Hekate

[Quintus Aurelius Orcus]

Salvete
Any comments on this are welcome.
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Hekate is the Goddess of Magic, Witchcraft, the Underworld, Earth, Sea and Heaven. Several sources mentions that she guides the dead to the underworld like Hermes does. But her parentage is somewhat strange. Although many mythology books mentions Hekate being the daughter of the Titans Perses & Asteria or Perses & Persaios, another text mentions Hekate being the daughter of Nyx, the Goddess of the Night whom even Zeus has respect for. Hekate has many names and epithets like Hekate Brimô, Hekate Sôteira or Aidônaia. These names and epithets show us how the people perceived her. Although mostly frightened by her, she does have the role of being the guardian and savior. Unlike Haides, Hekate did had a cult in Athens and Samothrace and in other places as well. She was particulary honored on the first and last day of the Hellenic-Athenian calendar( if not mistaken)
It is even said that her cult once came from Asia Minor. She does have many epitheths and even Zeus let her alone since she didn't interfere with the Titanomachy by not chosing sides. Since the Hellens didn't had any kind of dogma, there might be names and epithets out there waiting to be discovered. Because every family,individual, city and community had their own vision on Hekate. In Roman times she was associated with Trivia. Trivia never really had any cult in Roman times. She along with Pluto/ Dis Pater were called upon for binding spells and etc... They were feared not because they were evil but out of fear for dying. If Trivia ever was assimilated into Hekate, i can't really say but i do believe it to be the case. But my beliefs have nothing to do with the facts presented for us by various ancient authors like Hesiodos, Homeros, Cicero, etc... Graves says that she came originally from Egypte as eing the goddess of midwivery and that this slowly faded away and merged into her chthonic aspect. She was supposdly be a pre- Olympian deity. But than again Graves even says that Medousa was once a deity whose cult was overrun by the Aryans and that she even had her own calendar. There is plenty to say about Graves' mistakes but what is troubling is that her epithet of Triformos (three ways) is literally seen as 3 goddesses as one. It is the most common worship by Wiccans who worship Hekate as Hekate Triformos. Wiccans tend to see Hekate as the maiden of this triple goddess where Demeter is the old woman and Persephone or Kore as the maiden. From what i can tell, this is a modern conception and not an ancient one. And it seems that this vision seems to conquer.
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Valete optime in pace deorum
Sokarus Aurelius Orcus

[Anonymous]

I know many Hellenic Reconstructionists who follow Hesiod's sacred lunar month still honor Hekate and the dead on the last day.

http://www.numachi.com/~ccount/hmepa/calendars/695.2.Maimakterion.html

My experience with Wiccans tend to confirm that she is a major deity among them. IMHO, that is because:
1) Wicca is more about "magick" than anything else and Hekate is a seer of witchcraft
2) A large subset of Wiccans are gothic types who revere Hekate as a Goddess associated with death.

My observations (for whatever they are worth) tend to match your conclusions.

Tell me, as I have no relationship with the goddess, how does she fit into the modern practice of the Religio? Do her followers today still practice "witchcraft" or is she revered more for her chthonic aspects?

[Quintus Aurelius Orcus]

Salve Urse
I think that Hekate or Trivia can be worshipped today in the Religio Romano but i don't think that her magical or chthonic aspects will have nothing to do with it.
vale
Sokarus Aurelius Orcus

[Horatius Piscinus]

Salvete

Rites to Hecate that are mentioned being used by practitioners of the Religio Romana that would associate Her with the Manes, but not necessarily is She chthonic, nor a goddess of the Religio Romana. She is called upon in Latin defixiones as an avenger of wrongs. Elsewhere, in the Chaldean Oracles She is a cosmic goddess, the receptical of the Life-Giving Fire, who gives birth to the Synoches. Neither aspect seems to fit into what is found in Greek myth.

Graves claiming Hecate originates from Egypt seems to confuse Her with Isis, where Gimbustas has better evidence that Hecate can be found in the Balkans during the Neolithic. Hecate's appearance in the Cutltus Cererri of Sicily differs from that at Eleusis, and there is also the very different Locrian cultus of Phersephatta. The triple goddess in Sicily is Demeter, Persephone and Aphrodite, although Hecate is sometimes found in place of Aphrodite.

Orce, I do not know what you have in mind of Hecate appearing in the Religio Romana if not that She would appear as a foreign goddess of dark magic. Have you looked at Her appearance in the defixiones?

Valete
Moravius Piscinus

[Quintus Aurelius Orcus]

Salve Piscine
Thanks for the additional info.No i haven't looked at her in the defixiones?
Where can i find them in books or online? Also i thought that she appeared in the religio romano like Pluto did. Mayby i'm wrong. But than again: you are probably the one to tell me this?
Vale
Sokarus Aurelius Orcus

[Horatius Piscinus]

Salve Orce

There has been a few studies made of defixiones at various locations. A more general study, with only English translations, is John G. Gager "Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World" 1992, Oxford ISBN 0-19-506226-4 ISBN 0-19-513482-6 Pbk

Hecate appears among Romans but not necessarily within what could be considered the Religio Romana. There are counterparts to Greek Hecate among some Oscan tribes, such as with the Sabellian Ceres the Avenger. There is a connection made between Hecate and Orcus. Ennius, really a Greek source, says that Orcus is Dis Pater, and compares Him to Pluto, and you do find Hecate and Orcus together in the defixiones. I will try to copy a few and post them for you. But these would still be magical practices, on the fringe of the Religio Romana, and adoption of what would be regarded as a foreign deity to Rome, if not foreign to Rome's population. That is why I question that Hecate might be adopted into the Religio Romana without Her magical aspect.

Vale
Moravius Piscinus

[Quintus Aurelius Orcus]

Salve Piscine
Thanks but i think i ordered the book you mentioned but please go ahead with the posting of such material. I think that other people will find i interesting as well. I don't know that much of Haides and Hekate's role and adaption in the religio romano, but i'm eager to lear about it.
Valete optime
Sokarus Aurelius Orcus

[Horatius Piscinus]

Salve Orce

Reviewing some Latin defixiones, from the book I mentioned and from some other sources, I have not found any reference to Hecate. The only mention of Her in a context that might be regarded as Religio Romana is Ovid's mention of an offering made to Her at crossroads. Roman defixiones are not as elaborate as some of the Greek ones. This one is interesting, from Caerleon, Wales near the camp of the Legio Secunda Augusta, dating to the first or second century CE: "Domna Nemesis, do tibi et galliculas, qui tulit non redimat ni vita sanguinei sui" or in English, "Lady Nemesis, I give you this cloak and these shoes. May the person who has worn them not redeem them except with his own life and blood." A common type of curse, dedicating stolen property to a god or goddess, which they are then left to collect. This on is interesting in calling upon Nemesis, as She is not usually found in Greek defixiones. Other Roman defixiones, where deities are mentioned, usually dedicate their victims to Proserpina, and less so to Pluto. But the most common actually call upon the spirits of the dead in whose tomb these curse tablets were placed.

BTW from the Sentences of the jurist Paulus, c. 210 CE: "Whoever performs or commissions unlawful nocturnal rites, in order to cast a spell, to curse or to bind [obcantare, defigere, et obligare] will be crucified or thrown to the beasts...Not only the practice of this art, but even knowledge of it is prohibited." The proscription did not extend however to magical remedies of illness, such as Cato used, or for spells to protect crops from natural disasters or homes from evil spells. See the Theodosian Code 1.4.2 where it cites Paulus as its authority on Roman law.

Vale
Moravius Piscinus

[Quintus Aurelius Orcus]

Salve Piscine
I'm gathering info on Hekate for an essay aswell some webpages for my online temple. So my question is if you would mind if i use the info you gave us her for these pages? The rest i will do when i have the books i ordered. If you want to be credited, i wouldn't mind doing so.
vale optime
Sokarus Aurelius Orcus

[Horatius Piscinus]

Salve Orce

I do not know what you would attribute to me, as I have not provided you much information.

Pliny N.H. 29.14.4 mentions the sacrifice of black puppies to Hecate, "Catalus lactentes adeo puros existimabant ad cibum ut etiam placandis numinibus hostiarum vice uterentur his. Genitae Manae catulo res divina sit et incoenis deum etiamum ponitur catulira."

Ovid Metamorphoses 7.21 on Medea sacrificing to Hecate
Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 4.1635-90 on Medea and Hecate.
Diodorus IV: 45 on Medea as Hecate's own.

Porphyry has Hecate say "Build a shrine and deck it with wild laurel boughs, set there in my image which adore with fervent orison, and in thy sleep I will stand before you." Form a statue of well planed wood by mystic formula. Smear the figure with rue, and then with a paste of myrrh, storax, frankincense and lizard's tail, confected when the moon is but a sickle. When the moon is full vow your solemn vows in the words, "Come, infernal, terrestial, and heavenly Proserpina, goddess of the broad roadways, of crossroads, you who quest to and fro at night, torch in your left hand, a sword in your right hand, enemy of day, friend and lover of darkness, you who does rejoice when the bitches howl and warm blood is spilled, you who are walking amid the phantoms and in the place of tombs, Queen of the Manes and of the Summanes, you whose thirst is blood, you who does strike chill fear into mortal heart, Gorgo, Mormo, Bombo, Moon of a thousand forms, cast a propitious eye upon our sacrifice." (Hippolytus "Philosophumena")

Using a pottery shard, on which an offering of grain, beans, honey and oil is placed, the sacrifice is made to Hecate at a crossroads three days before a full moon (also on the priedi Kalends Februalis). then when Luna's "horns joined in their circle to flood earth and sky, in silver splendor, loose cloaked and barefoot, hair fallen over naked breasts and shoulders, Medea stepped abroad in silent midnight...three times she raised her arms to the stars and sky. And three times wheeled about and three times splashed her hair with moonlit water (in a running stream)...three times she scream, then fell upon her knees to pray, "O Night, Night, Night! whose darkness holds all mysteries in shade, O flame-lit stars, whose golden rays with Luna floating near are like the fires of day, O Hecate, who knows untold desires that work our will, and are the mistress of our secret spells..." (Ovid)

Compare these passages to what you find in the book on curse tablets by Gager.

Vade in pacem
Moravius Piscinus

[Quintus Aurelius Orcus]

Salve Piscine
Thank you for the additional info you provided me with. I will check it with the pages of the book.
vale optime
Sokarus Aurelius Orcus