Month: September 2012
I want “rocket scientist of Satan” on my tombstone, but I’d probably have to make some pretty drastic life alterations at this point.
Hellenic Problems #149:
When your co-religionists want to re-imagine the Dionysia as Substitute Christmas.
I want to talk about this. Specifically, about trying to imagine Ancient Greek or Roman holidays as Christmas, or other modern holidays, mainly because you still want to celebrate.
In Ancient Greece and in Ancient Italy, the majority of festivals were local, cultural festivals. You had a few state-wide ones, but largely, the festivals celebrated by the common people were local festivals of harvest, birth, marriage, astrological events, etc. that were fairly unique to the region. When people from Ancient Greece or Italy went elsewhere, they celebrated the regional festivals of that place (case in point, the way Alexander’s Macedonian officers behaved when they were given positions in foreign countries he’d conquered). There was a marked tendency among those people to see the gods of other peoples’ as versions of their gods, but worshipped in different ways, so when they went to other regions they would ask, “How do you worship Zeus (or anybody else) in this place?” Then they would worship in that way, so as not to offend the gods, who were obviously accustomed to being worshiped in that way in that place. People also took household gods and rituals with them when they moved from place to place, which is how the pantheons grew to be what they are. So while a family would celebrate local cultural holidays in the region where they had moved, they would also hold private celebrations of their own that were traditional for them.
Basically, what this boils down to is that Christmas is a cultural holiday in the US of A as well as other places and even if you are Hellenismos, you can celebrate Christmas. It’s a cultural festival. It’s been so thoroughly secularized that you really don’t have to worry about the Jesus aspects of it if you don’t want to. The same goes for Halloween/Samhain. Even if it’s not Hellenic, our respective cultures are celebrating it – American Culture is celebrating Halloween and the larger Pagan culture is celebrating Samhain. So in the interest of celebrating with our neighbors, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying these holidays and festivals even if they don’t have RELIGIOUS meaning for us because they have CULTURAL meaning for us.
So you really can just have Christmas be Christmas and Halloween be Halloween. It’s okay. If you want to make observances to the gods during these times, be my guest, I doubt they’d see anything wrong with it since it’s been going on for at least three thousand years, probably closer to four.
Villa of Mysteries, Pompeii
Although the eruption of Vesuvius, and the earthquakes prior to the disaster, created cracks in the walls of these glamorous villas, beautiful frescos are surprisingly still in almost perfect condition.
This fresco is depicting a ceremony of the cult of Dionysus (Bacchus). The mystery cults, such as the cult of Isis, were banned throughout Roman history at different periods of time. The cults then performed their orgiastic rites in secret. The cults of Dionysus and Isis, as well as some other Eastern religions, were particularly popular among women.
Glory abounds from red sky to blue sea
From caverns deep to the roof of the world
The Great Goddess encompasses you
The stars bejewel her tresses
The Duat sandals her feetGive praise to the Mistress of Magic
She is the Mother of the past
The Daughter of tomorrow
Goddess of all that is now
And all that will ever beEternity she wears as a sacred belt
Give praise to She of untold manifestations
Cry in adoration for She of infinite names
She is Isis Queen of the Gods~~Thy Daughter, A.G. Muilenburg
Orphic Hymn to Hekate
To Hekatê
Hekatê of the Path, I invoke Thee, Lovely Lady of the Triple Crossroads,
Celestial, Chthonian, and Marine One, Lady of the Saffron Robe.
Sepulchral One, celebrating the Bakchic Mysteries among the Souls of the Dead,
Daughter of Persês, Lover of Solitude, rejoicing in deer.Nocturnal One, Lady of the Dogs, invincible Queen.
She of the Cry of the Beast, Ungirt One, having an irresistible Form.
Bullherder, Keeper of the Keys of All the Universe, Mistress,
Guide, Bride, Nurturer of Youths, Mountain Wanderer.
I pray Thee, Maiden, to be present at our hallowed rites of initiation,
Always bestowing Thy graciousness upon the Boukolos.Hekatês
Einodian Hekatên, klêizô, Trihoditin Erannên,
Ouranian, Chthonian, te kai Einalian, Krokopeplos.
Tymbidian, Psychais Nekyôn meta bakcheuosan,
Perseian, Philerêmon, agallomenên elaphoisi.
Nykterian, Skylakitin, amaimaketon Basileian.
Thêrobromon, Azôston, aprosmachon Eidos echousan.
Tauropolon, Pantos Kosmou Klêidouchon, Anassan,
Hêgemonên, Nymphên, Kourotrophon, Ouresiphoitin.
Lissomenos, Kourên, teletais hosiaisi pareinai,
Boukolôi eumeneousan aei kecharêoti thymôi.(Photo Source ???)
The more we retreat from the culture at large the more room we will have to carve out lives of meaning, the more we will be able to wall off the flood of illusions disseminated by mass culture and the more we will retain sanity in an insane world.
Chris Hedges
