It’s common knowledge that within the Greek Temple set the ancients only created one statue for any given temple and it was towards this singular focal point that all of the rites and rituals would be directed; whether they be held within the temple itself where the statue rested on its ordinary cult stand or, as in the case of Hera’s Rite of Spring (near Samos) after a procession to the banks of the river by horse draw “chariots” or ones flanked by animals such as lions, gryphons, or sphinxes. But it is within the temple proper that we shall focus to find the characteristics of the altar area and of the Goddess herself.
In 1961 German archeologists unearthed a miniature statuette of Hera that is datable back to as early as 640 B.C. This miniature statue was not a replica of the temple statue but is thought to have been based on it. The miniature was carved from wood, dated within a few decades of the temple statue, and wore a polos (crown) and partially exposed breasts of which were all attributes of Samian art at the time. Such pieces are commonly found as votives offered to Hera along with many other such items like small ivory pomegranates and a variety of wild animals. Other more illustrious votives and items dedicated to the Goddess would have included a variety of vases, statues made of gold and precious stones, and even the shields and weapons of fallen adversaries or brother in arms. At certain times the Temple proper may have resembled a classic “treasure room” full of votives and sacrifices dedicated to the Goddess.
As to Hera herself, there are several archaeological and literary sources we can gain a clear image of an early anthropomorphic altar statue of Hera dressed in elaborate possessions including: chitons with purple fringes (or a white himation), a shoulder wrap that was also trimmed in purple, knotted fillets or woolen appendages hanging from her wrists (which may be one of her most puzzling and important details) a veil which was prominent in Samian art and were a sign of Hera’s general fecundity rather than any bridal array, as theorist such as Varro once thought. The Veil represented general fertility and was not associated with any aspect of marriage until well after the Homeric remythilizations in the Panhellenic age and there is no anacalypsis in any iconography that suggests Hera was an unequivocal Goddess of marriage.
In the Iliad the single mentioning of Hera’s Veil (kredemnon) said to glisten in the sunlight, is a visage of the covering of Hera bringing the sunshine of a Spring morning; another attribute of Hera as an earth goddess that is backed again in a later description of her veil and the budding of the earth at the moment of her seduction. Which creates both a metaphoric and metaphysic link to the veil and the dew on the ground on a Spring morning, most notably on the vernal equinox. The same date which may be suggested for the Procession to the River, binding, and bathing rituals.
The knotted fillets that hang from her wrists are also the attributes of an earth goddess that can be linked to the knotted earth stone at the Delphic omphalos which was thought to be the earth’s midpoint. Hera is also the single figure on ancient coins to incorporate this detail. But these “wrist bands” could also be the very thing use to bind the goddess to her lugos (willow) tree during the river rituals.
Hera was also adorned with a high shield polos (crown), open in the back, and projected upon a low, enclosed cap that was decorated with a series of rectangles with circles beneath signifying Hera as the Protector of the Citadel, represented seasonal fertility, and is primarily defined as: polos- “the axis of a celestial sphere” and telos – “fulfillment” from which came her title of “teleia” – fulfiller.
The sheer amount of detail and dedication to Hera in the ancient world makes it easy to understand why so many had such a profound and direct connection with her, easy to picture Hera not outside of them but among them and interacting with them on a level that can scarcely be understood or commonly excepted today. From the massive temples to the smallest votive offerings the images, rituals, and practices of the ancients leave almost all modern attempts to achieve the same level of devotion and connection…wanting.
