Also called Latona (Roman).
Their story
Leto was the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe and one of the wives of Zeus. Fearing Hera, every land refused her a place to give birth, until the floating island of Delos took her in. Clinging to a palm tree, she bore Artemis and Apollo. When Niobe boasted that she had more children than Leto, the twins struck down Niobe's children.
Best times to give to them
- The Delia festival on Delos
- When raising children in difficult circumstances
- Alongside offerings to Apollo and Artemis
What they like being given
- Dates or palm leaves
- Honey
- Fresh water
- Bread
How to honour them
- Honour her with Apollo and Artemis as a family, as they were often worshipped together.
- Pray for parents who have nowhere to turn.
- Offer kindness to someone who has been refused help.
How they can help you
- Hard pregnancies
- Single and struggling parents
- Endurance when rejected
Symbols
- veil
- palm tree
- date palm
- wolf
Sources
- Hesiod, Theogony 404-408, 918-920
- Homeric Hymn 3, to Apollo 25-126
- Homer, Iliad 24.602-617
More Greek goddesses
- Hera Queen of heaven and guardian of marriage
- Athena Grey-eyed goddess of wisdom and craft
- Artemis Lady of wild things and the hunt
- Aphrodite Foam-born goddess of love and beauty
- Hestia Goddess of the hearth and the home fire
- Demeter Mother of the grain and the harvest
- Persephone Queen of the underworld and the returning spring
- Hecate Keeper of crossroads and keys