Queen Hera was the wife and sister of Zeus, the King of Gods. As the Queen Goddess, she had to be a good role model, for both her fellow goddesses and mortal women. She was aware of Zeus' relationships with mortal women, but eventually, she did not let it bother her. For they would, one day, grow old and ugly, while she would be young and beautiful for Eternity.
Hera was Zeus' sister, and Zeus had become madly in love with her since he was a young immortal. "Marry me," he had said to her, "And we will rule the Heavens." But Hera refused, and so, for three hundred years, he continued to woo her, and was denied each time. Finally, Zeus had decided to trick her into marrying him.
On a cold, stormy night, a poor little cuckoo flew into Hera's window, shivering from the cold. Hera took the tiny bird into her arms and said, "Oh, little cuckoo, is there not a soul who will care for you? I shall keep you forever by my side, for I love you." At these words, the bird changed its form, and became the figure of Zeus. "You said you love me, so now you must become my wife!" Hera had no choice but to marry the God.
Hera's throne in Olympus was made of the finest ivory, with golden cuckoos and willow leaves engraved on the back, while a full moon hung above it. As the Mother of Heaven, she took the Cow, the most motherly of all animals, as her symbol. Yet she hated the ugliness of the Cow, and chose the Peacock and Lion as well.