Hekate and Hounds- Skyla Investigates Part V
Introduction
It is time for another research topic! This month I will be looking into Hekate and her history with a focus on her hounds. Back in July, The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish was released! So to keep to a theme, I thought it would be fitting to delve into Hecate Cavendish’s name origin and the lore surrounding it. I am on a mission to investigate Hekate’s hound and their name as this is vital for Hecate Book two!
Although the exact origin of her name and original country of worship are unknown, Hekate is known for being a goddess in Greece, Egypt and Anatolia. It is believed that her name derives from a Greek root due to the first part of her name is similar to ‘ἑκών’ which means ‘willing’ or ‘she who works to her will’. She is seen as a symbol for magic, ghosts and crossroads as she is depicted as triple-bodied in the later versions of her. Ordinarily however, she is shown to be clutching keys, snakes or torches and accompanied by her hounds. Alongside this, there is a portrayal of her with the head of a hound. Regardless of which version of her you know, her dogs are included in some way.
Familiars
‘Canine symbolism’ is mentioned frequently when talking about Hekate and her magic. It is believed that they symbolized her dominion over death. In Hekate’s Greek mythology, Queen Hekabe was stoned to death and became Hekate’s devout ally after being reborn as a black dog. Hekabe is the only named hound of Hecate’s, accompanied by Galinthias the Polecat. Both of these familiars have been transformed into this state as a form of punishment. After Queen Hekabe was captured by Odysseus after the defeat of her husband, she killed Thracian king Polymester after learning of his murder of her son. As the locals were on the brink of stoning her to death, the Gods intervened and transformed her into the black hound. Hekabe is seen as the one ‘kind faced’ hound that follows Hekate.
Symbolism
It is not just black dogs that have connections with Hekate’s underworld domain, it is any black animal. Alongside her black dogs, she also has a horse and polecat familiars. Dogs specifically signify protection, loyalty and acting on intuition. Although black dogs are seen as sacred and a way of connecting with the underworld, they were also used as sacrifices at the crossroads for Hekate.
Fascinating!