Daira

Wikipedia EN

In Greek mythology, Daeira (Ancient Greek: Δάειρα or Δαείρας) or Daira (Δαῖρα) was a divinity connected with the Eleusinian mysteries. Her name means the "knowing one" from daô knowing which links well to the inside knowledge of the initiate.

Daeira was a daughter of the Titan Oceanus possibly by his sister-wife Tethys, thus one of the 3,000 Oceanids. Others called her simply as the sister of Styx (also an Oceanid).

By Hermes, Daira became the mother of Eleusis, eponym of the town of Eleusis. Otherwise, their son was called the child of Ogygus, the primeval king of Attica. In some myths, she borne Immarados to Eumolpos. Aristophanes said that Daeira was the mother of Semele.

According to Aischylos, Daeira was the same as Persephone. Others said she was Persephone's nurse; Persephone's gaoler; identical with Aphrodite; identical with Demeter; identical with Hera; identical with Hekate; an enemy of Demeter, so that the latter's priestess avoided her rites.

The Eleusinian link is clearly fundamental, and confirmed by offerings to Daeira in an Eleusinian context in two if not three fifth- and fourth-century sacrificial calendars. The chaos in the myths even in the fifth century must be due in part to the secrecy of the Mysteries, but perhaps also to the unimportance of this particular kind of accuracy in ritual matters. An Attic religious official δαειρίης (Δαειρίης?) is attested by Pollux of whose ritual activity Daeira may have been a projection.

Wikipedia IT

Nella mitologia greca, Deira, il cui nome significa "sapiente", era una divinità collegata ai misteri eleusini.

Deira è indicata come figlia di Oceano e Teti, e quindi una delle tremila Oceanine. Ferecide di Atene la definisce sorella di Stige, che altrove è detta essere la più anziana delle Oceanine.

Con Ermes divenne madre di Eleusi, eponimo fondatore della città di Eleusi. In alcuni miti, fu anche la madre di Immarado avuto da Eumolpo. Secondo Aristofane fu inoltre la madre di Semele.

La difficoltà di attribuire una versione univoca al suo mito riflette probabilmente il carattere segreto e misterico del suo culto: Deira è stata infatti equiparata a Persefone, a Afrodite, a Era, o a Ecate. Secondo altre versioni fu la nutrice o la carceriera di Persefone, e anche l'antagonista di Demetra, tanto che le sacerdotesse di Demetra evitavano di partecipare ai riti riferiti a Deira.