Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Hecate

Recently I was asked to do some drawings of a goddess/witch for a Pagan convention. My drawings didn't get chosen for use but I had a good time doing them. I put info a the bottom of this post on her so you can understand the drawings.


I used dogs I love as models for the three-headed dog. Roxy, my dog is on the left, Red, my
granddog, is in the middle and the right had dog is from my imagination.
In this version the dog on the right is my cousin's dog, Sadie - a pretty little cocker spaniel.


Here is info from goddessgift.com about Hecate, a Greek goddess.

Hecate, Greek goddess of the three paths, guardian of the household, protector of everything newly born, and the goddess of witchcraft -- once a widely revered and influential goddess, the reputation of Hecate has been tarnished over the centuries. In current times, she is usually depicted as a "hag" or old witch stirring the cauldron.

But nothing could be further from the image of Hecate's original glory.

A beautiful and powerful goddess in her own right, the Greek goddess Hecate was the only one of the ancient Titans who Zeus allowed to retain their authority once the Olympians seized control. Zeus shared with Hecate, and only her, the awesome power of giving humanity anything she wished (or withholding it if she pleased).

Hecate was usually depicted with her sacred dogs, although Hecate and even her animals, were sometimes said to have three heads and that they could see in all directions. Although usually depicted as a beautiful woman having three human heads, some images are fearsome indeed (one with a snake's head, one with a horse's, and the third a boar's head).

This farsightedness, the ability to see in several directions at once (even the past, present, and future) featured largely in her most famous myth, the abduction of Persephone. For it was the goddess Hecate who "saw" and told the frantic Demeter what had become of her daughter.

The goddess Hecate continued to play an important role in the life of Persephone, becoming her confidante when she was in the Underworld. Hades, thankful for their friendship, was more than hospitable, honoring Hecate as a prominent and permanent guest in the spirit world. Surely this had the effect of enhancing her reputation as a spirit of black magic with the power to conjure up dreams, prophecies, and phantoms.

So a little lesson on Greek mythology, illustrated by me.

1 comment:

Jaye said...

WOW! What a long and interesting post!