Ilithyia
In Greek mythology, Ilithyia reigned over childbirth and labor pains. Women in ancient Greece prayed to her for a safe and smooth delivery, acknowledging the power she wielded over this critical and often unpredictable moment.
Residence: Mount Olympus
Symbols: Torch, weasel and polecat
Parents: Zeus and Hera
Siblings: Aeacus, Angelos, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Dionysus, Eris, Enyo, Ersa, Hebe, Helen of Troy, Heracles, Hermes, Minos, Pandia, Persephone, Perseus, Rhadamanthus, the Graces, the Horae, the Litae, the Muses, the Moirae,
Roman equivalent: Lucina/Natio
Though her name, derived from elêluthyia, translates to ‘she who comes to aid’ or ‘relieve,’ Ilithyia, the goddess of childbirth, wasn’t always seen as a benevolent figure. Her association with the intense pain of labor led some to view her with a mixture of hope and trepidation.
Alcmene’s labor with Heracles was fraught with peril. Hera, consumed by jealousy, dispatched Ilithyia, the very goddess of childbirth, to stall the birth and ensure the death of both mother and child. As Alcmene endured agonizing contractions, Ilithyia sat before the door, her form a physical manifestation of the blockage. But fate, or perhaps a clever trick, intervened. Alcmene’s handmaiden, Galinthias, spying the goddess, cried out, “A son is born!” Startled by the lie, Ilithyia uncrossed her legs, unknowingly releasing her hold and allowing Heracles to enter the world. Enraged by the deception, Ilithyia transformed Galinthias into a polecat, a harsh punishment for a clever act.
Digital Maps of the Ancient World 