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Hera Facts & Worksheets

Hera is the wife of Zeus, the Queen of Olympus, and the Olympian goddess of marriage.

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Hera is the wife of Zeus, the Queen of Olympus, and the Olympian goddess of marriage. She is also the deity associated with family and the welfare of women and children.

See the fact file below for more information on the Hera or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Hera worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

THE MOTHER GODDESS

  • Hera is the youngest of Cronus’ and Rhea’s three daughters after Hestia and Demeter.
  • Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus are her younger brothers.
  • She was swallowed by her father at birth and later disgorged to be born again, and is sometimes referred to as Cronus’ and Rhea’s oldest daughter.
  • Zeus tricked Hera into marriage. Knowing full well that the goddess loved animals, he transformed himself into a distressed cuckoo and reverted to his original form only when Hera took the poor creature to her breast to warm it.
  • Ashamed of being taken advantage of, Hera agreed to a marriage. But, being married to Zeus, she was treated by the Olympian gods with the same reverence as her husband.
  • As the guardian of marriage and the spouse of the King of Gods and Men, Hera had to be the model of a faithful wife.

THE JEALOUS GODDESS

  • However, Zeus turned out to be a huge philanderer which resulted in Hera’s unsavory jealousy and wrath.
  • Out of anger, she once tried to steal Zeus’ thunderbolt. But Hera was caught and hung from the sky with golden chains.
  • She then directed her anger toward Zeus’s lovers and their offspring, becoming a jealous and vindictive wife.
  • Against Semele, Hera forced Zeus to show himself. Since humans will be incinerated upon looking at the gods, she vanished into thin air.
  • She turned Callisto into a bear, after the latter gave birth to Zeus’ child Arcas. The child unwittingly killed his mother so Zeus turned both into the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the Big and the Little Bear.
  • Against Leto, Hera kept her daughter Eileithyia from attending the birth of Apollo, postponing it by nine days and nights.
  • The goddess Io also did not escape because after Zeus turned her into a cow, Hera turned Argus into a gadfly to distress her.
  • Orion’s wife Side (“pomegranate”) boasted that she was as beautiful as Hera, so the goddess sent her to the Underworld.
  • When Laomedon’s daughter Antigone did the same, Hera turned her into a stork.

CULTURAL IMPORTANCE

  • Hera is often shown seated on a throne and sometimes wears a crown, holds a royal sceptre, and wears a bridal veil.
  • On occasion she is also depicted holding a pomegranate, a traditional symbol of fertility.
  • Hera was the patron of Argos, which possessed a sanctuary to the goddess from the mid-8th century BCE.
  • She also had a temple dedicated to her at Olympia (650-600 BCE), and Tiryns was an important cult center to the goddess in the 7th century BCE.
  • A centre was also created during the 8th century BCE which prospered right into the Roman period.
  • Hera was greatly esteemed at Elis, where coins depicted the goddess in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE.
  • Across Greece, sporting competitions for women, the Heraia, were held in Hera’s honour, as were annual marriage festivals when couples reenacted the marriage of Zeus and Hera.
  • Hera’s children are:
    • ARES – God of War
    • HEPHAESTUS – God of Metalworking
    • HEBE – Goddess of Youth and Brides
    • EILEITHYIA – Goddess of Childbirth
    • ERIS – Goddess of Strife
  • As the most respected goddess of Olympus, she was attended by:
    • EILEITHYIA – Goddess of Childbirth
    • HEBE – Goddess of Youth
    • IRIS – Goddess of the Rainbow
    • THE HORAI – Goddesses of the Seasons & Heavenly Law and Order
    • OKEANIDES – Cloud-Nymphai
  • As Queen of Heaven, most of the gods would do her bidding

Hera Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Hera across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Hera worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Hera who is the wife of Zeus, the Queen of Olympus, and the Olympian goddess of marriage. She is also the deity associated with family and the welfare of women and children.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Olympus Gods
  • Queen’s Throne
  • Word Find
  • Hera’s Relations
  • Symbol of Beauty
  • The Mother
  • Positivity
  • Leading a Nation
  • Modern Hera
  • Great Roles

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Link will appear as Hera Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 6, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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