Hecate

Hecate, Hekate (Hekátē), or Hekat was orginially a goddess of the wilderness and childbirth originating from Thrace. Due to popular cult following as a mother goddess her persona was integrated into Greek and Egyptian culture where she ultimately achieved her more modern connotations as a goddess of sorcery and her role as the ?Queen of Ghosts.?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Classic portrayals show her as a triplicate goddess - child, mother, crone - standing at the crossroads holding a torch. Oftentimes the crone image was the predominant one. Sometimes she is described as having three heads: one dog, one serpent and one horse.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Her attendant and animal representation is of a female dog, and the most common form of offering was to leave meat at a crossroads. Sometimes dogs themselves were sacrificed to her (a good indication of her non-Hellenic origin, as dogs (along with donkeys) very rarely fills this part in genuine Greek ritual).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In modern times, she has become popular in neo-Paganism and Wicca, largely due to her association as the goddess of sorcery.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thrace: Thrace (Greek ????? Thr?k?, Bulgarian ?????? Trakija, Turkish Trakya; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe spread over southern Bulgaria, northeastern Greece, and European Turkey. Thrace borders on three seas: the Black Sea, the Aege...

Queen of Ghosts: Queen of Ghosts a title associated with Hecate due to the belief that she can both prevent harm from leaving, but also allow harm to enter from the spirit world....

Neo-Paganism: REDIRECT Neopaganism...

Hecate related Images and Photos (experimental)

Macbeth the Three Witches and Hecate in Act IV Scene I of "Macbeth" by Shakespeare Published 1805