Hecate. Ancient Greek goddess of magic and crossroads Hecate was one of the main deities worshiped in Athenian households as a protective goddess and one who bestowed prosperity and daily blessings on the family.[5] In the post-Christian writings of the Chaldean Oracles (2nd–3rd century CE) she was regarded with (some) rulership over earth, sea, and sky, as well as a more universal role as Savior (Soteira), Mother of Angels and the Cosmic World Soul.[6][7] Regarding the nature of her cult, it has been remarked, "she is more at home on the fringes than in the center of Greek polytheism. Intrinsically ambivalent and polymorphous, she straddles conventional boundaries and eludes definition. "[8] Name and origin[edit] The origin of the name Hecate (Ἑκάτη, Hekátē) and the original country of her worship are both unknown, though several theories have been proposed.
Greek origin[edit] R. Egyptian origin[edit] Anatolian origin[edit] Later development[edit] Iconography[edit] Sacred animals[edit] Functions[edit] Circe. Baba Yaga. Andreas Johns identifies Baba Yaga as "one of the most memorable and distinctive figures in eastern European folklore," and observes that she is "enigmatic" and often exhibits "striking ambiguity. " Johns summarizes Baba Yaga as a "a many-faceted figure, capable of inspiring researchers to see her as a Cloud, Moon, Death, Winter, Snake, Bird, Pelican or Earth Goddess, totemic matriarchal ancestress, female initiator, phallic mother, or archetypal image".
Etymology[edit] Variations of the name Baba Yaga are found in the languages of the Eastern Slavic peoples. The first element, baba, is transparently a babble word. In Old Russian, baba may mean 'midwife', 'sorceress', or 'fortune teller'. In modern Russian, the word babushka (meaning 'grandmother') derives from it, as does the word "babcia" (also 'grandmother') in Polish. Folklore[edit] The heroine Vasilisa outside of the hut of Baba Yaga as depicted by Ivan Bilibin (1902) Related figures and analogues[edit] Notes[edit] References[edit] Sea witch. Sea witches have been featured in European folklore for centuries. Mythology[edit] Traditionally, sea witches were witches who appeared among sailors or others involved in the seafaring trade. Sea witches used witchcraft related to the moon, tides, and the weather, or were believed to have complete control over the seas.[1] In some folklore, sea witches are described as phantoms or ghosts who have the power to control the fates of ships and seamen.[2] As the name implies, sea witches are believed to be able to control many aspects of nature relating to water, most commonly an ocean or sea.
In addition to their powers over water, sea witches could often control the wind. Sea witches often improvise on what they have, rather than making purchases from a store or from another person. A sea witch named Morgana was a main contributor in luring sailors to their deaths. Popular Culture[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] Crone. The crone is a stock character in folklore and fairy tale, an old woman. In some stories, she is disagreeable, malicious, or sinister in manner, often with magical or supernatural associations that can make her either helpful or obstructing. The Crone is also an archetypal figure, a Wise Woman. She is marginalized by her exclusion from the reproductive cycle,[1] and her proximity to death places her in contact with occult wisdom. As a character type, the crone shares characteristics with the hag. Etymology[edit] As a noun, crone entered the English language around the year 1390, deriving from the Anglo-French word carogne (an insult), itself deriving from the Old North French carogne, caroigne, meaning a disagreeable woman (literally meaning "carrion").
In hero-journey[edit] Campbell links the "helpful crone" to the fairy godmother.[6] The wicked fairy godmother sometimes appears in the guise of a crone. Examples[edit] Baba Yaga rides a pig and fights the infernal crocodile See also[edit] Morgan le Fay. Origins[edit] In medieval literature[edit] Morgan first appears by name in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini, written about 1150. Purportedly an account of the wizard Merlin's later adventures, it elaborates some episodes from Geoffrey's more famous earlier work, Historia Regum Britanniae.
In Historia, Geoffrey explains that, after Arthur is seriously wounded at the Battle of Camlann, he is taken off by her to Avalon, the Isle of Apples, to be healed. Voyage of King Arthur and Morgan le Fay to the Isle of Avalon by Frank William Warwick Topham (1888) Before the cyclical Old French romances, appearances of Morgan are few.
The Arthurian tale Geraint son of Erbin, based on de Troyes's Erec and Enide, mentions King Arthur's "chief physician", Morgan Tud; it is believed that this character, though considered a male in Gereint, may be derived from Morgan le Fay (though this has been a matter of debate among Arthurian scholars since the 19th century. In folklore[edit] In popular culture[edit]