The festival season is starting up again, and Elaion is on a mission to host PAT festivals for all of them, so instead of spamming you with four posts for upcoming rituals, you are getting just one--with two of them, the Elapebolia, and the Asklepieia--today, and to--the Dionysia and the Pandia--in a few days.
The Elaphebolia
On the sixth of the month of Elaphebolion, the people of Athens and Phocis
(Φωκίδα), and perhaps other cities and city-states, held a modest ritual that
gave its name to the month: the Elaphebolia (Έλαφηβόλια). It appears that the
festival was a major festival in honor of Artemis Elaphêbolos (Αρτεμις
Ελαφηβολος) down to the time of Plutarch. It was mainly observed at Hyampolis,
to commemorate a Phocian victory over the Thessalians. Afterwards, it seems to
have lost its grander, most likely in the face of the Greater Dionysia which was
held only a few days later, starting on the tenth of the month, and the
Asklepia, held on the eighth.
Artemis Elaphêbolos is the stag-killer, the shooter of deer, the
huntress, who relishes the chase. She's the slayer of prey, both animal and
human, and in ancient Hellas, she guarded Hyampolis and the surrounding cities
from the horrors of war.
The festival was most likely quite grand right
after the war, but slowly became a festival which consisted almost entirely of a
single offering. In the early days, the offering was always a stag, one per
family, most likely. As the years went on, however, and the expansion of cities
drove the stag far into the Athenian hills, only the city's elite was able to
offer a stag to the Theia. Everyone else made due with cakes in the shape of
stags. It seems these stag cakes--called 'elaphos' (ἔλαφος)--were made out of the
basic dough mixture with honey, and sesame seeds.
The Elaphebolia was an important festival of Artemis. The
2015 festival day starts at dusk on the twenty-sixth of March, and will continue
until dusk the day after. As Artemis Elaphêbolos is Ouranic, the sacrifice should be made during the daylight hours, so
Elaion is hosting a PAT ritual for the Elapebolia on the 27th of March, at the usual 10 AM EDT. You can find the ritual
here, and we really hope you will join us again.
The Asklepieia
Two days later, on the eighth day of Elaphebolion, the Asklepieia (Ἀσκληπίεια) was held in honor
of Asklēpiós, who was honored monthly on the eighth. The Asklepieia is linked to
the Epidausia, celebrated six months later, as both were special days where
those in the medical profession--as well as those seeking medical counsel--made
sacrifices to Asklēpiós.
In 242 BC, during the Mercenary War, the sanctuary at Epidaurus was granted
immunity from war, and the Asklepieia Megala was established as a festival of
athletic and musical competitions, held every four years, for a nine day period.
Theater performances were also a huge part of the festival, and the famous
theater
of Epidaurus still stands today, one of the seven wonders of ancient
Hellas.
The first of the festival days was spent preparing for the actual
festival. The second day, religious exercises were undertaken. All temples and
shrines were richly decorated and sacrifices were made to Apollon, Asklēpiós,
Artemis, and Leto. Perhaps and the children of Asklēpiós--Hygieia (health,
cleanliness, and sanitation), Iaso (recuperation from illness), Aceso (the
healing process), Aglaea (beauty, splendor, glory, magnificence, and adornment),
and Panakea (universal remedy)--also received sacrifice. Apollon received the
first offering along with Asklēpiós: a cock, the fowl associated with Asklēpiós.
They also received barley meal, wheat, and wine. Asklēpiós was then gifted a
bull, a second bull was sacrificed to His male associates, and a cow to His
female associates.
On the eve of the third day, a statue of Asklēpiós was
driven through the precinct, and followed by torch-bearers and priests, who sung
hymns to Him. The priests sang and spoke the praise of the Theos. There were
vigils throughout the night, and during the daylight hours of the third day,
there were feasts. The succeeding days were given up to athletic contests in the
stadium, races, wrestling contests, singing contests and theater
performances.
The Asklepieia Megala was only held at Epidaurus; all other asklepieia--as
well as at Epidausus the other three years--held only a small ceremony for the
Theos. The festival did not include athletic games outside of the Asklepieia
Megala, but there might have been a focus on singing, and there might have been
large banquets, held after sacrifices were made to the Theos.
On the twenty-ninth of March,
Elaion is hosting a PAT ritual for the Asklepieia, at the usual 10 AM EDT. You can find the ritual
here, and we really hope you will join us for this one, too!
