Animals Hecate

the triple hecate, 1795

william blake



a goddess, hekate or else artemis, depicted bow, dog , twin torches.

dogs closely associated hecate in classical world. in art , in literature hecate represented dog-shaped or accompanied dog. approach heralded howling of dog. dog hecate s regular sacrificial animal, , eaten in solemn sacrament. sacrifice of dogs hecate attested thrace, samothrace, colophon, , athens.

it has been claimed association dogs suggestive of connection birth, dog sacred eileithyia, genetyllis, , other birth goddesses. although in later times hecate s dog came thought of manifestation of restless souls or demons accompanied her, docile appearance , accompaniment of hecate looks friendly in many pieces of ancient art suggests original signification positive , likelier have arisen dog s connection birth dog s underworld associations. association dogs, particularly female dogs, explained metamorphosis myth. friendly looking female dog accompanying hecate trojan queen hekabe, leapt sea after fall of troy , transformed hecate familiar.

another metamorphosis myth explains why polecat associated hecate. antoninus liberalis: @ thebes proitos had daughter galinthias. maiden playmate , companion of alkmene, daughter of elektryon. birth throes herakles pressing on alkmene, moirai (fates) , eileithyia (birth-goddess), favour hera, kept alkmene in continuous birth pangs. remained seated, each keeping arms crossed. galinthias, fearing pains of labour drive alkmene mad, ran moirai , eleithyia , announced desire of zeus boy had been born alkmene , prerogatives had been abolished.

at this, consternation of course overcame moirai , let go arms. alkmene’s pangs ceased @ once , herakles born. moirai aggrieved @ , took away womanly parts of galinthias since, being mortal, had deceived gods. turned deceitful weasel (or polecat), making live in crannies , gave grotesque way of mating. mounted through ears , gives birth bringing forth young through throat. hekate felt sorry transformation of appearance , appointed sacred servant of herself.

aelian told different story of woman transformed polecat: have heard polecat once human being. has reached hearing gale name then; dealer in spells , sorceress (pharmakis); extremely incontinent, , afflicted abnormal sexual desires. nor has escaped notice anger of goddess hekate transformed evil creature. may goddess gracious me : fables , telling leave others.

athenaeus (writing in 1st or 2nd century bce, , drawing on etymological speculation of apollodorus of athens) notes red mullet sacred hecate, on account of resemblance of names; goddess trimorphos, of triple form . greek word mullet trigle , later trigla. goes on quote fragment of verse o mistress hecate, trioditis / 3 forms , 3 faces / propitiated mullets . in relation greek concepts of pollution, parker observes, fish commonly banned red mullet (trigle), fits neatly pattern. delighted in polluted things, , eat corpse of fish or man . blood-coloured itself, sacred blood-eating goddess hecate. seems symbolic summation of negative characteristics of creatures of deep. @ athens, said there stood statue of hecate triglathena, whom red mullet offered in sacrifice. after mentioning fish sacred hecate, alan davidson writes, cicero, horace, juvenal, martial, pliny, seneca , suetonius have left abundant , interesting testimony red mullet fever began affect wealthy romans during last years of republic , gripped them in empire. main symptoms preoccupation size, consequent rise absurd heights of prices of large specimens, habit of keeping red mullet in captivity, , enjoyment of highly specialized aesthetic experience induced watching color of dying fish change.

the frog, symbol of similarly-named egyptian goddess heqet, has become sacred hecate in modern pagan literature, possibly due in part ability cross between 2 elements.

in three-headed representations, discussed above, hecate has 1 or more animal heads, including cow, dog, boar, serpent , horse.