The Gods of the Neokoroi - Eris
Image of Eris, greek goddess of discord. Athenian painting, ca. 575-525 BC - copyright expired.
Blessings:
In ancient times, it is unlikely Eris was seen as giving blessings of any kind. She was seen as a goddess of strife, war, discord, and rivalry. In more modern times, she has been co-opted as the goddess who provides us with the flip-side to the good in life, the dark which highlights our light moments. It is said she engenders a sense of humor in her followers. She is also the one who brings the madness of war and discord, which can sometimes lead to positive things, such as the ending of racial discrimination, etc.
Epithets:
- Discordia - Latinized name
- Enyo - name of a war goddess; Homer uses the names interchangeably
- She is also referred to as "sacker of towns," "terror" and "hate" by Homer and other authors.
Symbols:
The golden apple.
For more information:
- Euripides' Phoenician Women 799
- Hesiod's Theogony 225-232
- Hesiod's Works and Days 11-19
- Homer's Iliad 4.439-445, 11.3-14
- Virgil's Aeneid 7.702
Links:
- Eris at Theoi.com
- Eris at Greek Mythology Link
- Eris at a Glance from Mythography
- Eris from Mythagora
- Hymn to Eris by Anna Livia Plurabelle, on sacred-texts.com