søndag 5. januar 2014

IF; Time, Hour - greek goddesses


Kheimôn, Eiar, Theros and Phthinophôron



The Horae were the minor deities called 'the Seasons' or 'Horae', the goddesses of time who guarded the gates to the home of the gods.Kilde


Pattern of Theros´ top


In Greek mythology the Horae or Hours (Greek: greek of time. They were originally the personifications of nature in its different seasonal aspects, but in later times they were regarded as goddesses of order in general and natural justice. "They bring and bestow ripeness, they come and go in accordance with the firm law of the periodicities of nature and of life".
"Hora  might mean 'the correct moment'." Traditionally, they guarded the gates of Olympus, promoted the fertility of the earth, and rallied the stars and constellations.
The course of the seasons was also symbolically described as the dance of the Horae, and they were accordingly given the attributes of spring flowers, fragrance and graceful freshness.  Aphrodite wore clothing made for her by the Charites and Horai, dyed with spring flowers, such as the Horai themselves wear.
The number of Horae varied according to different sources, but was most commonly three, either the trio of Thallo, Auxo and Carpo, who were goddesses of the order of nature; or Eunomia, Diké, and Eirene, who were law-and-order goddesses.Kilde

THE HORAI (or Horae) were the goddesses of the seasons and the natural portions of time. They presided over the revolutions of the heavenly constellations by which the year was measured, while their three sisters spinned out the web of fate. The Horai also guarded the gates of Olympos and rallied the stars and constellations of heaven.
The Horai were particularly honoured by farmers who planted and tended their crops in time with the rising and setting of the stars--measures of the passing seasons. 
Another set of  Horai personified the twelve hours of the day. Kilde



Sir Edward John Poynter, 1896


They were the goddesses orderly things like Seasons, and because of their orderly aspect eventually became goddesses of justice. They measured out the weather as it seemed appropriate and guarded Olympus from any overambitious mortals. They had a few cameos in the Big Myths: the Hora of Spring went with Presephone when she went down with Hades every year, and some of the Horae helped dress Aphrodite as she emerged from the ocean. They got different names (and numbers) from different authors, but I like Hesiod's breakdown:
Eunomia, Good Custom
Dike, Justice
Eirene, Peace
Homer actually tended to keep them strictly with the seasons, and they only worshipped two in Athens, but Hyginus lists at least 21 Horae (including Horae of the Hours)! Generally they were happy little goddesses. Lots of cavorting, much like the Muses and the Graces  (Charites) who they liked to hang out with when they weren't doing their day job of keeping track of orderly customs and justice. Kilde

Houris were dancing “Ladies of the Hour” who kept time in heaven and tended the star-souls.
Egyptian temple-women also were Ladies of the Hour. Each ruled a certain hour of the night, and protected the solar boat of Ra in the underworld during his passage through her hour. The Dance of the Hours began as a pagan ceremony of the Horae (divine “Whores”) who kept the hours of the night by dances as Christian monks later kept the hours of the day by prayers.Kilde

Ειαρ
Eiar
Spring
Θερος
Theros
Summer
Φθινοφωρον
Phthinophôron
Autumn
Χειμων
Kheimôn
Winter
Ersa was the Goddess of the plant nourishing dew. Nemea was a goddess, and Pandia was possibly the Goddess of the full moonKilde
More info here
The four seasons here


Inspiration:



1 kommentar:

  1. Fascinating mythology and beautiful art!!! Thanks for sharing the love up-close with I Heart Macro:-)

    SvarSlett

Hyggelig at du tar deg tid til å legge igjen en hilsen.
Det setter jeg veldig pris på!
Alle kommentarer vil godkjennes før publisering.