Hecate is a very recognizable goddess, the only one to be depicted with three heads or three bodies, as her realm includes the heavens, the earth, and the sea. Since she could easily move from one to the other, she was known to be the guardian of crossroads. That is where we often find her striking statues, but also at cemeteries, as she was associated with communication with the dead.
Hecate’s roots go back 8,000 years, when she was seen as ‘the guardian of the threshold’, standing at city gates, for instance. In the figurative sense, she became an inner guide to those coping with a personal crisis.
Hecate had her
own temple, and the largest is to be found in Lagina, near the modern
city of
The frieze
that ran around the temple walls can now be seen at the Archaeological Museum
of Istanbul, where the scenes are astutely presented high above the ground to mimic their original placement. We recognize mythological scenes, including the life of Zeus and the Carian gods, as well as scenes of Gigantomachy and Amazonomachy.
In Hellenistic
times, the Seleucids expanded the sanctuary to become one of the most important
in
Lagina kept its importance until it
was destroyed by the catastrophic earthquake of 365 AD that hit the entire
Eastern Mediterranean. The rise of Christianity led to building a large Basilica
on the ruins between the central altar and the
Lagina was connected to nearby Stratonikeia
by a
Unique and significant was the key-carrying ceremony that symbolized the ability to move between life and death, the conscious and the unconscious, the old and the new. A young girl, the key-bearer, would carry a sacred key between Lagina and Stratonikeia, accompanied by a choir of young girls singing hymns. They would enter the sanctuary and start religious ceremonies. At this point, the gates of the temple would be opened by the key-bearer as the participants would take their places on the steps along the western edge of the sanctuary to attend the ceremony.
Amazingly, even today, Lagina continues to be a place of pilgrimage where many visitors still bring their offerings of pomegranates, apples, wheat, garlic, and, occasionally, even fish. Archaeologists do not support this kind of gift as they fear damaging the fragile ruins.
All in all,
today’s visitors have their own way to interpret the worship of Hecate. It must
be said that the journey feels very symbolic because her
Although initially, Hecate was known for positive qualities as a protector, a source of wisdom, and a cosmic force, modern pilgrims and devotees particularly revere Hecate as a goddess of pathways and a bringer of light.
What a beautiful support and safe haven in our troubled world!
