Artemis is the Goddess of the Hunt and Protectress of Youth. She cares deeply for her animals, although she does hunt, she does so with the greatest respect for the animals and uses every bit so there is no waste. She is also the protector of women, especially during childbirth. After she was born, she assisted her mother for 9 days until her twin Apollo was born. They are both often seen with lyres in their hands, but the bow and arrow is most often the symbol used for Artemis. She is one of the Virgin Goddesses (Zeus forbid anyone tries to mess with her female friends the naieds). She is independent and doesn't like to get involved in the drama of the other gods of Olympus but is perfectly happy living her life amongst the trees with her trusted animals and friends. Her heritage goes back farther than many would believe, but back to Hekate and Selene and Luna, the goddess of the moon.  You will often see Artemis depicted with a crescent moon in her hair for adornment.