Hera - Greek Deity

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Hera was a Greek deity of a different sort, one that displayed the tendency of the ancient Greeks to have a religious figure for everything they deemed significant.

Hera - Greek Deity

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, Isis and Set were worshiped by many followers, and seen as being even more integral to their lives than certain male figures. This was also true in ancient Greece. Some of the most important deities in this pantheon were goddesses, and Hera, wife of Zeus, was one of them.

Hera was both the older sister and wife of the most important deity in Greek times, Zeus. She was often pictured as being wise and solemn with a large crown known as polos. In some cases, Hera 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 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. Masks created from bull skulls that were worn during ceremonies to celebrate Hera have been found. Later Greeks rejected the association, however, preferring to not think of her as a cow-faced creature, and instead, chose to speak of her as "cow-eyed".

Hera's powers were mostly concentrated on punishing others 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.