The Dawn Goddess

A Timeless Figure Across Cultures

My primary spirit guide is the Goddess Aurora. Aurora has been recognised in various forms, from the earliest days of human civilisation. The gods and goddesses of the dawn have played a prominent role in the myths and legends of countless cultures around the world. The dawn, with its promise of new beginnings and rebirth, has captivated the human imagination, inspiring a diverse array of divine figures across the ancient Indo-European world and beyond.

In the Proto-Indo-European culture that gave rise to many of Europe’s and Asia’s most influential civilisations, the dawn goddess was known as Hausos. This radiant deity embodied the rising sun and the light it brought to the world each morning. Hausos was often depicted as a beautiful, shining maiden, riding across the sky in a chariot, chasing away the dark of night. Her Proto-Indo-European name is the root of the modern English word “east” and the Germanic goddess Eostre, celebrated in the holiday of Easter to this day.

The Vedic Indians worshipped Ushas, a goddess of the dawn who was born from the primordial chaos at the beginning of time. Ushas rides forth in her chariot each morning, banishing the darkness and evil spirits, heralding the sun’s arrival. Her 20 hymns in the Rigveda, one of Hinduism’s most sacred texts, praise her golden light and beauty. As the cosmic dawn, Ushas was young and eternal, reborn with each sunrise.

In Babylonian mythology, Hespera, sometimes considered a personification of the dawn, played a crucial role in the daily cycle. Her association with the morning star represented the transition from night to day, embodying themes of rebirth and transformation.

The ancient Greeks called their dawn goddess Eos. She was a daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia and lived in a palace of rose-tinted marble on the eastern edge of the world. Each day, Eos rose from the Ocean to ride her chariot of winged horses ahead of her brother Helios, the sun god. She is known for her golden robes and rosy fingers, Eos is often associated with new beginnings and hope.

In Norse mythology, the dawn goddess was known as Aurvandill, wife of the dwarf Eitri and mother of the sun goddess Sol. At Ragnarok, the end of the world, she will rise again, unharmed by the flames that destroy the cosmos.

From the far West, the Maori of New Zealand worshipped the dawn as Hineraumati, believing the first humans were born from her fiery womb. Her love affair with the sun god Tane led to the creation of humanity. When the sun’s rays strike her “secret parts,” the world is bathed in golden light each dawn.

Although not strictly a dawn goddess, Amaterasu, the sun goddess in Shintoism, embodies the essence of light and renewal. Her daily emergence from her cave symbolises the dawn, representing purity and the cyclical nature of life. The rituals and festivals dedicated to her highlight the profound reverence for light in Japanese culture.

Wherever humans have observed the solstices and equinoxes, the dawn has been deified as a feminine force of fertility. The Sumerians honoured Inanna as a goddess of the planet Venus, which heralds both the dawn and dusk. Her Babylonian counterpart Ishtar was a goddess of sexual love and war. In Egypt, the pharaohs identified with the sun god Ra but his feminine counterpart was Hathor, a goddess of creation and rebirth.

In many early societies, the dawn was welcomed with fire, gifts and prayer. The Vedic Aryans left offerings of ghee and flowers at the first light of day. And the Maori lit fires facing east to greet Hineraumati. The dawn goddess, whether called Aurora, Ushas, Eos, or Hineraumati, has inspired a timeless devotion across the ancient world and into the present day. Her radiance and promise of new life continue to stir the human spirit with each breaking of the day.