ABSTRACT
This study argues for the existence of an alternate hexametric hymn to Demeter in which Hekate played the role of informer concerning the whereabouts of the disappeared Kore, in response to a question posed by Demeter that is put in the mouth of Hekate herself in Homeric Hymn to Demeter 54–8. It does this by drawing on the example of the Luwian Sun-goddess of the Earth in her programmatic role as guardian of the doors of the underworld and advisor to the gods within the genre of Hurro-Hittite narratives, a genre that has been shown to have influenced hexametric poetry more generally. The cross-cultural comparanda allow us to understand better the development of the Demeter-Persephone story, as well as shed light on the much-debated origin of Hekate.
