Hera - Greek Goddess
Hera was a Greek Goddess of a different sort, one that displayed the tendency of the Greeks to have a god for everything they deemed significant.
Hera – Greek Goddess
While many of the most important deities throughout history have been male, a select few females have risen to the highest levels of religion. In ancient Egypt, goddesses like Isis and Set were worshiped by many followers, and seen as being even more integral to their lives than certain male gods. This was also true in ancient Greece. Some of the most important deities in this pantheon were goddesses, and Hera, Greek goddess of marriage and wife of Zeus, was one of them.
Hera was both the older sister and wife of the most important god in Greek times, Zeus. She was often pictured as being wise and solemn, with a large crown known as polos (the crown of the Great Goddesses). In some cases, Hera, Greek goddess of marriage, was also seen holding a pomegranate, used as a symbol of blood – representing both fertility and death. Her cult cities – the places she was most often worshiped in – were Argos and Mycenae. Hera's Roman counterpart goddess was known as Juno.
The tale of Hera goes further back than even the stories of Zeus; as she was said to be his older sister. Her name is not traceable to any Greek roots, rather, it is hypothesized that her presence in the area dates back to unidentified pre-Greek people, collectively called the Pelasgians. While some writers, such as Homer, spoke of Hera's power as being drawn from her marriage to the “king of gods”, others were even less kind to her. Later myths about Hera seem to mostly focus on her anger at Zeus's many consorts, and the ways she plotted revenge against these women.
Hera is also associated with cattle, in fact, she is known as a “cow goddess”. Masks created from bull skulls that were worn during ceremonies to celebrate Hera, Greek goddess queen have been found. Later Greeks rejected the association, however, preferring to not think of their Great Goddess as a cow-faced creature, and instead, chose to speak of her as “cow-eyed”.
Hera's powers were mostly concentrated on punishing other god and mortal figures that angered her, and she was not noted for being particularly benevolent. She tried killing (and succeeded) many of her husband's offspring by other consorts. Not a traditional Green Mother figure, Hera was described as spiteful and jealous. Her status as wife of the king of the gods, Zeus, was what gave her the role of originating female goddess.
