#hemera deity

"The far-shining ambrosial face of horse-driving Hemera."

— Greek Lyric V Anonymous, Fragment 1010 (from Plutarch, Epicurus)

Could you possibly do a moodboard of Hemera ?

Thank you in advance!

— @templeof-thetheoi (as usual)

Hemera is a goddess of the day. Excluding the universal offerings, some common offerings include:

Lights

Depictions of the Sun

Depictions of Clouds

Dew

Honey

Flowers

Sunflowers

Daisies

Yellow Things

For devotional acts, some activities that can be done for her include:

Sitting Outside on a Sunny Day

Encouraging Bees & Other Pollinators

Planting Flowers or Other Plants

Watching the Sun Rise and Set

Remember to Wear Sunscreen

Learning About the Sun

Today I want to talk about a deity in the Hellenic Pantheon that is unfortunately one of the more obscure and less talked about deities despite her importance especially as an opposite of Nyx. Ever since her sudden appearance in my life this year I’ve been itching to make a post like this, a guide and overview of a deity that’s the light of my life (/j) both historically backed as well as UPGs to make up for her lack of an official cult, readily listed epithets, or symbols of worship. Think of this as almost like a starting point for a goddess so important and invaluable in our lives to anyone that might read this that worships her or wants to worship her and is at a loss. 

Hemera, one of the Protogenoi, and one of the Theoi Ouranioi was one of the first gods and the personification of day: both the daytime and the daylight always found in the sky during that time frame. Her parents typically are listed as Nyx and Erebos together, but sometimes Khronos (Time) and Nyx, or Khaos on her own are listed as her parent(s). Hemera’s brother and husband is Aither (personification of light and the bright, blue ether of the heavens) and their daughter is Thalassa, and in more rare cases Gaia and Ouranos are also listed as their children too. Hemera’s home is shared with Nyx in Tartaros but is only occupied by one of the two at a time where one rests and the other is active and playing their role in the universe.

Hemera’s role as a goddess in effect is akin to metaphorically leading everything and everyone that falls under her domain as the one ushering day in, the first one that gets the ball rolling every morning. She greets Nyx for but a moment or two as night recedes and falls day in and day out in an eternal cycle as she parts the veil and dispels the mists so the blue sky and all the light that comes with it and the sun become known to those that inhabit Earth. 

Typically, other goddesses associated or closely tied to her are Hera for her position as Queen of the Heavens in a similar manner to Zeus’ connection to Aither. Eos as the goddess of dawn is also connected with Hemera where their names would be used interchangeably. There is not a lot of art depicting her from ancient Greece, and we do not have any signs of her having a cult or temple more in line with what’s typical for the first deities outside of a few exceptions. Interestingly despite the lack of a cult, a shrine to Hemera and Helios was found on the island of Kos. Unimportant tidbit, but interesting and a little fun that based on context her description as ambrosial-faced most likely means she has a pleasing face and she’s easy on the eyes, beautiful and potentially invoking warmth and light. 

Alternate ways her name is spelled: Hêmerê (Ionian), Amera (Doric), and Amara (Locrian) 

Colors I associate with her: 

Any shade of yellow Lighter/softer shades of orange Pink Purple Sky blue Gold

UPG sacred animals and plants: 

White horses The dawn chorus - comprised of birds like the Dartered trogon, Red-winged blackbird, Song thrush, Common chiffchaff, American robin, Tufted titmouse, Common pheasant, Baltimore oriole, Northern cardinal, Common chaffinch, Chipping sparrow, and the Yellow warbler Sunflowers Black-eyed Susan  Zinnia Yarrow Hellebores

Epithets (Almost all UPG since she has none): 

Light-bearing  All-surrounding  Bringer of light Light giver One who bathes us in light Golden-winged Dispeller of night Night chasing  Chaser of night Ambrosial-faced The one that holds all-seeing light Radiant  Far-shining Horse-driving

* The last five epithets are the rare ones actually historically tied to Hemera

what light you carry is sweet as honey,

thin as mountain air, cast down like

shards of amber rain, i raise my face to

touch, my hands to interlock with your

rosy fingers, wake me, goddess, raise me

up among the treetops so i may be first

each day to see your coming, golden,

distant from every pain of later hours