Greek Mythology Explained | Artemis: Goddess of the Hunt | Miscellaneous Myths

Welcome to the channel!

This episode's a little different
because it was decided on by you.

Well, maybe not you specifically,
but some of you out there did vote.

I asked you which Olympian god
I should make a video about next

and you chose Artemis:

goddess of the hunt, the wilderness,
wild animals, the moon, and virginity.

It's worth noting that her twin brother,
Apollo, came in second place.

As the channel grows, I invite you
to get involved in the conversation.

If you're already subscribed,

then you have access
to the polls on YouTube

so, you can vote for the next topic.

And if you're not subscribed yet...

what are you waiting for?

Pause the video and hit that button now!

There's really a lot to unpack
when it comes to Artemis...

so sit back, make yourself comfortable
and, if you're ready, let's dive in!

Something I noticed
while researching Artemis

is how fiercely independent she is.

Of course she's beautiful and,
in that regard,

isn't so different
from the other goddesses.

But one thing that really sets her apart
is that she's a hunter.

Typically a job only held by men.

She's also incredibly athletic,

isn't afraid to get her hands dirty,

and is basically the best archer there is.

With perhaps only
her twin brother Apollo as competition.

Artemis asserted her independence
from the get-go.

In fact the first condition
she demanded of her father Zeus

was to remain forever a childless virgin.

She's kind of like that eccentric,
introverted friend

that we all know and love.

Sappho, who lived well over
two and a half thousand years ago,

was one of the most brilliant
poets to ever live,

and just happened to be

a fiercely independent woman herself.

Here's how she described the goddess:

"Artemis made a vow
and swore the gods' great oath:

"By your head, I will remain a virgin

"always hunting upon the peaks
of lonely mountains.

"Come, nod your head,
grant me this favor."

So she said.

The Father of the blessed gods consented,

and so the gods and people, too,
call her "Deershooter"

and also "Virgin Huntress",
a mighty title.

And Eros never approaches her.

As a so-called virgin goddess,

she's a lot like her half-sister Athena.

But keep in mind that the word
for virgin and unmarried

were basically the same
in the ancient Greek world.

So, virginity could simply mean
that she's single

and not that she's against sex.

But the end of Sappho's poem does say

that Eros, who was the god
of sexual desire

and where we get our word erotic from,

never approaches her.

So, maybe she's... just not interested.

But it's really none of our business

and I find it a little odd

that none of the male gods
are ever referred to as virgins.

In other regards

she's the polar opposite of Athena,

who likes to involve herself
with human affairs

like war and civilization.

Artemis doesn't care about any of that.

She just wants to chill in the woods

with a select group
of her nymph lady friends...

Far from us noisy and complicated mortals,
especially us guys.

She thrives best
in the untrodden corners of the Earth.

She's what we might call a mystic.

Someone who's a bit... weird

which, by the way, originally meant

to have the supernatural power
to control destiny.

So, if anyone ever calls you a weirdo,

just smile politely
and thank them for the compliment.

Here's how she's described
in a Homeric hymn

from the 8th century BC:

"I sing of Artemis,
whose arrows are of gold,

"who cheers on the hounds,

"the pure maiden, shooter of stags,

"who delights in archery...

"Over the shadowy hills and windy peaks,

"she draws her golden bow,

"rejoicing in the chase,

"and sends out grievous arrows.

"The tops of the high mountains tremble

"and the tangled wood echoes
awesomely with the outcry of beasts."

I find the use of the word grievous
very interesting,

because the word means
to cause severe pain, suffering or sorrow.

Although Artemis was
a protectress of girls and women,

as well as a divinity
of birth and healing,

her arrows were also known
to bring disease and death.

This is why worshippers of Artemis

had an equal dose of respect and fear
for this goddess of contradictions.

In her famous collection
of the Greek myths known as "Mythology"

published in 1942, Edith Hamilton wrote:

"In Artemis is shown most vividly
the uncertainty between good and evil,

"which is apparent
in every one of the divinities.

"The cypress was sacred to her

"and all wild animals...
but especially the deer.

"She was the Lady of Wild Things,
huntsman-in-chief to the gods;

"an odd office for a woman.

"Like a good huntsman,
she was careful to preserve the young.

"She was the protectress
of dewey youth everywhere."

Nevertheless, with one of those startling
contradictions so common in mythology,

she kept the Greek fleet
from sailing to Troy

until they sacrificed a maiden to her.

In many another story, too,
she's fierce and revengeful.

On the other hand,

when women died
a swift and painless death

they were held to have been slain
by her silver arrows.

Storytellers have immortalized Artemis
for nearly 3,000 years now.

Not only in their poetry,
but also in the paintings

found on classical Greek pottery.

She also makes appearances
on ancient currency

such as these beautiful silver coins.

But perhaps no image of Artemis
is more famous than this Roman sculpture

believed to be a copy
of a bronze Greek original.

She remained a popular subject
in works of art over the centuries.

And you can usually tell it's her
when you see any of the following:

her bow and arrow, of course,
described as either silver or gold,

the presence of a deer, stag,
or her hunting hound,

and the crescent moon.

This brings us to how Artemis
became connected with the moon

and how she's often confused
with other goddesses.

Let's see if we can sort this out.

So, her brother Apollo, also an Olympian,
descended from a much older Titan:

the sun god named Helios

with whom the poets often confused him.

Artemis was likewise the descendant
of a Titan called Selene

who was goddess of the moon.

Later poets of course
added to the confusion

by identifying Artemis
with someone named Hecate

who combines
the three goddesses into one form:

Selene in the sky, Artemis on Earth,
and Hecate in the lower world.

Hecate was the goddess
of the dark of the Moon,

the black nights when the moon is hidden.

The goddess of the Crossways,

which were held to be
ghostly places of magic.

She had hounds, too, just like Artemis,

who could be heard
growling in the darkness.

It's said that wherever three roads meet,
there she is standing!

Some say that Hecate was originally
an aspect of Artemis

prior to Artemis being adopted
into the Olympian pantheon.

At that point, Artemis would become
more strongly associated

with purity and maidenhood
on the one hand...

while her association
with magic and the night

would have continued to be worshipped
separately under her title Hecate.

So, while Hecate operated
by the Dark of the Moon,

Artemis was connected
with the Crescent Moon

as it waxes and appears
to grow a little fuller each night,

much like a pregnant belly.

You see, the monthly cycle of the moon

and even the words moon and month

are linked to menstrual cycles.

And Artemis was often called upon
by her followers

during times of transition
such as pregnancy and childbirth.

The moon's phases also represent
the cyclical totality of life:

its birth, its fullness...
its inevitable decline.

but always beginning again
with the birth of a New Moon.

And on that rather serious note,

I think this is actually
a good place to stop

We have a great overview of Artemis now

which sets us up for a future video.

And if you need something
to watch in the meantime,

a few videos for you to enjoy
should appear on your screen

right about... now.

Let me know what you thought
of this video in the comments.

Did you love it? Did you hate it?

If you do... just be gentle.

As always, thanks so much for watching!