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aphrodite’s retinue → deities of marriage and childbirth
Epithets: Eileithyia
Nurse of Childbirth, Midwife.
A Goddess in Her Own Right, sometimes a class of Goddesses. Also an epithet for Hera, Artemis and Hekate, among others.
Her name means ‘She who comes to Aid’ and comes from the word eleluthyia, ‘relieve.’ The Eileithyiae often come up in the stories of Zeus’ various lovers giving birth, often because Hera sends Them to stall the birth or to cause troubles in the labor. A few of these stories involve figures associated with Hekate, such as Galinthias.
Eileithyia is the daughter of Hera, or the daughter of Zeus and Hera. She is a torchbearing goddess, and sometimes she is the mother of Sosipolis and Eros.
She can ease the pangs of birth, or prolong them according to her wishes. In cases where there are more than one, the Eileithyiae divided that power between them with one being the Goddess of an easy birth and the other being the Goddess responsible for prolonging birth.
Homer tells us that there is a cave in Crete where Eileithyia was born that was named after Her. Hesiod describes Eileithyia as the sister of Hebe and Ares.
The most famous story of Eileithyia concerns the birth of Apollo. Leto’s labor was prolonged by Hera’s plotting against Leto. Because of Hera preventing the Midwife from hearing Leto’s cries, the labor lasted nine days and nights. Finally Iris was sent to summon Eileithyia, and when the Midwife’s foot touched upon the island of Delos, where Leto was hiding from Hera, the birth became easy, and Apollo was born. In other versions, because Leto’s birth was so hard, Artemis was born first, and immediately leapt into action as an Eileithyia, helping Her brother come into the world.
Similar stories are told of the birth of Herakles. She also attended the fateful birth of Dionysos.
Eileithyia is described as a servant to the Moirae, the Fates. Diodorus Siculus says that the Goddess of Childbirth was attended by Artemis.
When known by the name of Genetyllis (or in a collective as the Genetyllides), She is in the company of Aphrodite and associated with sex, and more importantly, the moment of conception. And among the Romans, there is a similar Goddess named Lucina (Light).
Burkert says that Eileithyia’s origin is Mycenaean, which is supported by her Cave at Amnisos outside of Knossos. He also says that she has no independent character, existing only in the context of Hera and Artemis. Her cave merits a mention in the Odyssey. Therein archaeologists have noted signs of use from the Neolithic period into the Roman Era, with a peak of use by the Minoans. There, Eileithyia was embodied by a stalagmite. Documents associated with her Cultus mention offerings of honey. There was a Sanctuary in Her Name at Sparta near the race track, alongside Apollo Karneia and Artemis Hegemone.
Another sanctuary to Eileithyia stood in Elis, where an elderly priestess who was veiled and expected to keep chaste tended to the naos, according to Pausanias. The scholar also tells us that the Priestess of Eileithyia at Olympia was elected annually. We also know that the priestess of Eileithyia at Chios received gifts of grain and barley every time the city performed a sacrifice. This injunction was later expanded to also include the head of the animal sacrificed, and if she were to insist on more, she would be made to pay a fine.
It seems that her priesthood was composed of older women, who offered a wide range of offerings including animals. One assumes that they were often midwives or that the midwives of a town focused on this Goddess. Eileithyia was one of the most important goddesses for the day to day life of a polis, though as a woman’s deity, not often in the sights of men. Because of the predominance of the male voice in the surviving literature, we know little enough of the Gods like Eileithyia.
I believe that Hekate’s association with Eileithyia is one of function. As Hekate can ease the labors of birth, She is naturally to be called Eileithyia. As opposed to actually indicating that Hekate equals Eileithyia, the epithet suggests an affinity rather than an equivalency.
Personally, I have had no cause to call upon Eileithyia, as my husband and I are unable to have children. Even so, as a dedicated student of Hekate’s mysteries, learning about Eileithyia has been a worthy project. As I have meditated upon Hekate Eileithyia and upon Eileithyia Herself, I have sensed a gentle disposition with a core of iron strength which is steady and sure. A worthy patron for midwives and nurses even today.
Khaire Eileithyia! May the pangs ease And the breaths come steady And the birth be swift! May the mother be blessed With strength, With kindness, With health! Eileithyia, by whatever Name you prefer, Let the child thrive strong and true, far beyond this threshold of life, Let the mother smile upon her oikos for many years, Let them both thrive, whole and true, Khaire Eileithyia! May the pangs ease And the breaths come steady And the birth be swift.
Sources:
Theoi.com
Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion, Blackwell, 2008. Connolly, Jean Breton. Portrait of a Priestess, Princeton, 2007. Kerenyi, Karl. The Gods of the Greeks, Thames & Hudson, 1951.
Images:
Marble plaque showing parturition scene, Ostia, Italy, 400 BCE, via Wellcome Images, hosted on Wikicommons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marble_plaque_showing_parturition_scene,_Ostia,_Italy,_400_B_Wellcome_L0065025.jpg
