Eleusinian Mysteries

things they did not understand is a great one. It is clear and easily proven that astronomy played a huge role in the religion, even in the beginning of it. "The nocturnal character of some Greek religious festivals (e.g., the Arrephoria, the Eleusinian Mysteries, the Thesmophoria) performed in open space, with little artificial light, suggests the importance of the celestial dome that encircled these performances, integrating the sky in the cult…

There are many different Greek Goddesses. The original six names are Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Hestia, and Demeter. Some of the non original are Dione, Eris, Gaia, and Hebe. The muses names were Clio, Urania, Melpomene, Thalia, Terpsichore, Calliope, Erato, Polyhymnia, and Euterpe. The muses had all different jobs. Can’t forget about Nyx. Nyx was the greek goddess of the night. There was also a greek goddess and/or Queen of the underworld Persephone. She ruled the underworld with her…

Cults such as these are known as mystery religions; only those who have been initiated into the mysteries benefit. Those who were in the cult were promised a privileged fate after death. They felt closer to the gods and that they would obtain blessing in the afterlife. This myth shows us the grief of Persephone and Demeter…

Persephone: Queen of the Underworld Persephone was one of the most important Goddesses in ancient Greece, and she is still revered by modern-day Pagans, especially Dianic Wiccans. Her story explains the seasons, the barrenness of winter, and the fertility of spring. Despite her importance, she is a Goddess that is misunderstood and even overlooked. In ancient times, her cult honored her and her mother, often combining the two, generically honoring “The Goddesses.” Persephone is often defined,…

the subject matter corresponding to the Parthenon frieze becomes ambiguous to the modern viewer. Modern academics can only conceptualize and speculate about what the images of the Parthenon frieze is communicating. In fact, figuring out the great mystery of the Parthenon frieze sparks an immense amount of academic research, which includes articles like “Parthenon and Parthenon: A Mythological Interpretation of the Parthenon Frieze,” by Joan B. Connelly, Jenifer Neil’s article “Reconfiguring the…

presence of certain things, customs and traditions, especially in the case of festivals and carnivals. Like the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, that gives the story of Demeter and her daughter Kore, and is an origin myth for some of the practices of the Eleusinian mysteries. It also explains the existence of corn. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry saves Cedric's body from desecration by lord Voldimort, unlike inthe Homer’s Iliad, king Patroclus of Troy salvage…

Was Catholicism responsible for the Dark Ages? In history class we have read about the great ancient empires that came before us, such as the Greeks, the Romans, and the Egyptians. During our studies we also learned about , the time in between the 6th and 14th century this period has come to be known as the “Dark Ages”. Many historians believe that the term Dark Ages might not be very accurate and that the reasons behind the origins of the Dark Ages, aren’t well understood. Most were taught…

Although Demeter did teach her worshipers who attended the temple her rites, which then became the Eleusinian Mysteries. Zeus, at this point decided to intervene because of the cries from his worshippers and the cries of the other gods and goddesses and their worshippers. Zeus knew that if he did not do something soon his worshippers would blame him or die,…

It is essential to draw upon other similar gold wreaths found around the Mediterranean to better understand the gold wreath at the Getty Villa. Bettina Tsigarida’s “A New Gold Myrtle Wreath From Central Macedonia in the Collection of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki” published in The Annual of the British School at Athens, discusses a gold myrtle wreath, which was acquired by the Getty Museum in 1993, and sent back to Greece in 2007. This gold myrtle wreath currently resides in the…

That field of ours, and this my body, and my daddy’s head – make them all grow hair” after describing a girl, Apala, who attributed magical properties to the Soma because of its psychoactive affects. “There is now substantial evidence that the Eleusinian Mystery rites, performed annually near Athens for almost two thousand years, featured a mystical revelation brought on by drinking of an entheogenic brew” (Wasson et al. 1978). Archeologist John Marco Allegro, scholar of the dead sea scrolls,…