Continuing from the first post, it is time to begin investigating more about the myth of Demeter and Persephone. Now while reading through different authors’ interpretations, I found that most recently published items, include a detailed account of Demeter’s adventure during her mourning period (This occurs after she began searching for Persephone and learns the truth from Zeus about his decision). This I found quite interesting for it was almost like a subplot within a larger story like in today’s movies.
In this account, Demeter in her state of grief abandons Olympus and goes down into the world of mortals. Demeter disguises herself as an elderly woman and travels the land. She eventually comes to the city of Eleusis, which is a part of Attica (modern central Greece). Here she comes upon a well and sits down. Moments later, two daughters of Celeus, who is the King of Eleusis, arrive at the well and take water from the well. While taking water, the daughters speak to who they believe is a weary old woman. Demeter tells a very outlandish tale about her escaping from pirates to the two girls while also offering her services as a nanny. In earnest, the two daughters run to consult their mother about the old woman. Soon Demeter is employed as the nurse to the baby, Triptolemus.
As Demeter takes care of young Triptolemus, she is shortly distracted from her sorrows about Persephone. Oddly enough though, Demeter does not feed this child despite his wondrous growth. Rather Demeter secretly is feeding Triptolemus ambrosia (food which is eaten by the gods) and laying him in a fire in order to make him immortal. This ritual soon is discontinued for one night, Triptolemus’ mother peers upon the scene and screams at the sight of her child being placed in a fire. Because of this disruption, Demeter instantly removes Triptolemus from the flames and reveals her true identity as a goddess to Triptolemus’ mother. Demeter then declares that Triptolemus can not be immortal, but would hold great esteem among mankind and demands a temple to be erected in her honor on a hill in Eleusis, so that the people can carry out ceremonies and sacred rites as directed by her.
It is an interesting tale that seems out of place within the myth of Demeter and Persephone. Yet, there seems to be perhaps actual fact to this part of the myth. For during my research, I discovered that in the city of Eleusis, there are ruins of a temple dedicated to Demeter and numerous accounts of rituals performed at the temple called the Eleusis Mysteries.
Not too much is known about the temple or the Mysteries. However, the evident “Demeter cult” (Mylonas p. 18-20) in Eleusis is undeniable for many of the statues of Demeter and Persephone had been removed from this site. In 1931, Kourouniotes excavated the Temple of Demeter (Mylonas p. 34). This temple has many unanswered questions for many think that the temple was originally just an adjacent outdoor terrace to the Telestria or that the temple, Telestria is the Temple of Demeter. Because there are only ruins and pieces left of the temple, only assumptions of where and how the temple was built on the hill overlooking the city are made.
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| Temple Layout |
The temple itself is constructed quite differently from standard Greek temples. It did not possess the common sculptures and columns of other Greek temples. It is different in its layout also. The temple consists of six entrances and had tiered seating for initiates and a centered seating area for the high priests to conduct ceremonies and rituals. The plan for the temple seems to show that the temple had been constructed to hold many people.
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| Votive Clay Tablet of Ninnius |
Meanwhile, the Mysteries themselves prove to be very exciting. In the Homeric hymn, it talks about the absolute vow of secrecy of the rituals involved in the celebrations of Demeter. This secrecy is so greatly enforced that the hymn states that to break the secrecy means, “ confiscations of all property, all the priests and priestesses place curses upon one…the Goddess herself meted out punishment” (Mylonas p. 224-225). Based on this amount of fear that was instilled, the secrets of the celebration were kept for almost two thousand years, amazingly. These rituals take place in the city of Eleusis because it is thought to be the location at which Demeter was reunited with her daughter, Persephone. Most of the information that has been gathered about the Mysteries is from art artifacts like the Votive Clay tablet of Ninnius.
In these rituals, there was a hierarchy of priests and priestesses. The Hierophant was the high priest and in command of the ceremonies (Mylonas p. 229). The rituals were divided into multiple stages and initiations. The main two are called the Lesser Mysteries and the Greater Mysteries.
The Lesser Mysteries involved dancing and celebrating with sacrifices of pigs and purification of water for initiations of participants. This part of the celebration was held during the spring months into summer (Mylonas p. 239-243) whereas the Greater Mysteries were held during the months of September to October. This ritual involved much more active participation. By this, I mean that a messenger was sent out the day before the start of the ritual to ask the people of various cities to offer up tithes in honor of the goddess, Demeter. From here, the priests and priestesses travelled to Athens. This is the starting point of the procession of Demeter. People then gathered here, in order to walk the path that Demeter took during her wandering to Eleusis during her time of grief. During this journey, each day was filled with different forms of purification until Eleusis was reached. And as one could guess, much sacrifice, praying, and unknown events took place upon arriving at Eleusis (Mylonas p. 243-259).
It’s funny how most of the accounts are through different artworks and minor personal writing, since secrecy was top priority much like how Demeter in the myth, was very discreet about her ritual of immortality with Triptolemus to the point that once discovered, she became outraged and made demands. Also, the timing of the rituals and the proceeding are very corresponding, for the Mysteries held in Spring are just a time of celebration compared to the Mysteries held in Autumn in which harsh travels and purification is upheld just as Demeter would have celebrated Persephone’s return in the spring and mourn Persephone’s departure. I suppose that was the way religious rituals were started.
Works Cited:
Berens, E. M. "Demeter." The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome. Boston:
Longwood, 1979. Print.
"Eleusis-Telesterion." Web. 05 Oct. 2011. <learn.uci.edu/ocw/courses/08f/22110/home/Eleusis-
Telesterion.ppt>.
Mylonas, G. E. Eleusis and the Eleuisian Mysteries. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton UP,
1961. Print.
Images:
Frieze of Demeter and Persephone consecrating Triptolemus, Athens, 430BCE.
Telesterion Temple Layout, learn.uci.edu/ocw/courses/08f/22110/home/Eleusis-Telesterion.ppt
Clay Tablet of Ninnius, Athens, 4th Century - National Archaeological Museum
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