Demeter
by CTCWeb Editors
Associated Rituals
An important part of the nature of a god or goddess may be discerned from the rituals performed for the favor of that god or goddess. Students should look at the rituals performed in association with Demeter. Students will also want to look at where the rituals are performed, who performs the rituals and whether the societies that include these rituals in their religious practices worship only Demeter or Demeter along with other gods and goddesses.
Below are some archaeological and textual examples of ritual sacrifices to Demeter and rituals that are part of the festivals for Demeter. The rituals or “Mysteries” of Demeter are not clearly defined since only initiates of her cults knew what a they entailed. The Historical Overview topics below offer some information on the content of the Mysteries but nothing concrete. Student should look closely at the other textual citations to see if they can piece together the Mysteries.
Textual
Historical Overview, 10.1.5 Occasions for Sacrifice and Festivals.
Historical Overview, 10.1.7 The Eleusian Mysteries.
Historical Overview, 10.1.7.1 The Mystery of the Mysteries.
Polygnotos and his Group: Scenes of the Eleusian Mysteries, by Susan Matheson Matheson discusses the appear of emblematic, not narrative, scenes of the Eleusian Mysteries on vases.
Three Days In Court, 2.4, by Alan Boegehold - To put a curse on the opposition in a court case, people would scratch a formulaic prayer into a pieces of lead to render his/ her opponent stupefied.
Apollodorus 1.5.1 - Iambe joked with Demeter and for this reason women make jokes a the Thesmophoria.
Herodotus 2.171.1 - “On this lake they enact by night the story of the god’s sufferings, a rite which the Egyptians call the Mysteries. I could say more about this, for I know the truth, but let me preserve a discreet silence. Let me preserve a discreet silence, too, concerning that rite of Demeter which the Greeks call Thesmophoria, except as much of it as I am not forbidden to mention.”
Pausanias 1.37.4 - “I cannot state for certain whether he was the first to sow beans, or whether they gave this name to a hero because they may not attribute to Demeter the discovery of beans. Whoever has been initiated at Eleusis or has read what are called the Orphica knows what I mean.” Pausanias 2.14,1 - At Celeae they celebrate the mysteries of Demeter every fourth year. “The Phliasians themselves admit that they copy the “performance” at Eleusis.” Pausanias 2.14.3 - Demeter taught Triptolemos, Celeus and Diocles the holy rites of her mysteries. Pausanias 2.34.10 - “There are also circuits of large unhewn stones, within which they perform mystic ritual to Demeter.” Pausanias 2.35.4-7 - Pausanias says, “How a ritual to Demeter is performed, each step is given but there is a thing which no man sees, it is only seen by the old women who sacrifice the four cows.”
Pausanias 2.36.7 - A circuit of stones said to be where Pluto entered Hades with Persephone in Lerna and this is where they celebrate mysteries. Pausanias 4.17.1 - “The women were inspired by the goddess to defend themselves, and most of the Messenians were wounded with the knives with which the women sacrificed the victims and the spits on which they pierced and roasted the meat. Aristomenes was struck with the torches and taken alive.” Pausanias 4.33.5 - “I may not reveal the rites of the Great Goddesses, for it is their mysteries which they celebrate in the Carnasian grove, and I regard them as second only to the Eleusinian in sanctity.” Pausanias 7.27.9 - “Pellene is the Mysaeum, a sanctuary of the Mysian Demeter. It is said that it was founded by Mysius, a man of Argos, who according to Argive tradition gave Demeter a welcome in his home. There is a grove in the Mysaeum, containing trees of every kind, and in it rises a copious supply of water from springs. Here they also celebrate a seven days’ festival in honor of Demeter.” Pausanias 8.13.3 - “On the top is a sphere, with a mask inside of Demeter Cidaria. This mask is put on by the priest at the Greater Rites, who for some reason or other beats with rods the Folk Underground. The Pheneatians have a story that even before Naus arrived the wanderings of Demeter brought her to their city also. To those Pheneatians who received her with hospitality into their homes the goddess gave all sorts of pulse save the bean only.” Pausanias 9.25.5 - “The initiated are permitted to enter it. The sanctuary of the Cabeiri is some seven stades distant from this grove. I must ask the curious to forgive me if I keep silence who the Cabeiri are, and what is the nature of the ritual performed in honor of them and of the Mother. But there is nothing to prevent my declaring to all what the Thebans say was the origin of the ritual. They say that once there was in this place a city, with inhabitants called Cabeiri; and that Demeter came to know Prometheus, one of the Cabeiri, and Aetnaelis his son, and entrusted something to their keeping. What was entrusted to them, and what happened to it, seemed to me a sin to put into writing, but at any rate the rites are a gift of Demeter to the Cabeiri.”
Plutarch Alcibiades 22.3 - “Thessalus, son of Cimon, of the deme Laciadae, impeaches Alcibiades, son of Cleinias, of the deme Scambonidae, for committing crime against the goddesses of Eleusis, Demeter and Cora, by mimicking the mysteries and showing them forth to his companions in his own house, wearing a robe such as the High Priest wears when he shows forth the sacred secrets to the initiates, and calling himself High Priest, Pulytion Torch-bearer, and Theodorus, of the deme Phegaea, Herald, and hailing the rest of his companions as Mystae and Epoptae, contrary to the laws and institutions of the Eumolpidae, Heralds, and Priests of Eleusis.”
Strabo, The Geography, 9.1.12 - At Eleusis there is a mystic chapel built by Ictinus and able to hold a large number of spectators. Strabo, The Geography, 9.3.7 -Amphictyonic League, created by an initial twelve city-states at Delphi, elected Pylagorae from each city. These Pylagorae sacrificed to Demeter.
Xenophon, Hellenica 6.3.6 - Xenophon talks about the revealing of the rites of Demeter’s mysteries by Triptolemos.
