Of all the deities mentioned in Hesiod's Theogony,
none stands out more than the Titaness Hekate. Why is she honored above all
others mentioned, even above Zeus' Olympians? In certain instances, the nature
of Hesiod's bias towards the feminine can undeniably be seen, yet the importance
placed on the figure of Hekate suggests a pre-immanence to her position and
a fealty being paid to her for a service possibly only she can perform.
It is possible that we may be seeing a glimpse of an older tradition being incorporated
into the structure of a newly established one. One whose recognition it appears
is both necessary and critical to the survival of the latter.
In both the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, and Hesiod'sTheogony, we
can see the figure of Hekate as a central one. In the Hymn to Demeter,
not only is she the first to tell Demeter of the abduction of her daughter,
but she is also given the role of protectress of Persephone once mother and
daughter are reunited.
"And from that day on that lady precedes and follows Persephone."
What can be seen within the framework of these interrelationships is an image of a triple goddess, whose phases of growth and maturation are represented by the Maiden, Mother and Crone figures of Persephone, Demeter, and Hekate. In Theogony, Hekate's importance is more overt, in terms of information and power. Of all the Titans, only the story of Prometheus receives more lines than Hekate's. Both of these have specific importance in the relationships between humans and the deities; one could even go so far as to see them in terms of positive and negative models of interaction. Prometheus' story is one of rebellion, whereas Hekate's is one of acquiescence. For her services in the effort to overthrow the Titans, she is given a position of power greater than all the other Olympians. Is it a gift of position for services rendered, or recognition of a pre-eminence, which cannot be disregarded?
" For among the children who were born to Ouranos and Gaia and had station allotted, among all these she has a certain office."
Within the text of Hesiod's Theogony, there are references, which suggest either a negative bias towards the feminine or more likely, an attempt to underscore the importance of the same. The depiction of abortive procreation is particularly gruesome in regards to Gaia and Ouranos.
"…every time one of them would start to come out, he would push them back again, deep inside Gaia…"
This bias is even more pronounced in the description of the misfortune humanity suffers for their part in the theft of fire. Zeus with the help of his masculinized progeny Athena, fashions an evil woman who is a misfortune to the men whom she lives with.
"…so Zeus of the high thunder established women, for mortal man an evil thing, and they are accomplished in bringing hard labors."
It is important to note that this
form of scapegoating is a foundation of patriarchal thought, and instrumental
in the subversion of the matrifocal epoch that preceded it. What is most startling
about this passage, is that Athena is the creator of the evil woman. The same
Athena who, in Aeschylus' Eumenides, decides in favor of a son's right
to avenge the death of his father's murder, by killing his mother, after she
avenged her daughter's sacrifice at the hands of the father.
Hekate's position of importance is remarkable for many reasons. Primarily because
she maintains the privileges and powers she had when the Titans were the masters,
as well as being given an indispensable role in the livelihood of humanity.
She is associated with a ruler's judgments; athletes, especially the winners,
equestrians and soldiers, tremendously important in a militaristic culture;
agriculturist and fisherfolk, the providers of sustenance; and most importantly
the protection of children. Her greatest power though, is in her role as the
conduit of sacrifice and prayer between the realm of humanity and the realm
of the deities. Without her the deities would not receive the worship of their
followers. An enigma arises when we see her triple power over the elements.
"…for he gave her gifts that
were glorious, to have a part of the earth as hers, and a part of the barren
sea,
and she also with a place in the starry heavens. "
Only in two other places do we hear
of these three elements being mentioned together. One is in the parthagenesis
of Gaia, when she creates Ouranos (the heavens), Ourea (the hills), and Pontos
(the sea). The second is in the division of spoils between the male Olympians,
where Zeus takes the sky, Hades takes the earth's depths, and Poseidon takes
the seas.
If one takes the story of the Titans usurpation in Theogony as an enactment
in myth of the cultural change from matrilineal to patrilineal, we can surmise
that Hekate is being given these positions of power not so much as a gift for
her help in overthrowing the Titans and the enthronement of the Olympians, but
as a recognition of her position in the older system of martifocal culture,
and of her necessity in the new order. When one culture overruns another some
vestige of the old order must be used in the construction of the new. Hekate
is an intermediary not only between humanity and the deities, but also in the
transition from Titanic to Olympic ages.