Hecate
Once a fairly benign goddess in early Greek
times, Hecate became the dread
Greek-Roman Goddess of ghosts, a close confidante of Persephone and a patron
of
witches.
The brutally wronged Hecuba of Troy was reincarnated
as Her black bitches, who
accompanied Her on Her night walks.
Hecate was worshipped at three-way crossroads
at night even by ordinary Greek
families and could ward off ghosts if properly propitiated. But Romans also
believed She had more sinister worshippers -- the witches and sorceresses
who
could coerce even the gods to do their will.
When Persephone was kidnapped by Hades in the
later Greek myth, far-seeing
Hecate was the only one who witnessed it.
Created by Robin M. Weare, 1995. May be distributed
freely, but not sold, with
acknowledgement of source and artist.
Further Reading:
Hekate in Early Greek Religion, I. Robert Von Rudloff