Sacred element people have long considered fire. This is light, heat, food, that is, the basis of life. The ancient goddess Vesta and her cult are associated with the veneration of fire. In the temple of Vesta in ancient Rome, an eternal flame burned as a symbol of the family and the state. Among other Indo-European peoples, unquenchable fire was also maintained in fire temples, in front of idols, and in the sacred hearths of houses.
Goddess Vesta in Ancient Rome
According to legend, she was born from the god of time and the goddess of space, that is, she was the first in the world intended for life, and, filling space and time with energy, gave rise to evolution. Unlike other deities of the Roman pantheon, the goddess Vesta did not have a human appearance, she was the personification of a luminous and life-giving flame; there was no statue or other image of this deity in her temple. Considering fire to be the only pure element, the Romans represented Vesta as a virgin goddess who did not accept the marriage proposals of Mercury and Apollo. For this, the supreme god Jupiter gave her the privilege of being the most revered. Once the goddess Vesta almost became a victimerotic desires of the fertility god Priapus. A donkey grazing nearby woke the dormant goddess with a loud roar and thus saved her from dishonor.
Since then, on the day of the celebration of the Vestal, it was forbidden to harness donkeys to work, and the head of this animal was depicted on the lamp of the goddess.
Heads of Vesta
Its flame meant greatness, prosperity and stability of the Roman Empire and should not go out under any circumstances. The most sacred place in the Roman city was the temple of the goddess Vesta.
It is believed that the custom of lighting an eternal flame in honor of the defenders of their homeland originates from the tradition of honoring this goddess. Since the Roman goddess Vesta was the patroness of the state, her temples or altars were erected in every city. If its inhabitants left the city, they took with them the flame from the altar of Vesta to light it where they arrived. The eternal flame of Vesta was maintained not only in her temples, but also in other public buildings. Meetings of foreign ambassadors, feasts in their honor were arranged here.
Vestals
So called the priestesses of the goddess, who were supposed to maintain the sacred fire. Girls for this role were selected carefully. They had to be representatives of the most noble houses, possess incomparable beauty, moral purity and chastity. Everything in them had to correspond to the image of the great goddess. The vestals carried their honorary service for thirty years, all this time living at the temple. The first decade was devoted to the gradu altraining, in the other ten years they meticulously performed the rituals, and the last decade they taught their craft to young Vestal Virgins. After that, women could return to the family and get married. Then they were called "Not Vesti", thereby emphasizing the right to marry. Vestals were honored with the same reverence as the goddess herself. The honor and respect for them were so strong that it was even in the power of the Vestals to cancel the execution of the condemned, if he met them on the way during their procession.
The Vestal Virgins were supposed to sacredly keep and protect their virginity, since the violation of this rule was akin to the fall of Rome. Also, the extinguished flame on the altar of the goddess threatened the state with disasters. If this or that happened, the Vestal was punished with a cruel death.
History, family and state
The history and fate of the empire was in the minds of people so closely connected with the cult of Vesta that the fall of Rome was directly linked to the fact that the ruler Flavius Gratian in 382 AD extinguished the fire in the temple of Vesta and abolished the institution of vestals.
The concepts of family and state in ancient Rome were on a par, one was considered a means of strengthening the other. Therefore, the goddess Vesta was considered the guardian of the family hearth. Researchers believe that in ancient times the king himself was the high priest of Vesta, just as the head of the family was the priest of the hearth. Each family considered this fiery goddess to be their personal patroness. The representatives of the family supported the flame of the parent hearth with the same scrupulousness as the vestals in the temple, since it was believed thatthis fire means the strength of family ties and the good of the whole family. If the flame suddenly went out, they saw this as a bad omen, and the mistake was immediately corrected: with the help of a magnifying glass, a sunbeam and two wooden sticks that were rubbed together, the fire was rekindled.
Under the watchful and benevolent eye of the goddess Vesta, marriage ceremonies were held, wedding ritual bread was baked in her hearth. Here family contracts were concluded, the will of the ancestors was learned. Nothing bad and unworthy should have happened in front of the sacred fire guarded by the goddess of the hearth.
In Ancient Greece
Here the goddess Vesta was called Hestia and had the same meaning, patronizing the sacrificial fire and the family hearth. Her parents were Kronos and Rhea, and the youngest brother was Zeus. The Greeks did not refuse to see a woman in her and depicted her as a slender, majestic beauty in a cape. Before every significant deed, sacrifices were made to her. The Greeks even preserved the saying "start with Hestia." Mount Olympus with its heavenly flame was considered the main focus of the goddess of fire. Ancient hymns glorify Hestia as the “green herb” mistress “with a clear smile” and call for “breathing happiness” and “he alth with a healing hand.”
Slavic deity
Did the Slavs have their own goddess Vesta? Some sources say that this was the name of the goddess of spring among them. She personified the awakening from winter sleep and the beginning of flowering. The life-giving fire in this case was perceived by our ancestors as a mighty force, which ismagical effect on the renewal of nature and fertility. It is possible that pagan customs involving fire are associated with the deification of this goddess.
It was not difficult to invite the Slavic goddess of spring into your home. It is enough to go around the dwelling clockwise eight times, saying "Luck, happiness, abundance." Women who washed themselves with melt water in the spring had, according to legend, a chance to remain young and attractive for a long time, like Vesta herself. The Slavic goddess also symbolized the victory of light over darkness. Therefore, she was especially praised on the first day of the new year.
Who are the messages among the Slavs
So called girls who know the wisdom of housekeeping and pleasing a spouse. They could be given in marriage without fear: good housewives, wise wives and caring mothers were obtained from the news. In contrast, the brides were called just those young ladies who were not ready for marriage and family life.
Gods and stars
In March 1807, German astronomer Heinrich Olbers discovered an asteroid, which he named after the ancient Roman goddess Vesta. In 1857, the English scientist Norman Pogson gave the asteroid he discovered the name of its ancient Greek incarnation - Hestia.
