Hearth Goddesses of Ancient West: Hesta-Vesta

Year 2023, Volume: 15 Issue: 4, 875 - 892, 30.11.2023

Nuriye Külahlı

https://doi.org/10.9737/historystudies.1354752

Abstract

Hestia, means “hearth fire”, which is considered sacred in Ancient civilizations, is regarded as Hearth Goddess of the Greeks. Hestia Cult of Ancient Greek consists of rituals symbolizing the fire and presents the first example of holy places of Ancient West. Hestia is called Vesta in Roman religion. Vesta cult has a remarkable position for the integrity of Rome. Ancient writers emphasize that the state hearth was protected by Vesta. The name of the goddess is passed on the priesstess of the cult. Vestals are the ones who protected the Roman public and eternal hearth. Vestals were regarded as incredibly honoured in society. The privileged rights they had were the same as the ones of aristocratic and royal Roman women. The reason why these highly-honoured women were privileged was normally their sacred services. This study aims to describe the hearth cult of Ancient West in the context of Hestia and Vesta and to examine and evaluate the improvement of this description in Greek and Roman societies in the light of ancient and modern sources.

Keywords: hearth cult, Hestia, Vesta

Keywords

hearth cult, hestia, vesta

ESKİ BATI'NIN OCAK TANRIÇALARI: HESTİA-VESTA

Abstract

Antik çağ toplumları için kutsal kabul edilen “ocak ateşi” anlamına gelen Hestia, Yunan toplumlarının ocak tanrıçası olarak kabul görmüştür. Antik Yunan’ın Hestia kültü, ateşi sembolize eden ritüelleri içermekte ve Eski Batı’nın kutsal merkezlerin ilk örneğini sunmaktadır. Evi temsil eden bekâr tanrıça zamanla kentin ocak tanrıçası sayılmıştır. Hestia, Roma dininde Vesta adıyla anılmıştır. Vesta kültü, Roma’nın bütünlüğü için büyük öneme sahip olmuştur. Antik yazarlar, devletin ateşinin Vesta tarafından korunduğunun altını çizmektedirler. Tanrıçanın adı bu kültün rahibelerine verilmiştir. Vesta rahibeleri, Roma’nın sonsuz kamusal ocağını koruyanlardır. Onlar, Roma toplumunda oldukça saygın kabul edilmişlerdir. Onların sahip oldukları ayrıcalıklı haklar soylu Roma kadınlarınki ile eşdeğerdedir. Roma toplumunda bu denli saygınlık kazanmış olan bu kadın grubunun ayrıcalıklı olma sebebi elbette ki kutsal görevleridir. Bu çalışma, Eski Batı’nın ocak kültünü Hestia ve Vesta kapsamında tanımlamak ve bu tanımın Yunan ve Roma toplumlarındaki gelişimini antik kaynaklar ışığında ve modern eserler ile destekleyerek incelemeyi ve değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır.
Anahtar kelimeler: ocak kültü, Hestia, Vesta

Keywords

ocak kültü, hestia, vesta

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