Genetyllides
ancient Athenian divinities
In Greek mythology, the Genetyllides (Ancient Greek: Γενετυλλίδες) were minor goddesses or spirits connected with the childbirth ("of one's birth hour") and procreation with a sanctuary on Cape Colias. Often depicted as attendants of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, the Genetyllides held a significant, albeit specialized, role in the religious beliefs of ancient Greece. The Genetyllides were mostly venerated by women, with men regarding the cult as suspicious ("foreign religion" according to Aristophanes in The Clouds, possibly indicating influence of Astarte). These spirits were symbolizing female sensuality and associated with gluttony, deep kisses, erotic music.
Similar to Eileithyia, Genetyllides received canine sacrifices for easy delivery of a baby, an unusual choice of sacrificial animal in ancient Greece. In a singular form, Genetyllis (Ancient Greek: Γενετυλλίς) became one of the names of Aphrodite and, sometimes, associated with Hekate or Artemis.
Pausanias (1.1.5) mentions Genetyllides alongside Gennaides (Hadzisteliou-Price suggests other kourotrophoi, Genethliai), different forms of the same group of nymphs associated with birth and offsprings.
Small female figures next to Aphrodite on coins and in visual arts are sometimes interpreted as Genetyllides.
References
Sources
Frazer, J.G. (1898). "Cape Colias".
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This entry incorporates text from “Genetyllides” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.