The Lady of the Dawn who became the Great Woman of the Light

Hine-titama
by Robyn Kahukiwa

As the Wheel of the Year turns once more, the gateway to the dark months, that of Samhain, opens before us.  As the veil between the realm of the living and that of the dead thins, we are reminded of our own mortality.

 

According to Maori, the Goddess of night and of death was Hine-nui-te-po (meaning "Great Woman of the Night"), who was also the ruler of the Underworld.  Also known by her earlier name, that of Hine-titama ("Lady of the Dawn"), she was said to be the daughter of  Tāne-matua (the God of the forests and birds), and Hine-ahu-one (“woman created of earth”), who was the first woman.

Last Dark Goddess Workshop - Not to be Missed

Dark Goddess altar

For the last six or so years, around Samhain every year, I have been hosting a rather intensive interactive workshop on the Dark Goddess.  Using ritual, myth and magick, these various workshops take the participant on a journey into the Underworld - a realm that can be rather foreboding for some, yet comforting for others.

 

Every year a number of Goddesses who fall into the category of being a "Dark Goddess" are specifically chosen.  Some of whom we have worked with over the years have included Persephone (the Greek Queen of the Underworld), Erishkigal (Babylonian Underworld Goddess), Cerridwen (Celtic Keeper of the Cauldron of Mysteries), Baba Yaga (Slavic Initiator), Durga (Hindu Warrior Goddess), Lilith (the Hebraic Shapeshifter), Sekhmet (Egyptian Lioness) and Pele (Hawaiian Volancanic Goddess). 

Homer's Hymn to the Mother Earth

O Universal Mother, who dost keep
From everlasting thy foundations deep,
Eldest of things, Great Earth, I sing of thee!
All shapes that have their dwelling in the sea,
All things that fly, or on the ground divine
Live, move, and there are nourished... these are thine;
These from thy wealth thou dost sustain; from thee
Fair babes are born, and fruits on every tree
Hang ripe and large, revered Divinity!

Baba Yaga - The Slavic Wild Woman

In Russian and Slavic folklore Baba Yaga appears as a fearsome witch with iron teeth who lives deep in the forest in a hut that moves about on large chicken legs.  Despite having a ferocious appetite, Baba Yaga is described as "thin as a skeleton".

She travels about in a large mortar where her knees almost touch her chin, and pushes herself across the sky with a pestle.  Whenever Baba Yaga appears on the scene, a wild wind begins to blow, the trees around creak and groan and leaves whirl through the air.  Shrieking and wailing, a host of spirits often accompany her on her way.