i read that despoina is merely a colloquial name for the goddess, and she was called a "true name" by initiates to the arcadian brand of Mysteries. do you have a "true name" you call despoina? you don't have to share it! im just curious if that's something devotees of hers do :)
Χαιρε.
Indeed, Despoina (the Mistress) is an epiclesis that reflected her dominion and supremacy in the Arcadian mysteries, and it was forbidden even to write down her real name, so that the uninitiated could neither read nor learn it.
In a post I shared recently, the scholar Heinrichs put forward the theory that Despoina’s name is Kachila, based on ancient coins and tablets from Arcadia. It’s difficult to translate it meaning, since it’s Arcadocypriot Greek dialect, but roughly it would be something like “she who is in bloom” or “to bubble, fresh splash of water”. Given that Despoina is the daughter of both Demeter and Poseidon, and that her veil features both sea creatures and olive leaves and fruits, this theory becomes quite intriguing and has some ground.
Personally, I wouldn’t presume to make any assumptions or try to refer lady Despoina by any other name, as I am well aware of the limits of my knowledge and that this will most likely remain a mystery forever. But the theory about Kachila really got me thinking, and I must say that the name has grown on me a bit. So this is one of the most interesting possibilities.
Καλή σου μέρα.
