Though Zeus is king of the gods, Hera has a longer history of worship.
Her “first temple in Olympia was dedicated, much earlier than the one
to Zeus” (Kerényi, 134) demonstrates the greater importance of Hera’s
role as a goddess of Earth, Spring, and Fertility among the people
rather than Zeus’s role as king of the gods. Because her
temple was created earlier than Zeus’ suggests that the Olympians
regarded Hera as a very influential goddess in their society.
Even though Zeus is assumed to be the most powerful among the gods,
Hera is the one who is more frequently and widely worshipped among the
people. This observation, drawn from the literary and historical research, fully portrays the values and virtues of the community.
By prioritizing Hera, goddess of marriage and fertility, over Zeus, god
of the heaven, reveals the society’s passionate belief and values on
the importance of marriage and procreation. Additionally,
the creation of Hera’s temple before Zeus’s further supports the belief
that the worshipping of Hera was before the worship of Zeus.
Despite the many different minor roles assigned to Hera, there were
three “stages” (names given) to her during her immortal life: “Pais,”
“Teleia,” and “Chera.” “Pais” referred to when she was a virgin, before
she married Zeus. “Teleia” referred to Hera as a married woman, after
she married Zeus. The final name given to Hera is “Chera,” which meant
“widow.” This name identified her when she and Zeus separated. These
labels were imitated for young women and classified their position in
society. However, instead of adopting a new name for them, the young
women would adopt a new label of status, a classification, of which
category of female (or at what period of their life) they were in,
excluding divorce.
During the ancient times, divorce was virtually nonexistent and
uncommon. Karl Kerényi applied this concept of detachment to Hera’s
divorce as a “separation from Zeus would have meant an intolerable
Statue Head of Herasituation for the goddess. For she would have become
nothing but the powerless half of a whole needed by her and not by Zeus”
(114). However, Kerényi then counters his assessment by arguing that a
“figure as dependent as this could not have been the object of a cult”
(114). Kerényi argues that this excessive dependency on Zeus contradicts
the fact that Hera is a well-known and worshiped goddess with cults and
sanctuaries: if Hera were such a dependent and pathetic goddess, why
would there be cults, sanctuaries and countless worshipers? This might
suggest that Hera was once considered a powerful goddess in practice and
in mythology, but eventually her role and character deteriorated and
reshaped in mythology, with the rise of patriarchy. Because women were
expected to be dependent on men in a society, it may be that the society
reconstructed Hera’s image to fit their customs. Therefore, we are
forced to conclude that there may have been some manipulation of the
images of Hera throughout the years. With the increasing image
manipulation of Hera, the earlier and original depictions of Hera may
have been lost as well as her secondary role as the goddess of marriage.
We might find the common stressing of Hera into the secondary role as
the goddess of marriage odd after discovering that fact the she
separated from Zeus, giving prominence to her third incarnation and
title of "Chera" which means "widow" - also an illumination into Zeus's
prophesied death. In ancient times the three aspects of Hera (Maiden,
Wife, and Widow) were cast directly onto women and helped to define
mortal roles within the ancient society. Yet, within these roles
fertility is still a very dominant sphere of influence for Hera and like
many other Goddess interpretations reflects within the seasons.
Hera was born in the Spring and as such was cast in the fertility
Goddess role. During her forced marriage to Zeus the abundance of Zeus's
sexual exploits and Hera's reactions to them might allude to the theory
of Zeus's being jealous of Hera's true power and influence over all and
that his persistent cheating was a measure of revenge for his own
inadequacy - in stark contrast of his being the king of the Gods. Still,
the repetitive situations arising in the ancient myths deal directly
with the "other edge of the sword", so to speak, when it comes to
fertility. In the "widow" aspect following Hera's separation from Zeus
fertility still comes into play and is illustrated within the mortal
realm during Hera's ancient winter rituals that reflected on the "lack
of life" in the world.
A final contradiction to many modern recounts of the Goddess Hera and
her supposed role as a "faithful wife" might be argued within certain
myths telling of sexual acts taking place between Hera and a handful of
mortal men or order to imbue them with certain powers she wished them to
have, most commonly to serve her own agenda. A handful of these myths
tell of sexual acts as a means of transference. Her kiss, breast milk,
blood, and even orgasm during oral sex have all appeared as acts within
the myths that inevitably led to the mortal male to be infused with
demigod-like power. Such as Achilles who was infused with Hera's rage
before the battle of Troy by drinking of her breast milk - giving him a
huge advantage in the war. But the power seems to have only last for a
certain period of time. It was not permanent nor did such transference
produce immortality. In fact, it seems to have shortened their life span
if anything. Especially when it was blood that was transferred because
the golden blood of the Gods (called Ichor) is poisonous to mortals.
In the original myth of King Ixion Zeus is said to have caught the
King performing oral sex on Hera and punished him by blasting him with a
lightning bolt and then bound Ixion to a winged fiery wheel that was
always spinning. Another variation of the myth recounts as Zeus found
out about his intentions and made a cloud in the shape of Hera and
tricked Ixion into coupling with it. From the union of Ixion and the
false-Hera cloud came the race of the Centaurs. The later is a far more
current version of the oldest known telling of the myth, casting Zeus's
into a more attentive and cunning light. Either way, Hera doesn't feign
innocents and since her separation from Zeus, as well as being able to
renew her virginity within a ritual bath, there is really no point in
her worrying over it.
War of the Gods
The back story of events that led to The
Journeybook is extensive and has been unfolding for years. It's my hope
that over the winter months I will be able to chronicle the entire
journey in all of its many facets in one complete work. Because the back
story is so extensive such a work would likely be best created as a PDF
styled e-book. But this is not about recounting the whole story, simply the latest events.
The hidden ritual that is chronicled by The Journeybook's 22 chapters came about as a vision of how to break and ancient bond placed over the Goddess Hera in the aftermath of the Gods Revolt where Hera imprisoned Zeus. The bond placed over her has limited her power and status ever since which has been interpreted by mortals as Hera having a far lesser role and sphere of influence than she is intended to hold.
Within the series, 22 votives were to be placed throughout the land that collectively create points on a ritualized space that extends over a 60 mile radius with the Altar of Hera resting at the center of all of these hidden stones. But on the journey to place the final stone and perform the ritual intended to bring it all together into one monumental manifestation events unfolded that lend to the notion that the ritual is to be stopped by any means necessary. Which may also be viewed as evidence that the entire story, past and present, is a path worthy of not only gaining the attentions of Gods but also enough to have them actually appear in order to prevent it from happening.
Documenting the details of such events and creating a chronicle of the entire story seems to be just as, if not more important, than the long journey itself. And, in this world, being able to document it all in such a way where you have physical/visual evidence to present is not only needed but necessary.
On July 3, 2012 I ventured out in search of crystals along the river. I had traveled just over 7 miles along the length of the river when I cam across a massive island made of oddly large stones and boulders, so unlike the common sedimentary islands common along the same river. It was the sheer bulky look of this one island that mused me to find a way onto it.
After climbing down the steep bank and crossing a felled tree to gain access to the island I discovered that it was littered with nothing but giant versions of the common things one can discover in such a location. One of which was a particular chunk of sandstone that kept calling out to me until I finally relented to bring it back. Since I had to carry the massive stone on my back for the entire 7 miles home the stone was named "The Seven Mile altar Stone (click for photos).
That same day, on that same island I also uncovered a small green stone with the image of an eagle carved into it. I later encrusted that very stone with a pulverized fulgurite crystal as recounting in the tale of How I Stole Zeus's Lightning Bolt.
Because of the discovery of these two prominent pieces on that single island, other features of the island itself, and the most recent manifestations the island has been name "The Island of the Gods".
It was at this very spot where on November 15, 2012 at 9:58am three bald eagles (a common manifestation of Zeus) appeared around the island while I was documenting the final adventure of The Journeybook Series and making my way to place the last of the stone votives to Hera.
The first of the eagles I caught on film. I captured, slowed, and set the clip of the eagle flying over the island into a High Definition format. You can see that clip here: Eagles Over the Island of the Gods
I captured still images of the other two eagles that appeared at the same time and highlighted them in these photos:
After
the eagles appeared over the island the journey progressively got more
and more difficult. 20 miles into the quest I came to the first major
challenge of the day - a 900ft climb to the top of the east valley in
order to reach the first of three different waterfalls.
Half way up the climb I came to a clearing on the hillside where was perched a hawk (a common manifestation of the Goddess Athena, as a messenger of Hera as was chronicled in the Iliad) The hawk can be seen here:
In
spite of both the appearance of the three eagles as well as the hawk I
pushed on with the journey intent on getting the final votive in place
and the ritual completed. But ignoring the signs led to a very dangerous
situation.
I had made it all the way to the third and final waterfall, moved beyond it and had come to an old ruin about 3 miles from where the final votive is to be placed and the end of the ritual is to be performed. Nigh was falling and I had made camp to wait out the 13 hour night until dawn.
By this time I was suffering from the exhaustion of the day and an apparent abdominal injury sustained on the last climb. Hours after night had fallen I woke from a pretty deep sleep at the sound of something moving in the forest. Moments after I woke the air temperature hit the freezing point an everything began to frost over at an alarming instantaneous rate, including all of my filming gear.
The situation got worse very rapidly to the point of concern. When I called to check in and report the situation the debate came up on whether or not we should call off the journey due to the injury and freezing temperatures. After nearly an hour of debating it all the journey was called off and we arrange and emergency pick up at a near-by village.
For now, the ritual remains incomplete and the final votive is resting back on Hera's Altar while all of these new details and manifestations are considered and meditated on in search of answers to what I obviously did not anticipate.
It would seem that in order to complete the ritual there are for more powerful challenges to face besides the land and weather themselves. Whatever it is going to take and whatever level I am going to have to be at in order to finish the ritual as I intended to do, I'll find it, I'll achieve it, and this set-back will not make a bit of difference in the end.
The hidden ritual that is chronicled by The Journeybook's 22 chapters came about as a vision of how to break and ancient bond placed over the Goddess Hera in the aftermath of the Gods Revolt where Hera imprisoned Zeus. The bond placed over her has limited her power and status ever since which has been interpreted by mortals as Hera having a far lesser role and sphere of influence than she is intended to hold.
Within the series, 22 votives were to be placed throughout the land that collectively create points on a ritualized space that extends over a 60 mile radius with the Altar of Hera resting at the center of all of these hidden stones. But on the journey to place the final stone and perform the ritual intended to bring it all together into one monumental manifestation events unfolded that lend to the notion that the ritual is to be stopped by any means necessary. Which may also be viewed as evidence that the entire story, past and present, is a path worthy of not only gaining the attentions of Gods but also enough to have them actually appear in order to prevent it from happening.
Documenting the details of such events and creating a chronicle of the entire story seems to be just as, if not more important, than the long journey itself. And, in this world, being able to document it all in such a way where you have physical/visual evidence to present is not only needed but necessary.
On July 3, 2012 I ventured out in search of crystals along the river. I had traveled just over 7 miles along the length of the river when I cam across a massive island made of oddly large stones and boulders, so unlike the common sedimentary islands common along the same river. It was the sheer bulky look of this one island that mused me to find a way onto it.
After climbing down the steep bank and crossing a felled tree to gain access to the island I discovered that it was littered with nothing but giant versions of the common things one can discover in such a location. One of which was a particular chunk of sandstone that kept calling out to me until I finally relented to bring it back. Since I had to carry the massive stone on my back for the entire 7 miles home the stone was named "The Seven Mile altar Stone (click for photos).
That same day, on that same island I also uncovered a small green stone with the image of an eagle carved into it. I later encrusted that very stone with a pulverized fulgurite crystal as recounting in the tale of How I Stole Zeus's Lightning Bolt.
Because of the discovery of these two prominent pieces on that single island, other features of the island itself, and the most recent manifestations the island has been name "The Island of the Gods".
It was at this very spot where on November 15, 2012 at 9:58am three bald eagles (a common manifestation of Zeus) appeared around the island while I was documenting the final adventure of The Journeybook Series and making my way to place the last of the stone votives to Hera.
The first of the eagles I caught on film. I captured, slowed, and set the clip of the eagle flying over the island into a High Definition format. You can see that clip here: Eagles Over the Island of the Gods
I captured still images of the other two eagles that appeared at the same time and highlighted them in these photos:
After
the eagles appeared over the island the journey progressively got more
and more difficult. 20 miles into the quest I came to the first major
challenge of the day - a 900ft climb to the top of the east valley in
order to reach the first of three different waterfalls.Half way up the climb I came to a clearing on the hillside where was perched a hawk (a common manifestation of the Goddess Athena, as a messenger of Hera as was chronicled in the Iliad) The hawk can be seen here:
In
spite of both the appearance of the three eagles as well as the hawk I
pushed on with the journey intent on getting the final votive in place
and the ritual completed. But ignoring the signs led to a very dangerous
situation.I had made it all the way to the third and final waterfall, moved beyond it and had come to an old ruin about 3 miles from where the final votive is to be placed and the end of the ritual is to be performed. Nigh was falling and I had made camp to wait out the 13 hour night until dawn.
By this time I was suffering from the exhaustion of the day and an apparent abdominal injury sustained on the last climb. Hours after night had fallen I woke from a pretty deep sleep at the sound of something moving in the forest. Moments after I woke the air temperature hit the freezing point an everything began to frost over at an alarming instantaneous rate, including all of my filming gear.
The situation got worse very rapidly to the point of concern. When I called to check in and report the situation the debate came up on whether or not we should call off the journey due to the injury and freezing temperatures. After nearly an hour of debating it all the journey was called off and we arrange and emergency pick up at a near-by village.
For now, the ritual remains incomplete and the final votive is resting back on Hera's Altar while all of these new details and manifestations are considered and meditated on in search of answers to what I obviously did not anticipate.
It would seem that in order to complete the ritual there are for more powerful challenges to face besides the land and weather themselves. Whatever it is going to take and whatever level I am going to have to be at in order to finish the ritual as I intended to do, I'll find it, I'll achieve it, and this set-back will not make a bit of difference in the end.
The Shard of Moirai
Statue of Hera holding the Shard of Moirai - a fragment of the crystal thats ritual blessings and powers have been documented in 'The Journeybook' Series.
The Sixteen Women
Pausanias, Description of Greece 5. 16. 1 - 8 :
"It remains after this for me to describe the temple of Hera [at Olympia] and the noteworthy objects contained in it. The Elean account says that it was the people of Skillos, one of the cities in Triphylia, who built the temple about eight years after Oxylos came to the throne of Elis. The style of the temple is Doric, and pillars stand all round it. In the rear chamber one of the two pillars is of oak. The length of the temple is one hundred and sixty-nine feet, the breadth sixty-three feet, the height not short of fifty feet. Who the architect was they do not relate. Every fourth year there is woven for Hera a robe by the Sixteen women, and the same also hold games called Heraia. The games consist of foot-races for maidens. These are not all of the same age. The first to run are the youngest; after them come the next in age, and the last to run are the oldest of the maidens. They run in the following way : their hair hangs down, a tunic reaches to a little above the knee, and they bare the right shoulder as far as the breast. These too have the Olympic stadium reserved for their games, but the course of the stadium is shortened for them by about one-sixth of its length. To the winning maidens they give crowns of olive and a portion of the cow sacrificed to Hera. They may also dedicate statues with their names inscribed upon them. Those who administer to the Sixteen are, like the presidents of the games, married women. The games of the maidens too are traced back to ancient times; they say that, out of gratitude to Hera for her marriage with Pelops, Hippodameia assembled the Sixteen Women, and with them inaugurated the Heraia. They relate too that a victory was won by Khloris, the only surviving daughter of the house of Amphion, though with her they say survived one of her brothers . . .
Besides the account already given they tell another story about the Sixteen Women as follows. Damophon, it is said, when tyrant of Pisa did much grievous harm to the Eleans. But when he died, since the people of Pisa refused to participate as a people in their tyrant's sins, and the Eleans too became quite ready to lay aside their grievances, they chose a woman from each of the sixteen cities of Elis still inhabited at that time to settle their differences, this woman to be the oldest, the most noble, and the most esteemed of all the women. The cities from which they chose the women were Elis ((lacuna)) . . The women from these cities made peace between Pisa and Elis. Later on they were entrusted with the management of the Heraian games, and with the weaving of the robe for Hera. The Sixteen Women also arrange two choral dances, one called that of Physkoa and the other that of Hippodameia. This Physkoa they say came from Elis in the Hollow, and the name of the parish where she lived was Orthia. She mated they say with Dionysos, and bore him a son called Narkaios . . . various honors are paid to Physkoa, especially that of the choral dance, named after her and managed by the Sixteen Women. The Eleans still adhere to the other ancient customs, even though some of the cities have been destroyed. For they are now divided into eight tribes, and they choose two women from each. Whatever ritual it is the duty of either the Sixteen Women or the Elean umpires to perform, they do not perform before they have purified themselves with a pig meet for purification and with water. Their purification takes place at the spring Piera. You reach this spring as you go along the flat road from Olympia to Elis."
"It remains after this for me to describe the temple of Hera [at Olympia] and the noteworthy objects contained in it. The Elean account says that it was the people of Skillos, one of the cities in Triphylia, who built the temple about eight years after Oxylos came to the throne of Elis. The style of the temple is Doric, and pillars stand all round it. In the rear chamber one of the two pillars is of oak. The length of the temple is one hundred and sixty-nine feet, the breadth sixty-three feet, the height not short of fifty feet. Who the architect was they do not relate. Every fourth year there is woven for Hera a robe by the Sixteen women, and the same also hold games called Heraia. The games consist of foot-races for maidens. These are not all of the same age. The first to run are the youngest; after them come the next in age, and the last to run are the oldest of the maidens. They run in the following way : their hair hangs down, a tunic reaches to a little above the knee, and they bare the right shoulder as far as the breast. These too have the Olympic stadium reserved for their games, but the course of the stadium is shortened for them by about one-sixth of its length. To the winning maidens they give crowns of olive and a portion of the cow sacrificed to Hera. They may also dedicate statues with their names inscribed upon them. Those who administer to the Sixteen are, like the presidents of the games, married women. The games of the maidens too are traced back to ancient times; they say that, out of gratitude to Hera for her marriage with Pelops, Hippodameia assembled the Sixteen Women, and with them inaugurated the Heraia. They relate too that a victory was won by Khloris, the only surviving daughter of the house of Amphion, though with her they say survived one of her brothers . . .
Besides the account already given they tell another story about the Sixteen Women as follows. Damophon, it is said, when tyrant of Pisa did much grievous harm to the Eleans. But when he died, since the people of Pisa refused to participate as a people in their tyrant's sins, and the Eleans too became quite ready to lay aside their grievances, they chose a woman from each of the sixteen cities of Elis still inhabited at that time to settle their differences, this woman to be the oldest, the most noble, and the most esteemed of all the women. The cities from which they chose the women were Elis ((lacuna)) . . The women from these cities made peace between Pisa and Elis. Later on they were entrusted with the management of the Heraian games, and with the weaving of the robe for Hera. The Sixteen Women also arrange two choral dances, one called that of Physkoa and the other that of Hippodameia. This Physkoa they say came from Elis in the Hollow, and the name of the parish where she lived was Orthia. She mated they say with Dionysos, and bore him a son called Narkaios . . . various honors are paid to Physkoa, especially that of the choral dance, named after her and managed by the Sixteen Women. The Eleans still adhere to the other ancient customs, even though some of the cities have been destroyed. For they are now divided into eight tribes, and they choose two women from each. Whatever ritual it is the duty of either the Sixteen Women or the Elean umpires to perform, they do not perform before they have purified themselves with a pig meet for purification and with water. Their purification takes place at the spring Piera. You reach this spring as you go along the flat road from Olympia to Elis."
The Gift of Death
Herodotus, Histories 1. 31. 1 (trans. Godley) (Greek historian C5th B.C.) :
"Kleobis and Biton were of Argive stock . . . and this story is told about them : there was a festival of Hera in Argos, and their mother absolutely had to be conveyed to the temple by a team of oxen. But their oxen had not come back from the fields in time, so the youths took the yoke upon their own shoulders under constraint of time. They drew the wagon, with their mother riding atop it, traveling five miles until they arrived at the temple. When they had done this and had been seen by the entire gathering, their lives came to an excellent end, and in their case the god made clear that for human beings it is a better thing to die than to live. The Argive men stood around the youths and congratulated them on their strength; the Argive women congratulated their mother for having borne such children. She was overjoyed at the feat and at the praise, so she stood before the image and prayed that the goddess might grant the best thing for man to her children Kleobis and Biton, who had given great honor to the goddess. After this prayer they sacrificed and feasted. The youths then lay down in the temple and went to sleep and never rose again; death held them there. The Argives made and dedicated at Delphoi statues of them as being the best of men."
"Kleobis and Biton were of Argive stock . . . and this story is told about them : there was a festival of Hera in Argos, and their mother absolutely had to be conveyed to the temple by a team of oxen. But their oxen had not come back from the fields in time, so the youths took the yoke upon their own shoulders under constraint of time. They drew the wagon, with their mother riding atop it, traveling five miles until they arrived at the temple. When they had done this and had been seen by the entire gathering, their lives came to an excellent end, and in their case the god made clear that for human beings it is a better thing to die than to live. The Argive men stood around the youths and congratulated them on their strength; the Argive women congratulated their mother for having borne such children. She was overjoyed at the feat and at the praise, so she stood before the image and prayed that the goddess might grant the best thing for man to her children Kleobis and Biton, who had given great honor to the goddess. After this prayer they sacrificed and feasted. The youths then lay down in the temple and went to sleep and never rose again; death held them there. The Argives made and dedicated at Delphoi statues of them as being the best of men."
The Death of Zeus
Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 22. 2 :
"The story has it that in the old Stymphalos [in Arkadia] dwelt Temenos [a mythical hero], the son of Pelasgos, and that Hera was reared by this Temenos, who himself established three sanctuaries for the goddess, and gave her three surnames when she was still a maiden, Pais (Girl); when married to Zeus he called her Teleia (Grown-up); when for some cause or other she quarrelled with Zeus and came back to Stymphalos, Temenos named her Khera (Widow). This is the account which, to my own knowledge, the Stymphalians give of the goddess."
"The story has it that in the old Stymphalos [in Arkadia] dwelt Temenos [a mythical hero], the son of Pelasgos, and that Hera was reared by this Temenos, who himself established three sanctuaries for the goddess, and gave her three surnames when she was still a maiden, Pais (Girl); when married to Zeus he called her Teleia (Grown-up); when for some cause or other she quarrelled with Zeus and came back to Stymphalos, Temenos named her Khera (Widow). This is the account which, to my own knowledge, the Stymphalians give of the goddess."
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