Medea: The witch-goddess of the edge of the world

In pre-Olympian Greek mythology, Medea is the daughter of Hecate, and held a fearsome reputation. Although Hecate is the regional (ancient Greece/Asia Minor) term for the proto-European "Almother," Medea is distinctly Greek; as Aradia, daughter of the regional "Almother" Diana, is distinctly Tuscan/Italian. This older Greek mythology was occasionally conflated with the later Olympian pantheon as in 'Jason and the Argonauts'. In the following excerpt from the book 'Witchcraft Out of the Shadows' (Ruickbie; 2004), I saw a powerful parallel with the image of the Teutonic Goddess Freya riding a chariot carried by two large cats:

A chariot drawn by winged serpents conveyed her across the night sky, leaving broomsticks to more humble witches. At midnight, with her hair flying and dancing barefoot under the stars, she howled her threefold incantations. She invoked the forces of darkness - the very night itself and infernal Hecate - and the forces of nature - the gods of the forest, of the earth, wind and water...

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9-12-15 ADDITION: The 1963 film 'Jason and the Argonauts' featured the mythological Hecatean priestess Media prominently, played by Nancy Kovack. This was a rare portrayal of what really had been a regional outgrowth of "European witchcraft," or at least an attempt to show even a marginal speck of respect for it. Again, this mythology was a conflation of the "old religion" with the Olympian tradition; in this case, in the form of the hero Jason. 

This mythology, as well as the ample history of the Old Religion in Greece, is covered in the book 'Witchcraft Out of the Shadows'. European witchcraft had truly been "European," having been present in every corner of the continent at one time. Having originated from the Jason-Media myth and its portrayal in ancient Greek tragedies and literature; there have been many plays, operas, ballets, works of art, films, etc. based on the mythology.
 
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