Other Related Deities and Entities Associated with Hecate

The most well know associates of Hecate are from the story of Persephone and Demeter. This is one of my favorite myths.  Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter.  Zeus being the god of the sky and thunder as well as the ruler of the gods and Demeter being the harvest goddess.

The story goes that Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the underworld to be his queen.  Hecate and the god of the Sun, Helios hear her cries.  Hecate finds Demeter wandering around looking for her and tells her about the cries she heard.  They go back to Helios to get the whole store and find that Persephone is in the underworld.  The account vary based on the myth being told, but basically Demeter wants Zeus to have his brother return Persephone.  Eventually he sends Hermes to tell Hades to let Persephone go, to which he agrees but not before feeding her some pomegranate seeds.  Knowing that anyone who consumes anything in the underworld can never leave.  Demeter threatens that spring will never return to the earth if her daughter is not freed.  A deal is made that Persephone will spend part of the year in the underworld and part with her mother.   During the time that Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter is sad and there is no vegetation or warmth from the sun.  No crops grow until she returns.

Zeus is almost linked with Hecate as it relates to the war of the Titans.  Hecate is said to be the only one of the Titans to retain her power after the war.  It is said that she was honored above all.  She was granted powers over the earth, heaven and seas.  Others say that he gave her nothing.  She already had these dominions via birth rights from her parents Asteria and Perses.

Some believe that Hecate was a consort of Hermes.  The cults of Thessalian Pherai and Eleusis look at both of them as being associated with the myth of Persephone (see above) and with the souls of the underworld, or the dead.  Some modern followers of Wicca who attribute the role of Dark Goddess or Crone Goddess to Hecate may also include Hermes as her consort in a Lord & Lady representation. 

Certainly not an exhaustive list of those deities associate with Hecate, it will give a point of reference to begin researching her.  One of the things I've found most interesting since joining the Covenant of Hekate, is finding how many other cultures have goddess figures that have similarities to Hecate.  For example the Minoan Snake Goddess from Crete. 

 To me looking at her, she just says, Hecate to me.  I’m still learning and looking to find connections with the goddess in other deities.