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Artemis
Greek Goddess of the Hunt, Forests and Hills, the Moon,
Archery
Artemis is known as the goddess of the hunt and is one of the most respected of all the
ancient Greek deities. It is thought that her name, and even the goddess herself, may
even be pre-Greek. She was the daughter of ZEUS, king of the gods, and the Titaness
Leto and she has a twin brother, the god APOLLO.
Not only was Artemis the goddess of the hunt, she was also known as the goddess of
wild animals, wilderness, childbirth and virginity. Also, she was protector of young
children and was know to bring and relieve disease in women. In literature and art she
was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrow.
Artemis was a virgin and drew the attention and interest of many gods and men.
However, it was only her hunting companion, Orion, that won her heart. It is believed
that Orion was accidentally killed either by Artemis herself or by Gaia, the primordial
goddess of the earth.
In one version of the stories of Adonis – who was a late addition to Greek mythology
during the Hellenistic period – Artemis sent a wild boar to kill Adonis after he continued
to boast that he was a far greater hunter than her.