Hecate (2024)

Hecate is the Titan Goddess of witchcraft, necromancy, ghosts, crossroads (choices), magic and the Moon in Greek Mythology. She is a Chthonic deity and one of the Titans who allied with the Olympian Gods in the Titanomachy (Titan Wars), and remains a loyal ally to them ever since.

Genealogy and Family[]

Hecate was born before the Olympian Gods, as the daughter of the Titan Gods, Perses and Asteria. In most accounts she is a lone virgin Goddess, who never married nor had children. But according to some accounts, she is the mother of Circe, Medea and Aegialeus by the mortal, King Aeetes of Colchis as well as the mother of the monster Scylla by the primordial sea deity, Phorcys.

Stories[]

Hecate appears in several Greek Myths, a few being:

• The Gigantomachy, where she joined the Olympians in their battle against the Giants (who supported Kronos), where she slayed the giant Clytius in their duel.

• The Titanomachy, where having previously allied with the Olympians, helped them to overthrow Cronus and his supporters.

• The Abduction of Persephone, where Hecate, who had heard Persephone screaming, told this to her mother, Demeter when she was searching desperately for her missing daughter, leading them to ask about Persephone's whereabouts to Helios, the Sun God, who oversees everything on Earth.

• The Birth of Hercules story; where after a midwife tricked Eileithyia, the Goddess of Childbirth into helping Alcmene birth her children, including Hercules, the son of Zeus; Hera swore punishment by turning this midwife into a Polecat for helping her enemies. Hecate then took the polecat for herself, which became one of her sacred symbols.

Significance[]

In Ancient Greece, Hecate was prayed to for luck in daily life and had a significant role as a household deity. Shrines to her were often placed at the doorways of home, temples and cities with the belief that it would protect from the restless dead and other spirits. Hecate had few temples of her own in the ancient world. Her most important cult centres were those of Eleusis and the island of Samothrake where she was worshipped as an associate-goddess of the Mysteries.

Appearance[]

Hecate appears as a youthful woman, in classic Greek robes, barefoot or wearing sandals, sometimes holding twin torches and wearing a pointy crown. She sometimes wears a knee-length maiden's skirt and hunting boots, much like Artemis. In her true form she possesses two bodies conjoined to her, one of an elderly woman and another of a young virgin woman.

Personality[]

Hecate is often misunderstood by earth villagers. But on Mount Olympus, everyone adores her and her powers. She also does not like that the Titans use her only for illusions, magic tricks and for entertainment. When Persephone was lost, Hecate accompanied Demeter in searching for her. She is very independent, smart and quite mysterious.

Powers[]

• Hecate has immortality and eternal youth.
• She is self healing and is immune to tiredness, any diseases, disorders or illnesses humans may get.
• She has control of all magic.

Relationships[]

Family[]

Parents[]

Hecate is the only daughter of the Titan couple, Asteria and Perses, who passed to Hecate her powers over the heaven, earth and sea and raised her to become a powerful figure. Not much else is known about Hecate's relationship with her parents but its assumed they have a deep loving bond. As Hecate lives in the Underworld, she became distanced from her family, but probably kept in contact with and visited them. When her mother Asteria got pursued by an amorous Zeus, who wanted to begin a romantic relationship with her, Asteria turned into a quail, and jumped into the Aegian Sea, where she eventually transformed into an island called Delos further separating the two. It is unknown if Hecate ever visits Delos, to pay her respects to her mother.

Leto, Artemis and Apollo[]

Leto is Hecate's maternal aunt and Apollo and Artemis are her much younger maternal cousins. Not much has been described about their relationship with Hecate.

Friends[]

Hades-[]

Hecate is well acquainted with Hades as he became the king of her home, The Underworld.

Zeus-[]

Hecate allied with the Olympian Gods, Zeus and his siblings in the Titan Wars to overthrow a wicked Kronos. After winning the war, Hecate lived a free life unlike many other Titans who got imprisoned for supporting Kronos. Zeus also gifted to her the Lampad Nymphs as a reward for her loyalty. And she has never turned against The Olympians since. And of course Hecate continues to support Zeus as the King of the Gods.

Demeter-[]

Demeter and Hecate are on good terms and appear to be friends as shown when Hecate assisted Demeter in finding her beloved daughter, Persephone.

Apate[]

Hecate is friends with Apate, the goddess of dismay and lies.

Persephone[]

Hecate is friends with Persephone, joining her in the underworld during fall and winter, she helps her adapt to the underworld's environment and helps her see the good things in her dark kingdom, as a subject and a friend.

The Lampades[]

The Lampades are Nymphs of the Underworld and companions of Hecate, they are also part of her retinue alongside Ghosts. The Lampades accompany her with torches on her night-time travels and hauntings. They were given to Hecate as a gift from Zeus for Hecate's loyalty in the Titan Wars.

Enemies[]

Gaia and Tartarus sired a giant named Clytius who is anti-Hecate. He blocks ALL magic and doesn't give choices. Hecate managed to kill him in the Giant Wars.

Symbols[]

Hecate's symbols include two lit torches, which she famously used in her duel against the giant Clytius, serpents, keys, daggers, and Hecate's wheel which is known as a Stropholos. Her sacred animals are the dog and the polecat.

Names and Epithets[]

Some of Hecate's poetic titles and epithets were: Apotropaia (“she who that protects”), Chthonia (“of the underworld”), Kourotrophos (“nurse of children”), Trimorphe (“three-formed”), Phosphoros (“bringer of light”), Triodia (“who frequents crossroads”), and Klêidouchos (“holding the keys”), Apanchomene ("strangled goddess"), Abronoê ("gracious") Adamantaea ("unconquerable, untamable goddess"), which is also the name of a Nymph who nursed Zeus, Admêtos ("untamed and untameable"), Aenaos ("continuing uninterruptedly: perpetual, ceaseless"), Nyktipolos, ("night wandering") Atalos ("tender, delicate") Skylakagetis ("leader of dogs") Koure Mounegenes ("only begotten maiden'") Liparokrêdemnos ("bright coiffed") and Anassa eneri ("queen of those below").

Hecate's cult titles included Perseis meaning 'destroyer, child of Perses', Brimo meaning 'angry, terrible one', Aidonaia meaning 'of the underworld', Zerynthia meaning 'of Mount Zerynthia' and Enodia meaning 'of the wayside, crossroads'.

Modern Depictions[]

Hecate has been depicted in franchises such as Rick Riordan's book series focused on Greek Mythology, Camp Half Blood Chronicles (2005-present) where she makes mostly minor appearances, Disney's Hercules: The Animated Series where she serves as an antagonist, the animated French series, God's School (2018-present) and the Webcomic series, Lore Olympus (2018) by Rachel Smythe, to name a few. Hecate also appeared in one Ms Marvel comic storyline in 1977-1978.

Gallery[]

Hecate's gallery can be foundhere.

Trivia[]

Hecate's name means 'Worker from Afar' in Ancient Greek.

Her name is spelt Ἑκατη in Greek.

Hecate is a Moon Goddess just like Artemis and Selene.

As shown in the abduction of Persephone story, she inhabits her own cave in the Underworld.

Hecate is a third generation Titan goddess with Astraea and Aura.

Her Roman equivalent is called Trivia.