History Main / TheHecateSisters

* Hecate, in her negative aspect as Goddess of Insanity and madness, is the ticking clock in DennisWheatley's horro novel ''Literature/TheHauntingOfTobyJugg''

** Death Masks in particular has a [[GenderFlip gender-flipped]] version with the [[spoiler: Knights of the Cross]]. You have [[spoiler: Shiro]] as the calm, experienced one, [[spoiler: Michael]] as the Father and [[spoiler: Sanya]] as the youngest, most progressive [[spoiler: (bulletproof vest instead of Michael's plate armor)]] and the "naive" one, [[spoiler: having been tainted as a former Denarian himself]].
* Mercedes Lackey's ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series features a ''four''fold goddess, who adds the Warrior to the standard trio of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. The three sister goddesses Agnetha, Agnira, and Agnoma, as mentioned in ''By the Sword,'' may also fit the trope with Agnira as Maiden/Warrior, Agnetha as Mother, and Agnoma (who is not described beyond the fact that snowflakes are her emblem) as the likely Crone. To complement the fourfold Goddess there is a Fourfold ''male'' deity, with faces matching that of the Goddess: the Rover, to match the Maiden, for East; the Guardian to match the Warrior, in the South; the Hunter, to match the Mother, in the West; and lastly the Guide, to complement the Crone, for North.

* In George R.R. Martin's ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Mother, Maiden and Crone are worshipped as three of The Seven. The others are the Father, Warrior and Smith (a male trinity) and the Stranger, an ambiguously gendered [[GrimReaper death god]].

* The Pretenders song ''Hymn to Her'' from their 1986 album ''Get Close'' references the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone.

* Creator/DianeDuane's Literature/TheTaleOfTheFive plays this completely straight down the line for the common [[UsefulNotes/{{Neo-Paganism}} Neopagan]] / [[UsefulNotes/{{Wicca}} Wiccan]] form.

** The three Oracles of the ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames The Legend of Zelda: Oracle games]]'' While their ages may not match the descriptions, Nayru can very well be the mother, Din the maiden, and Farore the crone, judging from their roles.

** The three goddesses of the setting. While their ages may not match the descriptions, Nayru can very well be the mother, Din the maiden, and Farore the crone, judging from their roles in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Seasons]]''.

* The Great Mother Goddess, commonly referred to simply as the Goddess, is the female ruler of the gods in Tamora Pierce's {{Tortall}} books. She has three aspects: maiden, mother, and crone. These three aspects correspond to women's stages of life.

* Creator/DarioArgento's Three Mothers Trilogy, which consists of 1977's ''{{Suspiria}}'', 1980's ''Film/{{Inferno}}'' and 2007's ''MotherOfTears'', takes its inspiration from [[Literature/LevanaAndOurLadiesOfSorrow De Quincey's poem]] (see Literature below), with each film featuring one of the titular women as an evil witch. Controlling the world from their bastion-like homes, the three include a crone (Mater Suspirioum/Helena Markos), a middle aged woman (Mater Tenebrarum, though she's technically supposed to be the youngest), and a maiden (Mater Lachrymarum).

* The Elven pantheon of gods in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer'' has three very straight-up examples in Lilaeth the Moon Maiden, Isha the Earth Mother and Morai-Heg the Crone. All three have influence on aspects of magic, fate and nature. They also have dark counterparts in Atharti the Seductress, Ereth Khial the Pale Queen and Hekarti Mistress of the Dark.

* DarioArgento's Three Mothers Trilogy, which consists of 1977's ''{{Suspiria}}'', 1980's ''Film/{{Inferno}}'' and 2007's ''MotherOfTears'', takes its inspiration from [[Literature/LevanaAndOurLadiesOfSorrow De Quincey's poem]] (see Literature below), with each film featuring one of the titular women as an evil witch. Controlling the world from their bastion-like homes, the three include a crone (Mater Suspirioum/Helena Markos), a middle aged woman (Mater Tenebrarum, though she's technically supposed to be the youngest), and a maiden (Mater Lachrymarum).

Compared to TheThreeFacesOfEve, the maiden combines the naivety of the child with the sexuality of the seductress, the mother combines the liveliness of the child with the maturity of the wife, and the crone maps most closely to the wise, levelheaded wife. However, the sexuality of the Hecate Sisters is very likely mutable -- if the Maiden is a young girl, then the mother might take on the role of [[HotMom an experienced and sensual woman,]] who happens to be maternal as well.

Compared to TheThreeFacesOfEve, the maiden combines the naivety of the child with the sexuality of the seductress, the mother combines the liveliness of the child with the maturity of the wife, and the crone maps most closely to the wise, levelheaded wife.

* GreekMythology has Aphrodite (the attractive, promiscuous Maiden) Demeter (the compassionate, protective Mother) and Athena (the wise, plotting Crone). They are not worshiped as such, though.

* DianeDuane's Literature/TheTaleOfTheFive plays this completely straight down the line for the common [[UsefulNotes/{{Neo-Paganism}} Neopagan]] / [[UsefulNotes/{{Wicca}} Wiccan]] form.

* The BigBad Immacolata and her ghost sisters the Magdalene and the Hag qualify as this in CliveBarker's ''Literature/{{Weaveworld}}''. Immacolata -- maiden (due to her belief in VirginPower), Magdalene -- MotherOfAThousandYoung, Hag -- crone (duh).

If, as is often the case, the three are witches, the maiden (and [[HotMom sometimes the mother]]) will usually be a HotWitch, while the crone almost always conforms to [[DarkIsNotEvil at least the visual stereotype]] of the WickedWitch.

* LloydAlexander's ''Literature/ChroniclesOfPrydain'' features a pseudo-Celtic version of the Fates, named Orwen, Orddu and Orgoch. They weave a tapestry rather than spinning a thread. Oddly they all appear either as young beauties (at night) or old crones (in daylight). They do not seem to have a 'Mother' face. However, in TheFilmOfTheBook, they were middle-aged redheads all the time, and clearly marked as ugly. Stranger still, they seem to take turns at being each 'sister' ("No, it's my turn to be Orwen now, you've been her long enough!"). Orgoch appears to be the Atropos of the group. She never shows her face, wearing a deep hood in both beauty and hag forms and she is strongly implied to be a cannibal. However, the sisters seem to enjoy nothing more than to confuse, befuddle and unnerve their mortal visitors, so it is hard to take anything they say or do at face value.

* LloydAlexander's ''Literature/PrydainChronicles'' features a pseudo-Celtic version of the Fates, named Orwen, Orddu and Orgoch. They weave a tapestry rather than spinning a thread. Oddly they all appear either as young beauties (at night) or old crones (in daylight). They do not seem to have a 'Mother' face. However, in TheFilmOfTheBook, they were middle-aged redheads all the time, and clearly marked as ugly. Stranger still, they seem to take turns at being each 'sister' ("No, it's my turn to be Orwen now, you've been her long enough!"). Orgoch appears to be the Atropos of the group. She never shows her face, wearing a deep hood in both beauty and hag forms and she is strongly implied to be a cannibal. However, the sisters seem to enjoy nothing more than to confuse, befuddle and unnerve their mortal visitors, so it is hard to take anything they say or do at face value.

* In ''AmericanHorrorStory:Coven'', We have Fiona, the Crone (though she uses (VainSorceress every trick in the book to avoid looking like one), Cordelia, the wannabe Mother, and Zoe, the SexEqualsDeath maiden.

* In ''AmericanHorrorStory:Coven'', We have Fiona, the doesn't-wannabe-a-Crone, Cordelia, the wannabe Mother, and Zoe, the SexEqualsDeath maiden.