Lion-headed Goddess Copyright © Sage Starwalker, 2002 All rights reserved.

Virgin Huntress, Leader of Nymphs, Wild Maiden

Here is the virgin goddess, Artemis,
running across the mountains of Taygetos or up the steep hills of Erymanthos,
running with her maidens, running with the deer, accompanied by birds,
ranging widely in the wilderness,
playful and strong and free and beautiful: and the heart of her mother is glad....
(from Homer's The Odyssey)

Pray give me eternal virginity; ...the office of bringing light;
a saffron hunting tunic with a red hem reaching to my knees;
sixty young ocean nymphs, all of the same age, as my maids of honour;
twenty river nymphs from Amnius in Crete,
to take care of my buskins & feed my hounds when I am not out shooting;
all the mountains of the world;
and, lastly, any city you care to choose for me, but one will be enough
because I intend to live on mountains most of the time.”
(Artemis addressing Zeus, from Robert Graves' The Greek Myths)

I sing of Artemis, whose shafts are of gold, who cheers on the hounds,
the pure maiden, shooter of stags, who delights in archery....
Over the shadowy hills and windy peaks she draws her golden bow, rejoicing in the chase,
and sends out grievous shafts....
(from The Homeric Hymns)