A ritual is usually a ceremony that includes a series of actions that are performed according to a certain order. Most of the time rituals originate from myths. In Athens, several people participated in a group of events known as The Eleusinian Mysteries, hoping for a fulfilling and great afterlife. The Eleusinian Mysteries, a cult centered on a myth of Persephone's journey to and from the underworld, were celebrated from the eighth century B.C to the Hellenistic period. To the ancient Greeks, myths had a purpose and that was to basically explain the world around them. The myth and the mysteries itself were a symbol of life, death, and rebirth. The mysteries were created from the story and it was their way of demonstrating their honor and belief of the two goddesses. Events that occurred during the Eleusinian Mysteries symbolized a part of the myth of Demeter and Persephone, which is proof that the rituals practiced are associated with the myth.
Anyone except those who could not speak Greek or have committed murder were allowed to participate in these rituals. Although most things that occurred in the Hall of Initiation were meant to be kept secret, some have been revealed. The mysteries were divided into two parts, the Lesser Mysteries and the Greater Mysteries. The Lesser Mysteries, which happened annually, was a preparation for the Greater Mysteries and represented Persephone's first time being in the underworld. Hades, god of the underworld, saw Persephone and wanted to make her his wife. Persephone did not like him so he abducted her and took her to the underworld. Persephone was the main focal point and was honored during these rituals. Before moving on,
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participants had to purify themselves to turn away fr...
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... participants did not wear crowns or eat pomegranate seeds that had touched the ground because Persephone had been stolen while gathering flowers, and because she had eaten the pomegranate seeds in the underworld (Foley, 72/Taylor 1995).
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Taylor, Kelly B. "Seasons of Death: The Eleusinian Rites of Demeter." Seasons of Death: The Eleusinian Rites of Demeter. N.p., 4 Dec. 1995. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
Being described as “like four goddesses” while Demeter herself is divine and yet, unrecognisable as such seems to hark back to their youth and beauty as a divine gift, while Demeter, in her grief, appears to lose divine status (Hymn to Demeter,108, 94-95, 108). Her grief is almost transformative, the lines “men nor… women recognised her when they looked” characterises grief as something that has made Demeter look human (Hymn to Demeter, 94-95). In travelling from Mount Olympus to earth, an action fuelled by her grief, she becomes a metaphor for a step-down in status from deity to mortal (Hymn to Demeter, 92-93). This reflects the implications of women losing their status as mothers and membership to a family in ancient Greece, when they either cannot bear children, or lose their children.
Heaven vs. Hell, this is an important thing in this mythological story told about Theseus. While he was on earth with his wife, ruling over Athens and changing it to a democracy. Theseus was always helping his friends out. He helps his friend defeat the evil Centaur that killed his friend’s wife. Theseus then helps Pirithous to try to get Persephone from Hades and for her to become his wife. Hades ends up defeating them and putting them in a chair of forgetfulness. Therefore heaven vs. Hell fits because he is at peace on earth, then goes to the diabolical world of Hades and gets captured and put into a
The depiction of the Greek and roman myths are given unique insights from different authors. The Hymn to Demeter and Ovid's Metamorphosis provide and insight to Demeter's love for her daughter, Persephone, and explores its affect on the surrounding environments. The theme of separation and isolation is present in both of these myths, however, in Ovid's Metamorphosis, he symbolizes the environment in important events, has characters playing different roles, and empowers female deities.
In The Odyssey and Hymn to Demeter, both Penelope and Demeter love and miss their family members. When Demeter hears her daughter Persephone’s cry, “a sharp grief took hold of Demeter in
Allen, Charlotte. “The Scholars and the Goddess.” Atlantic Monthly(10727825) 287.1 (2001): 18-22. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
Demeter, also, had secret rites performed for her. These were known as the Eleusian Mysteries, and were held in the town of the same name. The ceremonies were held twice every five years, in September and in March. Initiation was open to all; they were sworn to secrecy. Initiates were purified in the sea, then proceeded from Athens to Eleusis. This all took place over a period of nine days, after which the initiates went back to their very ordinary lives.
The term "mystery cults" comes from the Greek word musteria and initially only referred to the mysteries of Eleusis and signifies a secret celebration or secret worship that only initiates (mustai) who have become initiated (muein) participate in. "Originally, then, mysteries denotes a specific religious manifestation that is essentially different in character from other, official cultic functions; the mysteries are not open to everyone but require a special initiation" (Encyclopedia of Religion Vol. #10 pg. 230). Contemporary religion historians now use the terms "mystery cults" or "mysteries" to refer to secret cults or ceremonies of initiation. These ancient "secret cults" influenced the development of many religions with their sacred beliefs on the divine, the soul, transmigration and, most importantly, their stressed i...
In Persephone’s underworld there is an infamous river by the name of Styx, which dead men must journey across its toxic waters in order to enter the land of the dead. “Water is connected to the ocean which is the source of livelihood, transportation, and death for the seafaring people like the Greek; and water is a mysterious force that brings up vegetation from the earth. Thus it is not coincidental that the ocean borders Hades and other subterranean lands of the dead; the ambiguity of water is a perfect component of the dual nature of the underworld—a source of danger as well as fertility and wealth,” (Taylor 397). Water is very symbolic of rebirth and is often associated with the sacrament of baptism. The ancient cultures viewed the life bringing and death-dealing waters as a form of mysterious rebirth into the underworld (Taylor 397-399). Persephone herself was reborn in the underworld as a queen. After crossing the river Styx, Persephone became one of mythologies most notable queens. She also symbolizes the same aspects of water through her dual nature as life giver in the springtime and death incarnate during her reign in the underworld. Her personification in the Styx explores the journey between life and death that all mortals
The primary ruling god of the underworld is Hades whose brother is Zeus, king of the gods, and whose parents are Cronus and Rhea. Hades is a greedy god with his greatest concern being to increase the number of his subjects. He is very stubborn about letting people out of the underworld. Hades himself, rarely leaves the underworld. In one myth, however, we know of a time when he did leave his soulful domain. Hades became very lonely in the underworld, and went above and kidnapped Demeter’s daughter, Persephone, for his wife.Persephone, nonetheless, was not Hades’ only significant other. Hades had a mistress called Minthe whom Persephone later transformed into a plant. Hades is also known as the god of wealth due to the precious metals mined from the earth. He has been said to possess a helmet that was given to him by the Cyclops. This helmet has been said to make him invisible. Hades lent it to gods and mortal men. Perseus used the helmet on his quest for Medusa’s head and Athena, goddess of battle skills, put to use the helmet so the god of war, Ares, could not notice her.
Shermer, Michael. “Cults, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies.” Skepdic. Skeptic’s Society. 2006. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. .
Jacob, Margaret C. The Origins of Freemasonry: Facts & Fictions. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006.
In two amazing poems, both poets make allusions to the myth of Persephone. The myth of Persephone tells of her kidnap by Hades, the God of the Underworld. She is then fated to spend one-third of the year in the underworld as Hades’ bride because she consumed pomegranate seeds. This myth appears frequently as a metaphor not only in “The Pomegranate” and “The Bistro Styx,” but in many others as well. In both poems, the myth of Persephone is used to symbolize the mother-daughter relationships.
Dafoe, Stephen. "Masonic History." Order of the Eastern Star. N.p., 2008. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.
The parallels between the protagonists, Laura and Persephone, are quite evident. First and foremost, Laura’s mother, Mrs. Sheridan, stands as a counterpart for Demeter, Persephone’s mother. Mrs. Sheridan chose to pass down her black hat to Laura, the youngest of all of her children (Masfield 251). Laura and her mother share an intimate relationship that mirrors that of Persephone and Demeter. This display of affection expresses how comfortable mother and daughter are around each other. Mrs. Sheridan thinks highly of Laura, she sees her as a mature young lady. In comparison, when Persephone is whisked away to the Underworld without her consent, Demeter is overcome with grief and depression. Demeter’s life was centered on Persephone; she had the sensation that something was the matter. When he daughter vanished, Demeter lost her sense of direction. In addition, bot...
The Derveni Papyrus is my other primary source. It is an ancient Greek papyrus roll that contains commentary on a poem Orpheus wrote concerning the birth of the gods. Due to being written in several different Greek dialects, its translation is fairly rough but some interesting ideas can be drawn from it. The very fact that it exists is noteworthy—that Orpheus’ poems warranted such philosophical study even...