and the midwives. Naturally, the Church did exactly what it has throughout all of history. When ever the Church feels its tentative grip of control slipping, it shouts "Evil!" and lashes out. Over ni ght, metaphorically speaking, Hekate became tantamount to the Devil. Her followers were labelled "devil worshippers" and were killed for "their salvation."

Hekate's eventual defeat speaks to the endless struggle of women in patriarchal societies. The Church ruined Hekate simply by distorting Her image. Until this time, no one would have thought of a bitter old hag when they heard Her name. By the Fifth Century, however, and thanks to the Catholic Church, Hekate became a parody of her former self. She was turned into something old, ugly and loathsome. "Like many incarnations of the Great Goddess she (Hekate) was transformed into something lunatic and somewhat evil." This seems like just another way of telling women that men will find a way to control them, whether it be physically or spiritually. Sadly, spiritual defeat can be much worse than a physical one.

Yet, to modern women, Hekate is still connected with the feminine independce from the masculine. She is the liberator of women-setting them free from the bounds men trap them in. How can this be? The Catholic Church ruined Hekate, didn't they? Yes and no. Modern worshippers see the power that Hekate had in her original form, before the Catholic Church demonised Her, and reclaim it. Not only for Hekate, their Witch Queen, but for themselves, and for all women. They realise, of course, that to be a threat to the Church, Hekate had to have had enormous strength and power.

It is impossible to study Hekate and be blind to the awesomeness of Her power. Her multitude of names and titles bear testament to Her greaness. She is Hekate Propyalia, Hekate Propolos, Hekate Phosphoro, Hekate Kourotophos, Hekate Chtonia, Hekate Crataeis, Hekate Enodia, Hekate Antea, Hekate Soteira, Hekate Prytania, Hekate Trivia (Trioditis), Hekate Klêdouches and Hekate Triceps. Obviously, "The Nameless One" is grossly inaccurate. It isn't that the ancients couldn't agree on what Hekate should be called, these names refer to her many roles.

Hekate Propyalia is Hekate before the Gate. She stands at the doors to our homes and keeps evil away. There have been statues of Hekate found outside the doors of many ancient Greeks homes. Hekate Propolos is The One Who Leads. She guides us and keeps us from taking the wrong paths in life. This is alos a reference to The Hymn to Demeter because Hekate's role was to guide Persephone back and forth on her voyages into the Underworld. Hekate Phosphoro is The Light Bearer. She is the teacher, the wise one. She shines the light of wisdom for all to see. Hekate Kourotrophos is the Child's Nurse. This is where the connection between the Greek form of Hekate and the Egyptian form, Heket. She is always present at a child's birth to grant them fortune in life. Hekate Chthonia is Goddess of the World. She is concerned with all things of the Earth, matters of basic life. (Persephone and Hades are also Chthonic deities.) Hekate Crataeis is the Mighty One. She is the ruler of all, powerful and severe. Hekate Enodia is Hekate Of the Paths. She is the protector of all travellers, especially sailors and those who make their way on the stormy seas. Hekate Antea is the Sender of Nocturnal Visions. She lives in the heart of dreams, guiding us through the labyrinths of our minds and teaching us the meaning of our dreams. Hekate Soteira is Hekate the Saviour. She can save you from the darkness closing in around you if you are willing to trust Her. Hekate Prytania is the Queen of the Dead. When Hekate Prytania wanders the night, it is never alone. Her travels are followed by a host of the dead. Hekate Trivia is Hekate Of Three Roads. With three heads, each facing a different direction, She sees all. Hekate Klêdouches is the Keeper of the Keys. It has been said that Hekate holds the keys to three doors: Hades, Heaven and a lucky life on Earth. Hekate Triceps is Hekate the Three Headed. Shown with three heads and six arms, Hekate looks into the past, present and future at once. She is a visionary.

In addition to all of these roles, Hekate is also known as the Triple Goddess. But, was is the Triple Goddess? The triple Goddess refers to the triple nature within us all, to our life cycles. She is Woman in all Her aspects. We are the youthful Maiden, we are the nurturing Mother, we are the wise Crone. These cycles correspond, not coincidently, to the cycle of the Moon. The Maiden is the Waxing Moon, the Mother is the Full Moon, the Crone is the Waxing/Dark Moon. Hekate Trivia, with her three heads facing in different direcions, is the perfect embodiment of the Tiple Goddess. She is Anticipation. She is Fulfilment. She is Death.

In Greek literature, Hekate is only part of the Triple Goddess. Demeter and Persephone share the honour with Her. In Roman literature, She shares the responsibility with Selene and Diana. Modern scholars often misinterpret Her role in the Hekate/Demeter/Persephone triad. They think that Hekate, being an ugly hag, must be the Crone. This, however, is entirely incorrect. Hekate is not the wart nosed hag that the Cathoclics created to put the fear of God into the Pagans. In the earliest representations of Hekate, she is a beautiful young woman in a long robe, with the stars and heavens as a crown. This is why in the Greek version of the Triple Goddess, Demeter is the Crone, Persephone is the Mother and Hekate is the Maiden. This seems to contradict everything we know about the Triple Goddess. (Not surprising, really, when one considers that Hekate represents the contradiction of life...She creates life, even as she destroys it.) Upon closer inspection, this makes perfect sense.

Take a look at Hesiod's Hymn to Demeter in which the abduction of Persephone is played out. After Hades kidnaps Persephone, Demeter changes her appearance so that "She looked like an old woman born a long time ago." Demeter took the Crone aspect onto herself as she mourned the loss of her daughter. Later, Persephone becomes Hades' wife, taking on the Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess. "Hekate of the shining headband" (A reference the early image of a young and fair Hekate?) remained in the Maiden role of the Triple Goddess as Persephone's "attendant and follower."

That said, it is important to remember that Hekate is the whole of the Triple Goddess. She is not just the Maiden, not just the Mother. She is the Crone, but not the evil witch we have been brainwashed into thinking of. Is it a coincidence that the image of the wicked old hag comes mostly from Disney movies? Of course not, they were made by a man, after all. If there is anything more frightening than a woman with power, it's an old woman with power.

In today's soceity, we overlook our elderly. We pretend that they aren't really there at ll. This is nothing more than a poor coping mechanism. Old people remind us that we, ourselves, won't last forever. We see their wrinkled faces, their stooped backs and panic. There exists a collective fear of old age and death that we just can't shake. so, as a society, if we can't beat it, we ignore it. Hekate the Crone cuts through these illusions. She teaches us that it is alright to grow old, to move toward death. Hekate knows death and does not fear it. She knows that death brings renewal through the fertility of decomposition-and she would share this knowledge with us if we would only let her.

Today Hekate still reigns as the Queen of Witches. Some worship her alone, as the Mother of All Things. To them, She has no permanent consort and doesn't need one. In fact, no man is worthy of Her. (Here we again witness the reclaiming of feminine power from the masculine, which has been a long time in coming.) At other times, Hekate is worshiped alonside Hermes, the messenger, who was said to relay Her messages from the Underworld. There have been many statues of Hermes found alongside statues of Hekate, making this pairing entirely plausable. Though she didn't have a constant male companion, Hekate was said to have given birth to several important figures in Greek mythology. Her children Cassandra, Circe, Medea and Museus all had clairavoyant and magickal powers and played key roles in Greek stories.

Hekate has always been worshipped at places where three roads meet. This is very symbolic, of course. Hekate is called upon at times of the greatest stress in our lives-at crossroads. When we are overwhelmed and cannot bear the burden alone any longer, we call upon our ancient Mother for protection and aide. Hekate becomes our "fairy godmother" of sorts-albeit a harsh one. She will provide us the help we need, but always in her own, usually swift and blunt, way.

"Hecate, Goddess of darkest night, Send my troubles all to flight, Burn them in thy sacred fires, And replace them with my heart's desire!"

("To Cast off Troubles," A modern Witch's chant to Hekate.)

Many say that caution should be used when invoking the Mistress of the Night, that once unleashed She cannot be contained. This, I belive is just another representation of the irrational fear of women in power. This is not to say that Hekate cannot be cruel. There is a capacity for wickedness within each of us, after all. She is the Dark of the Moon, the darkness within us all. Sometimes we are afraid to call on Hekate, not because we fear her poewr, but because of what she represetns. She is Hekate Trivia, Goddess fo Transitions. she guides us across the borders in our lives. "She will serve as a guide in the most difficult and traumatic changes we know: birth, initiation and death." It is the crossing we fear, not Hekate.

If any caution is in order when calling upon Hekate, it should be this: She is the Mother-your mother-and didn't your mother always know when you did something naughty? When you found yourself in trouble after sneaking out late at night, your mother was there to rescue you-after a very stern lecture, of course. Hekate is the same way. She is always there when you ened her help, but she is more prone to be stern with you if you brought the problem upon yourself. Bear in mind that even as She is innocence and protection, She is also justice. Hekate can protect you from evil if she wants but she can also visit it upon you if she chooses.

Although She can be called upon at any time, there are a few days traditionally sacred to the Goddess Hekate. On August 13th, ancient Greeks would ask for Her blessings upon their harvests. Hekate is the Storm Bringer. She can grant abundance if it is Her will but she can bring destruction just as easily. On November 16th, Hekate Night, and on the 30th of every month, ancients would prepare Hekate suppares, offerings of honey, onions, fish and eggs and would leave them at crossroads as sacrifices. Of course, sacrifices were also made out of lambs, dogs and infant girls. Luckily, today the only sacfifice Hekate asks for is yourself. This isn't a suicidal notion, but rahter the belief that you have to be willing to give up bad habits, fear and doubts to gain the abundance and happiness Hekate has to offer.

On January 31, in some traditions, Hekate is said to hand the torch of life to Brigid. It is believed that Hekate and Brigid are sisters who share the responsibility of carrying the torch through the year. This seems strange at first because Hekate is (supposedly) a Greek goddess and Brigid is (supposedly) a Celtic goddess. On the other hand, Brigid is just as old as Hekate. Her worship dates back farther than most scholars assume. Who is to say that they aren't sisters? I think if the study of Hekate has taught us anything it is that She is not what we expect.

Hekate the Triple Goddess. She looks in every direction at once so she sees all. The torches she hold light our way. With her dagger, "She can cut though the darkness, bring visions, call back the past and reveal the future." The snake is a sign of death and her Chthonia role.

Hekate Propolos guiding Persephone from the Underworld. The torches she holds are also connected with Demeter and Persephone.

(© Hrana Janto)

Hekate the Crone. The baying dogs are often associated with Hekate, who was sometimes called "The Black She Dog." The ancient Greeks believed that Hekate was visible only to dogs and if dogs were travelling at night it meant Hekate was about. The connection may come from Hekate's role in child birth and "the ease with which the bitch gives birth."

The Egyptian Midwife Goddess, Heket. She is an early version of Hekate in her Kourotophos role. The frog's head is a symbol of the embryonic state and of birth.

Works Cited

"Hecate Chants." Hecate Beneath the Veil. http://www.hecate.ws/chants.htm (2000).

"Hecate I Am." Hecate Beneath the Veil. http://www.hecate.ws/hecateiam.htm (2000).

"Hekate's Role." Hekate, Goddess of Witchcraft. http://www.hecate.org/uk/roles.htm (2002).

Hesiod; translated by Athanassakis, Apostolos N. "Hymn to Demeter." The Homeric Hymns. Johns Hopkins, 1976.

Hesiod; translated by Evelyn-White, Hugh G. The Theogony. Harvard University Press, 1914.

Lady Hecate. "The Goddess Hecate." Hecate's Cauldron. http://www.hecatescauldron.org/The%20Goddess%20Hecate.htm (2000).

Roibin. "Entrance to the Shrine of Hecate-Greek Lunar and Earth Goddess." Shrine of the Forgotten Goddesses. http://inannavitualave.net/hekate.html (2002).

"Sacred to Hekate." Hekate, Goddess of Witchcraft. http://www.hecate.org.uk/sacred.htm (2002).


Bibliography

Dexter, Miriam Robbins. Whence the Goddess. New Rok, NY: Teachers College Press, 1990.

Gadon, Elinor W. The Once and Future Goddess. San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins Publishers, 1989.

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopaedia of Witches and Witchcraft. New York, NY: Facts on File, Inc., 1999.

"Hecate I Am." Hecate Beneath the Veil. http://www.hecate.we/hecateim.htm (2000).

"Hekate's History." Hekate, Goddess of Witchcraft. http://www.hecate.org.uk/history.htm (2002).

Hesiod; translated by Athanassakis, Apostolos N. "Hymn to Demeter." The Homeric Hymns. Johns Hopkins, 1976.

Hesiod; translated by Evelyn-White, Hugh G. The Theogony. Harvard University Press, 1914.

Lady Hecate. "Hecate I Am." Hecate's Cauldron. http://www.hecatescauldron.org/Hecate%20I%20Am.htm (2000).

"Hekate's Role." Hekate, Goddess of Witchcraft. http://www.hecate.org.uk/roles.htm (2002).

Roibin. "Entrance to the Shrine of Hecate-Greek Lunar and Earth Goddess." Shrine of the Forgotten Goddesses. http://www.inanna.vitualave.net/hekate.html (2002).

"Understanding Hecate and Her History." Hecate Beneath the Veil. http://www.hecate.ws/history.htm (2000).