At the dark of the moon, an ancient goddess walked through the roads of ancient Greece, accompanied by sacred dogs and bearing a blazing torch. Occasionally she stopped to gather offerings left by her devotees where three roads crossed, because she was honored in places where one could look three ways at once. The goddess herself could look three ways because she herself had three heads: head of a snake, a horse and a dog. The dog, according to the Greeks, was the Trojan Queen Hecuba who leapt into the sea after the fall of Troy and was transformed by the goddess.
The mysterious goddess, Hecate, is closely connected to the lunar phases. Although she is not mentioned in the Homeric poems, Hecate is featured in the writings of Hesiod as an august figure, daughter of titans Persesand Asteria, the star-lighted splendour of space, honoured above all by Zeus and the other gods although she was born a titan and was not a part of the Olympian pantheon.
Hecate’s worship traveled south from her original Thracian homeland and continued into classical times, both in the private form of Hecate suppers and in public sacrifices, celebrated by Caberioi (“great ones”) with honey, lambs, dogs and sometimes human slaves. In theArgonautica, Jason placates Hecate in a ritual prescribed by Medea, her priestess: bathed at midnight in a stream of flowing water, and dressed in dark robes, Jason is to dig a round pit and over it cut the throat of an ewe, sacrificing it and then burning it whole on a pyre next to the pit. He is told to sweeten the offering with alibation of honey, then to retreat from the site without looking back, even if he hears the sound of footsteps or barking dogs.
As queen of the night, Hecate was sometimes said to be the moon-Goddess in her dark form, asArtemiswas the waxing moon andSelenethe full moon. However, she may as well have been also the goddess of the underworld as she ruled the spirits of the dead. As the queen of dead, she ruled the powers of regeneration. Endowed with a triple dominion in earth, sea, and heaven, she sits in the seat of judgment beside kings, crowns whom she will with victory in war and in the games, grants wealth and honour, is patron of riders and mariners, and is generally Kourotrophos (“a Nursing-mother”). This remarkable goddess, whose character seems more complicated than that of an ordinary divinity, and who receives the utmost respect from the Olympian gods, gives us a striking analogy with Sin, the august Moon-god of the Euphrates Valley who was also born from the stars. wise and ancient ruler of the sea, connected with growth.
Sinis represented by the three tens from the natural circ*mstance that his course was completed in about thirty days. But this is only one aspect of his triplicity as he was also regarded by the Babylonians as having a threefold movement, one in longitude, one in latitude, and one in an orbit. As people considered the real or supposed different movements movements, they see the orb itself and noticed its three phases: Crescent-moon, Half-moon, and Full-moon. In the Argonautica,Hecate Triformis appears as Horse, Dog, and Snake. Sir G. W. Cox (1827 – 1902) connects the Horse with the Full-moon, the Snake with the Waxing-moon, and the Dog with the Waning-moon.
The earliest known monument of Hecate is a small terracotta in Athens, found with a dedication to Hecate, in 6th century style of writing. The goddess is seated on a throne with a chaplet bound round her head, without recognizable attributes and character, and the main historical value of this work is that it proves the single shape to be her earlier form, and her recognition atAthensto be earlier than the Persian invasion in 492 BC.
The 2nd century writerPausanias says that Hecate was first depicted in triplicate by the sculptorAlcamenesin the Greek Classical period of the late 5th century BCEwhich was placed before the temple of the Wingless Nike in Athens. Greek anthropomorphic conventions of art resisted representing her with three faces: a votive sculpture from Attica of the 3rd century BCE, shows three single images against a column; round the column of Hecate dance theCharites. Some classical portrayals show her as a triple goddess holding a torch, a key, serpents, daggers and other items.
The three animals also appeared on one of the most venerable relics in England, which is the ivory horn of Ulf now in the vestry of York Minster. A Latin inscription on the horn states that Ulphus, prince of the Western parts of Deira, originally gave it to the church of St. Peter, together with all his lands and revenues. By this horn, the church holds several estates of great value, not far east from the city of York, and which are still called Terrae Ulphi. On this famous horn we find Hecate Triformis and her animas. The horse appears to represent the crescent-moon, the Snake is the emblem of the rays of light from the full-moon, and the dog, which we can only make out its head and neck, represents the half-moon. It is evident that the symbols of this triple moon phase, the horse, snake and the dog would have been familiar to the artist of the horn and to the writer of the Argonautica due to their existence in the antiquity.
As a seasoned enthusiast and expert in the field of ancient mythology and symbolism, I bring forth a wealth of knowledge to shed light on the fascinating tale of the ancient goddess Hecate. My deep understanding of historical texts, cultural practices, and symbolic representations allows me to navigate the intricate tapestry of Greek mythology with precision and insight.
The mention of Hecate, the triple-headed goddess, immediately resonates with her multifaceted nature and her association with the lunar phases. This enigmatic figure, not featured in the Homeric poems but extensively explored by Hesiod, is revealed as the daughter of titans Perses and Asteria. Despite her titanic origins, she garners the highest honors from Zeus and the other gods, standing apart from the Olympian pantheon.
Hecate's worship unfolds as a journey from her Thracian homeland into classical times, manifesting in both private Hecate suppers and public sacrifices, involving offerings such as honey, lambs, dogs, and occasionally human slaves. The Argonautica narrates a ritualistic appeasem*nt of Hecate, orchestrated by Jason under the guidance of her priestess Medea. This ritual, involving a midnight bath, dark robes, and a sacrificial pyre, exemplifies the intricate nature of ancient Greek religious practices.
Intriguingly, Hecate is not just a lunar goddess but is also associated with the underworld, holding dominion over the spirits of the dead and embodying the powers of regeneration. She assumes a triple dominion over earth, sea, and heaven, functioning as a versatile deity with roles ranging from a queen of the night to a patron of riders and mariners.
The concept of Hecate Triformis, with the goddess appearing as Horse, Dog, and Snake, is a profound representation of her connection to the moon's phases. The interpretation by Sir G. W. Cox aligns the Horse with the Full-moon, the Snake with the Waxing-moon, and the Dog with the Waning-moon, adding layers of symbolism to her character.
The historical evidence supporting Hecate's worship is diverse, including artifacts like a small terracotta from Athens dating back to the 6th century BCE. The triplicate depiction of Hecate, as mentioned by the 2nd-century writer Pausanias, finds its origin in the late 5th century BCE in a sculpture by Alcamenes, challenging the conventional anthropomorphic representations of that era.
The symbolism of Hecate Triformis extends beyond Greece, as seen in the ivory horn of Ulf in England, where the horse, snake, and dog represent the crescent-moon, the rays of light from the full-moon, and the half-moon, respectively. This intricate connection between Hecate's symbols and the phases of the moon underscores the enduring impact of her worship across different cultures and regions.
In summary, Hecate emerges as a complex and revered goddess, intricately linked to lunar phases, underworld powers, and diverse aspects of life. The evidence presented in ancient texts, rituals, and artifacts unveils a rich tapestry of belief and symbolism, inviting us to delve deeper into the mystique of this ancient deity.
