The Goddess Eris is best remembered in mythic tale for her contribution to a banquet of the Gods when she cast among them a golden apple inscribed with: 'Let the fairest take it'. The subsequent catastrophe fixed Eris as the Goddess of discord.

According to the legend, three Goddesses competed for the title inscribed upon the apple - Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. Zeus decided to call in a mortal to resolve the quarrel between the Goddesses - Paris, son of Priam, a man said to be the handsomest mortal of all.
    When summoned to the realms of the Gods Paris faced the three Goddesses, in all their glory. Each offered him a gift if he chose her: Hera promised Paris royal privilege; Athena promised him success in war; and Aphrodite promised him the most lovely woman in all the world would be his wife.
    Paris chose Aphrodite. Aphrodite showed him Helen of Troy, and soon after there was war. The Trojan Wars.

A fine story - the Judgement of Paris - but one without foundation in nature myth or religious ritual. Even Homer and his contemporaries were unaware of this particular mythic tale and scholars have since concluded it was a late invented addition; though Homer mentions another tale of Paris and the Goddesses, but one without beauty contests and bribes. In short there is no truth in this tale except for one aspect, Eris. She is the Goddess of discord, not among Gods, but among mortals...

The Goddess Eris is dark haired and has light brown Eurasian skin. Her eyes are coal black. Most times she chooses to appear in her 30s; though occasionally older, more middle aged. Generally she wears a flowing grey gown with long sleeves, but she appears almost skeleton thin and her hands are like bones. Eris has a strange voice, it is both hoarse and threatening:

" No one talks of me or remembers me, and now you honour me. It is time I was honoured by mortals. I am the mighty Goddess Eris. I have been angry for many, many centuries. It will take a while for my anger to die down. Not enough mortals honour me, but they will."

Eris is one of the most frightening of Goddesses, most times she sets tests of courage as our team-member recounts: 
    '...She pulled me to a place where the earth was cracked, dry hard-baked clay. She pointed her finger and a hole appeared, and she pushed me into it and suddenly I was buried in the clay so my head alone was above the surface. I struggled but the earth was so hard. She just stared at me for some time.

"You will wait while I decide what I shall do. I am known as a Goddess who can bring troubles and discord into mortals' lives. This is true.
    Today I am very happy. I am in a kindly mood. Not so all the time. It is a day of celebrations for myself and for the Lord Hades; the day I was granted power and the day when we started working together; yet in different ways, hand in hand but apart. Therefore some mortals have reached Hades in his Underworld through me. This is our special day and night.
    I bring troubles into the lives of many, but only those who deserve it. I have brought unhappiness into the lives of mortals who encourage others in cruel sports, who harm animals, birds, fish and children. I bring trouble into the lives of mortals who anger me.  I am powerful. I will be listened to and respected."

She pointed her finger and I rose out of the ground to stand before her. I noticed behind her were three paths. One seemed the most beautiful glittering gold and as I stood at the beginning there was a lovely sweet smell. The next path was a green colour which did not glitter and the third path was red but this did sparkle a little.

"Choose one of these paths. The gold is a life of great luxury but it will end in misery. The green is a path where the work will be hard sometimes, never luxurious. There may be moments of fun but it will end in great happiness and delight. The red is a path where there will be success brought about by treading on mortals and knocking them aside; never minding who you hurt. It will end in riches, getting everything you want. The choice is yours."

I noticed the red path also smelt of perfume but not as sweet as the gold, but heavy. The green path had no fragrance at all. I stood looking at them. Don't rush, I said to myself. Think! I wouldn't choose the red one but as I was thinking she scolded me. I felt very shaky. Her voice is so frightening.
    "Hurry! Hurry! You will anger me if you do not hurry."
     So I chose the green path.'
    "Wise, wise. To earn happiness is the best way of obtaining it. Continue the way you are going. Your life cannot be perfect. No one's is. Now I leave you to join the Gods, Goddesses, the monsters and all other celestial beings. I give you my blessings."

Eris' and Hades' joint Festival:
14th &15th June