Hecate was known for her magic, her knowledge of herbs and poisons, and as a goddess of the crossroads. In ancient Greece she was equated with the Roman goddess Hecate. Her dark side was said to be Medea — one of many sorceresses in Greek mythology. But Hecate Goddess had many different guises in ancient mythology. She could also be associated with childbirth or Persephone, Queen of the Underworld — which is where she led souls at night.
Who are the top female Greek goddesses?
Demeter — goddess of the harvest
Hecate — goddess of witchcraft and magic
Artemis — goddess of the hunt, feminine energy, and childbirth
Athena — goddess of wisdom, justice, war, and crafts
Hecate
The chief Greek goddess of witchcraft and sorcery, daughter of the Titans Perses and Asteria, sister of the goddesses Phaeacia and Asterodeia.
Hecate is associated with three dogs: Cerberos, Phantasos, and Laelaps. Her primary function is to guard the gates of Hades; her skills include necromancy. Hecate was the mother of a set of triple children who grew up to be sorcerers. Hades, Persephone, and Proserpina were her children.
Hecate often appears in the portrayal as a dark-skinned woman with long hair and wearing a black dress, often with snakes for decoration. The fact that Hecate is associated with snakes may also indicate that she is someone to be distrusted.
Why was Hecate disliked so much?
She was the one who cast the spell on Sappho’s husband, causing him to lose his mind. This made her a witch in ancient Greece.
Hecate had powers over Hades, ruler of the Underworld, which made her a wicked witch. In Europe she was often called “Bacchus’ Shredder”. She used this name because she caused bad things to happen to people.
Who were Hecate’s enemies?
Demeter — goddess of the harvest
Hecate was angered at Demeter because she gave birth to Persephone by herself. Also, Demeter loved her daughter best, which made Hecate jealous.
Charon — ferryman of the river Styx, who controlled the gates of the Underworld and charged a toll for passing over it
Hecate and Charon had many battles. Hecate wanted to steal his job as gatekeeper of Hades.
Charon would not give in to her demands.
Hekabe — queen of Troy — who was kidnapped by Agamemnon for his wife and forced to raise Iphigeneia to be sacrificed as part of the Trojan War
Hecate used magic on Hekabe to cause her suffering. The gods punished Hecate for this wrong-doing.
They caused her to be tormented by crones.
Cronus — king of the Titans and father of Zeus and Hera.
Zeus overthrew Cronus to become king of the gods. This made Hecate angry with her son-in-law, who turned out to be in love with his aunt, Hekabe. She made him suffer because he attacked his father and took over as ruler of the universe.
Who can beat Hecate?
Her uncle, Zeus, the king of the gods
Zeus helped Jason beat Hecate and the other witches in Thessaly. He also punished Medea for her wicked deeds. Hecate was placed among the stars in the constellation Sagittarius. This means she will always have to run around forever. She will never be able to settle down.
Although there is more to Hecate’s story, she has always been and will always be a goddess to beware of. She is the ruler of spirits, sorcery, and witchcraft. She is associated with evil that can bring bad news to a person’s ears — whether it be death or a terrible illness.
We must be careful when dealing with Hecate. Do not allow any statues or images of her in your home. She will continue to cause trouble if you do so.
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the twelve Olympians are the major deities of the Greek pantheon, commonly considered to be Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus.