Hera was the Queen of the Gods and the wife of Zeus. She is the “goddess of marriage, women, the sky and the stars of heaven” (Aaron J. Atsma). She took care of women, protecting them from death during childbirth and rape. She could also bless or curse marriages. As the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, Hera had 5 siblings. They were Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, and Demeter. Although she was the patron of marriage, hers wasn’t a very prosperous union. Zeus needed a wife and had fallen in love with Hera. They had courted a couple of times, but after many failed attempts to win her heart he devised a plan. He tricked her by turning himself into a sick cuckoo bird. She took pity on the distressed animal and picked him up. When he was close enough