ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the goddess Hekate, who is very often associated with the Underworld in ancient Greece, including a reputation as one of history’s first witches. This chapter traces the origins on Hekate’s connection to the Underworld, including by looking at her link with Persephone’s abduction and travel back and forth from the Underworld. By looking at the early origins of Hekate, this chapter demonstrates that she did not originally have an Underworld-related function but that this function developed over time due to the association between her and other Underworld gods, namely Persephone and Demeter. Hekate has a small, contained presence in religious practice and art in earlier periods, but this does not diminish her power.
