Eileithyia
Eileithyia is the goddess who comes to a woman in labour and brings the child out, or holds it back: she is the power of the birthing hour itself rather than a patron of mothers in general. Hesiod makes her a daughter of Zeus and Hera, and Homer speaks of the Eileithyiai in the plural, which is the older shape of her.
Homer uses the plural Eileithyiai, and the singular goddess is a later consolidation; the Amnisos cave cult in Crete is the oldest attested centre. Her identification with Artemis, and sometimes with Hera, is local and syncretic rather than a single theology, and Roman Lucina is a title of Juno rather than a simple equivalent, so the two should not be merged.
Correspondences
- Planetary Correspondence
- Moon
Offerings
- Offerings
- MilkHoneyOlive oilA lamp kept litA candle for a difficult birth
Sacred timing
Symbols and forms
- Alternate Names
- EleuthiaIlithyiaEileithyiaiLucina
- Gender Expression
- Feminine
- Titles
- She Who Comes to the Woman in LabourGoddess of ChildbirthThe Midwife of the GodsLady of Amnisos
- Symbols
- TorchBirth caveThe lampRaised hands
Practice
- Invocation Approach
- ToneSteady and practicalAddressEileithyiaLady of the Birth-ChamberShe Who Comes When CalledRelationshipThe hand at the head of the bedWarningShe is called on by the woman labouring and not only about herResonanceMidwives doulas women in labour and those keeping vigil
- Modern Practice
She is called on by midwives, by doulas, and by the woman in labour herself, usually with a lamp or candle and very little speech. The practice is practical before it is devotional: a competent hand, a kept vigil, and an offering of milk or honey poured after the birth.
Nature and meaning
- Domain
- ChildbirthMidwiferyLabourThe threshold of birthProtraction and releaseWomen in labour
- Mythology Summary
Eileithyia is the goddess who comes to a woman in labour and brings the child out, or holds it back: she is the power of the birthing hour itself rather than a patron of mothers in general. Hesiod makes her a daughter of Zeus and Hera, and Homer speaks of the Eileithyiai in the plural, which is the older shape of her. In the Heracles story Hera sends her to sit with crossed legs and delay the birth, and the trick is only broken by a ruse; the myth is honest about how little control the labouring woman is granted. Her name appears in Linear B as e-re-u-ti-ja at Amnisos in Crete, which makes her one of the oldest attested Greek deities of any kind.
Details
- Correspondences
- ColorsWhiteRedSilverPinkScentsRoseLavenderRainMetalsSilverCopperAnimalsDoveSerpent
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