Artemis

The Huntress Artemis

Artemis was the goddess of the forest, the hunt and of chastity. She was the patron of young girls and women and brought them illness and relieve them of it. She and her twin are the children of Zeus  and Leto . They were born on a small island, hidden from the eyes of the jealous Hera, who forbid Leto to give birth on sea or land. Storytellers aren´t in agreement which island defied Hera, but in the end, Leto managed to give birth to the sibvlings

Leto bore Apollo and Artemis, delighting in arrows,
Both of lovely shape like none of the heavenly gods,
As she joined in love to the Aegis-bearing ruler.

— Hesiod, Theogony, lines 918–920

Artemis spend her childhood in the forests, playing with her bow and arrow. There is one story that tells of her sitting in her fathers lap asking him to grant her 10 wishes, that define her personality through out: 

1. to always remain a virgin
2. to have many names to set her apart from her brother Phoebus (Apollo)
3. to have a bow and arrow made by the Cyclopes
4. to be the Phaesporia or Light Bringer
5. to have a short, knee-length tunic so she could hunt
6. to have 60 "daughters of Okeanos", all nine years of age, to be her choir
7. to have 20 Amnisides Nymphs as handmaidens to watch her hunting dogs and bow while she rested
8. to rule all the mountains
9. to be assigned any city, and only to visit when called by birthing mothers
10. to have the ability to help women in the pains of childbirth

She keeps a following of young girls, who joined her on her hunt. All of the girls pledged to remain virgins, and Artemis herself guards her virginity closely. Only her hunting companion Orion managed to win her heart, though she did not lack admirers and pusuers.

Divine Domains

Artemis believes that she was chosen by the fates to be the midwife. She is the goddess of the hunt and the goddess of the hills. Despite her virginity she is considered the mother goddess.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Bow and arrows

Holidays

• Festival of Artemis in Brauron, where girls, aged between five and ten, dressed in saffron robes and played at being bears, or "act the bear" to appease the goddess after she sent the plague when her bear was killed.
• Festival of Amarysia is a celebration to worship Artemis Amarysia in Attica. In 2007, a team of Swiss and Greek archaeologists found the ruin of Artemis Amarysia Temple, at Euboea, Greece.
• Festival of Artemis Saronia, a festival to celebrate Artemis in Trozeinos, a town in Argolis. A king named Saron built a sanctuary for the goddess after the goddess saved his life when he went hunting and was swept away by a wave. He held a festival in her honor.
• On the 16th day of Metageitnio (second month on the Athenian calendar), people sacrificed to Artemis and Hecate at Deme in Erchia.
• Kharisteria Festival on 6th day of Boidromion (third month) celebrates the victory of the Battle of Marathon, also known as the Athenian "Thanksgiving".
• Day six of Elaphobolia (ninth month) festival of Artemis the Deer Huntress where she was offered cakes shaped like stags, made from dough, honey and sesame seeds.[62]
• Day 6 or 16 of Mounikhion (tenth month) is a celebration of her as the goddess of nature and animals. A goat was sacrificed to her.[63]
• Day 6 of Thargelion (eleventh month), is the Goddess's birthday, while the seventh was Apollo's.[64]
• A festival for Artemis Diktynna (of the net) was held in Hypsous.
• Laphria, a festival for Artemis in Patrai. The procession starts by setting logs of wood around the altar, each of them 16 cubits long. On the altar, within the circle, the driest wood is placed. Just before the festival, a smooth ascent to the altar is built by piling earth upon the altar steps. The festival begins with a splendid procession in honor of Artemis, and the maiden officiating as priestess rides last in the procession upon a chariot yoked to four deer, Artemis' traditional mode of transport (see below). However, the sacrifice is not offered until the next day.
• In Orchomenus, a sanctuary was built for Artemis Hymnia where her festival was celebrated every year.

Relationships

Artemis

twin sister (Vital)

Towards Apollo

4

0

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Apollo

twin brtother (Vital)

Towards Artemis

4

0

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Divine Classification

Goddess

Species

Olympian

Realm

Artemis´ Temple at Epheseus

Parents

Zeus

Leto

Spouses

Siblings

Apollo (twin brtother)

Pronouns

She/her

Eyes

grey

Hair

dark brown

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

dark tanned

Height

1,175cm

Weight

75kg