The Goddess Helene

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Helene, Bright-Moon.
H]L]NA
Alternate meanings: Fair-One, Bright-One.
[to Whom the seventeenth day of May, day 137, is dedicated]

Geography/Culture: Greek. Especially Dendra and Therapnae, Laconia.
Linguistic Note: Greek orthography `epsilon-lambda-epsilon-nu-eta, (helene), `basket used for offerings to the Moon Goddess'.
Description: Originally: Egg-hatched orgiastic Goddess of moon, light, beauty, vegetation, fertility of soil and fertility of trees, especially fruit trees; Queen of Sparta; Matron of sailors and Guardian of sailors in distress; Eponym of Hellas and the Hellenes; She Who delights in hunting and wrestling; Bestower of sovereignty; She Who causes blindness in those who displease Her.
Probably the name-sake title of Her priestess(es).
She became: literary mortal heroine; Provoker of wars.
To Whom Sacred: sycamore; five-point leaved trees in general; plane-tree (its sanctity lies in its five-pointed leaves -- representing the hand of the Goddess -- and its annual sloughing of bark); dove; swan (from a swan's egg She was hatched); horse (after sacrifice of, marriage {to priestess incarnation of Her?} conferred king-ship); hyacinth coloured egg (symbol of the world egg from which all came forth); Ariadne doll (hung from fruit trees to promote fertility); helene (basket used for carrying holy objects, ie. perhaps phallic emblems, or (other) offerings to the Moon Goddess {this is probably made from willow, qv Skeats -- cross ref. perhaps to symbols under - willow, and elaborate its etymological connection}); Annual child sacrifice.
Festivals: {The Helenophoria (a mystic festival of Artemis, Ifigenia, or Tauropolos) might be considered appropriately Helene's I should think}.
Iconography: She carries a helene on Her head and is accompanied by the Dioscuri, Her brothers.
Male Associates: In addition to Her two brothers, the Dioscuri, Her sons were Aethiolas, Maraphius and Pleisthenes by consort Menelaus, King of Sparta and sons Bunomus, Aganus and Idaeus by Her abuctor Paris; She was also abducted Theseus. Another consort was Deiphobus, and Achilles was Her fifth consort.

Titles/Variants, etc:

She has been identified with Aphrodite, Froth-of-Replication.
Helene is also a title of Artemis, High-Source-of-Water.
Sister of Clytemnestra, Praiseworthy-Wooing, linked under Leto.
In Rhodes She is surnamed Dendritis, She-of-the-Trees, linked under Erigone.
See also Elaine.
One of Her attendants is called Electra, Bright-One.
Etruscan variant: Elinai, ---.
Anglesized variant Helen.
Variant: Helena.
Local etymological variant: Helle, Bright. below.
Perhaps etymologically related to Hellotis, ---.
Mother of Hermione, below.
Some say Mother of Iphigeneia, Mothering-a-Strong-Race.
Some say Daughter of Leda, Lady, linked under Leto.
Some say Daughter, (others title), of: Nemesis, Due-Enactment.
With Her name masculinised as Hellen, Shehe was consort of Ortheis, linked under Orthia.
Title of priestess(es) of Orthia, Erect-One.
Perhaps local language variant: Selene, Moon, linked under Phoebe.
Could the annual child sacrifice relate Her to Phoenician Tanith, to Whom child sacrifice is also sacred?
Some say Daughter of Tethys, Disposer, linked under Thetis.

Sources: EB/v13/219c,d; GMv1/161, 197, 207, 208, 263, 367; GMv2/65, 91, 269, 272, 275-7, 317-8, 327, index.

Helle, Bright.
H]LA
Geography/Culture: Greek.
Description: Goddess of Death and Resurrection.

Titles/Variants, etc:

It may have been more specifically Helle Who was Eponym of Hellas and the Hellenes, and Whose worship ousted that of the Graiae.
Local language variant of Helene.
Daughter of Nephele, Cloud, linked under Ino.
Perhaps to be identified with, or also called Persephoneia Destroyer.

Source: Graves WG 257.

Hellotis, ---.
H]LOTYS

Titles/Variants, etc:

Cretan and Corinthian name for Europe.
Perhaps etymologically related to Helene.

Hermione, ---.
H=rMYONA
Geography/Culture: Greece: Argolia, the place name Hermione.
Linguistic Note: Herma means a prop, support, pillar (as in Hermes who is sometimes represented as a boundary post with his head carved on top of it); was She `Pillar-faced'?
Description: As a mortal She was nine years old when abandoned by Her Mother.
To Whom Sacred: Nine is a Goddess number.
Male Associates: Father Menelaus. Some say son Tisamenus, Avenging-Strength, by consort Orestes. Some say a second consort was Neoptolemus with whom She proved barren!

Titles/Variants, etc:

Some say Erigone was Mother to Tisamenus.
Daughter of Helene

Source: Graves GMv2 65, 66; 83; 269, 274.

worked on: June 26, 1990; July 13, 1990; July 15, 1990; August 6, 1991; May 1995.
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