Despoina

Despoina (Greek Δέσποινα, " mistress " or " mistress " ) is in the Greek mythology to the gods of the Mysteries of Eleusis.

Pausanias reports that Demeter was adjusted lustful of her brother Poseidon, when she wandered mourning in search of her kidnapped daughter Persephone by Hades. In order to escape the harassment, she turned into a mare and mingled with the herd of Onkios, a mythical king in the Arcadian Onkeion, whereupon Poseidon himself transformed into a stallion and mated so. Fruit of this compound are the immortal stallion Areion and Despoina been, whose name was to be called only to the initiated, ie Despoina was (as Kore Persephone ) actually just a nickname. The real name of Despoina Pausanias dared not to mention the uninitiated.

At another place Pausanias says about a cave in a mountain called Elaios near Phigalia that the inhabitants of the city, according to the about the rape angered Demeter dressed in black ( ie as Demeter Melaina " Black Demeter " was released ) and for a long time in this cave have included, so no one knew how to find them, to the grazing by Arcadia Pan discovered. Because during the time no crop grew, the human race was starving. Zeus therefore sent the Moirai to Demeter, which could eventually be persuaded to overcome their anger. Residents Phigalias therefore kept the cave sacred to Demeter and presented in an image on that the goddess sitting with a horse's head showed, came from the snakes and other animals. In one hand she held a dove in the other a dolphin. But why the goddess was represented exactly as should be clear that only a little familiar with the traditions, said at this point Pausanias. An oak grove and a source there may be.

Demeter and Persephone were worshiped together as the Desponai in Olympia, where they had an altar outside the Altis. Also in Lycosura had Demeter and Despoina a common sanctuary, a created from a single block statue of the seated on thrones goddesses Demeter and Despoina mentioned in the description of Pausanias, the work of Damophon of Messene, parts of which are still preserved. Demeter bears a torch in one hand, her other resting on Despoina, who are on their knees a staff and the mystical cista that keeps them with the right. At Demeter stands Artemis page. This carries a deer skin and a quiver. In one hand she held a torch as Demeter, in the other two snakes, and at her feet is a hunting dog. In addition to the Despoina of the Titan Anytus, the educator of Despoina stands was. He wears breastplate and lance. Before the entrance of the temple were three altars for Demeter, Despoina and the Mater megale, the " Great Mother of the Gods".

In the actual meaning of the word " mistress " or " mistress " Despoina appears both as an epithet of goddesses like Athena, Artemis, Demeter, Persephone or Hecate, as well as to refer to the wife of a ruler and mistress of the house, for example, is Penelope in the Odyssey of Homer also called Despoina.