Bendis

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Bendis was an ancient Thracian goddess associated with the moon, the hunt, and wilderness, whose worship spread into Greek culture, particularly through the Bendideia festival. As a figure of the wild and mysterious aspects of nature, Bendis was revered by both the Thracians and the Greeks, especially in the regions near the northern borders of Greece. While her origins lie in the Thracian pantheon, she was later assimilated into the Greek world, where she became linked to goddesses like Artemis and Hecate due to shared attributes related to the hunt and the moon.

Bendis was often depicted as a huntress, reflecting her role as a goddess of wild animals and the untamed natural world. She was sometimes shown holding a bow or accompanied by dogs, typical representations of deities associated with the hunt. Her connection to the moon also placed her within the wider context of lunar deities, embodying the cyclical nature of the night, the phases of the moon, and the mystical forces governing the heavens. In this way, Bendis symbolized both the wild, earthly realms of forests and animals and the celestial powers of the moon.

The Bendideia, a festival held in her honor, was a key aspect of her worship, particularly in Athens after her introduction to the city in the 5th century BCE. The festival was held in the month of Thargelion, typically around May or June, and featured rituals, sacrifices, and processions, where people would celebrate Bendis’s power over the wild and its fertility. The Athenians adopted Bendis into their pantheon after a diplomatic alliance with the Thracian tribe of the Bessi, who had brought her worship to Athens. This was one of the few instances in Greek religion where a foreign deity was welcomed into the Greek fold with a festival and cult of its own. During the Bendideia, participants would offer sacrifices, engage in wild dances, and even hold races or competitions to honor the goddess, blending the practices of both Greek and Thracian traditions.