hestia


 * The Goddess Hestia.**

[|hestia. Olympian gods]

goddess gift Hestia is the Greek goddess of hearth, home, and cooking. The name Hestia means the essance. Hestia is mostly referred to as the forgotten goddess. Daughter of the Titans, Cronus & Rhea. Known as "the first and the last" this is because when Cronus had ate all his children, she was the first to be eaten then she was the last to come out when Zeus had saved them. Symbols of this Goddess are the Sacred Flame and the Circle. The circle was a symbol of Hestia as a whole herself, of the middle of a city, town, or the world. The sacred flame symbolizes the molten lava in the middle earth or the umbilical cord of the earth. At one point in Hestia's rein she was known as the "Chief Of Goddesses". Many suitors had asked for her hand in marriage including Poseidon and Apollo. She had not wanted to marry though so she made a oath not to marry. She didn't want power or adventure, she was happy with helping the family and the children. Zeus had given Hestia the keys to Mount Olympus and made her manager. Hestia is also not one of the known goddesses, like Aphrodite or Athena. Hestia was the "keeper of the reserves" meaning that she is the manager of the clothes being repaired. The town hall of Delphi had been built around the hearth of Hestia. They had made a flame for Hestia, it was tended to everyday and nobody every let it die out. For people believed if the flame went out with would be a cold, barren wasteland. One of the myths of Hestia is the one where Priapus had attempted to rape her when she slept. Then a donkey brayed loudly and woke Hestia, her screams had woken all of the other gods and Priapus had trembled all over himself in embarrassment. Hestia had befriended Hermes her neighbor even though they were complete opposites. They had shared a strong bond of friendship and were remembered in the Homeric hymns.