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#persephone
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~ Demeter et Persephone, Eleusinian Mysteries part II ~
Unfortunately for us today, because all initiates were bound by a sacred oath not to reveal details of the Eleusinian Mysteries, they have to this day remained just that, a mystery. We do know that, from the 6th century BCE, the ceremonies were held twice a year. The first step in the initiation process was known as the "Lesser Mysteries" and held every spring. The more important "Great Mysteries" were held in the autumn over nine days. Only Greeks could be initiated, although this was later expanded to include Roman citizens.
We also know details of some of the outdoor activities, and there was a procession led by the priestess of Demeter along the Sacred Way from Eleusis to the agora of Athens and another return procession led by a symbolic chariot of Iacchus. There were ritual and communal cleansing and purification ceremonies carried out in the sea at Phaleron, the representation or re-enactment of the myths involving the two goddesses, animal sacrifices (pigs), and the interpretation of sacred texts by priests, the mystagōgoi.
There was also probably drinking, music, dancing, and general revelry involved, as attested by Greek pottery scenes of the rites which show initiates holding the "bacchus" or sacred rod. Closely associated with fertility and agriculture, the mysteries probably brought worshippers good fortune and, perhaps most important for most participants, the promise of a better afterlife.
Painting : Persephone, by Arthur Hacker
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
Unfortunately for us today, because all initiates were bound by a sacred oath not to reveal details of the Eleusinian Mysteries, they have to this day remained just that, a mystery. We do know that, from the 6th century BCE, the ceremonies were held twice a year. The first step in the initiation process was known as the "Lesser Mysteries" and held every spring. The more important "Great Mysteries" were held in the autumn over nine days. Only Greeks could be initiated, although this was later expanded to include Roman citizens.
We also know details of some of the outdoor activities, and there was a procession led by the priestess of Demeter along the Sacred Way from Eleusis to the agora of Athens and another return procession led by a symbolic chariot of Iacchus. There were ritual and communal cleansing and purification ceremonies carried out in the sea at Phaleron, the representation or re-enactment of the myths involving the two goddesses, animal sacrifices (pigs), and the interpretation of sacred texts by priests, the mystagōgoi.
There was also probably drinking, music, dancing, and general revelry involved, as attested by Greek pottery scenes of the rites which show initiates holding the "bacchus" or sacred rod. Closely associated with fertility and agriculture, the mysteries probably brought worshippers good fortune and, perhaps most important for most participants, the promise of a better afterlife.
Painting : Persephone, by Arthur Hacker
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
~ Demeter et Persephone, Eleusinian Mysteries part I ~
Eleusis became the most important sanctuary to Demeter, and the site has a religious connection and related monuments dating back to the Mycenaean civilization of the 15th century BCE. From c. 600 BCE the Eleusinian Mysteries became an official ceremony in the Athenian calendar, and Eleusis became a truly pan-Hellenic site under the Athenian dictator Peisistratus (r. 550-510 BCE).
In the 5th century BCE Pericles, the Athenian statesman, oversaw the construction of a new Telesterion (Initiation Hall and temple), then the largest building in Greece. The site continued to attract pilgrims and worshippers well into Roman times with emperors Hadrian (r. 117-138 CE) and Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180 CE) aggrandising Eleusis. The sanctuary's fortunes declined significantly following the decree of Theodosius I (r. 379-395 CE) to close down all pagan sites in 379 CE, and Eleusis was destroyed around 395 CE following the invasion of the Visigoths.
Painting : At the First Touch of Winter, Summer Fades Away, by Valentine Cameron Prinsep
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
Eleusis became the most important sanctuary to Demeter, and the site has a religious connection and related monuments dating back to the Mycenaean civilization of the 15th century BCE. From c. 600 BCE the Eleusinian Mysteries became an official ceremony in the Athenian calendar, and Eleusis became a truly pan-Hellenic site under the Athenian dictator Peisistratus (r. 550-510 BCE).
In the 5th century BCE Pericles, the Athenian statesman, oversaw the construction of a new Telesterion (Initiation Hall and temple), then the largest building in Greece. The site continued to attract pilgrims and worshippers well into Roman times with emperors Hadrian (r. 117-138 CE) and Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180 CE) aggrandising Eleusis. The sanctuary's fortunes declined significantly following the decree of Theodosius I (r. 379-395 CE) to close down all pagan sites in 379 CE, and Eleusis was destroyed around 395 CE following the invasion of the Visigoths.
Painting : At the First Touch of Winter, Summer Fades Away, by Valentine Cameron Prinsep
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
~ Demeter et Persephone, the abduction of Persephone part III ~
Another interpretation of the Persephone myth may be that it represents when the Greeks stored their grain underground for part of the year in order to protect it from summer heat. In favor of this argument is that in Greece's climate seeds are sown in the autumn and quickly germinate to grow throughout the winter time.
Therefore, Persephone's time in Hades would not equate with winter in the agricultural season but, rather, with summer. Whatever the exact significance, the association between Persephone and agriculture is firmly established in rituals, literature, and ancient art. Finally, the myth of Hades' abduction may also reference the Greek practice of girls marrying in their early teens, a loss to their mothers as Persephone was to Demeter.
Painting : The Fate of Persephone, by Walter Crane
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
Another interpretation of the Persephone myth may be that it represents when the Greeks stored their grain underground for part of the year in order to protect it from summer heat. In favor of this argument is that in Greece's climate seeds are sown in the autumn and quickly germinate to grow throughout the winter time.
Therefore, Persephone's time in Hades would not equate with winter in the agricultural season but, rather, with summer. Whatever the exact significance, the association between Persephone and agriculture is firmly established in rituals, literature, and ancient art. Finally, the myth of Hades' abduction may also reference the Greek practice of girls marrying in their early teens, a loss to their mothers as Persephone was to Demeter.
Painting : The Fate of Persephone, by Walter Crane
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
~ Demeter et Persephone, the abduction of Persephone part II ~
In other versions of the myth, Persephone could have been released if she had not eaten anything in the underworld during her captivity, but at the last moment, Hades gave her a pomegranate seed. Finally, as a compromise, it was decided that Persephone would be released but that she would have to return to Hades for one-third of the year (or in other accounts one half). In gratitude for the return of her daughter, Demeter was said to have sent the prince Demophon to teach humanity the cultivation of grain and other tricks useful for agriculture.
The story of Demeter, Hades and Persephone was perhaps symbolic of the changing seasons and the perennial change from life to death, to life once more, or in other words, the changes from the summer to winter months and the return of life in spring as seen in agriculture. The cycle became one of the rituals of the sacred Eleusinian mysteries; indeed, the symbols of the cult were ears of grain and a torch - reminding of Demeter's search for Persephone and that the rituals were carried out at night. As all initiates were bound by a sacred oath not to reveal the details of the Mysteries, they have to this day remained just that, a mystery.
Painting : The Return of Persephone, by Frederic Leighton
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
In other versions of the myth, Persephone could have been released if she had not eaten anything in the underworld during her captivity, but at the last moment, Hades gave her a pomegranate seed. Finally, as a compromise, it was decided that Persephone would be released but that she would have to return to Hades for one-third of the year (or in other accounts one half). In gratitude for the return of her daughter, Demeter was said to have sent the prince Demophon to teach humanity the cultivation of grain and other tricks useful for agriculture.
The story of Demeter, Hades and Persephone was perhaps symbolic of the changing seasons and the perennial change from life to death, to life once more, or in other words, the changes from the summer to winter months and the return of life in spring as seen in agriculture. The cycle became one of the rituals of the sacred Eleusinian mysteries; indeed, the symbols of the cult were ears of grain and a torch - reminding of Demeter's search for Persephone and that the rituals were carried out at night. As all initiates were bound by a sacred oath not to reveal the details of the Mysteries, they have to this day remained just that, a mystery.
Painting : The Return of Persephone, by Frederic Leighton
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
~ Demeter et Persephone, the abduction of Persephone part I ~
The most important mythology surrounding Demeter was the story of the rape of her daughter Persephone by Hades, the god of the Underworld. One day Hades fell in love with Persephone as soon as he saw her and so carried her off in his chariot to live with him in the underworld. In some accounts, Zeus had given his consent to the abduction, the location of the crime being traditionally placed in either Sicily (famed for its fertility) or Asia. Distraught, Demeter searched the earth for her lost daughter and though Helios told her of her daughter's fate, she, nevertheless, continued her wanderings until she finally arrived at Eleusis. It was here, disguised as an old woman, that the goddess cared for Demophon (or Triptolemus), the only son of Metaneira, the wife of Keleos, king of Eleusis. To reward the family for their kindness, Demeter set about making Demophon immortal by placing him on a fire every night. However, when Metaneira saw this she raised an alarm. In response, Demeter revealed her true identity and demanded a temple be built in her honor. This was the beginning of the celebrated sanctuary of Eleusis in Attica.
Once the temple was completed, Demeter withdrew from the world and lived inside it; at the same time, she created a great drought to convince the other gods to release Persephone from Hades. As the drought claimed ever more victims, crops withered (illustrating Persephone's mastery over agriculture), and there was so little food that mortals could not even offer their sacrifices to the gods, Zeus finally persuaded Hades to release his ill-gotten bride. Before giving her up though, the wily Hades put a pomegranate kernel in the girl's mouth, knowing its divine taste would compel her to return to him.
Painting : The Abduction of Proserpina, Unknown author
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
The most important mythology surrounding Demeter was the story of the rape of her daughter Persephone by Hades, the god of the Underworld. One day Hades fell in love with Persephone as soon as he saw her and so carried her off in his chariot to live with him in the underworld. In some accounts, Zeus had given his consent to the abduction, the location of the crime being traditionally placed in either Sicily (famed for its fertility) or Asia. Distraught, Demeter searched the earth for her lost daughter and though Helios told her of her daughter's fate, she, nevertheless, continued her wanderings until she finally arrived at Eleusis. It was here, disguised as an old woman, that the goddess cared for Demophon (or Triptolemus), the only son of Metaneira, the wife of Keleos, king of Eleusis. To reward the family for their kindness, Demeter set about making Demophon immortal by placing him on a fire every night. However, when Metaneira saw this she raised an alarm. In response, Demeter revealed her true identity and demanded a temple be built in her honor. This was the beginning of the celebrated sanctuary of Eleusis in Attica.
Once the temple was completed, Demeter withdrew from the world and lived inside it; at the same time, she created a great drought to convince the other gods to release Persephone from Hades. As the drought claimed ever more victims, crops withered (illustrating Persephone's mastery over agriculture), and there was so little food that mortals could not even offer their sacrifices to the gods, Zeus finally persuaded Hades to release his ill-gotten bride. Before giving her up though, the wily Hades put a pomegranate kernel in the girl's mouth, knowing its divine taste would compel her to return to him.
Painting : The Abduction of Proserpina, Unknown author
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
~ Demeter et Persephone, Persephone part II ~
The cult of Persephone in the Greek religion was especially strong in Sicily and southern Italy, and besides the Eleusinian Mysteries at Eleusis there were sanctuaries to the goddess across the Greek world. Here annual festivities celebrated Persephone's marriage and her picking of flowers. The Thesmophoria was a Greek-wide celebration of the goddess and her mother. Exclusive to women, it was held annually before the sowing period when sacrifices were made and putrefied pig's remains were mixed with the seeds. Persephone, in her guise as Queen of the Underworld, was often appealed to in curse tablets and on the inscribed gold leaves buried with the dead followers of Orphism which gave instructions on how to conduct themselves in the after-life.
Persephone rarely appears in art before the 6th century BCE, and she is usually shown with Demeter; often both wear crowns and hold a torch, or stalks of grain. A famous relief slab from Eleusis depicts Demeter and Persephone (holding a torch) either side of Triptolemos; it dates to the 5th century BCE. It is on permanent display in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. On Attic red-figure pottery throughout the Classical period, Persephone is often shown seated on her throne in Hades.
Frescoes in the 4th-century BCE royal tomb at Aegae in Pieria, Macedon show Hades abducting the goddess and explain the popular 'Tomb of Persephone' label. A recent spectacular find is the large pebble mosaic, measuring 4.5 by 3 metres from the Hellenistic tomb at Amphipolis, which again depicts the god Hades abducting Persephone in a chariot. Persephone's abduction by Hades was a popular subject in Roman sculpture too, and continued to be so for 18th and 19th-century oil painters.
Painting : Proserpine, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
The cult of Persephone in the Greek religion was especially strong in Sicily and southern Italy, and besides the Eleusinian Mysteries at Eleusis there were sanctuaries to the goddess across the Greek world. Here annual festivities celebrated Persephone's marriage and her picking of flowers. The Thesmophoria was a Greek-wide celebration of the goddess and her mother. Exclusive to women, it was held annually before the sowing period when sacrifices were made and putrefied pig's remains were mixed with the seeds. Persephone, in her guise as Queen of the Underworld, was often appealed to in curse tablets and on the inscribed gold leaves buried with the dead followers of Orphism which gave instructions on how to conduct themselves in the after-life.
Persephone rarely appears in art before the 6th century BCE, and she is usually shown with Demeter; often both wear crowns and hold a torch, or stalks of grain. A famous relief slab from Eleusis depicts Demeter and Persephone (holding a torch) either side of Triptolemos; it dates to the 5th century BCE. It is on permanent display in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. On Attic red-figure pottery throughout the Classical period, Persephone is often shown seated on her throne in Hades.
Frescoes in the 4th-century BCE royal tomb at Aegae in Pieria, Macedon show Hades abducting the goddess and explain the popular 'Tomb of Persephone' label. A recent spectacular find is the large pebble mosaic, measuring 4.5 by 3 metres from the Hellenistic tomb at Amphipolis, which again depicts the god Hades abducting Persephone in a chariot. Persephone's abduction by Hades was a popular subject in Roman sculpture too, and continued to be so for 18th and 19th-century oil painters.
Painting : Proserpine, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
#demeter #persephone #mythology #greekmythology #art #arthistory #womenshistory #womeninart #womenfromhistory #painting
Blessed Persephone
Lady of the Springtime
Of the new grass and buds on branches
Of the growing power that fuels life
After a Winter’s rest
To you I make this offering
To you I say this prayer
Let this Spring be full of joy
Of enjoyment and kindness
Of sharing and friendship
Let your gifts be shared with all
Let them feel the warmth of the sun
And smell the scents of the growing greenery
Be with us and walk with us
As we enjoy nature’s renewal
And rejoice in a future full of beauty
Blessed Persephone
Lady of the blossoms
Of the sprouted seeds
And the treelings tended by man
That they may grow and provide
As they always have with your mother’s grace
And the joy you bring her
#polytheism #pagan #helenismos #prayer #goddess #Persephone #paganism #polytheism #pagan #helenismos #prayer #goddess #Persephone #paganism
In the darkness as I rest
And sleep is my goal
I hear your footsteps
On ebony steps molded in bone
I hear to your moaning
An exasperated sighing
And a hopeful whistling
As you rise up to a land still frozen
I hear the song of birds
The subtle breeze
As it tussles your hair
And the dark gossamer robes flow behind you
I hear a hopeful prayer bubble up
In my heart that longs for daylight
In my soul that longs for your presence
And the glorious Springtime so close now calls to me
Blessed Persephone
Of Demeter born
By Zeus fathered
As the rain sparks life from the earth
Blessed Persephone
Goddess of the Springtime
Queen of the Underworld
Bringer of joy to men and gods alike
In the darkness of night
I hear you approach
A prayer sings in my tired brain
And I rejoice in k owing you
#paganism #pagan #Hellenismos #persephone #goddess #religion #prayer
Louise Glück's 'Averno' is an ambiguous, but scalpel-precise collection of poems, riffing obliquely on the Persephone myth. Don't ask me what it means, but I loved it!
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/cfc012b7-70d7-49f5-a95f-5bc0606a13ac
#poetry #louiseglück #averno #avernus #persephone #nobelprize #books #bookstodon @bookstodon
#CastorAndPollux statue called the #Ildefonso group at Madrid's Museo del Prado, restored using genuine, albeit slightly restored, head of #Antinous for #Castor (left). #Pollux offers a Torch flame to the Altar of #Persephone. Small goddess holds pomegranate or #Dioscuri egg.
For the first day of winter, it’s the myth of Persephone. This is a linocut of the Greek myth of Persephone. The ancient Greek goddess Persephone, beloved daughter of Demeter was kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld, and taken to his home where she was tempted with many delicious items. The pomegranate proved the most irresistible and sealed her fate. For the 6 pomegranate seeds she accepted from Hades, 
25 Oct is the Roman feast of #CastorAndPollux. #Ildefonso group #museodelprado, restored using genuine, albeit slightly restored, head of #Antinous for #Castor (left). #Pollux offers a Torch flame to the Altar of #Persephone. Small goddess holds pomegranate or #Dioscuri egg.
FediOccult Book Club—October 2024
Although most of us are still working through Justine Norton-Kertson's UTOPIAN WITCH, it is time for us to start thinking about what we'll read in October!
The FediOccult Book Club is an informal association of practitioners of all backgrounds who come together to read & comment on one chosen book per month. October's book will be announced on September 21.
Please be sure to tag all relevant posts with #FediOccultBookClub
POLL: Which book will we read for October?
Have a beautiful Day of Ares aka Mars' Day aka aka Tuesday 
"Sisyphos made known to Asopos that it was Zeus who had carried off his daughter Aigina; in punishment for which offence the god sent Thanatos against the babbler; but Sisyphos bound Thanatos fast, so that men ceased to die, until Ares came to the rescue, released Thanatos, and gave Sisyphos into his power."
Fragmenta Historicum Graecorum
#Persephone, Sisyphos and #Ares
@antiquidons @mythology
#DayOfAres #GreekRomanArt #mythology
Goddess
Enshrined in darkness
Beloved of the King of the wandering dead
Goddess
Buried within the earth
Missed by her wandering mother
Goddess
You bring light into the darkness
It shines forth from your heart
For all the dead to see
And hope for a time when they might return
To the world of the living
As a seed lies dormant in the soil
The cold all about it
It rejoices and grows forth
When the warming Springtime rains come
So too the light of your spirit
Brings hope for the future
Goddess
Sprouting from the earth
Growing into something beautiful
Goddess
Blooming in the sunlight
The scent of your coming a pleasant reminder
Goddess
____________________________
Art: By Charles-Joseph Natoire
#pagan #religion #polytheism #Hellenismos #paganism #persephone
Replied in thread
@yon Persephone went to the underworld with Hades... if we turned it into an isekai title it would be something like "My Mother is Mad After I Was Abducted by An Ancient God and Made His Queen in The Underworld!?"
4 Aug #OwlAwarenessDay We remember #Ascalaphus the demon boy who informed Hades #Persephone had eaten a pomegranate. #Demeter turned Ascalaphus into an owl. Ovid writes: "Poor Ascalaphus was punished for telling the truth when asked to do so." More: https://antinousstars.blogspot.com/2023/08/antinous-meets-reptile-from-hades-but.html
𝗪𝗜𝗞𝗜𝗣𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔'𝗦 𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗟𝗘
✧ Homeric Hymns ✧
The Homeric Hymns are a collection of thirty-three ancient Greek hymns and one epigram. They praise deities of the Greek pantheon and retell mythological stories, such as the abduction of Persephone and the seduction of Anchises by Aphrodite. In antiquity, the hymns were generally attributed to the poet Homer: modern scholarship has...
#DemetriosChalkokondyles #AlfredHitchcock #Persephone #Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeric_Hymns
