Hera, protector.

In my little Mantra to Hera, the penultimate line reads:

Κυρία προστάτισσα - Kyria prostatisa

This means Lady Protector, and in the mythos there is clear evidence of Hera as a Polias and Poliouchos type goddess the same way as Athena. These aspects are of the goddess in question as a protector of cities, protector of the people, and protector of the institutions of the people. But as is clear in the myths of Jason, for example, Hera is also a protector of Heroes, and by extension of humanity.

As persecutor of Herakles she is instrumental in the creation of his mythos, his legend, his fame into history. In a very real way she makes him immortal by making him the most famous of all the heroes of Greece even while she is said to detest him. In many ways, she purposely sets out to set him up as a hero for the people to admire, to worship, to adore and in so doing she sets about setting up a means for man to aspire to greater things.

In my home, when you walk in, the first thing you see is an altar to Hera and Gaia which has a statue of Hebe, who I see as the youthful aspect of Hera herself, and as cupbearer, as an aspect of protection and purity. I set it up there a long time ago, maybe as much as eight years ago, and always found that it was exactly perfect. That in a way, perhaps symbolically, Hera was there to protect my home, and as I have grown in my understanding of the Gods, and of Hera, it turns out I was right to place her altar there.

Σας ευχαριστώ, η κυρία μου!