In Macbeth, the witches worship the deity Hecate (depicted below by William Blake, 1795). Hecate was first known for bestowing wealth and the blessings of daily life. However, going forward from the 5th century BCE, Hecate is known as the Greek goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy--capable of both good and evil. She was chief goddess presiding over magic and spells. She witnessed the abduction of Demeter's daughter Persephone to the underworld and, torch in hand, assisted in the search for her. Thus, pillars called Hecataea stood at crossroads and doorways, perhaps to keep away evil.
Hecate was represented as single-formed, clad in a long robe, holding burning torches; however, in later representations she was triple-formed, with three bodies standing back-to-back, probably so that she could look in all directions at once from the crossroads. She was accompanied by packs of barking dogs.
Hecate's companions are the Furies (Erinyes), the winged creatures who punished wrong-doing, and her children are the Empusae, female demons partial to seducing travellers. Offerings to the goddess were made each month during the night of a new moon. The goddess was especially appealed to by sorceresses for aid in their magic and spells and appears on surviving examples of curse tablets--like those in Macbeth.
Another Form of Hecate--Cailleach
Cailleach, the goddess of Winter, is often seen as the Celtic or Scots Gaelic version of Hecate. She is also known as the Cailleach Bhéara or the Hag of Beara, a crone-like figure of the Celtic world. Cailleach is a divine hag in Celtic mythology and is associated with Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man. She is the goddess of winds, wilderness, and winter. Her name translates to a couple of different things including: 'old woman' and 'veiled one.' She and her name have become synonymous with the changing of seasons and the strength of nature. She is ancient and the most known figure in the Celtic world.
In the Scottish context, the goddess is referred to as Berea, Queen of Winter. In Scottish and Irish mythology, the old woman is associated not only with storm winds, wild places, and winter but also with the landscape. The powerful crone was believed to have created the many hills and mountains in Scotland and Ireland. This image of Cailleach ties to the original understanding of Hecate (prior to 5th century BCE) in which she bestowed wealth and blessings.
Similar to the three-figured version of Hecate, in Irish tradition, Cailleach was considered to be a triple goddess--with Cailleach Bheur and Cailleach Corca Dhuibhne. The concept of the triple goddess is that the three aspects of the goddess correspond to the three stages of a woman’s life; maiden, mother, and crone. In some interpretations, Cailleach is seen as embodying all three aspects of the triple goddess. In other interpretations, Cailleach appears as the crone. In these interpretations, she is an old and powerful figure who is associated with wisdom, transformation, and the cycle of life and death--much like Hecate.
The old hag was a figure that was neither good nor evil, a figure balanced between light and dark. The goddesses’ powers were tied to the seasons and as such the weather. Just as she was credited with the creation of the landscape, she was also responsible for its destruction through violent storms. The old woman was able to ride storms and leap across mountains. Additionally, Cailleach in some traditions was able to shapeshift, taking on the form of a giant bird. Along with her magical staff, Cailleach possessed a hammer, with which she was able to control thunder and storms (seeing a similarity here to a god of thunder, Thor). It was this ability to control violent storms that made Cailleach a powerful and wild force in Celtic and Gaelic mythology. We see this control of the weather and storms through the witches (many) incantations in Macbeth:
When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain? (1.1)
Another Form of Hecate--The Morrigan
The Morrigan is a complex and enigmatic goddess from Celtic mythology associated with various aspects, including war, fate, sovereignty, and prophecy. She is often depicted as a fierce and battle-ready figure, sometimes appearing as a crow or raven on the battlefield, inspiring warriors or predicting the outcome of conflicts. Morrigan is also known to have the ability to shape-shift, assuming the form of different animals or a human woman, which she uses to interact with mortals and other deities.
Due to her multifaceted roles, Morrigan was viewed as a triple goddess--like Hecate and Cailleach--manifesting herself in animal forms and foretelling the doom of those who dared strike against her forces. Her impact in Celtic mythology is significant--basically, the Morrigan is the absolute manifestation of raw carnage and total war.
Being a fury and war goddess, the Morrigan might’ve been tethered to the very cycle of life. As with any other mythology, the need for a deity ruling over the notions of destruction and death is always significant. To the ancient Irish, the Morrigan might have been a goddess (or goddesses) invoked during a battle; all so her grace could lead them to victory. To her enemies, the mention of the Morrigan would incite anxiety and fear into their hearts, which would later corrode their minds and result in her believers triumphing over them. Symbols that are associated with the Morrigan are: ravens (connected to death, witchcraft, and general terror), the Triskelion (one of the most important symbols of divinity in ancient time that represents 'three'; pictured below), and the moon (like Hecate, considered divine and both connect to the three phases of the Moon, waxing, waning, and full).
Another Form of Hecate--Ceridwen
In Celtic mythology, Ceridwen was the goddess of inspiration and wisdom. But she was also considered to be a witch. She is a Celtic goddess, but her legends are told in Welsh so she is both Celtic and Welsh. Often, she is referred to as a white witch who is awen. It is used as the word for ‘inspiration’ in many Celtic languages. Specifically in Welsh mythology, it is seen as the thing that inspires poets, or bards, for writing their poetry--perhaps she inspired our favorite bard, Shakespeare? When somebody ‘is’ awen, like our lovely goddess, it means that he or she is an inspirational muse or creative being in general. ‘Flowing energy’ or ‘force of life’ are also some things that are often used in relation to awen.
Besides possessing awen, the cauldron of Ceridwen was also a big reason for her powers. With the help of it, Ceridwen could brew you the most magnificent and life-altering potions, change her form without a problem, and bring knowledge and beauty to the world. The effects of her magical Cauldron and the potions she brewed with it were diverse. For example, it allowed her to change the appearance of others. Because of her shapeshifting abilities, Ceridwen seems to have some similarities with Cailleach and Morrigan. Yet, her cauldron and its potions could actually be quite dangerous. Some potions would have the power to kill with just one single drop.
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