What are Dionysian rituals?
The Dionysian Mysteries were a ritual of ancient Greece and Rome which sometimes used intoxicants and other trance-inducing techniques (like dance and music) to remove inhibitions and social constraints, liberating the individual to return to a natural state.
What are the eleusinian rites?
The Rites of Eleusis, or the Eleusinian Mysteries, were the secret rituals of the mystery school of Eleusis and were observed regularly from c. 1600 BCE – 392 CE. Exactly what this mystic ritual was no one knows; but why the ancient Greeks participated in it can be understood by the testimonials of the initiated.
Why is Eleusis sacred?
Eleusis was a deme of Athens and most famous for its annual festival of the Mysteries in honour of Demeter and Persephone. The site was also an important fortress protecting Attica and held several other important festivals, notably the Thesmophoria, the subject and title of a comedy play by Aristophanes.
What is the Thesmophoria and why is it significant?
The Thesmophoria was one of the most widespread ancient Greek festivals. The festival was dedicated to Demeter and her daughter Persephone and was celebrated in order to promote fertility, both human and agricultural. It was celebrated only by women, and men were forbidden to see or hear about the rites.
What is meant by Dionysian?
Dionysian, characteristic of the god Dionysus or the cult of worship of Dionysus; specifically, of a sensuous, frenzied, or orgiastic character. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche used the terms Dionysian and Apollonian to analyze and explain the character of Greek tragedy in his book The Birth of Tragedy.
Is there a God more powerful than Zeus?
Zeus is the supreme deity in Ancient Greek religion and is also known as the Father, the god of thunder, or the “cloud-gatherer” because it was thought that he ruled the skies and weather. However, Zeus was afraid of Nyx, the goddess of night. Nyx is older and more powerful than Zeus. Not much is known about Nyx.
What is Iacchus the god of?
IAKKHOS (Iacchus) was a daimon attendant of the goddess Demeter and the leader-in-chief of the Eleusinian Mysteries. He was the god of the ritual cry of joy “iakhe” of the initiates’ procession.
Who destroyed Eleusis?
leader Alaric
The Gothic leader Alaric destroyed Eleusis in ad 395, and the site remained deserted until the 18th century, when it was revived as the modern town of Eleusis (Greek Lepsina), now an industrial suburb of Athens.
What is known about the Eleusinian Mysteries?
Eleusinian Mysteries, most famous of the secret religious rites of ancient Greece. According to the myth told in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, the earth goddess Demeter (q.v.) went to Eleusis in search of her daughter Kore (Persephone), who had been abducted by Hades (Pluto), god of the underworld.
What is the Thesmophoria festival?
Thesmophoria, in Greek religion, ancient festival held in honour of Demeter Thesmophoros and celebrated by women in many parts of the Greek world. Or, the name Thesmophoria is perhaps the primary one, from which the epithet of the goddess was derived; it means “the carrying of things laid down.”
Where did the idea for the rite of spring come from?
The work is subtitled Pictures From Pagan Russia. The idea for the work came to Stravinsky in 1910 when he was composing The Firebird for the impresario Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes.
Why are the baetylus believed to be sacred?
The baetyl has been described by Wendy Doniger as “the parent form for altars and iconic statuary”. In general the baetyl was believed to have something inherent in its own nature that made it sacred, rather than becoming sacred by human intervention, such as carving it into a cult image.
What kind of stone was a baetylus used for?
The exact definition of a baetyl, as opposed to other types of sacred stones, “cult stones” and so on, is rather vague both in ancient and modern sources. In some contexts, especially relating to Nabataean sites like Petra, the term is commonly used for shaped and carved stelae.
Where does the word baetylus come from in Greek mythology?
Baetylus, also spelled Baetulus, in Greek religion, a sacred stone or pillar. The word baetylus is of Semitic origin (- bethel ). Numerous holy, or fetish, stones existed in antiquity, generally attached to the cult of some particular god and looked upon as his abiding place or symbol.