Eileithyia/Lucina

**Eileithyia** is the Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery, daughter of Zeus and Hera. Her Roman counterpart is **Lucina**. Her Etruscan counterpart is **Ilithiia**.

## Basic Info

### Alias

Goddess of Childbirth and Midwifery, Daughter of Zeus, Mom

## Family Info

### Siblings

* Angelos, Eris, Enyo, and Hebe (Sisters)
* Ares and Hephaestus (Brothers)
* Zamaya Reynoso, Isaac Reynoso, Tempest Leos (Paternal half-siblings)
* Ophelia Pena, Aubrey Pena, Julian Jove, Hera Fernández, (Maternal half-siblings)

### Extended Family

* Hestia, Demeter, Kelene (Aunts)
* Poseidon and Hades (Uncles)
* Emily Garcia, Carlos Rodriguez, Talia Prevost, Caspian Portal, Moana de Mare, Adelaide Basset, Evan Gonzales (Cousins)
* Leo Guzman, Marko Bachinski, Ryan Anderson, Oscar Vasquez, Anatole Mycenaean, Gabriel Sandoval, Philip Priam (Nephews)
* Quiara Crest, Esperanza Vasquez, Diana Silver, Sadie Torres (Nieces)

## History

### Early Life

Eileithyia was born as the third child of Zeus and Hera, sister to Ares and Hebe, and she became the goddess of childbirth.

### Birth of Artemis and Apollo

After Leto became pregnant with Eileithyia's half-siblings, the twins Artemis and Apollo, her mother Hera kidnapped Eileithyia to prevent the Titaness from giving birth until the rest of the goddesses rescued her. After Artemis midwifed the birth of her own brother Apollo, she came to share the same province of childbirth and midwifery with Eileithyia.

### The Myth of Heracles

After Zeus lay with Alcmene and she became pregnant with his son Herakles, the king of the gods proclaimed that the next child to be born of the house of his son Perseus, founder-king of Mycenae, would rule the city and the greater region of Argolis, intending for Herakles, born as Perseus' great-grandson, to become king.

Seeking to spite Zeus, Hera had her husband swear on oath to confirm his proclamation, and Eileithyia, having arrived at Alcmene's house in Thebes to help the latter deliver her son, was forced by her mother to delay Herakles' birth. At that same time, Nikippe, wife of Perseus' son Sthenelos, was herself seven months pregnant and Hera arranged for her to give birth first, resulting in her son Eurystheus becoming king while Herakles was effectively robbed of his birthright.

## Personality

Based on her roles in the myths, Eileithyia is a kind, caring and compassionate Goddess, who does not hold the grudges her mother has towards her rivals and enemies, being willing to fulfil her job of allowing all mothers a safe delivery of their children. Eileithyia was invoked to help women through the most monumental, and dangerous, moments of their lives. Without the benefits of modern medicine, the intervention of a goddess was sometimes the only way to make labor and delivery safer and easier. Eileithyia, as the goddess of childbirth, is naturally motherly, caring for many of the demigods, caring for them like they were her own children. She also cares greatly for her own daughter, Evelyn, often making sure that she is safe and healthy. Eileithyia is one of the only gods who visits their child in the mortal world (Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, and Ares being some of the others).

## Appearance

In ancient Greek art, Eileithyia was depicted as **a woman wielding a torch**, representing the burning pains of childbirth, or with her arms raised in the air to bring the child to the light. She was closely identified with the goddesses Hera and Artemis, both of whom bore epithets of her name. Now in modern days, Eileithyia is seen wearing a nurse's hat, a Greek dress with Green and Pink lining, Greek sandals, green eyes, and wavy brown hair tied up in a pony tail

## Powers and Abilities

### Goddess Powers

As a child of two Olympians (one of them a member of the Big Three), Eileithyia is a very powerful goddess. She is considered a minor goddess.

* **Reproduction Manipulation**: As the Goddess of Childbirth and Midwifery, Eileithyia has absolute control and divine authority over reproduction. As shown in *Caspian's Miscellaneous Myths (Hero Edition)*, she is able to freely alter and manipulate the process in which living organisms produce offspring. She delayed Alcmene's delivery of Heracles and accelerated Eurystheus's birth, though this affected the latter's health.
* **Birth Manipulation**: As the Goddess of Childbirth, Eileithyia can manipulate birth, what one is born as, what family they are born into, what attributes, DNA, potential, and powers they'd have, and how they are affected by outside influence in the mother's womb
* **Fertility Manipulation**: Eileithyia can create, shape and manipulate fertility, the natural capability for living beings to reproduce (in terms of animals) or grow (in terms of plants). She can make land, living beings or plants fertile, allowing them to reproduce or grow, or make things infertile, making them unable to reproduce or grow.
* **Vitakinesis**: Eileithyia can manipulate health, the state of physical/mental/social well-being of an organism or individual.

## Etymology

From the Greek *Εἰλείθυια (Eileithyia)*, which was derived from *εἰλήθυια (eilethyia)* meaning **"the readycomer"**

## Trivia

1. Eileithyia and Artemis share jurisdiction over childbirth and midwifery.
2. Her Egyptian equivalent is Tawaret.
3. Eileithyia has semi ignored her duties as the goddess of childbirth due to the control of her mother Hera
	1. She was kidnapped by her mother so that way Leto couldn't give birth to her children (AKA Artemis and Apollo)
	2. In the story of Heracles, Hera then kidnapped Eileithyia, to delay Heracles' birth, so his cousin Eurystheus was born first (and made king)
4. Her absence means that babies cannot be born.