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HESTIA GODDESS> ΕΣΤΙΗ


GENERAL INFO

I) What was Hestia the goddess of?

GODDESS OF
HOUSE & HOME

Patron of: Houses; Home; Family; Domestic life
Favour: Protection of the sanctity of the home

GODDESS OF 
THE FAMILY HEARTH

Patron of: Hearths (fire-places); Domestic fire; Heating & Warmth; Kitchens; Cooking (including bread-making); Meals & Banquets

GODDESS OF
THE CIVIC HEARTH

Patron of: the Civic hearth (the sacred flame of the state); 
the State Council / Parliament

GODDESS OF THE SACRIFICIAL FLAME

Patron of: Altars (hearths of the gods); Altar fires; Sacrifices, Libations & Prayers to the gods

II) What were her symbols, attributes,
sacred plants and animals?

SYMBOLS

Hearth

ATTRIBUTES

Kettle or ketteldrum; Modest head-veil

CHARIOT

None described

SACRED PLANTS / FLOWERS

Unknown flowering plant (see image below)

SACRED ANIMALS

perhaps Swine (Greek "hus")

SACRED BIRDS

None known

PLANET OF HESTIA

N/A

DAY OF HESTIA

N/A

III) Who were the family & attendants of Hestia?

FATHER

KRONOS Deposed Titan-King of the Gods, son of Ouranos the sky & Gaia the earth

MOTHER

RHEA Former Titan-Queen of the Gods, daughter of Ouranos the sky & Gaia the earth

HUSBAND

None, she was a virgin goddess

CHILDREN

None, she was a virgin goddess

ATTENDANTS & MINIONS

NYMPHAI (probably Okeanides) (all of the goddesses had their Nymphai handmaidens)

IV) Where and how was she worshipped?

PATRON OF REGIONS

None known (perhaps the Thessalian region of Histiaeotis)

HOLIEST SHRINE

None known (no specific cult centre)

OTHER SHRINES

Domestic altars in the home; Altars in the council / parliament chambers of a state

ASPECTS OF HESTIA

None (as a virgin fire-goddess she parallels certain aspects of Athena; as the goddess of bread-making she is associated with Demeter)

IDENTIFIED WITH
NON-GREEK GODS

Vesta (Roman goddess); Tabiti (Scythian goddess)

V) What were some of the popular myths about Hestia?

SAGA OF THE GODS

* Hestia and her siblings were swallowed alive by their father Kronos at birth. Zeus later conscripted Metis to feed the Titan-King a draught which forced him disgorge the five.

LOVE STORIES

* Hestia was wooed by the gods Apollon and Poseidon, but spurning both, petitioned Zeus to let her remain forever a virgin.
* The god Priapos attempted to defile Hestia as she slept following a drunken party at the home of Kybele. However, awoken by the braying of a donkey, she promptly summoned the other gods to defend her.

FAVOUR & BLESSINGS

* No myths 

WRATH & PUNISHMENT

* No myths


PICTURES

I) Depictions of Hestia in Greek Vase Painting

These images of Hestia come from Ancient Greek Vases, painted approximately 2,500 years ago. NB Click on thumbnails to view full-size images.

II) Other Classical Depictions of Hestia

Hestia was also depicted in classical statues, stone reliefs, frescoes and coins.


SELECTED MYTHS (short versions)

I) The Birth & Devouring of Hestia

"He [Kronos] married his sister Rhea. Because both Ge (Earth) and Ouranos (Sky) had given him prophetic warning that his rule would be overthrown by a son of his own, he took to swallowing his children at birth. He swallowed his first-born daughter Hestia, then Demeter and Hera, and Poseidon and Haides.
When Zeus was grown, he engaged Okeanosí daughter Metis as a colleague. She gave Kronos a drug, by which he was forced to vomit forth first the stone and then the children he had swallowed [Hestia the first-devoured last]. With them Zeus fought a war against Kronos and the Titanes." Source: Apollodorus, The Library 1.4

II) Hestia's Declaration of Virginity

"Nor yet does the pure maiden Histia love Aphrodite's works [ie, love] . She was the first-born child of wily Kronos and youngest too [she was the first devoured and so the last disgorged], by will of Zeus who holds the aigis, - a queenly maid whom both Poseidon and Apollon sought to wed. But she was wholly unwilling, nay, stubbornly refused; and touching the head of father Zeus who holds the aigis, she, that fair goddess, sware a great oath which has in truth been fulfilled, that she would be a maiden all her days. So Zeus the Father gave her a high honour instead of marriage, and she has her place in the midst of the house and has the richest portion. In all the temples of the gods she has a share of honour, and among all mortal men she is chief of the goddesses. Of these three Aphrodite cannot bend or ensnare the hearts." Source: Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite 

III) Hestia & the Lust of Priapos

"Coroneted Cybele [Rhea], with her crow of turrets, invites the eternal gods to her feast. She invites, too, Satyri and Nymphae, Rural-Spirits (Rustica Numina); Silenus is present, uninvited. Itís not allowed and too long to narrate the godsí banquet: night was consumed with much wine. Some blindly stroll shadowy Idaís dells, or lie down and rest their bodies in the soft grass. Others play or are clasped by sleep; or link their arms and thump the green earth in triple quick step. Vesta [Hestia] lies down and takes a quiet, carefree nap, just as she was, her head pillowed by turf. But the red saviour of gardens [Priapos] prowls for Nymphai and goddesses, and wanders back and forth. He spots Vesta. Itís unclear if he thought she was a Nympha or knew it was Vesta. He claims ignorance. He conceives a vile hope and tires to steal upon her, walking on tiptoe, as his heart flutters. By chance old Silenus had left the donkey he came on by a gently burbling stream. The long Hellespontís god was getting started, when it bellowed an untimely bray. The goddess stars up, frightened by the noise. The whole crowd fly to her; the god flees through hostile hands." Source: Ovid, Fasti 6.319


FURTHER INFO (2 detailed pages on Hestia)

PART 1: THE GODDESS HESTIA
Illustrations from Greek Vase Paintings
Quotes - describing in detail her various divine functions
Quotes - general stories about Hestia

PART 2: CULT OF HESTIA
List of Cult Titles
Quotes - cult of the goddess organised by region


PAGE BORDER: Derived from on an ancient Greek vase painting