Meet with us Artemis, the powerful Greek Goddess of the Hunt, the Moon and Nature. Discover her legends and myths.
Artemis, Greek Goddess
Artemis goddess of the hunt and the moon, in mythology considered a principal goddess. In Greek mythology, it is reflected that she was the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She represented virginity and chastity, along with more natural elements such as the environment, hunting and the moon.
Purpose
Artemis was a protector. He protected wild and tame animals and all of nature. He also protected agriculture, livestock and hunting.
History
Artemis was the Greek goddess of the hunt and the moon, but there were other goddesses very similar to her. In Roman mythology, the goddess Diana was the equivalent of Artemis, although history suggests that Diana had historical roots in Italy.
Artemis Mythology Goddess of the hunt and the moon
There are several myths surrounding Artemis, most of which are related to nature. Here is the story of her birth and others that show her protective nature.
The birth of Artemis
Leto, the mother of Artemis, was looking for a safe place to give birth to her twins. Hera, Zeus’ wife, was furious about her husband’s affair with Leto, and would not let her find shelter. Zeus helped Leto reach Delos, a body of land over which Hera had no jurisdiction. First she gave birth to Artemis. The labor and birth were quick and painless. But since Hera could not stop the birth, she kidnapped Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth. This meant that Leto suffered labor pains that lasted nine days and whole nights. Because Eileithyia was unable to help Leto, Artemis, although only a baby, helped with the birth of her brother, Apollo.
Actaeon
There was a hunter named Actaeon. He often explored the forests with his dogs at his side. One day, he stumbled upon Artemis. She was enjoying the scenery from the bank of a stream. The respectable thing would have been to leave her alone, but Actaeon found himself captivated by the goddess and her presence. Artemis finally saw him and her anger got the better of him. She turned him into a stag. Actaeon’s dogs, unaware of what had happened to their owner, attacked the stag and devoured it.
Another hunter meets Artemis
Although the story of Actaeon traveled fast, there was one hunter who was not perplexed. Orion was not afraid of anything and the story did not stop him from exploring the same forest. He also followed Merope, a nymph, whenever he could, for he had fallen deeply in love with her. He was careful not to come into direct contact with Artemis. But one fateful day, something white in the bushes caught his attention. He thought it was a flock of birds, and quickly approached.
But as he got closer, there was a flash of white light. Then he realized there were no birds. Instead, they saw seven nymphs all dressed in white, including Merope. The nymphs fled, but Orion followed. He gained ground and approached Merope’s robe. Merope asked Artemis for help and the goddess turned the nymphs into doves so they could fly. Artemis asked Zeus to help protect the nymphs. They were then transformed into a cluster of stars. They remained in the sky and became known as the “Seven Sisters”.
Orion
Artemis then turned her attention to Orion. She quickly realized how strong and brave he was. She also realized how handsome he was. Instead of punishing him, she went hunting with him. They challenged each other to races and contests. This went on for quite some time. When they finished hunting for the day, they would sit by the fire and tell stories. They quickly become best friends, something neither of them saw coming. Apollo noticed the relationship and became jealous. He asked his sister how he could have so much in common with a mortal. She told her brother that she thought Orion was a hero, which only infuriated him more.
One night, Orion had a violent dream that a giant scorpion had challenged him to a fight. In his dream, he picked up a sword and tried to hurt the scorpion, but was unsuccessful. The dream went on and on, leaving Orion more exhausted and frightened. He finally awoke from his nightmare, drenched in sweat. He was relieved to realize that his experience was only a dream.
The Scorpion
Orion came out and could not believe his eyes. There was the scorpion, just as it had appeared in his dream. It was the work of Apollo. Orion fought the scorpion, but the results were the same. No matter what he tried, he could not conquer the beast. The scorpion kept attacking at Orion, pushing him further and further into the sea. Realizing he would not win, Orion jumped into the water and swam far away.
While this was happening, Apollo went to visit his sister and told her that a man had attacked a priestess of the forest. He then told her that the man was trying to escape punishment by swimming across the sea. Artemis was furious that someone was running away from her wrath. She went to the sea and saw a man swimming far away. She loaded an arrow into her bow, shot it and struck the man.
When she saw how happy her brother was, she quickly realized something was wrong. She swam over to the body and couldn’t believe she had shot her Orion. This goddess took his body and placed it in her silver moon chariot. She placed him in heaven for all eternity as a tribute to their friendship.
Family
Artemis’ parents were Zeus, who ruled over all the other Greek gods, and the Titaness Leto. She had a twin brother, the god Apollo.
Appearance of Artemis goddess of the hunt and the moon
In artistic depictions, Artemis is usually shown as a strikingly beautiful woman holding a set of bows and arrows. She also usually wears a tunic called a chiton that ends just below the knees.
Symbology
There are two main symbols associated with Artemis, the bow and the pike. Her sacred animals include the bear, the deer and the snake
