So Why Did the Greeks Love Hestia? Page 2 in a series

Let’s imagine what role Hestia, goddess of hearth and home, played in the life of an ancient Greek woman living in the fourth century B.C. on the island of Lesbos. Envision her as a young woman, with long dark curling hair and flashing, expressive eyes. She wears a tunic gathered at her waist by a belt of small gold chains. A wide gold bracelet curls around her upper arm.

She speaks: “I am Selene, a married woman since age sixteen. I have been fortunate in life, since my father gave me to a man who cares much for me. At our wedding my husband Jason gave me precious gifts. My favorites are a gold arm bracelet and a necklace, which has gemstones the color of our sea and a mother-of-pearl pendant. One of the greatest delights which my husband gave me is my falcon, which I named Ixion.

“My father also was a generous man like my husband. Unlike many fathers, he made sure his daughters received education. I learned to read and write, and I can keep my household accounts. I studied how to be graceful and comport myself in a womanly way. I know how to weave, to sing and play the harp. My husband is proud to have me perform when guests are present in our home.

“We have a villa with enough rooms for all in our family, a courtyard with a fountain, storerooms for grains and oil, and a great hall to receive guests. As a trader on our island, my husband has made us prosperous, enough to maintain a slave and hire two servants. Sometimes he is away at sea, so I am glad to have three sons to rely on. And my only living daughter is a great help in the household.

“In return for the plenty we enjoy, we give daily sacrifices to Hestia, who dwells on our hearth. A portion of our food we give so that she may receive sustenance. This was a custom of the ancient ones because she kept them alive. They said fire is a gift from the goddess. As an act of consecration, they fed her flames. And we continue this, our ancestors’ tradition, by burning food and pouring libations to the goddess in sacrifice. They taught us that Earth permits us to take part in her mysteries of transformation daily because the making of her gifts into food, wine, weaving, pottery, houses, and everything else in civilization, are transformations of her gifts into something else. Whatever gifts Earth has given us, a portion of that gift must go back to divinity. [Implicit in Selene’s remarks is the belief that Hestia is one of Gaia’s many aspects.]

“The ancient ones said that consecration comes from the willingness to give up what is important to oneself. This is a way of recognizing that the divinity has provided for us. And so, in consecrating our goods to the divinity, we are consecrating a part of our life.

“Hestia is the center of the home. Before the rest of our villa was ever constructed, a fireplace was built in its center. On our wedding day my mother-in-law brought coals from her hearth to kindle our first hearth fire.

“Hestia is the protectress of our hearth, the most important place in our house. She brings warmth in winter, warm food all day, and light.

“Our hearth is the sacred altar and center of our family life because Hestia gives us all domestic happiness and blessings. When a child is born we carry it around the hearth as a way of asking for welcome of the child by Hestia and for her blessing upon the family’s newest member.

“She is also goddess of the sacred fire of all temple altars, so she presides over all sacrifices. She is invoked first and the first part of the sacrifice is offered to her.

“Our community is our larger family, so our town has a sacred hearth in the Prytaneum, a round building in the town’s center. It is Hestia’s sanctuary. When an official takes public office he must first sacrifice to Hestia at the Prytaneum, and then swear his oath of service. Supplicants for her mercy can take sanctuary at our public hearth. Our officials host the city’s guests and foreign ambassadors at the Prytaneum. And I have heard that those who are sent out from Athens to populate other places take coals from the public hearth to start the hearth fire in the new colony.”

The following prayer to Hestia is what I imagine an ancient Greek woman like Selene might have spoken.

Prayer to Hestia

Hestia of the fire,

I invoke you,
behold me and hear:
firstborn of the Olympians, goddess of old,
you are the flame that dwells within everything
I feel your presence in the fire
I feel your essence in the flame
I feel your presence in the heat.

Virgin mother of fire,
mighty and gentle daughter of Kronos and Rhea
protectress of the hearth
guardian of the home
bringer of heat.
Ancient are you,
I revere you within the flame.
Keep away illness from my home
keep away anger from my home
keep away danger from my home.

I lay before your essence
my deepest prayers for a safe place to dwell.

Grant me my wish:
keep my home full of laughter and joy
keep my home filled with food
keep my home warm and safe.



Note: I don’t know who the author of this prayer is, since the name wasn’t given in the online article from which it came.



Next Monday we continue to look at the question posed on page 1 of this series: why would Hestia have significance to us moderns? Stay tuned!

©2010 by Chickee Atalla, author of the soon to be released Conversations with the Goddess: Encounter at Petra, Place of Power http://www.conversationswiththegoddess.net In: Goddess Notes