A Candid Interview with Hera, Goddess, Mother and Wife of Zeus

Welcome back everyone! This is your faithful Reporter Bast Felinius reporting to you live today here from cloudy Mount Olympus. It has been quiet a climb to reach this place and it did appear a bit quieter then usual when I arrived, but I am not Bast for nothing. I soon got the scent of her and here she is the glorious Hera.

Hera sits in her usual seat, near the window so she can look down on earth. A slide frown is creasing her otherwise beautiful made up Face. Well she isn't a goddess for nothing.

Hera, you are a Goddess in your own right, the Wife of Zeus, a Mother and some might even say the Patron Goddess of all mothers.

Hera only nods her head slowly and gives Bast a penetrating stare; she knows there is more to come, but wisely waits. Why give more away then necessary?

But Hera, this is not all you are, is it? It is rumored that you are also Zeus Sister! Is there any truth to that Rumor? Bast looks almost innocently at Hera, trying hard not to flip her little rough tongue over her lips. These Cat and Mouse games always excite her.

Hera gives Bast that look that normally makes others beg for mercy, but our Reporter just sits with her Pencil poised eagerly over the Paper. At long last Hera speaks.

"Yes, Bast that is true. Zeus and I are the Children of Cronus and Rhea. Both very famous Titans who where husband and wife as well as brother and sister. I guess you could say we take loving ones family very serious.

Was Cronus a loving father? What a bout your Mother and Grandmother?
At this Hera gives an emphatic; HA! After a few seconds of composure she explains.

Sure, Bast, Cronus was such a loving Father that he swallowed us all up shortly after we were born. Guess, you could say I couldn't bear to be parted from us. That is ok; he got his in the end. Was a careful sort, that Cronus and brutal. He was just scared that we would do to him, what he did to his Father Uranus, but I am sure you are familiar with that old story. Anyway, Mother and Grandmother, were good hearted but a bit slow. It took them until Zeus came along to finally take some action. Who knows, maybe he was their favorite (at that Hera gets a bit of a green tint to her face) but they did trick the old so and so.

What did Rhea and your Grandmother Gaia do? How did he get away?
"Well that story is told to our little ones to put them to bed now isn't it. A legend it has become even here on Mount Olympus. After Zeus was born, our Mother and Grandmother took Baby Zeus (the only time he ever shut his mouth by the way) and wrapped him in a blanket and had him brought to Crete, to Mount Dicte to be precise and to the old Goat Almatheia. She became his suckling Mother you could say. Maybe that is why he has become such insensitive old Goat. (Again we can see glimpses of her temper flaring). Anyway, in the meantime Rhea took the swaddling cloth that Zeus had slept in and put a Rock in it instead. Just the right size and form for Cronus to think it was Baby Zeus. At least Zeus did come back when he had grown into a fine young God and talked that old fool into spitting us back up. Well the Rest is Mythology, isn't it? "

She takes a drink of divine Nectar and offers Bast a drink. Bast only shakes her head at her hostess, she is eager to get on with her questions.

You and Zeus have had quiet a few rough spots in your marriage didn't you. There were Stories of Zeus have an eye for the Ladies...

Hera can no longer sit at that, she rises from her seat and starts to pace the floor. She mumbles something under her breath and then finally the words become loud enough to be recorded here.

"One roving eye? That is an understatement if I ever heard one. That God couldn't keep his piece in his toga if you paid him to. He took this whole father of the Gods thing way to serious. Sometimes I think that he was under the impression that he had to Father the entire World single spermly. Half the time you couldn't even proof it until it was too late. That old fool would change forms so often that you never knew who he was going to be next. One minute he is a Swan and gets that twit Leda with an Egg and then he is a golden shower and just rains on Danea's Parade. She never regained that girlish figure. Ah and then there was that time when he became a Bull and abducted Europa. He got them one way or the other. I could have probably turned an eye on it, they are just mortals after all, but then he goes and gets his tuft buffed by Prince Ganymede and don't you know it, he had him brought here by Eagle and that kid still runs after him with his cup. I had enough at that point. Needless to say, I had to draw the line somewhere. "

Before Bast can interrupt however, Hera goes on. She is in such a rage just thinking about it she isn't spilling the beans anymore, she is unloading the entire Meal.

"And then he goes after the Goddesses. They should have known better! There are so many Goddesses running around that have been knocked up by him, you can barely keep them straight. Let me think. Themis gave birth to the three Horae and the three Moirae, I think you know the last three better as the Fates. Then you had Mnemosyne, now there was a fruitful girl, she gave him the 9 Muses after 9 days of fun. They still hang around here somewhere too, still entertaining their Father with their voices. At least that is what he tells us. Eurynome give birth to the 3 Charities. And do you know what he told me when I asked him how he could do this to me? Well, do you?" Her voice has taken an almost fever pitch now and Bast only has long enough time to shake her head.
"He told me, he wanted to make sure the Mortals had all they required to live by. What a bunch of ..."

But you gave him a few kids yourself didn't you? One of them was quiet a feat in itself if I remember!"

At that she looks a bit smug. "Yes, that was Hephaestus. He is such a good boy. I had him all by myself, didn't need Zeus Sperm or nothing. Well, he had gone and swallowed Metis child, she was the first one Zeus had his Heart lost to. He finishes carrying Athena inside of him after he killed Metis as thunder and lightning. What a fool that man is.

I also gave birth to Ares, Hebe, Eileitheyia."

It is said that you did get even with some of the Girls Zeus got with child.

"Ah yes, I do have my moments of weakness and permit myself a tiny bit of sport. For example. The Mother of Artemis and Apollo had a bit of a difficult time finding a birthing place for her Twins. She did finally find one on Delos. "

At this point Hera looks at her divine Hourglass and Bast knows her time is growing short.
Hera, is there anything you wish to say about your disappearance from the World of Mortals?

At that I hear a loud thunderclap and Zeus comes in the room. He looks Bast over and she gives a low rumble in her throat. Hera clears her voice and quickly states.

"We aren't gone; as long as anyone remembers us we live on. We are always found in the Books of the scholars and in the hearts of our Worshippers. If you need guidance, all you have to do is ask and take on our attributes. We are here for you."

Bast is making a quick retreat before Zeus has time to do one of his quick changes.

We would like to thank Hera for her help and hope to see her again in the future.