by Horatius Piscinus on Sun Dec 08, 2002 5:32 am
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
M Horatius Piscinus
Sapere aude!