In Greek mythology, Hecate (in ancient Greek Hekátê) is a goddess of the Moon, daughter of the Titan Perses (or of his namesake, Perses son of Helios according to tradition) and of Asteria. Some authors make her the mother of Scylla, whom she would have had with Phorcys or Apollo.
Its role has evolved over time. Homer does not know her. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter (c. 610 BC), she helps the goddess to look for Persephone kidnapped by Hades:she takes her to see Helios, who denounces the Cronid. In Hesiod, she also plays a protective role with sailors and children, quite similar to that of Artemis. Gradually, she finds herself associated with the dark side of the lunar star, and is given powers of divination and sorcery. We then find her linked to the line of magicians like Medea and Circe. She is also known as chthonia, “the goddess of the Underworld”.
In Roman times, she was often represented with three heads or three bodies, and many statuettes have been found at ancient crossroads, places of geomancy par excellence.