Hera’s Divine Birth Priestesshood

Abstract

Hera is the third Greek goddess to have borne the title Parthenos. Legends and cultic activities concerning this Olympian queen of the gods indicate that in her earliest form she, like Athena/Neith and Artemis, was considered a great virgin creatrix. In her case, this quality was retained even in the era of Olympic religion, with myths relating that she gave birth to Ares, Hephaestus, and Typhon parthenogenetically. One particularly strong indicator that a priestesshood devoted to divine birth may have been dedicated to Hera at an early period is the story of Io, who, records indicate, may have been a historical figure, and whose story includes the dramatic themes of hieros gamos and Heraian wrath. Hera’s sanctuary at Olympia similarly was imbued with parthenogenetic themes, all of which point to the possibility that the famed Olympic Games may have originated in her cult of divine birth. These themes will be elaborated upon throughout this chapter.