ARTEMIS ~ THE GODDESS OF HUNTING

Artemis ( Άρτεμις) is the Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, the Moon, and chastity in the ancient Greek Religion.

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. She is the Patron and Protector of young girls, and is believed to bring disease upon women and relieve them of it. Artemis is worshipped as one of the primary Goddesses of childbirth and midwifery along with Eileithyia. Much like Athena and Hestia, Artemis prefers to remain a maiden and is sworn never to marry.

Artemis is one of the most widely venerated Ancient Greek Goddesses and Her temple at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Artemis' symbols include a bow and arrow, a quiver and hunting knives; the deer and the cypress are sacred to Her. 

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An account by Callimachus has it that Hera forbade Leto to give birth on either the mainland or on an island. Hera was angry with Her husband Zeus, because He had impregnated Leto; however, Leto managed to give birth to Her children on the Sacred island of Delos.

Artemis believed that she had been chosen by the Fates to be a midwife, particularly since she had assisted her mother in the delivery of her twin brother, Apollo. All of her companions remain virgins, and Artemis closely guards Her own chastity. Artemis spent her girlhood seeking out the things that she would need to be a huntress. She obtained her bow and arrows from the isle of Lipara, where Hephaestus and the Cyclops worked.

Artemis also visited Pan, the God of the forest, who gave Her seven female and six male dogs. She then captured six golden-horned deer to pull Her chariot. Artemis practiced with Her bow first by shooting at trees and then at wild beasts.

An important aspect of Artemis and Her worship is her virginity, which may seem contradictory to her role as a Goddess associated with childbirth. It is likely that the idea of Artemis as a virgin Goddess is related to her primary role as a huntress. Hunters traditionally abstained from sex prior to the hunt as a form of ritual purity and out of a belief that the scent would scare off potential prey. The ancient cultural context in which Artemis' worship emerged also held that virginity was a prerequisite to marriage, and that a married woman became subservient to her husband. In this light, Artemis' virginity is also related to her power and independence. Rather than a form of asexuality, it is an attribute that signals Artemis as Her own master, with power equal to that of male Gods. It is also possible that Her virginity represents a concentration of fertility that can be spread among Her followers. 

 Her worshippers in Arcadia also traditionally associated Her with Demeter and Persephone. In Asia Minor, She was often conflated with local mother goddess figures, such as Cybele, and Anahita in Iran. 
 As Agoraea, She is the protector of the agora.
As Agrotera, She is especially associated as the patron Goddess of hunters. In Athens, Artemis is often associated with the local Aeginian Goddess, Aphaea. As Potnia Theron, She is the patron of wild animals; Homer used this title. As Kourotrophos, She is the nurse of youths. As Locheia, She is the Goddess of childbirth and midwives.

SOURCE: Wikipedia