Kale (, or Cale, ), also known as Kalleis (, or Calleis), in

ancient Greek religion Religious practices in ancient Greece encompassed a collection of beliefs, rituals, and Greek mythology, mythology, in the form of both popular public religion and Cult (religious practice), cult practices. The application of the modern concept ...

, was one of the

Charites In Greek mythology, the Charites (; ), singular Charis (), also called the Graces, are goddesses who personify beauty and grace. According to Hesiod, the Charites were Aglaia (Grace), Aglaea, Euphrosyne, and Thalia (Grace), Thalia, who were the ...

(Graces), daughters of

Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...

(

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

). Kale is the wife of

Hephaestus Hephaestus ( , ; wikt:Hephaestus#Alternative forms, eight spellings; ) is the Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes.Walter Burkert, ''Greek Religion'' 1985: III.2. ...

according to some authors (although most have

Aphrodite Aphrodite (, ) is an Greek mythology, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretism, syncretised Roman counterpart , desire, Sexual intercourse, sex, fertility, prosperity, and ...

play that role). Cale was also known as Charis and

Aglaea Aglaia, Aglaea, Aglaïa, Aglaja, or Aglaya (Ἀγλαΐα) is an ancient Greek female name and may refer to: People and mythical figures * Aglaia or Aglaea (mythology) ** Aglaia (Grace), one of the Charites in Greek mythology * Saint Aglaia o ...

Mythology

The name Kale in this passage has led some to conclude that

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

mentions two Charites,

Pasithea In Greek mythology, Pasithea (), Pasithee or Pasitheia, was one of the Graces and the wife of Hypnos. In the '' Dionysiaca'', the epic poem of Nonnus (fifth century CE), she is one of the three attendant Graces of Aphrodite. Name The meani ...

and Kale, which seems to be a forced separation of three words: ''Pasi thea kale'', meaning ‘the goddess who is beautiful to all men’. Sostratus ( Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1665) relates that Aphrodite and the three Charites, Pasithea, Kale and

Euphrosyne In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Euphrosyne (; ) is a goddess, one of the three Charites. She was sometimes named Euthymia () or Eutychia (). Family According to Hesiod, Euphrosyne and her sisters Thalia and Aglaea are the daughters ...

, disputed about their beauty with one another, and when

Teiresias In Greek mythology, Tiresias (; ) was a blind prophet of Apollo in Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo. Tiresias participated f ...

awarded the prize to Kale he was changed by Aphrodite into an old woman, but Kale rewarded him with a beautiful head of hair and took him to

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

.David E. Falkner (2011). The Mythology of the Night Sky: An Amateur Astronomer's Guide to the Ancient Greek and Roman Legends. p. 183.

/ref>

References

Greek goddesses Children of Zeus Beauty goddesses {{Greek-deity-stub