End of Blog

I really enjoyed doing this project!  I could have added a lot more content and fully intended to but I am a mother of a four year old and am expecting a new baby due later this year! During the midst of this, about a month ago we had a giant leak occur in our home that resulted in my kitchen being completely ruined and had to be rebuilt. To this day we are still experiencing construction issues! So between all that and five classes this semester I was spread pretty thin!

With that said I enjoyed working on this a lot as Green Gods, Goddesses, and the culture as a whole have always interested me.  There is so much beauty in each myth this blog could probably go on forever! There are so many great resources out there to learn more about these deities if you're interested! Many popular movies focus on them, literature we covered in class and many left that we did not cover! The library has several great books too! I tried to incorporate some visuals as much as I could to give the blog a little extra, again there was a lot more I could have done! I am not up to date on the latest technology or ways to do things so it had a basic feel to it but one that I hope you still enjoyed. 

I look forward to seeing what my fellow classmates came up with and the fact that we did it guys! The semester is over! Wishing everyone a happy and fun Summer! Enjoy it, if you guys have had the semester I have you are just counting down the hours until all finals are done and you can take that first big breath! I think I will be holding my breath until my house is back in order, so cross your fingers for me that it happens soon! Containing a four year old boy in a room while construction is occurring is NO easy task!

Best of luck in all you do!

-Kayla

Hecate-Greek Goddess of Witchcraft?

Hecate literally means "she who works her will".  Early on she was associated with brightness, but later on writers began to connect her with the underworld and the occult.  But why?

Hecate was a goddess linked to the Titans, an ancient group of deities that ruled prior the the Olympians as I have previously discussed.  Her mother was Asteria, and her father Perses.  She held a special role among the Titans and controlled the sky, land and sea.  She was thought to have the ability to bestow blessings and wealth to those who worshiped her.

Things however took a drastic change once Zeus and the Olympians took power as the Titan reign came to an end.  Instead of imprisoning or banishing Hecate like many of the other Titans were, Zeus allowed Hecate to keep her honors and even bestowed a few new ones to her, such as being the nurse of all the babies who survived to see their second day.  Over time mythology began to pain Hecate in a much darker shade.  She began to be described as a goddess of sorcery and poisoning who brought death and destruction with her wherever she went.  This shift in mythology could be because in a patriarchal society, such a strong and mysterious female deity would have been unfitting and challenging.  

People believed that Hecate inhabited the space between the world of the living and that of the dead. She could cross boundaries that others could not and that was frightening to people.  She was from then on associated with magic.  

I tried to find some neat video clips for you giving a more thorough history of Hecate but all I really found were songs, chants, and people discussing their magical journey invoking Hecate. After all this time people still look to her for magical guidance. I also find it interesting how history, poets, and writers took a seemingly happy, bright, and good deity and felt challenged by her abilities or status and decided to portray her so negatively as to incite fear.  This is pretty common all throughout history with different female figures and still happens today. Who are some other women; people or deities that you can think of that society/history decided to alter out of fear or change? Why do you think people do this and do you think it will ever stop?

Hades-God of the Underworld

Hades-his name means unseen. He was brother to Zeus and ruler of the underworld, the home of the dead sprits.  As well as a God, Hades was also the place of the dead that Home described as being cloaked in mist and cloud.

Death and Journey to the Underworld

As was custom when a Greek died a coin was put over each eye of the dead body.  The people believed that the dead souls had to pay Charon, the ferryman who carried the dead across the Styx River.  If the dead had no money they were stuck forever on the shore.  When those who did have coins reached the other side of the river, Hermes guided the souls to their new home.

Greeks view of Hades

Hades had a hard, unemotional manner, which made him have a flat personality.  He was not viewed as evil though.  He was feared but the contrast between Hades and Zeus offered a view of the light and dark aspects of life, providing people with a deeper grasp of the meaning of life.

Hades was overall not widely worshiped like the other Greek deities.  People were scared to utter his  name at times, scared of what may happen. However there seems to be a group of scholars that were interested in life after death and did secretly meet to worship him. Below is a link to a quick video describing the Hades cult. Cult of Hades

Dionysus-God of Wine, Vegetation, and Human Emotion

Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal daughter of Cadmus king of Thebes.  Hera, Zeus's wife tricked Zeus into killing Semele accidentally with his lightening bolts.  Zeus, not wanting his child to die with its mother, he snatched the unborn baby from the ashes of Semele's body and sewed it into his own thigh.  Zeus eventually gave birth to his twice born son.  After that Dionysus was considered the god of double birth.  He was half mortal but made wholly divine at his birth since his mother's mortality had burned away.  

Hera could not be stopped though.  She sent the Titans to eat baby Dionysus.  They tore him limb from limb and were about to cook him when Rhea intervened and disguised him as a girl and took him to the court of Athamas, king of Orchomenus in Greece.  Hera made Athamus go mad, so yet again Dionysus was on the run.  Eventually raised by mountain nymphs in Phrygia, and later moved to Thrace.  

The fact that Dionysus always had to run to far off places with little civilization was a critical aspect of the cult of Dionysus.  He represented the ancient YOLO as the kids say, inspiring people to let go and be free, acting as if no one was watching them.  Hence why he is likely associated with wine and alcohol with loosens inhibitions. 

God of Wine and Emotion

Dionysus especially cared for the grapevine, the source of wine.  He taught the Athenians the art of wine making.  Dionysus also cared for the aspects of instinct, self indulgence, excitement, and freedom.

Dionysus in Art

Dionysus is often depicted with a small band of satyrs.  These creatures enjoyed drinking, chasing nymphs, and leading a wild life.  He was the god most frequently shown in ancient art.  Essentially Dionysus embodied what it meant to be Greek.  He displayed the joy, happiness, and freedoms they were all about.

Demeter-Goddess of Corn and Cultivation

Demeter was one of the most important deities to the Greeks.  She was one of the original 12 Olympians, sister of Zeus.  She made sure the earth was fruitful and looked over the growing crops.

Demeter Mythology

Most of the stories about Demeter are centered around the myth involving her search for and reunion with her daughter, Persephone.  

Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter.  One day while she was collecting flowers with friends the ground suddenly opened up.  Hades, ruler of the Underworld and Persephone's own uncle emerged and grabbed the young girl.  Persephone cried out but only three deities heard her: Hecate, the goddess of the dark side of the moon, Helios the sun god who saw everything, and her mother who raced to help her child-but it was too late. 

Demeter wrapped herself in a black veil and cloak and roamed the earth looking for Persephone.  She searched for 9 days, carrying torches until she consulted with her other daughter, Hecate who admitted to her mother that she had heard her sister's cries but did not know who had her.  Together, Demeter and Hecate talked to Helios who blamed Zeus, who he said had awarded Persephone to Hades.

Infuriated that Zeus was involved, Demeter left Mount Olympus and transformed into an old woman who wandered the earth despairing over the loss of her child.  She found herself near the city of Eleusis, in Attica, which was ruled by the wise King Celeus.  Demeter stopped by the maiden's well.  As she sat there the king approached and felt bad for her and invited her to the palace.  At the palace nothing cheered Demeter.  As time went on and nothing seemed to improve her mood Demeter was given a special drink of water, barlet, and mint.  It worked! For the first time since Persephone's abduction the goddess smiled.  The queen, like everyone else thought Demeter was just a lonely old woman and offered her a position as nurse to the infant prince, Demophon.  

Demeter, to repay the kindness she had been shown decided to make Demophon immortal.  Over several nights she performed the secret ritual until one night the queen interrupted her.  Demeter angered by this interruption resumed her goddess form and ordered the people to build a great shrine to her in the city.  When the temple was complete she moved into it and stayed there for a year, refusing to return to her home at Mount Olympus.  During her time in the temple she neglected all of her duties, and as a result the entire earth grew barren.  People everywhere were starving. 

Because of Demeter's failure to produce crops, Zeus feared that mankind would cease to exist.  He sent everyone he could think of to try and persuade her to return to her duties but she refused until Persephone was returned to her.  Finally Zeus caved in realizing there was no hope and ordered Hades to return Persephone to her mother.  Hades agreed but but before he would allow her to leave he tricked her in to eating a few pomegranate seeds.  Since she had eaten in the underworld Persephone would be bound to stay there forever and remain Hades wife.


Zeus however thought of a compromise.  Since Persephone had only eaten four seeds, he decided that she should stay in the underworld four months out of the year and spend the other 8 in the land of the living with her mother.  The comings and goings of the daughter, along with the reactions of the mother are reflected in the changing of the seasons.

Cronus-Titan God of Time and the Ages

Cronus was the youngest of the Titan children of the creator deities Uranus and Gaia.  He dethroned his father and in an ironic twist he himself was overthrown by his children, the Olympians.

The Greek Creation Story

Uranus meaning heaven or sky fertilized Gaia, meaning earth, by raining on her.  As Uranus's wife gave birth to many beings the most important were the cyclopes (cyclopes were giants with one eye), the Hecatoncheires each with 100 hands, and the Titans which were intelligent giants.   Uranus over time grew jealous of his children and forced them back in to Gaia's body.  Obviously the pain of carrying around many grown children was painstaking and Gaia pleaded with with her children to help in defeating Uranus.  Only Cronus was brave enough to come to his mother's aid.  Gaia released Cronus and he armed himself with a sickle and hid waiting to strike his father.  With perfect timing Cronus attacked his father and castrated Uranus, tossing his genitals into the sea.  Being powerless now, Uranus gave his throne to Cronus but not without leaving him with some parting words of wisdom:  he told him that he too would experience defeat by his own children.

As his first order of business Cronus released all of his siblings and married his sister Rhea.  Being perpetually paranoid one of them would usurp him, he imprisoned his siblings again.  Even his wife did not escape his paranoia.  During her pregnancy the words of his father echoed in Cronus's ears.  Rhea gave birth to the 1st Olympian, Hestia, and Cronus immediately seized her swallowing her whole.  4 additional times did Cronus do this. You would have thought that Rhea would have learned her lesson! 

Attempting to make a change Rhea on her 6th pregnancy enlisted Gaia for help.  Together they hatched a scheme.  Rhea hid from Cronus and gave birth to Zeus.  She then handed him to 2 nymphs, Adrasteia and Ida.  Once Rhea was sure her baby was safe she wrapped a stone like a baby and went home to Cronus giving him the faux baby.  Of course in usual fashion Cronus swallowed it.  

As Zeus grew he and his mother developed a plan to free his siblings.  They made his favorite drink,but secretly added other ingredients to ruin it.  He tossed it back not suspecting anything but the disgusting concoction caused him to vomit.  The stone came up, followed by the other 5 children who were now fully grown.  The children, known as the Olympians declared war on their father.  Together with some of the Titans they waged battle.  The cyclopes made thunder and lightening into powerful weapons for Zeus.  10 years went by before Cronus was defeated and banished with his allies, several of the Titans that fought on his side.  

Cronus in Art

The most famous painting of Cronus is "Saturn Devouring one of His Children" (saturn is Cronus in Roman), by Francisco Goya an extremely prominent artist of his time.

Discussion

The two paintings of Cronus are pretty creepy.  It isn't too often we read of people eating their children.  All of this done out of psychological fear of being upstaged and overthrown by ones own children.  We see this not just with Cronus but at different points in literature and history.  Rulers scared of the success of their thriving sons, not quite ready to relinquish power to them.  What are some examples of this you can think of from tv, movies, or literature?

Athena-Goddess of War, Wisdom, and Crafts

No guys, Athena was not the goddess of DIY or avid worshiper of HGTV, instead Athena was the favored daughter of Zeus.  The Greek mythology involving her birth states that she was born from the head of Zeus.  He had swallowed his first wife, Metis, goddess of intelligence after he was told she would give birth to a child that would overthrow him. One day, Zeus had a horrible headache and asked the other Olympians to help get rid of it.  His head was split open and Athena came forth wearing battle armor, with a spear and shield in hand.

During peaceful times, Athena would wear the flowing dress that the other goddesses donned.  When a battle was to be fought she geared up in full armor.  She was also depicted wearing Zeus's aegis, a goatskin cloak or breastplate with gold tassels.  Because she was her father's favorite, Zeus allowed her to summon his thunderbolts against her enemies.  With that said, it's cool to note that being the fighter she was (another female badass) she usually relied on her own fighting abilities to win.  

Athena in Mythology

Athena played several important roles in the Greek legend of the Trojan War.  She stepped in on the behalf of the Greeks many times, even aiding in the fall of Troy by helping the Greek carpenter Epeios build the Trojan Horse.

Patron of Athens

Athens needed a deity and 2 Olympians stepped up for the job; Posiedon and Athena.  Posiedon pierced the earth with his trident and a horse sprang forth.  Athena touched the ground with her spear and an olive tree sprouted.  From that moment on, Athena had won Athens.  The gift of the olive tree gave way to olive oil which became one of the most valuable resources in the ancient world, helping Athens to become wealthy.

Worshiping Athena

Athena was worshiped in temples all throughout Greece.  The most famous sanctuary, pictured on the left, was the Parthenon, named after Athena's cult Parthenos, meaning "Athena the Virgin".  It was built atop of the Acropolis in Athens.  Below I have linked a neat short video going in to a little more detail on what an Acropolis was to the ancient world and about the Parthenon itself, including some neat construction facts.
Acropolis & Parthenon-Cool!

Athena in Art

Inside the Parthenon stood a giant statue of Athena covered in ivory and gold.  This is probably the most famous depiction of her, however there are many statues and paintings done of her.

The photo to the left is a reconstruction of the statue of Athena that was housed in the Parthenon. It is built to the exact size the original was. Is that not cool? I think it's beautiful and imagine what it must have been like to construct that then and the time it must have took.  Art is a beautiful thing people!