Prayer to Demeter

A modern LABRYS text (see greek-agathodaimon-001), for the same Amphidromia as greek-child-naming-001.

What matters here is the title. Kourotrophos — "child-nurturer" — is a genuine cult title, and it was borne by various goddesses: by Ge, by Artemis, by Hekate, by Demeter. And at Athens Kourotrophos had a cult and an altar of her own, being a deity with no other name — that is, the title could detach itself from its bearer and stand alone.

The whole cast of Greek worship is in this. A Greek divine name designates not so much a person as an office; whoever is discharging it holds it. Hence one epithet attaches to several goddesses, and at need becomes a goddess in her own right. The Romans pushed this to the limit, keeping a deity for each pass of the plough (ceres-012).

"Breathe sweetly upon my child" is a physical request of the old cast: what is granted is the goddess's breath, not her goodwill. Athena is asked for "unbroken Mind" and Artemis for "a bright life" in the same way — in all three cases the deity gives away part of itself rather than performing a service.