Diana

From TinWiki.org

Diana, Goddess of the Hunt

Diana, in Roman mythology, was the goddess of the hunt, daughter of Jupiter (Roman king of gods) and Leto (Titaness), twin sister of Apollo (a god of sun and light, archery, medicine and healing). She was associated with wild animals, the woodlands (oak groves were especially sacred to her), and the moon. She was an emblem of chastity.

In literature, she is the counterpart of the Greek goddess Artemis. Diana was worshipped in ancient Roman religion and is currently revered in the religions of Religio Romana Neopaganasim and Stregheria.

She was born with her twin brother, Apollo, on the island of Delos.

Diana made up a trinity with two other Roman deities: Egeria, the water nymph, her servant and assistant midwife, and Virbius, the woodland god.

1 Attributes
2 Worship
3 Legacy
4 External Links
5 Relevant discussion threads on AboveTopSecret.com

[edit]

Attributes

Diana was the Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals. Originally, she was not a goddess of the moon, until she had absorbed the attributes of her Greek counterpart, Artemis. She was seen as the virgin huntress with a bow and arrows, hunting through the woods or bathing in the lake.

She was the guardian of springs and streams, the protector of wild animals. She was also revered by women, believed to grant easy childbirth to her favorites.

Diana was frequently identified with the goddess Trivia (goddess of the crossroads, counterpart of Greek goddess of darkness and witchcraft, Hecate). She served as a goddess of the kingdom of the dead. Diana was a goddess of light, but sometimes representing the dark side of the moon.

As a goddess of hunting and forests, she was considered to be pure and virginal, yet could also be arrogant and vengeful. As goddess of the moon, she had an unpredictable nature. As a goddess of the world of the dead, she was unforgiving and blood thirsty.

[edit]

Worship

The most celebrated place of worship for Diana was a sacred grove beside Lake Nemi near Rome. In Rome, Diana was regarded as a protector of the lower classes and slaves. The day of Diana's festival in Rome and Aricia (August 13) was a holiday for slaves.

The ancient Greek city of Ephesus was another center of worship of Diana, having a magnificent temple there that took 220 years to construct and was regarded as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The worship of Diana was prevalent across the ancient world. Early Christians considered her their main rival, her cult continuing to attract followers for centuries.

In the Middle Ages, Diana was denounced as a queen of witches and a goddess of the heathen, religious leaders viewing her as a leader of witches, even calling her the devil. Her cult still had followers in England as late as the 1700s.

Offerings to Diana frequently included flowers, plants, lavender, rosemary, cakes, grains, wine, milk, and honey. Prayers offered to her were ones associated with childbirth, chastity, animals, and body parts.

[edit]

Legacy

In modern times, there is a branch of Wicca named for her, characterized by the focus on the feminine aspect of the Divine. In the old religion of Stregheria in Italy, Diana is embraced as the Queen of the Witches (wise women healers).

In literature, Diana appeared in the Arthurian legend, as the Lake of Diana, where the Lady of the Lake ensnared Merlin with her spell. She also appears in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

[edit]