Earth Walker
April 28th, 2001, 12:40 PM
A harvest festival for northern cultures would be held
in September, but in the early days of southern
Europe and Asia Minor, as now, harvest begins with
festivals in May or June. The first three such early
harvesting festivals was the Thargelia.
The road on which our feet are set
Is in a harvest way,
For to the fair-robed Demeter
Our comrades bring today
The first fruits of their harvesting
She on the threshing place
Great store of barley grain outpoured
For guardian of Her Grace.
(Theocritus, Idylls)
It was considered very bad luck to ignore or forget
the importance of the "first fruits" because famine could
come to the people or a wild boar might waste the land.
The ancients were very careful to be grateful for the
source of their life--food. They would take their first
fruits to the temple of Demeter as an offering, and pour everything out in front of the Goddess image. This food
was then gathered and used by the priestesses of the
temple. This was quite sensible to the Pagans. In
remembering the good grace of the Goddess, the community fed Her temple workers, the Priestesshood.
A good luck charm for the community was an important
part of Thargelia. This charm was made by the boys and
nymphs whose parents were living, and consisted of a
decorated olive branch known as the Eiresione.
From this branch, the youth hung all manner of natural
products: sacred wool from first-shorn sheep, dyed
white and purple; strings of acorns; vessels of wine; figs, dates and barley cakes. This charm was fastened
over the door to the home as a charm against pestilence
and famine in the coming year.
Eiresione brings all good things;
Figs and fat cakes to eat,
Soft oil and honey sweet,
And brimming wine cup deep
That She may drink and sleep.
Because the branch was olive, we may assume this was a dedication to Athena, the Virgin. In other places,
this would be done in honor of Artemis, the Soul of
Nature.
Although later patriarchs (Aristotle is an example) told
of Pagan "sacrifices" during Goddess-worship times,
there was usually a taboo on the killing of animals.
Even the Olympians periodically bowed to this custom,
steeped in tradition and wisdom. Such a period of taboo
on killing allowed the wild animals and livestock to grow
and multiply. The original Pagan form of offering was to
sprinkle grains and water on the altar before a ritual
was performed.
As we cast up our barley in little showers
A little grace from the birds is ours.
The harvest feast was prepared from pelanos, or
barley meal, with cheese, leeks and chopped olives.
Variations were also used, however, as evidenced
by the following:
A holy heifer's milk, white and fair to drink
Bright honey drops from flowers, bee-distilled
With draughts of water from a virgin fount
And from the ancient vine its mother wild
An unmixed draught this gladness and fair fruit
Of gleaming olive, ever-blooming
And woven flowers, children of Mother Earth.
During Thargelia, it was important to include musical
offerings to the Goddess. Music festivals were held
during this time, and winners of contests received
special tripods--used in divination--for them to sit upon
while creating. The festival of Thargelia gave rest and
relaxation, as well as a communal spirit, to the people,
and usually featured a procession of townspeople
moving through the streets with their first fruits(wild
herbs, ground pulse, acorns, barley, wheat, dried fig
cakes, barley cakes and pots full of good food).
As they passed each door to a home they would hang
the sacred good luck charm (Eiresione) over the entrance.
PHARMAKOS
----------------
Actually still a part of Thargelia, the ceremony of
Pharmakos was one of the ritual purification and
stimulation. Two men were chosen to represent all that
was not well in the community. Usually these men were
criminals taken from imprisonment and seen as representatives of the Male Principle of the Universe.
As Pan, these men were struck with leeks and fruitless
branches, or pelted with onions. This beating took place
seven times for good luck, then the criminals were led
out of the community, never to return under penalty of
death. This expulsion served to purify the city and was
so important that only special and magical people,
specially purified, could perform the ritual, usually to
the sound of flutes.
It was said that this beating of Pan served to drive out
evil influences as well as to make him more virile.
Onions were considered aphrodisiacs, and the beating
was done by one of Pan's priests. Considered in this
way, the Pharmakos fits nicely into Thargelia, without
any taste of blood.
This ceremony was well liked by the new patriarchy,
whose leaders took the ritual further. After the
Pharmakos were "led out" of (expelled from) the city,
the patriarchs burned them on a pyre of fruitless trees,
then scattered their ashes to the four directions.
This was a patriarchal touch--a blending of the gentle
exorcism and stimulation of the matriarchal mode with
the patriarchal perversion of human sacrifice. Because
of this, however, the festival of Thargelia, with the
attendant ceremony of Pharmakos, survived deep into
patriarchal, fifth-century Athens.
There is a female Pharmakos, "Charila." When there is
famine and drought in the land, a festival is held, a
festival is held in honor of Charila (Kore), the Maid-Virgin.
Before offering first fruits to Her, an effigy or priestess-
representative is pelted in the face with satin strips.
Afterward, normal Thargelian activities begin. This custom can be recognized in Italian weddings, where the groom and bride have leather shoes thrown at them
before they are showered with rice. The purpose is the
same--to drive away the evil influences first, then shower with blessings afterward.
The nature of "sacrifice," as stated earlier, was dependent upon the times and political winds of the
ancients. In the beginning, there were only altars of the
Old Ones (Venerable Ones). No animal sacrifice was
allowed. With the advent of patriarchal hordes pressing
down from the north, this new flesh-sacrificing feature
was accomodated with the building of an altar for the
Olympians, the Indo-European, militaristic, hero-god-
worshippers.
The altars of the Goddess were preserved behind the
new ones and continued to be filled with honey cakes
and offerings of first fruits.
"Up the hill they came, yet in their hand, no seed of
burning flame, and for the Rhodian land with fireless
rite, the grove upon the citadel they light." Pindar said
this in observance of his local customs of priestesses
worshipping the pre-Hellenic Great Goddess, Athena.
KALLYNTERIA & PLYNTERIA: Nurturance Festivals
These festivals (May 19 & May 28) were designed to
encourage a communal "gloom" attitude, as ill-omen rituals to be solemnized rather than celebrated.
On the sixth day of the third part of Thargelia, secret
Goddess rites were performed and the gloom was taken
very seriously. Priestesses would carry the sacred image
from the temoles to the waters (ocean, lake, river or
stream) and bathe Her. This ritual washing united the
sacred image with the life-giving waters. Often the
priestesses would shroud the holy image, or perhaps
rope off the temple entirely.
During Plynteria, Pallas Athena was taken down and
out of Her temples to be bathed and beautified by new
paint or the addition of new jewels.
This practice extended into the individual homes, where
all personal shrines and altars were cleaned and
renewed, as was the rest of the house. A thorough
sweeping out with the old and in with the new was in
order. These festivals took place in May, held to be
unlucky for marriages because of the association with
the Maiden-Virgin aspect of the Goddess.
:sunny: :heartthro
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.:crazy:
---Isaac Asimov - Foundation
in September, but in the early days of southern
Europe and Asia Minor, as now, harvest begins with
festivals in May or June. The first three such early
harvesting festivals was the Thargelia.
The road on which our feet are set
Is in a harvest way,
For to the fair-robed Demeter
Our comrades bring today
The first fruits of their harvesting
She on the threshing place
Great store of barley grain outpoured
For guardian of Her Grace.
(Theocritus, Idylls)
It was considered very bad luck to ignore or forget
the importance of the "first fruits" because famine could
come to the people or a wild boar might waste the land.
The ancients were very careful to be grateful for the
source of their life--food. They would take their first
fruits to the temple of Demeter as an offering, and pour everything out in front of the Goddess image. This food
was then gathered and used by the priestesses of the
temple. This was quite sensible to the Pagans. In
remembering the good grace of the Goddess, the community fed Her temple workers, the Priestesshood.
A good luck charm for the community was an important
part of Thargelia. This charm was made by the boys and
nymphs whose parents were living, and consisted of a
decorated olive branch known as the Eiresione.
From this branch, the youth hung all manner of natural
products: sacred wool from first-shorn sheep, dyed
white and purple; strings of acorns; vessels of wine; figs, dates and barley cakes. This charm was fastened
over the door to the home as a charm against pestilence
and famine in the coming year.
Eiresione brings all good things;
Figs and fat cakes to eat,
Soft oil and honey sweet,
And brimming wine cup deep
That She may drink and sleep.
Because the branch was olive, we may assume this was a dedication to Athena, the Virgin. In other places,
this would be done in honor of Artemis, the Soul of
Nature.
Although later patriarchs (Aristotle is an example) told
of Pagan "sacrifices" during Goddess-worship times,
there was usually a taboo on the killing of animals.
Even the Olympians periodically bowed to this custom,
steeped in tradition and wisdom. Such a period of taboo
on killing allowed the wild animals and livestock to grow
and multiply. The original Pagan form of offering was to
sprinkle grains and water on the altar before a ritual
was performed.
As we cast up our barley in little showers
A little grace from the birds is ours.
The harvest feast was prepared from pelanos, or
barley meal, with cheese, leeks and chopped olives.
Variations were also used, however, as evidenced
by the following:
A holy heifer's milk, white and fair to drink
Bright honey drops from flowers, bee-distilled
With draughts of water from a virgin fount
And from the ancient vine its mother wild
An unmixed draught this gladness and fair fruit
Of gleaming olive, ever-blooming
And woven flowers, children of Mother Earth.
During Thargelia, it was important to include musical
offerings to the Goddess. Music festivals were held
during this time, and winners of contests received
special tripods--used in divination--for them to sit upon
while creating. The festival of Thargelia gave rest and
relaxation, as well as a communal spirit, to the people,
and usually featured a procession of townspeople
moving through the streets with their first fruits(wild
herbs, ground pulse, acorns, barley, wheat, dried fig
cakes, barley cakes and pots full of good food).
As they passed each door to a home they would hang
the sacred good luck charm (Eiresione) over the entrance.
PHARMAKOS
----------------
Actually still a part of Thargelia, the ceremony of
Pharmakos was one of the ritual purification and
stimulation. Two men were chosen to represent all that
was not well in the community. Usually these men were
criminals taken from imprisonment and seen as representatives of the Male Principle of the Universe.
As Pan, these men were struck with leeks and fruitless
branches, or pelted with onions. This beating took place
seven times for good luck, then the criminals were led
out of the community, never to return under penalty of
death. This expulsion served to purify the city and was
so important that only special and magical people,
specially purified, could perform the ritual, usually to
the sound of flutes.
It was said that this beating of Pan served to drive out
evil influences as well as to make him more virile.
Onions were considered aphrodisiacs, and the beating
was done by one of Pan's priests. Considered in this
way, the Pharmakos fits nicely into Thargelia, without
any taste of blood.
This ceremony was well liked by the new patriarchy,
whose leaders took the ritual further. After the
Pharmakos were "led out" of (expelled from) the city,
the patriarchs burned them on a pyre of fruitless trees,
then scattered their ashes to the four directions.
This was a patriarchal touch--a blending of the gentle
exorcism and stimulation of the matriarchal mode with
the patriarchal perversion of human sacrifice. Because
of this, however, the festival of Thargelia, with the
attendant ceremony of Pharmakos, survived deep into
patriarchal, fifth-century Athens.
There is a female Pharmakos, "Charila." When there is
famine and drought in the land, a festival is held, a
festival is held in honor of Charila (Kore), the Maid-Virgin.
Before offering first fruits to Her, an effigy or priestess-
representative is pelted in the face with satin strips.
Afterward, normal Thargelian activities begin. This custom can be recognized in Italian weddings, where the groom and bride have leather shoes thrown at them
before they are showered with rice. The purpose is the
same--to drive away the evil influences first, then shower with blessings afterward.
The nature of "sacrifice," as stated earlier, was dependent upon the times and political winds of the
ancients. In the beginning, there were only altars of the
Old Ones (Venerable Ones). No animal sacrifice was
allowed. With the advent of patriarchal hordes pressing
down from the north, this new flesh-sacrificing feature
was accomodated with the building of an altar for the
Olympians, the Indo-European, militaristic, hero-god-
worshippers.
The altars of the Goddess were preserved behind the
new ones and continued to be filled with honey cakes
and offerings of first fruits.
"Up the hill they came, yet in their hand, no seed of
burning flame, and for the Rhodian land with fireless
rite, the grove upon the citadel they light." Pindar said
this in observance of his local customs of priestesses
worshipping the pre-Hellenic Great Goddess, Athena.
KALLYNTERIA & PLYNTERIA: Nurturance Festivals
These festivals (May 19 & May 28) were designed to
encourage a communal "gloom" attitude, as ill-omen rituals to be solemnized rather than celebrated.
On the sixth day of the third part of Thargelia, secret
Goddess rites were performed and the gloom was taken
very seriously. Priestesses would carry the sacred image
from the temoles to the waters (ocean, lake, river or
stream) and bathe Her. This ritual washing united the
sacred image with the life-giving waters. Often the
priestesses would shroud the holy image, or perhaps
rope off the temple entirely.
During Plynteria, Pallas Athena was taken down and
out of Her temples to be bathed and beautified by new
paint or the addition of new jewels.
This practice extended into the individual homes, where
all personal shrines and altars were cleaned and
renewed, as was the rest of the house. A thorough
sweeping out with the old and in with the new was in
order. These festivals took place in May, held to be
unlucky for marriages because of the association with
the Maiden-Virgin aspect of the Goddess.
:sunny: :heartthro
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.:crazy:
---Isaac Asimov - Foundation