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Showing posts from September, 2007

Dione (Greek)

Dione (Greek) Dione, (Greek: Διώνη) pronounced /daɪˈoʊni/, in Greek mythology is a vague goddess presence who has her most concrete form in Book V of Homer's Iliad as the mother of Aphrodite. Aphrodite journeys to Dione's side after she has been wounded in battle while protecting her favorite son Aeneas. In this episode, Dione seems to be the equivalent of Gaia the Earth Mother, whom Homer also placed in Olympus, and to that extent might be classed as a "mother goddess". Dione's Indo-European name is really less a name than simply a title: the "Goddess", etymologically a female form of Zeus. After the Iliad, Aphrodite herself was sometimes referred to as "Dionaea" and even "Dione", just "the goddess" (Peck 1898). Roman "Diana" has a similar etymology but is not otherwise connected with Dione. At the very ancient oracle of Zeus at Dodona, Dione rather than Hera, was the goddess resorted to in the company of Ze...

Sif (Norse)

Sif A goddess of crops and fertility, married to Thor. At one point, Loki stole her hair and had to replace it. He went to the dwarves and had them make her a new set of hair out of gold. An interesting thing to note is that short hair was a sign of a whore or a slave.

Diana (Roman)

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Diana Goddess of the hunt Abode: Mount Olympus Symbol: Deer Parents: Jupiter and Latona Siblings: Apollo Children: None. She made a vow to stay chaste Diana (lt. "heavenly" or "divine") was the goddess of the hunt, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and also of the moon in Roman mythology. In literature she was the equivalent of the Greek goddess Artemis, though in cult beliefs she was Italic, not Greek, in origin. Diana was worshiped in ancient Roman religion and is currently revered in Roman Neopaganism and Stregheria. Dianic Wicca, a largely feminist form of the practice, is named for her. Diana was known to be the virgin goddess and looked after virgins and women. She was one of the three maiden goddesses, Diana, Minerva and Vesta, who swore never to marry. Along with her main attributes, Diana was an emblem of chastity. Oak groves were especially sacred to her. According to mythology, Diana was born with her twin brother Apollo on the i...