cArdeA
Publié le 17/01/2022
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Roman Goddess of door hinges, a protective
deity who helps watch over the family.
Cardea was first a virgin huntress or perhaps a
Nymph who tricked suitors by sending them to a
cave and telling them that she would soon follow,
while she turned and went the opposite way. Janus,
a principle god in the Roman pantheon, could see
forward and backward and marked the beginnings
and ends of things. When he fell in love with
Cardea, she pulled her trick on him, but he saw her
flight and pursued her, catching her and making her
his lover.
In return, Janus bestowed on Cardea the power
to watch over and influence door hinges and doorways.
He also gave her power over the whitethorn,
or hawthorn bush, which had a reputation for
protecting children against witches and vampires.
In this way, Cardea became a prominent household
goddess.