Eileithyia: The Goddess of Labour

Abstract

Eileithyia was the goddess of birth in Ancient Greek mythology. Daughter of Zeus and Hera, she was considered to be a pre-Hellenic goddess as her name was mentioned in several Linear B tablets from ancient Crete. Eileithyia was initially considered to have two functions, either to further childbirth or to protract and delay the labour. Sanctuaries dedicated to her divinity were found in different places of Greece, proving the importance of her cult in Ancient Greece.