![\"30](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/690\/2016\/07\/30-days-of-hekate-1.png\")
<\/p>\nThis post is part of a blog challenge series, 30 Days of Devotion to Hekate.\u00a0 Day 16 and we\u2019re looking at how Hekate represents the values of Her pantheon and cultural origins.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ah another hard one! We don\u2019t actually know Hekates true cultural origins, not for sure \u2013 so how can we know if She represents their values?\u00a0 And the values of Her pantheon?\u00a0 What are the values of the Theoi as a whole? I suppose, how does She represent the values of the ancient Hellenes?<\/p>\n
I am going to admit to looking for inspiration for this particular post.\u00a0 So I went a-Googling for people who have done this devotional series before \u2013 as I know some have.\u00a0 Not to copy what people have said, just to get some ideas that could maybe lead to more ideas.\u00a0\u00a0 So I looked over at Neheti Sings for Hekate<\/a>, By Her Fires<\/a> and On My Pagan Path<\/a> and discovered that yeh, they had the same problems with this topic as I am having.\u00a0 It\u2019s really a hard one.<\/p>\n One thing that stood out to me was from Neheti \u2013 \u201cIn a way one can understand the necessity for a boundary guardian as a reflection of the ultimate xenophobia of non-Hellenes (or for that matter towards other Greeks from different regions!) that shaped the Greek poleis.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, I can see this parallel.\u00a0 And the irony of it, that Hekate was a non-Hellenic deity originally, and then to serve as a sort of poster Goddess of Hellenic xenophobia.\u00a0 And then to be the Goddess who was adopted into multiple other cultures religions \u2013 Chaldean and Roman for instance, and She has a very big multi-cultural following now.<\/p>\n So, to me, She does not represent this value very well at all.\u00a0 I can see how they wanted Her to represent their xenophobia, and She is a good boundary guardian for sure \u2013 but I think She didn\u2019t live up to their expectations of what a boundary guardian should be.\u00a0 She might protect your home from harm, but She doesn\u2019t protect you from being confronted by your own wilful ignorance.<\/p>\n So in this I think She doesn\u2019t reflect that value of ancient Hellas very well at all \u2013 and that\u2019s all to the good in my opinion.<\/p>\n We can also look at the Hellenic view of women, they had some quite sexist views of women.\u00a0 I think Hekate is also not a good representative of this value either! Being an independent Goddess who doesn\u2019t rely on any male figures for anything, running around at night all alone, only sometimes veiled.\u00a0 The horror.<\/p>\n Then again, ancient Hellas was the birth place of democracy \u2013 even if it has never been what may have been originally dreamed of.\u00a0 Still, democracy is all about choice, particularly the choice of who leads you.\u00a0 In the matter of choice Hekate is certainly a representative of this value \u2013 She is the Goddess of the Crossroads, She is all about choice and making choices!<\/p>\n So I guess, She is in this as She is in most things, neither good nor bad.\u00a0 She is a great representative of some ancient Hellenic values, but She isn\u2019t a great representative in others \u2013 probably because She doesn\u2019t want to be.<\/p>\n Sorry this wasn\u2019t a great post really.\u00a0 It is very hard to pin down the values of a people who spanned centuries and a lot of area.<\/p>\n 30 Days of Deity\u00a0Devotion<\/b><\/p>\n 1\u00a0<\/b>\u2013\u00a0A basic introduction of the deity 30 Days of Devotion to Hekate. Day 16 and we’re looking at how Hekate represents the values of Her pantheon and cultural origins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2764,"featured_media":795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,71],"tags":[112,66,22,113,8,9,34,41,40,20,32,29,25],"class_list":["post-794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hellenism","category-lore-myth","tag-30-days-of-devotion","tag-blog-series","tag-deities","tag-hecate","tag-hekate","tag-hellenismos","tag-history","tag-mythology","tag-nature-of-the-gods","tag-opinion","tag-paganism","tag-polytheism","tag-religion"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/690\/2016\/08\/1024px-Raffaello_concilio_degli_dei_02-1.jpg\")
\n
\n<\/a>2<\/b>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0How did you become first aware of this deity?
\n<\/a>3\u00a0<\/b>\u2013\u00a0Symbols and icons of this deity
\n<\/a>4<\/b>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0A favourite myth or myths of this deity
\n<\/a>5<\/b>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Members of the family \u2013 genealogical connections
\n<\/a>6<\/b>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Other related deities\u00a0and entities associated with this deity
\n<\/a>7<\/b>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Names and epithets
\n<\/a>8<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Variations on this deity (aspects, regional forms, etc.)<\/a>
\n9<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Common mistakes and worst misconceptions about this deity<\/a>
\n10<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Offerings \u2013 historical and UPG<\/a>
\n11<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Festivals, days, and times sacred to this deity<\/a>
\n12<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Places associated with this deity and their worship<\/a>
\n13<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 What modern cultural issues are closest to this deity\u2019s heart?<\/a>
\n14<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Has worship of this deity changed in modern times?<\/a>
\n15<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Any mundane practices that are associated with this deity?<\/a>
\n16<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 How do you think this deity represents the values of their pantheon and cultural origins?
\n17<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 How does this deity relate to other gods and other pantheons?
\n18<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 What quality or qualities of this god do you most admire? And find the most troubling?
\n19\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 Art and music that reminds you of this deity
\n20\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 A quote, a poem, or piece of writing that you think this deity resonates strongly with
\n21\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 Your own composition \u2013 a piece of writing about or for this deity
\n22<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 A time when this deity has helped you, and refused to help
\n23\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 How has your relationship with this deity changed over time?
\n24\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 Something you wish you knew about this deity but don\u2019t currently
\n25\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 Any interesting or unusual UPG to share?
\n26\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 Bonus: Hekate in popular culture \u2013 TV, movies, plays, fiction books
\n27<\/strong> \u2013 Bonus: Hymns to Hekate
\n28<\/strong> \u2013 Bonus: Beginners Ritual Outline
\n29<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Any suggestions for others just starting to learn about this deity?
\n30<\/strong> \u2013 Bonus: Resources and Sources about Hekate<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"