EILEITHYIA (greek goddess of childbirth)

Iris was sent to fetch Eileithyia from the home of the gods, and she departed with the messenger, moving like shy wild-doves, before the other goddesses promised her a long golden necklace as a reward for her aid.² This event caused her name to spread from Delos to other peoples, establishing her as the deity responsible for the painful and difficult aspects of labor.^3,4,5 In another account, she assisted the Eleans by giving birth to her son for them, a deed that led the Eleans to decide to worship her alongside their local god.⁶

Eileithyia’s power was not always gentle, as she assisted Hera in delaying the birth of Alcmene’s child, pressing her knees together and joining her fingers to impede the delivery.^7,8 She sat on an altar and used charms to retard the birth of Heracles, intending to cause Alcmene’s death as an act of vengeance for Hera, while hearing the mother’s groans.⁸ She also helped bring Eurystheus into the world before his full term, demonstrating her ability to control the timing of births with precise authority.⁷ In contrast, she cared for the pains of women during childbirth, as noted in Homer’s Iliad, and eased the suffering of Berenice by causing release from pain to flow over her limbs.^9,10,11 Her influence extended to withholding abundant offspring, granting a speaker only one child, which highlighted her capacity to restrict fertility as well as facilitate it.¹²

The poet Olen identified Eileithyia with fate and styled her the clever spinner, suggesting a cosmic role that transcended mere physical assistance in the birthing process.¹³ According to Olen’s hymn, she was the mother of Love and was described as older than Cronus, a claim that placed her among the most ancient of divine powers.^14,13 She was associated with the Hyperboreans as her origin, a tradition that linked her to distant northern lands before her arrival at Delos.⁵ A sharp shaft associated with childbirth was part of her iconography, a symbol that the Maiden feared during labor, reflecting the intense physicality of her domain.¹⁵

Sanctuaries dedicated to Eileithyia were found throughout the Greek world, from the foot of Mount Cronius to the city of Bura, and from Amnisus in Crete to the region of Messenia.^{16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,13,27,28,29} The Delians paid tribute to her to ease the process of childbirth, sacrificing daily and offering various types of incense, while singing a hymn composed by Olen.^{30,27,20,29,5} A vast number of votive gifts, including two wooden figures made by Phaedra as Cretan offerings, were presented to the goddess, who received an altar in the front section of a two-part temple.^5,20,29 The Lacedaemonians built her sanctuary following an oracle from Delphi, and she remained a figure of profound respect, cared for by expectant mothers and revered for her ability to alleviate the travail of birth.^19,10,9