I prefer to think of them as Immortals or Daemons rather than godlings. I believe in one creator of order out of chaos, of what is & was & will be, who is within & without & beside & between—therefore, my beloved being from myth and folklore are much less than creators, than The Creator.

Hestia though. She was firstborn, first “eaten” or banished by Kronos. She was so stunning (and full of power) as an infant her father banished all his children. Then her babiest of brothers tried to kneecap her like a fool, tying her to hearth and home.

Joke was on him.

Many may have forgotten her name, but the protectors of family, home, hearth, the community are integral to stories and life today. Look at Jesus who loves us far beyond what the judges (IYKYK) preach from their pulpits & couches. Jesus hangs out with folks on the fringes, preaching love, showing protections, giving friendship. Jesus is both sacrifice & protector.

Back to my girlie, Hestia. She saw her Olympian throne as deadweight. Hecate was grieving her husband and a Titan—no tossing her the throne. Persephone would’ve been a great choice until she embraced her inner chaos and outer goth girl by snagging Hades (the immortal & the realm). She waited another generation, then another for someone who was powerful enough and enough of a protector.

Enter the latest powerhouse who hid behind words, women, and wine—Dionysus, the unlikely inheritor of Hestia’s throne. Dig into his stories, into the Maenads, into who got torn apart at the end of those parties and it all shifts left. Were those men innocent or were they abusers of women, children, and slaves? Were the Maenads a bunch of crazy party girls or victims who were given a fresh start?