Hekate
…Also she bare Asteria of happy name, whom Perses once led to his great house to be called his dear wife. And she conceived and bare Hecate whom Zeus the son of Cronos honoured above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received 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 favour according to custom, he calls upon Hecate. Great honour comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favourably, 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, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honour, but much more still, for Zeus honours her. Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgement, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. 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. Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them: and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents. And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will: and to those whose business is in the grey discomfortable sea, and who pray to Hecate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. 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. So, then. albeit her mother's only child, she is honoured amongst all the deathless gods. And the son of Cronos made her a nurse of the young who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing Dawn. So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young, and these are her honours...from Theogony
Modern Interpretations
There are a great many ways to see this goddess, indeed any deity, but the one that seems to have captured the modern thinkers and practitioners of pagan paths is the role of Hekate as a goddess of witches. Perhaps her ties to the underworld, or her aspect as nursemaid or guardian (Kourotrophos.) Perhaps it is the mysterious aspect of keeper of keys, guardian of crossroads, etc. A combination of these, especially as goddess of protection against malignancy, makes her a good choice for such a modern interpretation, but was this Hekate in the ancient world? Yes and no. The earliest forms of Hekate are known to be very beneficent. She is said to have been given part in the Sea, in the Air, her torches, which she is pictured as carrying, denote a function in fire, and her chthonic nature gives her an earthly aspect as well, thus modern witches, many of whom work with elemental magic, can see in her a proper deity to call upon as they work their magic.
Hekate’s reputation in Roman times was a bit dark. An interesting picture of her is drawn when she is described as appearing from the mists of night with a retinue of howling dogs and the spirits of men in her wake. But this dark image, which would be frightening to see, is also one of her beneficent aspects, for as guide of souls, hers is a special role. The ancients believed that this goddess also guided the souls of the dead to the underworld, as Hermes was also said to do, thus the spirits of human beings trailing behind her were not to be feared, as they were being lead to the underworld, or as I see it, returned to the primal force of the mother, Gaea.
Important Aspects
- Hekate Propylaia: Guarddian of entrances.
- Hekate Apotropaios: The averter of evil.
- Hekate Phosphoros: Bearer of torches.
- Hekate Propolos: Guide and Companion
- Hekate Kourotrophos: Nursemaid to men and Gods.
- Hekate Chthonia: Goddess of the Underworld
- Hekate Enodia: Of the Crossroads
My Personal Feelings about Hekate
Personally, I see Hekate as rather a difficult Goddess to commune with. I think much of her nature has been polluted by modern feminist and politically correct ideas of what such a goddess represents. Like so many Goddesses, her roles are many fold and extremely difficult to pin down into simple categories. Certainly she has a very special role in Hellenic religion and theology, for as a goddess who has a role in the upper, the lower, and the mortal world, her role in life is not to be underestimated, but a personal connection requires study and meditation, something I have not done regarding this deity. I do, however, acknowledge her in my prayers and in my dedications and offerings to the Gods. Another difficulty is the feeling that Hekate is not so much a Goddess as an aspect, that Hekate can be an aspect of Artemis or Demeter or even Persephone rather than an individual goddess is something that seems clear when reading Hekate in Ancient Greek Religion, by Robert Von Rudolph, but there is also so much more to be had in this book, and so until I am further convinced otherwise, I have to give the benefit of the doubt and accept Hekate as what I think she is, a distinct Goddess who none the less shares her power or office with a great many other goddesses and gods.