What kind of God is Hestia? Brief Introduction of Greek God Hestia

In ancient Greek mythology, Hestia was the goddess of fire, the protector of the family and one of the three great Greek goddesses. Hesiod and later writers thought that she was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, so she was the sister of Zeus, the king of gods. It is an ancient god of an earlier generation and one of the twelve main gods of Olympus. Later, because of the lower bound, he lived with human beings and passed on the position of the Lord God to Dionysus.

Ancient writers have given us little information about how Hestia was carved in art, and archaeologists have not found anything that can overthrow the popular theory, that is, Hestia's personality is too vague to inspire many ancient Greek artists.

Usually she sits on an ordinary wooden throne with white wool on it. In ancient Roman mythology, she corresponds to Vesta with white hair. Hestia is the kitchen god, the eldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and the oldest Vulcan. Therefore, Hestia also occupies a place in the Pantheon in Olympia (12 God). The sacrifices offered by the Greeks to the goddess included their latest harvest this year and the first distilled wine.

symbolic meaning

Hestia has a high status and is respected for many reasons. First of all, she is the eldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea, that is, the elder sister of Zeus, who occupies the highest position among the twelve gods. Of course, this does not mean that she is a middle-aged woman, and the Greek gods are immortal and youthful. Secondly, Hestia is the kitchen god, the patron saint of chefs and millers, and is closely related to thousands of families. Kitchen God is not a nanny in the kitchen, but actually the patron saint of the family. In the era of drilling wood for fire and food shortage, the kitchen is the undisputed center of the family. Of course, it's called the Kitchen God because Hestia doesn't like to choose the office place in other people's bedrooms like the goddess of love. The third reason why she is particularly respected is that Hestia is unmarried, one of the three virgins of Mount Olympus, and a chaste woman.

According to legend, Poseidon and Apollo both courted her and had a dispute over it. In order to avoid the discord between the two gods, Hestia rejected them and swore by Zeus' hair that he would never get married. In order to avoid disputes, Hestia left Mount Olympus and fled to the earth. Zeus appreciated this and allowed Hestia to enjoy every public sacrifice first.

It makes sense for the patron saint of the family not to marry himself. Among the goddesses of the older generation, Hestia is more "dynamic" Hera, while Hestia is more "static". The goddess who stands for stillness on the earth is motionless. Apollo of the sun and Poseidon of the ocean can only surround the motionless earth and cannot be combined.

Interestingly, there are hardly any specific stories about Hestia. It is said that there are no more myths because the goddess originated late. There are also reasons to say that for such a virgin god, one should not talk too much.

In Roman mythology, there is also a caretaker named Janas. He is a typical Roman god, but he is also abstract and mysterious, so his relationship with the world is not as close as that between Kitchen God and his family. On the other hand, he is really unfit to work under the same roof as a virgin goddess. People usually call the goalkeeper "double-headed Janus". This door has two directions. He has two faces, one front and one back, one young and one old, facing the past and the future respectively. The door is also the beginning, so the English word "January" is derived from his name.

Hestia, equivalent to Vesta in Roman mythology, is considered as one of the tallest gods in the Pantheon in Rome. In ancient Rome, there were Kitchen God Festival and Kitchen God Altar, in which eternal flames were enshrined. Six priestesses, named Vestezhenni, maintained the flame. They must keep their virginity for 30 years, or they will be punished by being buried alive.

Vulcan, kitchen god

Not only every family in Greece, but also many city-states have places to worship her. The corresponding goddess in Roman mythology is Vesta. In Greek mythology, there is no obvious personality. She is a chaste virgin goddess. Legend has it that she is the daughter of the fertility goddess Turnos and Hoops. Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, built the first temple for her, in which there was an ever-burning lamp symbolizing the happiness of the city-state, guarded by her priestess. These priestesses must swear to remain chaste, and those who break their vows will be buried alive.

Hestia, the elder sister of Zeus, is in charge of the family affairs of all ethnic groups. Hestia is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea and the sister of Zeus and Hera. Apollo and Poseidon both proposed to her, but she vowed never to get married to keep her virginity. Considering that she wanted a place to live, Zeus promised to let each family give her a seat. She left Olympus and lived in every family with a stove on the earth. She is not only a cook, but also a family god.

The flame symbolizes her existence, and it is also the guarantee for the permanence, stability, harmony and prosperity of the family. In ancient times, the fire on the altar was lit by ancestors, and their descendants had the obligation to keep the candle burning, because the extinction of the candle meant the extinction of mankind. Every family has its own stove and every town has its own altar. The fire on the altar symbolizes the life of this town. Whenever a small town people establish a colony in a new place, the flame will accompany these brave immigrants to other places.

Hestia is a chaste virgin god. As the elder sister of Zeus, she shared the throne of Zeus with Hera. At the party of Mount Olympus, she is sometimes listed as one of the twelve gods of Mount Olympus. Sometimes one of the twelve gods is Dionysus, the son of Zeus. Hestia has stoves for all families in the world, and it is also the richest part of the family.