Eileithyia
godΕἰλείθυια
Goddess of childbirth
Eileithyia presided over every birth — without her, no child could be born, giving her quiet but absolute power.
The Myth
Hera kept Eileithyia from Leto to prevent Apollo's birth. When Alcmene laboured with Heracles, Eileithyia sat cross-legged with knotted fingers to prevent the birth. Her cave sanctuary in Crete contained votives from the Neolithic period.
Parents
Zeus and Hera
Children
None recorded
Symbols
torchbirthing stoolknotscave
Fun Fact
Her cave at Amnissos in Crete held votives from the Neolithic — possibly the oldest continuously worshipped deity in Greece.