Who was the fire goddess?
Hesta goddess of the hearth.
Through Greek mythology, there was the existence of gods and many of them…
The Greeks worshipped these gods who were complex and had meaning for all Greek culture.
Let’s find out about the goddess of fire then.
The Fire Goddess
Yes…
There were gods and goddesses of fire as well.
The Greek goddess Hestia was a ‘goddess of the hearth’, she was one of the original Twelve Olympians.
Being – Cronus and Rhea’s first-born child, she was said to be pure and peaceful.
The story goes that Hesta always had to stay at home, tending the fireplace.
Yet, Hestia is not involved in many myths though…
Consequently, at a later stage, she was to be replaced in the Pantheon by the much wilder Dionysus.
Hestia’s name actually means “hearth” or “fireplace,” and her status shows just how important the hearth was in the social and religious life of the Ancient Greeks.
The making and preserving of fire were essential to society.
Once the fire had been harnessed by early man, they did not look back.
And I would say that fire became the embodiment of society as it was and still is now.
And by that, we use the fire of course. But the meaning of the fireplace and fire itself is still a spiritual part of our lives in many ways in all cultures.
The fire was difficult to start and maintain for more primitive societies, and this, in turn, made the household fire a sacred element at a very early stage of man’s history.
In the later days of society, Hestia became its embodiment.
Greek religion depicted that Hestia was the oldest of the twelve Olympian deities.
And she was worshipped as the chief deity of the family hearth, representing fire, which was a vital part of man’s survival.
Yet, in myth…
Hestia was the firstborn child of Kronos (Cronus) and Rhea who was swallowed by her father at birth.
Zeus later forced the old Titan to disgorge Hestia and her siblings.
As the first was swallowed she was also the last to be disgorged, and so was named as both the eldest and youngest of the six Kronides.
If that does not get you confused…
When the gods Apollon and Poseidon sought Hesta for her hand in marriage.
Hestia refused them both and asked Zeus to let her remain an eternal virgin.
He agreed to this and she took her place at his royal hearth.
Hestia had been depicted in Athenian vase paintings as a modestly veiled woman who was sometimes holding a flowered branch or a chaste tree.
Yet in classical sculpture, she was also veiled, with a kettle as her attribute.
What are Hestia Powers?
So…
What special powers and skills did Hesta possess?
Hestia maintained two fires.
He maintained the hearth fire of both Mount Olympus and also the homes of the Greeks.
This fire was important, as it provided the most basic of functions that have lasted to this day. Because it was used for both keeping the home warm and cooking.
Hestia had also helped to keep peace in the family and also taught people how to build their homes.
Why was Hestia a Virgin?
She was also known as the Virgin Goddess.
The gods Poseidon and Apollo who were both her brother and nephew respectively fell in love with Hestia and wanted her hand in marriage as stated previously…
Because Hestia would have neither of the men and went to Zeus instead.
She swore a great oath, that she would remain a virgin for all time and that she would never marry.
The Cult of Hestia
Hestia is actually one of the lesser-known Greek gods.
Although she was not prominent in the stories of Greek mythology very much, the worship of Hestia herself was an important part of Ancient Greek life at the time.
When a new colony was established in some other region, Hestia’s flame would then be carried to this new city to light its hearth.
Whether it was a sort of symbolism or a necessity of the populations in order for the place to be connected to the other.
Her flame would be the first to start a fire in a new society and therefore all fires that were lit after.
Whether the people felt this was a blessing or that she would look over them as they used her fire we can only guess.
But it is a statement that they wanted to carry her with them when they started a new society apart from the original one.
Hestia’s Weakness
Well…
Apparently, the fire goddess also had weaknesses.
It is nice to see that being a god to the Greeks, that they did not display gods as perfect.
Yes, Hesta had weaknesses being a god.
She was a little too calm and emotionally cool in nature, but if threatened she could defend herself when necessary.
So yes there is a fire goddess, the worship of fire comes in many forms and Hesta was one that was worshipped by the Greeks.
I am sure that there are many who would worship fire in the form of a god or goddess.
Fire worship is not really something that has been conjured up in modern days.
But many of our myths and worship happened in the history of early man. They might not be as in focus as they were but they were the fabric of human civilisation.
And fire can be thought of as mystical in the form as it is, one of the elements of this earth and as we have seen here becomes the embodiment of a fire goddess.
Hesta was a form of a goddess that tended the hearth, this being an ancient word for a place of fire where it is contained.
And the tending of the fire can mean a few things.
The fire goddess maintained the fireplace so that it would always be ready to light.
But even today it could have meant the burning of a flame that does not go out.
This has been part of our society today with the burning of the eternal flame for soldiers, and the burning of the Olympic flame throughout the length of the games.
So we still carry the myths of our ancestors today, and the necessity that that flame does not go out is of the utmost importance as it has ever been.