We did our coven Bendideia Saturday. Bendis, the ancient Thracian goddess of the moon and hunting, was worshipped with ecstatic rites like those of Dionysos in the wilds of Thrace, north of mainland Greece. Thracians lived in tribal villages and were renowned for their ability at war, particularly as cavalry.
The Greeks identified Bendis with Persephone, Artemis, Hekate and Selene. Bendis may have been the same as the Thracian goddess Kotys (Cotys) or a Thracian version of Cybele. Her attributes include a Thracian-style pointed hat and boots made of fox-skin. She’s shown standing between two spears or holding a torch in one hand.
She was also worshipped in Attica, in Piraeus (the harbor town of Athens). As part of the Attic ritual, a torchlight race on horseback was held in the evening in honor of the goddess. The riders carried torches and passed them along to one another as they raced the horses.
For us, she was very sweet. We had no horses for her, only torches, wine, and a bit of drumming.
