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Prayers to Hecate

6 prayers

Hecate stands at the crossroads and at the door, and the prayers to her come from the two ends of the tradition: the Orphic hymn that puts her first in the collection, before Zeus, and the magical papyri of Roman Egypt, where she is heaped with every name at once in the hope that one will be the right one.

What is asked
Fontes · Sources
  • Virgil · Aeneid2
  • Anonymous / Orphic tradition · Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship1
  • Anonymous · Greek Magical Papyri (PGM IV)1
  • LABRYS Polytheistic Community · Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship1
  • Sophocles (adapted) · Rhizotomoi (lost)1
In the sources
Hecate · Hekate
The name as each source prints it.
Orationes · The texts
  1. 001

    Prayer to Hecate

    Anonymous · Greek Magical Papyri (PGM IV) · 2785-2870

    Come to me, O' beloved lady, three faced Selene, listen, with kindness, to my sacred chant. Youthful, exulted Jewel of the Night, bringing light to mortals; child of early dawn, riding joyfully on fierce bulls, O' Queen, driving the chariot along the path of Helios; In triple form, You dance, three-headed, with the three Kharites, revelling with the stars, and Dike and the threads of the Moirae; Klotho, and Lakhesis as well as Atropos, and Persephone, Megaira and Allecto. Multi-formed, your hands armed with the dreaded dark lamps, your mane of terrifying serpents shakes upon your brow, from your mouth is heard the roaring of bulls. Solitary, night-crier, bull-faced, bull-headed, you have the eyes of bulls, you have the voice of dogs, you hide amongst lions by taking their shape. Your ankles are wolf-shaped, fierce dogs are your friends, hence they call you Hekate, illustrious Mene, you dart through the air as arrow-shooting Artemis, four-faced goddess, of the four names, of the four roads. Artemis, Persephone, deer-shooting, night-shining, triple striking, triple sounding, triple headed, triple named Selene; three-pronged, triple-faced, triple-necked and of the triple roads. Come, graciously hear my call, You who oversees the wide world of the night, darkness voyaging Goddess; famed, easy-birthing, bull-faced, horned, mother of Gods and men, Nature's All-Mother. You frequent Olympos, traversing the broad and boundless abyss, You are the beginning and the end, You alone rule all.

    GreekInvocationPraise
  2. 002

    Prayer to Apollo and Hecate

    Virgil · Aeneid · 6.55-77

    O Phoebus Apollo, who always pitied Troy of its grave hardship, you who guided the hand of Paris and his Dardanian missile to the body of Acacus' son, You who led me to penetrate all the seas that wash upon mighty shores — let Troy's ill fortune have followed us thus far (and no further). You most holy Diviner of future events, I ask only for what fate has allotted me, grant that the sons of Teucria with their wandering gods and storm tossed spirits of Troy may settle in Latium. Then to Apollo and Hecate I shall erect temples in marble and establish feast days celebrated in Apollo's name. Do not commit your songs only to the leaves, that they may swirl about as the sport of whirling winds, but sing them, I pray, with your own lips for us.

    RomanPetitionDedicationInvocation
  3. 003

    Prayer to Hecate

    LABRYS Polytheistic Community · Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship · Enata — 9th day ceremony — Prayer to Hekate

    I call upon Hekate Khthonia, the saffron-robed, who cares for the souls of the dead. Queen and key-bearer of the whole world. Khaire Hekate Prothyraia, Almighty Maiden Ênodia, O' Goddess, may you lead the soul of [name of the deceased] on the illuminated paths of the Gods.

    GreekPetitionInvocation
  4. 004

    Prayer to Hecate

    Anonymous / Orphic tradition · Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship · Full Moon Ceremony — Hymn to Hekate

    I praise Hekate of the crossroads; venerable Enodia, heavenly, khthonian and of the sea; saffron-robed, of the grave, entwined in Bakkhic revelries with the souls of the dead; Perseia, the lonely, rejoicing with the deer; nocturnal, invincible queen, accompanied by dogs and the shrieking of beasts; she of the irresistible countenance, armoured, bull-drawn, key-bearing queen of all the world; ruler, nymph, nurturer, you who frequent the mountains, I plead with you, Maiden, attend this holy ceremony with joyful disposition and good intent towards the worshippers.

    GreekInvocationPraise
  5. 005

    Prayer to Helios and Hecate

    Sophocles (adapted) · Rhizotomoi (lost) · Triakas Ceremony — Invocation of Helios and Hekate

    Lord Helios, sacred fire, O' spear of Enodia, which She wields as She journeys to Olympos and while travelling amongst the sacred crossroads of the Earth. She who is crowned with oaken wreaths and coils of serpents, bless on this last day of the month the offerings which I am about to prepare for the venerable ancestors and keep all evil away from us.

    GreekInvocationPetitionProtection
  6. 006

    Prayer to Hecate

    Virgil · Aeneid · 4.609-612

    Nocturnal Hecate, who is called at the crossroads throughout the City, and Avenging Dirae, and Elissa's gods of the dying, hear our prayers, heed them, and direct your awful powers against those who deserve it.

    RomanPetitionInvocation
Invoked alongside
Apollo1Helios1
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