Artemis

Vase painting of Artemis. Source.

“And sing the girl in hills where oaks grow, Artemis, wild huntress.” — Thesmophoriazusae (107-19)[1]

Artemis (aar-tuh-muhs) is one of the main twelve Olympian gods. She is a goddess of hunting and the wilds, childbirth, and the protector of young girls. She is the daughter of Leto and Zeus, the twin-sister of Apollo, and is followed by her nymph companions.[1][2][3]

Godly Characteristics

Artemis, known by some as the "Lady of the Wild Things"[4] is associated with nature/the wilds and the creatures that live there. She is a goddess of sustainable hunting—not only does she use her bow to take down wild beasts, she also is the protector of the young animals.[2][3][4] Her reach in nature extends to mountains, forests, marshes, meadows, and is connected to tree cult (especially in Peloponnese), as well as lakes and springs.[3][4] Because of her various roles as a nature goddess, nymphs of all sorts are found in her retinue corresponding to these domains.

Artemis is said to dance with her nymph companions in a wild and lascivious fashion, and in historical cults women and men would mimic these dances as devotional activities to her.[3][4] Sometimes, it's said in mythology that maidens also participate in these dances.[5]

Artemis is sometimes associated with sudden death and disease (especially with girls and women).[5]

Artemis is associated with child birth because in the main myth of her origin she is born to Leto and then helps deliver her twin Apollo. Historically, she has been prayed to (sometimes alongside Ilithyia, a goddess who is sometimes identified as an epithet of Hera or Artemis or as an independent deity[6]) for aid during child birth because of this.[5][7] While she is also considered a protector of children, especially girls and newborns of any gender[1][7] , she is not prayed to for matters of infertility (instead Asklepios is).[7] Her twin, Apollo, is also a protector children (especially boys), there is various community doxa on how the two handle transgender and nonbinary children. My two personal theories I've had over the years are:

Taking turns – perhaps the twins take turns with transgender children, with Artemis being the first protector from the newborn stage to the toddler stage and from there swapping back and forth with Apollo until the child reaches adulthood.
Swapping – perhaps after the child reaches toddler age, their guardian is Apollo or Artemis depending on assigned gender at birth. Then when they come out as transgender, they are protected by Apollo if they're a trans boy, Artemis if they're a trans girl, or the two gods determine which is a better fit for the child if they are nonbinary.

I've landed on the second as my personal theory for what usually happens, but I am completely supportive of transgender boys who still find protection in Artemis and transgender girls who still find protection in Apollo, or transgender children who feel Artemis and Apollo knew their actual gender since they were a newborn. After all, Apollo is a god of prophecy[8] so perhaps he is a gender oracle as well.

In regards to transgender experiences, I've also theorized that Artemis might be a deity sympathetic to transgender women who realized their gender in adulthood and never had a chance to experience traditional girlhood.

When it comes to age regressing, I believe Artemis and Apollo protect age regressors and system littles similarly to how they protect biological children.

It should be noted that although there is a lot of emphasis in her mythology as a maiden goddess who is surrounded by nymphs (female spirits), there are versions of myths where she has male companions, and there are historical accounts of men participating in worship of her. In one version of the story of Orion, he was a guardian of Artemis and served her before dying (which has variations in who killed him). There are also variations where it was said she was in love with Orion.[5] So, I do not think it is disrespectful for men (cis or trans) to worship her.

While on the subject of Artemis and her love life, there are a lot of people who see her as a god of lesbianism or a god of aromanticism and asexuality. And some who see her as a bisexual deity due to the variation of the myth where she is in love with Orion. Regardless of her theoretical sexuality, Artemis is a maiden goddess, meaning she will never marry. Personally, my system has disagreements about what her sexuality may be, but I feel it is important to note that regardless of what you believe about her there is no canonical to mythology answer to what her sexuality is. So, please do not harass others for their personal viewpoints!

Artemis has a chariot drawn by a team of four golden-horned deer. Another golden-horned deer (who is immortal), the Cerynitian Hind, is also an animal of hers. Alongside deer, the boar, bear, fresh-water fish, buzzard-hawk, guinea fowl and partridges are all considered sacred to her. Boars are notable in that they were considered one of the fiercest animals a hunter could encounter and therefore is a good example of the danger of nature. Amaranth flowers are also sacred to her. Cypress trees and/or palm trees are considered sacred to her because they were a part of her birth myth.[5] The stag and hunting dog are often shown in classical artwork or poetry alongside Artemis.[3]

The bow and arrow is her main symbol, but she has been depicted in classical artwork wielding a spear or torch.[5]

Notable Epithets

Artemis Agrotere – of the Hunt, Huntress[9]
Artemis Ariste – Best, Excellent[9]
Artemis Hekate – Far-shooting[9]
Artemis Hemerasia – She Who Soothes[9]
Artemis Letois – Daughter of Leto[9]
Artemis Limnaea/Limnatis – "Lady of the Lake[3]" or "of the Lake"[9]
Artemis Lygodesma – willow-bound; Artemis Caryatis – of the nut tree; Artemis Cedreatis – of the cedar tree; Artemis Daphnaea – of the laurel tree[4][9]
- All epithets related to the tree cult of Artemis
Artemis Orsilochia – Helper of child-birth[9]
Artemis Paedotrophus – Nurse of Children[9]
Artemis Parthenos – Virgin, Maiden[9]
- Refers to the fact she has sworn to never marry
Artemis Philomeirax – Friend of Young Girls[9]
Artemis Potnia Theron – Queen of Beasts[9]

Altar/Shrine Ideas & Offerings & Devotional Activities

Altar/Shrine Ideas	Offering Ideas	Devotional Activity Ideas
		Singing devotional hymns
		Reading poetry about her or animals
Laurel leaves[10]		Learning about or doing archery

		Being an advocate for animal conservation, as well as ethical hunting and fishing practices
		Being an advocate for reproductive health care and rights
		Donating to or volunteering with organizations dedicated to protecting the environment
Ethically sourced , bones, feathers, and/or furs

Physical Descriptions

There are not many descriptions of Artemis in Classical literature. She has been said to be beautiful, tall, and wielding a bow and arrow. She has also been said to wear the skin of a deer, and sometimes wielding a torch or spear instead of a bow. She is accompanied by nymphs, maidens, and sometimes animals, such as a hunting dog.[2]

Relationships to Other Deities, Spirits, and Heroes

This section is based on our personal interpretations of the attested relationships of mythological beings to Artemis. Many gods have contradicting relationships within their mythology and so as a follower it is up to you to determine what you believe.

Direct Familial Relations

Zeus and Leto — parents, with her being very close to Leto
Apollo — her twin brother, who she is also depicted as close to
Other children of Zeus are her half-siblings

Lovers and Love Interests

None — she is a maiden goddess

Allies and Companions

Maiden nymphs attend her, including naiads, oceanids, bird-legged nymphs, and others.
Other maidens who were former mortals (now immortal via gift from Artemis) also attend her.
There is an attestation of at least one former mortal boy who is now an attendant of her (Hippolytos).
The Muses are sometimes said to accompany Artemis, though they are usually attending Apollo.
Persephone is said to be her friend, at least before becoming Hades's wife.

References

Ogdon D, editor. A Companion to Greek Religion. Blackwell Publishing Ltd; 2007.
Theoi Greek Mythology [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jan 19]. ARTEMIS - Greek Goddess of Hunting & Wild Animals. Available from: https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Artemis.html
Artemis | Myths, Symbols, & Meaning | Britannica [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Jan 19]. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Artemis-Greek-goddess
Nilsson MP. Greek folk religion. Philadelphia, Pa: University of Pennsylvania Press; 1998. 166 p.
ARTEMIS GODDESS OF - Greek Mythology [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 25]. Available from: https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/ArtemisGoddess.html
EILEITHYIA - Greek Goddess of Childbirth (Roman Lucina) [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jun 16]. Available from: https://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Eileithyia.html
Mikalson JD. Ancient Greek Religion. 1e ed. Blackwell Publishing Ltd; 2005.
Theoi Greek Mythology [Internet]. [cited 2023 Aug 21]. APOLLO - Greek God of Music, Prophecy & Healing. Available from: https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Apollon.html
ARTEMIS TITLES & EPITHETS - Ancient Greek Religion [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 25]. Available from: https://www.theoi.com/Cult/ArtemisTitles.html
HellenicGods.org - Offerings to Gods in Hellenismos [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jan 19]. Available from: https://www.hellenicgods.org/offerings-to-gods-in-hellenismos