Demeter Flashcards
Religion
Explanation of Demeter’s Temple at Elusis
Time
Seasons, Winter When Persephone Goes Back to Underworld
The Search
Demeter Searches for Persephone, Comes to Elusis, Made Guest by Queen, Tries to Make Son (Demophoon) Immortal, Caught by Queen, Forced to Build Temple
1st-4th Days of Festival
Examination of the Initiates to Participate, Fasting, Drinking of the Kykeon, Singing, Dancing, Bathing with Sacrifice of Personal Pigs for Ritual Purification
1st Day (or Before)
Procession From Elusis to Athens Carrying the Hiera
5th Day
Procession Transporting the Hiera From Athens Back to Elusis Headed by a Statue of Bacchus, Bacchus (Fertility Wand) Carried by the Initiates, Hazing of Initiates by Priests and Priestesses to Instill Humility in the Throng
6th-7th Days
The Dromena, Re-enactment of the Demeter/Persephone Story, Mating of Demeter’s Priestess and the High Priest, the Hierophant, Initiates Drink Modified Kykeon (Gets Them High) as They Prepared for the Deiknymena
8th Day
Informal Procession Back to Athens
9th Day
Formal Accounting to the Athenian Council as to the Success of the Festival Proceedings
Dromena
“The Things Done”
Deiknymena
“The Things Shown”
Legomena
“The Things Said”
Hierophant
“Shower of the Holy Things”
Kykeon
Mixture of Water and Barley That Initiates Drank
Telesterion
Demeter’s Great Elusinian Tempe
