PBP: Eleusinian festivals

A week ago, I wrote an introduction to the Eleusinian mysteries, with the promise I would talk about the festivals linked to the mysteries in my next Pagan blog Project post. It will come as no surprise that this blog post will be about exactly that. Now, I have written about many of the festivals linked to the mysteries before on this blog, so a description of those will consist of a summary and a link to lots and lots more information. A few, I have not written about before, so I will make a slightly longer summary, with the promise I will create a full blog post for them when they roll around.

The Eleusinian mysteries consist mostly of two festivals, but the worship of Demeter and Persephone consist of a cycle of seven festivals: the Greater Mysteries (13-23 Boedromion), Proerosia (6 Pyanepsion), Stenia (9 Pyanepsion), Thesmophoria (11-13 Pyanepsion), Haloa (26 Poseideon), the Lesser Mysteries (20-26 Anthesterion),  and the Skiraphoria (12 Skirophorion). These are placed in sequence of the Athenian year.


Greater Mysteries
The Greater Mysteries were the main event of the whole of the mysteries. When they roll around again, I will give a lengthy exposition on them, but for the purpose of this post, I will give a summary of the festivities. The Greater Mysteries lasted ten days, celebrated every five years in the beginning, but celebrated every year from 'before the time of Herodotos'. The Greater Mysteries most likely commemorated either Persephone's original kidnapping by Hades, her descent to the Underworld, or her return to the surface. The Hellenic agricultural season would led one to assume Persephone returned to the surface world during or around the time of the Greater Mysteries, but there is a reference in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter which indicated Persephone returned in the Spring. As such, the Greater Mysteries might also have focussed on Persephone's descent into the underworld:

"But when the earth shall bloom with the fragrant flowers of spring in every kind, then from the realm of darkness and gloom thou shalt come up once more to be a wonder for gods and mortal men. And now tell me how he rapt you away to the realm of darkness and gloom, and by what trick did the strong Host of Many beguile you?"

The other, major, focus was the initiation of the mystai, who were prepared at the Lesser Mysteries. On the thirteenth of the month, epheboi (youths) traveled to Eleusis, and back to Athens the day after, to bring the Ta Hiera (the Holy Things) to Athens, where they were received at the shrine to Demeter (Eleusinion) on the Acropolis.

On the first, actual, day of the Mysteries, the mystai were called forward by a herald (the Kerukes), and names were taken to ensure all who came to be innitiated, would be innitiated during the festival. The rest of the day, the innitiates would have spent preparing through spiritual exercises. On the second day, they would be purified by bathing in the sea, along with an offerign to Demeter. In early times, this was a pig, supplied by the state, which would be sacrificed that night. The mystai would be sprinkled with the pig's blood after the animal was killed.

Day three is recorded as a day of sacrifice to both Demeter and Persephone, and day four was spent preparing for recieving the mysteries. This day was called the Epidauria. Sacrifices to Asklepius and Hygieia would also have taken place on this day. On day five, the Ta Hiera were transported back to Eleusis by the mystai and their guides, the initiated mystai known as 'mystagogoi'. The procession would have started from the shine of Iakkhos, and Iakkhos was invited to come along to Eleusis by those in the procession. The mystai would sacrifice at all shrines along the way. The mystai would arrive in darkness, or at least guided by torchlight, as Demeter searched for Her daughter with a torch in hand. Upon arrival, sacrifices were made to Demeter.

On days six and seven, the initiation took place. There was a fast in the daylight hours, and the initiation itself took place at night. The mystai were given a kykeon to drink (see Proerosia below) which possibly contained some form of drug to heighten the experience. What happened during the initiation was regarded as the biggest secret, and the penalty of revealing this information was death. In the daylight hours of the seventh day, the last of the sacrifices were completed by the mystai: the tipping out of two water-filled amphorai, while reciting a spell or verse known only to those initiated. We are unsure about the eighth day.

Days nine and ten were used to round off the festival, make personal sacrifices, pack up belongings and go. There were state meetings both at Eleusis as in Athens, perhaps to evaluate how the ceremonies went. During these days, people left Eleusis and traveled back to Athens or their home much further away.


Proerosia
The Proerosia (Προηροσία) was a festival for Demeter’s blessings in preparation for the ploughing and sowing at the beginning of the agricultural season. In ancient times it was held at Eleusis. The name serves to convey the essence of the rites: 'sacrifice before ploughing'.

The myth goes that the whole of Hellas was suffering from a terrible famine or plague, and the oracle of Delphi was visited to ask how to stop this terrible affair, and the Delphic Oracle said that Apollo ordered a tithe to Demeter of the first harvest on behalf of all Hellenes. Except for disruptions during the Peloponnesian War, offerings arrived annually at Eleusis from all over Hellas. While Athens wasn't a big contributor to the rites--perhaps because they already made their own offerings of grain and first fruits to Demeter--most other city-states contributed generously, and the Athenians were welcome during the rites. For His help, Pythian Apollon also receives an offering during the Proerosia.

There is some confusion over the dating of the festival. Many modern sources date the festival on the fifth of Pyanpesion, but new research shows that, because of the placement of the Pyanepsia festival, in honor of Apollon and Theseus, the Proerosia could only have been celebrated in the daylight hours of the sixth.

The festival can be celebrated with first fruit-offerings, any offering related to grains (like bread, cakes, or pancakes), or a kykeon libation. The kykeon was made of barley, water, herbs, and ground goat cheese. Sometimes honey was added. Herbs that are described as part of the kykeon are mint, pennyroyal and thyme, although it seems any herb that was found to flavor the drink, was acceptable.

Stenia

This festival was dedicated solely to Demeter and Persephone and was held three days before the Thesmophoria. During the Stenia, women came together and begun the extensive purification rituals needed to partake in the Thesmophoria. How, exactly, the women purified themselves is unknown but it is known that the women engaged in Aiskhrologia, insulting each other and using foul language, in honor of Iambe, who cheered up a grieving Demeter by either lifting her skirts or making a dirty joke. 

At the Stenia, some women, called 'Bailers', hiked to the chasm where the piglets had been thrown into months ago. Then, in a gruesome display of devotion, the women hauled out the rotting corpses of the piglets and carried them to the Thesmophorion, a site probably on the hillside of the Pnyx.

Thesmophoria
During the Thesmophoria, there was a male and female encampment at the Thesmophorian and the division was clearly set; no men were allowed in the female encampment, and no women in the male encampment. Sex was not allowed. All free women, except for maidens, were allowed to participate.

On the first day, called Anodos ('ascent') and Kathodos ('descent'), the women sacrificed the rotting piglets to Demeter and Persephone. The remains were mixed with seeds and would be plowed into the earth after the festival to assure a good harvest. The second day was called Nēsteia ('feast of lamentation'). On this day, the women did not eat. They recreated the time before Demeter taught humankind to cultivate the fields. The third day, Kalligeneia ('she who is of beautiful birth'), was a happy one. The women prayed to Demeter and Persephone for fertility for themselves, their loved ones and the earth. They celebrated the magic of new life, fertility and the kindness of the Gods.


Haloa
This ancient Hellenic festival was held in honor of Demeter, Dionysos and a little bit in honor of Persephone. Like all festivals of Demeter and Persephone's 'Kore' persona, women were the only ones who were allowed to handle the religious and sacrificial side of it. For the men, the Haloa might have had an extra ritual part; honoring Poseidon as an agricultural Theos.

It was a rural festival, meaning it wasn't state-organized and widely spread, so most details are incredibly fuzzy. The Haloa is assumed to be a celebration of the pruning of the vines and the tasting of the wine after its first fermentation, or it may be to encourage the growth of corn from the seed. It is named after the hálōs (ἅλως), which means both threshing floor and garden. Since the first sense of the word would be inapplicable to a festival celebrated in January, scholars--including Nilsson in his 'Greek Popular Religion'--insist it must have been a gardening festival.

Some time during the festival, the entire population was invited by the priests of Dionysos and the priestesses of Demeter and Kore to give sacrifice to these Theos; to Demeter and Kore for the fertility of the earth in which the grapevines grew, and to Dionysos in remembrance of Ikários, who was such a fine winemaker that he could produce wine so strong, those who drank it appeared to be poisoned. Women danced, ate and drank together, and afterwards, the men who had been waiting outside of Eleusis were admitted to the grounds, and the women were encouraged by each other--including the priestesses--to take secret lovers for the night. A priest and priestess--with torches representing Demeter and Persephone--apparently sat watch on chests as they presided over the fertility celebration.


Lesser Mysteries
In ancient texts, the rituals of the Lesser Mysteries were often referred to as 'myesis', as opposed to the rites of the Greater, which were referred to as 'epopteia'. The word myesis means 'to teach', as well as 'to initiate', while epopteia has a similar meaning, but with an important difference; it means 'to witness', as well as 'to be initiated'. This difference equates the major difference between the two rites: in the Lesser Mysteries, candidates underwent a teaching course. They were educated on the gifts of Demeter, on the mythology surrounding Her and Her daughter, and on the mysteries. They went through a rite of purification--possibly in the river, and made sacrifices to Demeter and Persephone. Upon completion of the Lesser Mysteries, participants were deemed mystai ('initiates') worthy of witnessing the Greater Mysteries.

Skiraphoria
The Skiraphoria was one of the few days when the women of ancient Athens would gather in public to honor Demeter and bless the harvest. They refused to sleep with the men on this day and took part in a very odd tradition: casting piglets down into a chasm where they were left to rot until the Stenia.

• Friday, March 8, 2013
  ancient Hellenic culture Athens Demeter Eleusinian mysteries festivals Hades Haloa kykeon Pagan Blog Project Persephone Proerosia Pythian Apollon Skiraphoria Stenia Thesmophoria

Flora Series: Mint

Welcome to the second installment of the flora series. In this installment, I'll be talking about one of my favorite herbs, and one of my favorite myths: the herb mint, and the naiad Minthê (Μένθη). From Wikipedia:

"Mentha (also known as Mint) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae (mint family). The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally. Many other hybrids as well as numerous cultivars are known in cultivation. The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America.

Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively perennial, rarely annual, herbs. They have wide-spreading underground and overground stolons and erect, square, branched stems. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from oblong to lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrate margin. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue, and sometimes pale yellow."

The mythology surrounding the mint plant is well known: it's tied to the beautiful naiad Minthê, who caught the eye of Hades and suffered either Persephone's wrath over it, or that of Demeter.

Minthê was the beautiful daughter of the river Theos Kocytus, the river of Lamentation which encircles the Underworld. There are two variations of her myth. The first dates back from the first century BC to the first century AD, and is recorded by Roman poet Ovid and Greek Strabo. Ovid merely hints at it, in his Metamorphoses, in a tale about Venus (Aphrodite) and Adonis he notes:

"Could Pluto's queen with jealous fury storm, 

And Menthe to a fragrant herb transform?"

Strabo expands on the myth a bit in his Geographies (8. 3. 14):

"Near Pylus, towards the east, is a mountain named after Minthê, who, according to myth, became the concubine of Hades, was trampled under foot by Corê [Persephone], and was transformed into garden-mint, the plant which some call Hedyosmos. Furthermore, near the mountain is a precinct sacred to Hades, which is revered by the Macistians too."

It thus seems that after Hades took Persephone from the surface, He fell in love again, and took Minthê as a lover. Persephone, jealous, and aware of Her status as Queen, trampled Minthê, either physically, or figuratively. To keep Minthê away from Her husband, Persephone turned the naiad Minthê into the unremarkable plant. It may have been Her, who added the sweet scent to the plant, but more likely, it was Hades, who wanted His lover remembered whenever the unremarkable plant was stepped upon. There is, however, another version, a later version, from around the third century BC. This version was recorded by Greek poet Oppian, in his Halieutica:

"Mint, men say, was once a maid beneath the earth, a Nymph of Cocytus, and she lay in the bed of Aidoneus [Hades]; but when he raped the maid Persephone from the Aetnaean hill, then she complained loudly with overweening words and raved foolishly for jealousy, and Demeter in anger trampled her with her feet and destroyed her. For she had said that she was nobler of form and more excellent in beauty than dark-eyed Persephone and she boasted that Aidoneus would return to her and banish the other from his halls: such infatuation leapt upon her tongue. And from the earth sprang the weak herb that bears her name."

In Oppian's version, inspired a bit by Strabo, it is not Persephone who transforms Minthê, but it is a side-effect of her punishment by Demeter, a punishment administered to her for boasting she would oust Persephone from the bed she had previously occupied with Hades. It is of interest to note that Strabo has added another sentence to his description of the mountain of Minthê:

"...and also a grove sacred to Demeter, which is situated above the Pylian plain."

Perhaps even more interesting to note is that kykeon (κυκεών)--the barley beverage preferred by Demeter, and drank by peasants--was made with mint, and used to break a sacred fast within the Eleusinian Mysteries. Kykeon was also used in preparatory rites for some of the most sacred--and secret--rites within Eleusis. As if this connection to Persephone, Demeter and Hades was not enough, mint was also used in funerary rites, along with rosemary and myrtle, to mask the smell of decay, but also--it seems--as an offering to the Lord of the Dead.

Mint is a humble plant, but a pervasive one. It shares many commonalities with its mythical counterpart, and every time I catch a whiff of the unique scent, I think of this myth. Seeing as I drink mint tea quite a lot, that happens wonderfully regularly.

Image taken from: Jessie's Art.

• Monday, January 28, 2013
  ancient Hellenic culture Demeter Flora Series Kocytus kykeon Minthê Mythology 101 Persephone

PBP: Zythos, the (undrinkable) beer of ancient times

I'll be taking part in next year's Pagan Blog Project (I signed up yesterday, so it's in print!), but for this year, there are still two posts to go. The first of the 'Z's goes to ancient beer. There was a special recipe for beer that the ancient Hellenes called 'zythos', and which was imported from Egypt. Most ancient Hellenes thought the barley beverage was absolutely undrinkable and only fit for barbarians, but some made use of it anyway.

Beer has been around for a very long time, at least six thousand years, although the art of beer-making could date back as far as fifteen thousand years ago. The ancient Hellenes certainly were not the ones who invented it. Most likely, it travelled to them by way of the Egypt, but the Egyptians could probably trace the art back to Mesopotamia. A four thousand year old seal to the Goddess Ninkasi--the Goddess of beer--has been found, which is as well a hymn to Her as a recipe for beer.

Also from the Mesopotamians comes one of the early literary works, the Epic of Gilgamesh. In it, one of the two main characters encounters beer for the very first time:

"Enkidu knew nothing about eating bread for food,

and of drinking beer he had not been taught.

The harlot spoke to Enkidu, saying:

"Eat the food, Enkidu, it is the way one lives.

Drink the beer, as is the custom of the land."

Enkidu ate the food until he was sated,

he drank the beer-seven jugs!-- and became expansive and sang with joy!

He was elated and his face glowed.

He splashed his shaggy body with water,

and rubbed himself with oil, and turned into a human."

The beer that was drunk by the ancient Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Greeks--or anyone else, really--had very little to do with the beer we pick up at the grocery store today. They share the same base component--fermented barley--but that's about it. Ancient records ascribed to the following method of creating beer, which is somewhat similar to modern day practices, but vary greatly in execution:

According to Athenaeus Naucratis, a Hellenic rhetorician and grammarian, a grain, typically barley but also millet, rye and wheat, was malted. The grain was dampened with water and allowed to germinate. Nature took its course to converted some of the starches into fermentable sugars and the resulting malt was heated to dry it. The dried malt was often shaped into loafs which were then backed for a small amount of time. These loaves were crumbled, mixed with cereals, and then soaked overnight. To add flavor, spices, honey, dates or other types of sweeteners were used. After the mash had fermented, the liquid contained roughly six to twelve percent alcohol and was sucked out of large bowls with straws, because the gruel-like mash was left in.

Depending on the country or region of origin, the ancient Hellenes knew a wide variety of beers, all mixed slightly differently. Zythos (ζῦθος) came from Egypt. The beer or barley-wine of Crete was known as 'korma' (κόρμα) or 'kourmi' (κοῦρμι). A similar beverage was known in the north of Hellas and in Asia Minor under the name of 'βρῦτον', which simply means 'fermented' or 'something brewed', being made of barley by the Phrygians and Paeonians, of barley or of roots by the Thracians, while the Paeonians also made another mixture which they called 'παραβίας' or 'παραβίη' from millet and fleabane for which I have no translation.

The Roman Plinius reported of the popularity of beer in the Mediterranean area before wine took hold, but the Hellenes were much bigger fans of the fermented grape than fermented barley. Still, the ancient Hellenes associated beer with the Theoi. Dionysos was lauded for the drink, but the prime Theos of beer was (and is) Seilenos (Σειληνός), foster-father of Dionysos and son of Hermes. Please note that the preferred drink of Demeter, Kykeon, which is also made with barley, was not fermented and does not contain alcohol.

Within modern Hellenistic practice, beer is most likely not a suitable offering for the Theoi, and should not replace wine offerings. Even in ancient Hellas, beer was viewed as inferior and barbaric. Peasants drank it, as it was a lot cheaper than wine, but that's about it. On principle, I'm against offering anything sub-par to the Theoi, even if the modern process has made the drink a lot more palatable. Still, it's good to know the ancient Hellenes had options, although getting drunk was frowned upon even if you drank beer.

• Saturday, December 22, 2012
  ancient Hellenic culture Athenaeus Dionysos Hellenismos 101 kykeon Pagan Blog Project Plinius Seilenos

Fasting

Fasting is a very ancient phenomenon. In fact, an original starting date can not be given. Still, fasting--for the purpose of this post--should be distinguished from its non-voluntary counterpart of going hungry due to a lack of food and/or resources. Fasting is the act of voluntarily withholding food from your body for a longer period of time than you would normally be without it. As today is the second day of the Thesmophoria, I'm fasting.

I have fasted in the past, finding it a very useful tool for purging my body, clearing my mind and regaining focus on the things that matter. After a fast, I am more aware of what I put into my body and of the signals my body gives me. After a fast, I take better care of myself. My girlfriend hates it when I fast, and not just because I'm a little bit cranky the first day. She thinks it's unhealthy to go without food, but regulars fasts have actually been proven to be very healthy, if you do it right. There is a method to fasting, and it depends greatly on the length of the fast.

One day fasts -- A one day fast is an easy, useful, tool which can consist of one or more skipped meals or simply not eating all day. The only intake should be water or herbal teas. Most people will be able to get through it without problems but if you suffer from diabetes, some forms of migraine or even asthma, not eating is probably not a good idea. An option is to avoid solid food but drink fruit shakes, where fruit is mixed 50/50 with water. After the day of fasting, start with light, easily digestible foods the next day but don't be afraid to eat regularly after your first meal.

Two or three day fasts -- From personal experience, day one is the worst. You're hungry, cranky and your head hurts. After that, the hunger sensation fades away and by day three it's actually not that hard to get through. It's absolutely possible to get through two or three days fasts on water only. If not, use the fruit shakes. Remember, you're supposed to feel tired and in a bit of discomfort. After you stop or break your fast, it's advisable to start with a boiled down barley solution the ancient Greeks called kykeon (κυκεών). The thick gruel is fine. Be careful with your food in the day following the fast, but you can eat regularly the day after.

Four day fasts or longer -- Realistically, your body can handle a fruit juice fast for a good few days. A week is not out of the question, although you may want to consult a doctor on it first. Don't try it with a water-only diet; our bodies aren't used to it anymore and going over the three-day limit should be worked up to. After three days, the body is at the lowest point. It's then that a process called ketosis sets in and the body turns on itself for fuel. This is where the purification starts. On the first day after a prolonged juice fast, drink only the strained barley water. On the second day, a thin, soupy gruel is best, and on the third day, you can eat a thicker gruel. On the fourth day, you can cook in lentils and vegetables as well, and on the fifth day, you can go back to your normal diet. Don't go back to regular food right away, because you'll nullify your hard work.

Like I mentioned, fasting does not feel good. You're hungry, low on energy and if you're like me, your mood will plummet with your blood sugar level. Still, fasts were used in ancient Hellas--and all over the world in modern times--to cure an assortment of illnesses. Anything from arthritis to flue, to metabolic and gestational problems, can be treated with a good fast. Why? Because a fast cleans up the toxins in our organs and blood. It's a natural purge. This is the reason why animals stop eating when they are sick; they rely on their body to get rid of that which ails them. Hippocrates describes it as such:

"Everyone has a physician inside him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food.  But to eat when you are sick is to feed your sickness."

Great thinkers like Hippocrates, Plato and most of their students were avid practitioners and promoters of medicinal fasts and felt that a fast helped them think clearer. They found that the Inner Physician--as they called the mechanism--worked from top to bottom, starting at the head.

Head / Brain:  headaches, dizziness, vertigo, wooziness, lightheadedness
Nose, Sinuses:  sneezing, runny nose, itching, stinging, post nasal drip
Throat:  soreness or constriction, hoarseness, scratchiness
Lungs:  chest congestion, wheezing, phlegm discharges, foul breath odors
Skin:  rashes, acne, pustules; excessive or abnormal sweating; strange body odors
Stomach:  sour or nervous stomach, stomach cramping, belching, bad breath
Liver:  sore eyes, bitter taste in mouth, sallow complexion, pain or distension under the ribs on the right side
Gall Bladder:  colic, spasm, tenderness or pain underneath the liver area
Intestines:  foul smelling gas, cramping, diarrhea, spastic colon or irritable bowel
Kidneys:  low back pain and weakness, fatigue; frequent urination, often urgent; strongly colored or smelling urine

Now, none of this sounds very appealing, I get that, but the body undergoes these effects because of the pent up toxins in our system, not because it's struggling with the lack of food; mammals are incredibly capable of dealing with a lack of nutrients.

It should be noted, though, that our bodies have grown unaccustomed to being without anything. We overfeed it, often with a lot of junk, and listen to its every single signal of want. The people who lived in ancient Hellas--and also before that--were used to going without. Not only did they fast regularly for religious and medicinal purposes, but the amount of food there was to go around relied upon the Gods. In a bad year, there simply wasn't enough food to quench every hunger. For the ancient Hellenes, a one day fast was peanuts, while I'm writing this with a growling tummy and a huge need to go to bed.

Fasting is a beautiful practice and I feel it should be a regular part of the Hellenic Tradition, but it's important to listen to your body before even attempting it. A short fast should only be done when your body needs it or, in this case, when your body is in a good enough shape to do it for a religious festival. If not, cheat a little and use the fruit shakes. If that's also too much, pick something else you love to go without; if you smoke, vow to go without cigarettes for the day, if you're a big coffee drinker, give it up for the duration of your 'fast'.

Longer fasts should only be attempted when the temperature is not to hot or too cold; climate control within the body takes a lot of effort and will make fasting infinitely harder. Fasting is a practice that's reserved for healthy adults and non-pregnant women. It's not suitable for children, the elderly, pregnant women or anyone with medical or psychological conditions which may be triggered by a lack of food. If you're struggling with eating disorders or anything else that may be triggered by a fast, pick something that does not involve food or drink, like electronic devices. Go through the day without using a cell phone, your computer, the radio or the T.V.. Especially in a religious setting, it's the 'going without' part that matters most.

I'll get through my fast just fine, including making dinner for my girlfriend tonight. I've done it before and it's never a problem. I like the hunger I feel and the amount of willpower it takes not to nibble on the leftover cheesecake in the fridge. It helps to bring me closer to my religion, the ancient Hellenes and myself. Tomorrow, I get to celebrate and eat that cheesecake, but today, I grieve with Demeter over the loss of Her daughter and I remember a time when people went without food because Demeter had not shared Her secrets yet. Today, I sit on that hill, surrounded by women, and am brought closer to my Gods and my community by the hunger we share. Today, I fast, out of love, and gratitude.

• Saturday, September 29, 2012
  ancient Hellenic culture fasting Hellenismos 101 kykeon