Goddesses and Gods: Greek Goddess Selene

SELENE was the Titan goddess of the moon. She was depicted as a woman either riding side saddle on a horse or in a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds. Her lunar sphere or crescent was represented as either a crown set upon her head or as the fold of a raised, shining cloak. Sometimes she was said to drive a team of oxen and her lunar crescent was likened to the horns of a bull. Selene's great love was the shepherd prince Endymion. The beautiful boy was granted eternal youth and immortality by Zeus and placed in a state of eternal slumber in a cave near the peak of Lydian Mount Latmos. There his heavenly bride descended to consort with him in the night. Daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. Sister of Helios (sun) and Eos (dawn). Mother of Pandia by Zeus, and of fifty daughters by Endymion. She rode across the sky in a chariot drawn by two white horses. Also a tutelary deity of magicians. Selene was sometimes identified with Artemis as a moon goddess. She became syncretized with Hekate in later Greek mythology. The Romans equated her with Luna.

By Zeus, she is the mother of Pandia (All-bright) and Ersa (Dew). By Endymion, she is mother of 50 daughters, who represent the 50 lunar months that elapse between each Olympiad. The days of the full and new moon were set aside for her worship.

As the myth goes, Selene saw Endymion, a shepherd, asleep in a cave on Mt. Latmus one night. She fell in love with him, and began to neglect her duties to lie beside him as he slept. In some stories, Zeus grants Endymion perpetual sleep with perpetual youth, so that Selene would resume her duties. In others, Selene herself puts him to sleep.

Selene is often closely identified with Artemis and Hecate, both of whom are moon goddesses as well. It is said that this was the name the Triple Goddess Hecate was honored by when she was in the realm of heaven. Selene is of great importance in magick, spells and enchantments.

A number of other goddesses were also associated with the moon, however, only Selene was represented by the old Greek poets represented as the moon incarnate. Other Greek moon goddesses included Pasiphae, the Leukippides, Eileithyia, Hekate, Artemis, Bendis, and Hera (who sometimes doubled for Selene in the Endymion myth).

8 November 2008

Greek Goddess Selene