Despoina

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In Greek mythology, Despina (Δέσποινα, "mistress" or "queen") was the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon.

In the myth, Demeter was searching for her lost daughter Persephone when Poseidon saw and desired her. To avoid him, she took the form of a mare, but he took the form of a stallion and forced his attentions on her. From this union Despina was born, as was the fabulous horse Arion.

Due to her anger at this turn of events, Demeter took on the epithet Erinys, or raging.

In other forms of the myth the daughter's name was not mentioned, and was only to be revealed to initiates.

Despina was also used as an epithet for Aphrodite, Persephone, and Demeter.

Despina is also represented in Hultan Lore from the regions of Hungry and Romania in which she is the eldest of 12 daughters of the High Sorcerer Valdyn Gorhid (noblemen thought to be involved in the Hultan or "Solomonari") Valdyn had twelve daughters and one son and was a noblemen of a patriarchal family. Despina was upset when her father told her she nor any of her sisters would inherit any of his powers when he died, and so they fled their fathers house to build a demonic army against him and the Solomonari; also know as the Order of the Dragon. Despina and her sisters eventually lost the war, Despina was sent to the underworld while the remaining sisters were removed of their ability to practice any magic other than simple alchemy. It is thought that modern day witchcraft descends from these eleven remaining sisters.

References

• H.R. Rose (1985) A Handbook of Greek Mythology, University Paperback, 1964.

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