Since ancient times, people have long considered fire. It is light, heat, food, that is, the basis of life. With the veneration of fire, the ancient goddess Vesta and her cult are associated. In the temple of Vesta in ancient Rome, an eternal flame burned as a symbol of family and state. Among other Indo-European peoples, unquenchable fire was also maintained in the temples of fire, in front of idols, and in the sacred foci 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 arose the first in the world destined for life, and, filling energy with space and time, gave the start to evolution. Unlike other deities of the Roman pantheon, the goddess Vesta did not have a human appearance, she was the personification of the luminiferous and life-giving flame, in her temple there was no statue or other image of this deity. Considering fire 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 endowed her with the privilege of being the most revered. Once the goddess Vesta almost fell victim to the erotic desires of the god of fertility Priapus. A donkey grazing nearby nearby woke the dozing goddess with a loud roar and thereby saved her from dishonor.
Since then, on the day of the celebration of Vestal donkeys, it was forbidden to harness to work, and the head of this animal was depicted on the lamp of the goddess.
Hearths of Vesta
Its flame signified the greatness, prosperity and stability of the Roman Empire and should not have gone 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 veneration of this goddess. Since the Roman goddess Vesta was the patroness of the state, her temples or altars were erected in each city. If its inhabitants left the city, they took with them the flames from the altar of Vesta in order to light it where they would arrive. The eternal flame of Vesta was maintained not only in her temples, but also in other public buildings. Here they arranged meetings of foreign ambassadors, feasts in their honor.
Vestals
So called the priestesses of the goddess, who were supposed to maintain a sacred fire. Girls for this role were carefully selected. They were supposed to be representatives of the most noble houses, possess incomparable beauty, moral purity and chastity. Everything in them should have corresponded to the image of the great goddess. Vestals carried their honorable service for thirty years, living all this time at the temple. The first decade was devoted to gradual training, in the other ten years they meticulously performed rituals, and the last decade taught the young vestals to their craft. After that, women could return to the family and get married. Then they were called "Nevesty", thereby emphasizing the right to marriage. The vestal was honored with the same reverence as the goddess herself. The honor and respect for them were so strong that the powers of the vestals even abolished the execution of the condemned if he met them on the way during their procession.
Vestals had to sacredly preserve and protect their virginity, since a violation of this rule was akin to the fall of Rome. Also, disasters threatened the state with a dying flame on the altar of the goddess. If this or that happened, the vestal was punished with brutal death.
History, Family and State
The history and fate of the empire was so closely connected with the cult of Vesta in the minds of people that the fall of Rome was directly connected with the fact that the ruler Flavius Grazian in 382 extinguished the fire in the church 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 surname considered this fiery goddess and her personal patroness. The representatives of the clan supported the flames of the hearth with the same scrupulousness as the vestals in the church, since it was believed that this fire meant the strength of family ties and the benefit of the whole family. If the flame suddenly went out, a bad omen was seen in it, and the mistake was immediately corrected: with the help of a magnifying glass, a sunbeam and two wooden sticks that rubbed against each other, the fire was kindled again.
Under the gaze and benevolent eye of the goddess Vesta, wedding ceremonies were held, wedding ritual bread was baked in its hearth. Here family contracts were concluded, they recognized the will of their ancestors. Nothing evil and unworthy should have happened before the sacred fire of the hearth kept by the goddess.
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 her youngest brother was Zeus. The Greeks did not refuse to see her as a woman and portrayed her in the form of a slender majestic beauty in a cape. Before each significant business, sacrifices were made to her. The Greeks even retained the saying "start with Hestia." Mount Olympus with its heavenly flame was considered the main focus of the goddess of fire. Antique hymns glorify Hestia as the "green-grassed" mistress of "with a clear smile" and call for "happiness to breathe" and "health with a purposeful hand."
Slavic deity
Did the Slav have their own goddess Vesta? Some sources say that they called the goddess of spring. She personified the awakening from winter sleep and the beginning of flowering. Life-giving fire in this case was perceived by our ancestors as a powerful force, which is a magical effect on the renewal of nature and fertility. It is possible that pagan customs, in which fire is involved, are associated with the deification of this goddess.
It was not difficult to invite the Slavic goddess of spring to your home. It is enough to go around the house eight times clockwise, saying "Good luck, happiness, abundance." Women, who washed themselves with melt water in spring, were believed to have a chance to stay 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 extolled on the first day of the new year.
Who are the news among the Slavs
So called the girls who know the wisdom of housekeeping and the satisfaction of the spouse. They could be married without fear: from the West they turned out good housewives, wise wives and caring mothers. In contrast, just those young people who were not ready for marriage and family life were called brides.
Gods and stars
In March 1807, the German astronomer Heinrich Olbers discovered the asteroid, which he named after the ancient Roman goddess Vesta. In 1857, the English scientist Norman Pogson gave the asteroid discovered by him the name of its ancient Greek hypostasis - Hestia.