Anthesteria · Three-day ritual

Anthesteria

Celebrated during spring time, Anthesteria comes from the word anthos which means flowers, a “festival of flowers”. This is also a festival of Dionysus and a festival of the dead. A three day celebration beginning with Pithogia, on the 11th day of the month Anthesterion, followed by Choës (the Feast of the Wine-jars) and ends on the 13th day of the month with Chytroi (the Day of the Pots). Anthesteria is called a festival of the dead because it was believed that the spirits left the underworld and returned on the third day. (131, Larson)

Source: Larson, Jennifer. Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide. Routledge, 2007.

Day 1: Pithoigia “the Opening of the Casks”

On this day, the Athenians would gather at the shrine of Dionysus in the marshes, taking with them carts filled with pithoi, large earthenware jugs where fresh wine was stored to ferment for several months. This temple was only open once a year for Anthesteria. The exact location is still unknown, it’s believed to be in a marshy area near the Ilissos River. The pithoi containing wine from the last season was opened for the first time, the wine first offered to Dionysus and the Agathos Daimon with the prayer that the wine be good for us and not ail us before everyone could partook.

All other temples were closed except for Dionysus en Limnais’s shrine for the duration of Anthesteria.

Source: Parke, Herbert William. Festivals of the Athenians. Cornell University Press, 1977, p. 108.

Materials needed: - [ ] Bowl of water for Khernips - [ ] Herb/s (bayleaf) to burn for khernips - [ ] Barley (optional) - [ ] Matches/lighter - [ ] Candle - [ ] Libation/s - [ ] Food Offerings

Purification / Khernips

Prepare khernips. Light your herbs or a match and drop this into a bowl of water while saying: “xerniptosai,” pronounced “kher-nip-TOS-aye-ee” and meaning “be purified.” OR ask one of the god/s you’ve built Kharis with to bless this water.

Prayer to Apollon for Khernips — Thrasys

Apollon, Phoebus, light bringer, giver of healing and plague, we call to you to purify this water, Katharsios so that we may clean and bless this place. (Wash hands and face with khernips)

(Sprinkle khernips/barley on the altar space): With this water I purify this space and this altar so I may give offerings and praise to the deathless Gods.

Preparation and set-up

Light a candle and lay out any offerings to be made

Homeric Hymn 24 — Hugh G. Evelyn-White

(ll. 1-5) Hestia, you who tend the holy house of the lord Apollo, the Far-shooter at goodly Pytho, with soft oil dripping ever from your locks, come now into this house, come, having one mind with Zeus the all-wise—draw near, and withal bestow grace upon my song. Pour Initial Libation to Hestia

Invocation

Invocation to Dionysus Limnaios — Thrasys

I call upon the slumbering god, The earth has turned, The path has opened Hear the march of our feet Through the marshes Past decaying wood and bone

Hear us!

Lord of the soft earth and murky water, Vanishing god, hear us As we come to greet you

Wake! Wake!

Liminal lord, he who sleeps, He who rises! I call to you Dionysos Limnaios, Attended you are by dipsioi The subjects of your mother’s kingdom. Let us quench your thirst, Attend our rites During this time of Anthesteria. ### Prayer

Homeric Hymn 26 — Hugh G. Evelyn-White

(ll. 1-9) I begin to sing of ivy-crowned Dionysus, the loud-crying god, splendid son of Zeus and glorious Semele. The rich-haired Nymphs received him in their bosoms from the lord his father and fostered and nurtured him carefully in the dells of Nysa, where by the will of his father he grew up in a sweet-smelling cave, being reckoned among the immortals. But when the goddesses had brought him up, a god oft hymned, then began he to wander continually through the woody coombes, thickly wreathed with ivy and laurel. And the Nymphs followed in his train with him for their leader; and the boundless forest was filled with their outcry.

(ll. 10-13) And so hail to you, Dionysus, god of abundant clusters! Grant that we may come again rejoicing to this season, and from that season onwards for many a year.

Orphic Hymn 30 — Thomas Taylor

Bacchus I call loud-sounding and divine, Inspiring God, a twofold shape is thine: Thy various names and attributes I sing, O firstborn, thrice begotten, Bacchic king. Rural, ineffable, two-form’d, obscure, Two-horn’d, with ivy crown’d, and Euion pure: Bull-fac’d and martial, bearer of the vine, Endu’d with counsel prudent and divine: Omadius, whom the leaves of vines adorn, Of Jove and Proserpine occultly born In beds ineffable; all-blessed pow’r, Whom with triennial off’rings men adore. Immortal dæmon, hear my suppliant voice, Give me in blameless plenty to rejoice; And listen gracious to my mystic pray’r, Surrounded with thy choir of nurses fair.

Offerings/Sacrifice (Thysia/Libation)

Dionysos, we offer to you the first wine of the season. May it nourish us and alleviate our worries, may it bring us closer to you.

Accept this offering of incense that it may carry our prayers, our hopes and praises and be pleasing to you.

Accept this sacrifice on behalf of my household and the community, a share in the blessings the gods have given us this season.

Accept these creative offerings from the community:

(Any offerings the community would like to offer)

The Field — Thrasys

For Dionysus To love a god is to love A space, an hour, a season, A tiding, a passing and a coming So I live for a moment. Moment after moment. Your name is a well worn dance I say with hoarse throat staggered breath reaching hands. My body has not belonged to me For months. I've been on loan- For seasons For rainstorms For winters For the thaw in between. My waking is not my own, I am the field beneath the hand -- fed and watered Harvested in my sleep. Does the field know it's name Once it's borrowed Spread and rooted Razed and sown Reaped and culled Then left fallow in the sun? Or does it grow Vines and heavy grapes Waiting for god's return? oh, god of the raging dark Of the calm madness Of roaring stillness There are faces in the trees. Come. I am the feast, I am the table, The offering, the return. A moment of love.

Closing

Orphic Hymn 30 — Thomas Taylor

Bacchus I call loud-sounding and divine, Inspiring God, a twofold shape is thine: Thy various names and attributes I sing, O firstborn, thrice begotten, Bacchic king. Rural, ineffable, two-form’d, obscure, Two-horn’d, with ivy crown’d, and Euion pure: Bull-fac’d and martial, bearer of the vine, Endu’d with counsel prudent and divine: Omadius, whom the leaves of vines adorn, Of Jove and Proserpine occultly born In beds ineffable; all-blessed pow’r, Whom with triennial off’rings men adore. Immortal dæmon, hear my suppliant voice, Give me in blameless plenty to rejoice; And listen gracious to my mystic pray’r, Surrounded with thy choir of nurses fair.

Pour Libation to Dionysus

Prayer to Hestia — Thrasys

Hestia prytaneia, lady of eternal flame, center of the communal fire - accept these offerings and prayers on behalf of our community, that it may be pleasing and bring honor to the gods of Olympus. As the gods will it so it shall be.

Pour Libation to Hestia

Day 2: Choes

Choës a wine jar described as a type of pottery with “‘a generously curving belly, a short neck that merges into the body and a trefoil mouth” 2 which the festival lifts its name from. A Choës holds around three liters of wine.3

Several sources such as Burkert and Parke describe how this day is both a major celebratory festival and at the same time a solemn one. This festival marks a major milestone in every Athenian's life: birth, Choes, adolescence, and marriage. 4 5 During this day, everyone, even slaves, participated in the activities as noted by Parker evidenced in temple records that include the cost of wine for public slaves on Choës 6 and children as old as three were given their own Choës. 7

Sources: 2.Herbert Parke, Festivals of the Athenians, page 108, 1977 3.Jennifer Larson, Ancient Greek Cults, page 130, 2007 4.Walter Burkert, Greek Religion, page 238 5.Herbert Parke, Festivals of the Athenians, page 113, 1977 6.Robert Parker, Polytheism and Society at Athens, page 294, 2005 7.Robert Seaford, Dionysos, page 18, 2006

Procession

(Dionysus in his little boat!) We start with the procession. In the time of the Athenians, on many vases Dionysus was depicted to go through the city in a boat adorned with vines and grapes.

Purification / Khernips

Prepare khernips. Light your herbs or a match and drop this into a bowl of water while saying: “xerniptosai,” pronounced “kher-nip-TOS-aye-ee” and meaning “be purified.” OR ask one of the god/s you’ve built Kharis with to bless this water.

Prayer to Apollon for Khernips

Apollon, Phoebus, light bringer, giver of healing and plague, we call to you to purify this water, Katharsios so that we may clean and bless this place.

(Wash hands and face with khernips)

(Sprinkle khernips/barley on the altar space): With this water I purify this space and this altar so I may give offerings and praise to the deathless Gods.

Preparation and set-up

Light a candle and lay out any offerings to be made

Homeric Hymn 24 — Hugh G. Evelyn-White

(ll. 1-5) Hestia, you who tend the holy house of the lord Apollo, the Far-shooter at goodly Pytho, with soft oil dripping ever from your locks, come now into this house, come, having one mind with Zeus the all-wise—draw near, and withal bestow grace upon my song.

Pour Initial Libation to Hestia

Invocation

Orphic Hymn 30 — Thomas Taylor

Bacchus I call loud-sounding and divine, Inspiring God, a twofold shape is thine: Thy various names and attributes I sing, O firstborn, thrice begotten, Bacchic king. Rural, ineffable, two-form’d, obscure, Two-horn’d, with ivy crown’d, and Euion pure: Bull-fac’d and martial, bearer of the vine, Endu’d with counsel prudent and divine: Omadius, whom the leaves of vines adorn, Of Jove and Proserpine occultly born In beds ineffable; all-blessed pow’r, Whom with triennial off’rings men adore. Immortal dæmon, hear my suppliant voice, Give me in blameless plenty to rejoice; And listen gracious to my mystic pray’r, Surrounded with thy choir of nurses fair.

We celebrate with you another season of Anthesteria, we celebrate your sacred wedding to Ariadne - may you accept these rites and gifts we offer to you.

Prayer

Homeric Hymn 7 — Hugh G. Evelyn-White

(ll. 1-16) I will tell of Dionysus, the son of glorious Semele, how he appeared on a jutting headland by the shore of the fruitless sea, seeming like a stripling in the first flush of manhood: his rich, dark hair was waving about him, and on his strong shoulders he wore a purple robe. Presently there came swiftly over the sparkling sea Tyrsenian pirates on a well-decked ship—a miserable doom led them on. When they saw him they made signs to one another and sprang out quickly, and seizing him straightway, put him on board their ship exultingly; for they thought him the son of heaven-nurtured kings. They sought to bind him with rude bonds, but the bonds would not hold him, and the withes fell far away from his hands and feet: and he sat with a smile in his dark eyes. Then the helmsman understood all and cried out at once to his fellows and said:

(ll. 17-24) ‘Madmen! What god is this whom you have taken and bind, strong that he is? Not even the well-built ship can carry him. Surely this is either Zeus or Apollo who has the silver bow, or Poseidon, for he looks not like mortal men but like the gods who dwell on Olympus. Come, then, let us set him free upon the dark shore at once: do not lay hands on him, lest he grow angry and stir up dangerous winds and heavy squalls.’

(ll. 25-31) So said he: but the master chid him with taunting words: ‘Madman, mark the wind and help hoist sail on the ship: catch all the sheets. As for this fellow we men will see to him: I reckon he is bound for Egypt or for Cyprus or to the Hyperboreans or further still. But in the end he will speak out and tell us his friends and all his wealth and his brothers, now that providence has thrown him in our way.’

(ll. 32-54) When he had said this, he had mast and sail hoisted on the ship, and the wind filled the sail and the crew hauled taut the sheets on either side. But soon strange things were seen among them. First of all sweet, fragrant wine ran streaming throughout all the black ship and a heavenly smell arose, so that all the seamen were seized with amazement when they saw it. And all at once a vine spread out both ways along the top of the sail with many clusters hanging down from it, and a dark ivy-plant twined about the mast, blossoming with flowers, and with rich berries growing on it; and all the thole-pins were covered with garlands. When the pirates saw all this, then at last they bade the helmsman to put the ship to land. But the god changed into a dreadful lion there on the ship, in the bows, and roared loudly: amidships also he showed his wonders and created a shaggy bear which stood up ravening, while on the forepeak was the lion glaring fiercely with scowling brows. And so the sailors fled into the stern and crowded bemused about the right-minded helmsman, until suddenly the lion sprang upon the master and seized him; and when the sailors saw it they leapt out overboard one and all into the bright sea, escaping from a miserable fate, and were changed into dolphins. But on the helmsman Dionysus had mercy and held him back and made him altogether happy, saying to him:

(ll. 55-57) ‘Take courage, good...; you have found favour with my heart. I am loud-crying Dionysus whom Cadmus’ daughter Semele bare of union with Zeus.’

(ll. 58-59) Hail, child of fair-faced Semele! He who forgets you can in no wise order sweet song.

Offerings/Sacrifice (Thysia/Libation)

Dionysos, we offer this libation of wine. May it nourish us and alleviate our worries, may it bring us closer to you.

Accept this offering of incense that it may carry our prayers, our hopes and praises and be pleasing to you.

Accept this sacrifice on behalf of my household and the community, a share in the blessings the gods have given us this season.

Accept these creative offerings from the community:

(Any offerings the community would like to offer)

Closing

Orphic Hymn 30 — Thomas Taylor

Bacchus I call loud-sounding and divine, Inspiring God, a twofold shape is thine: Thy various names and attributes I sing, O firstborn, thrice begotten, Bacchic king. Rural, ineffable, two-form’d, obscure, Two-horn’d, with ivy crown’d, and Euion pure: Bull-fac’d and martial, bearer of the vine, Endu’d with counsel prudent and divine: Omadius, whom the leaves of vines adorn, Of Jove and Proserpine occultly born In beds ineffable; all-blessed pow’r, Whom with triennial off’rings men adore. Immortal dæmon, hear my suppliant voice, Give me in blameless plenty to rejoice; And listen gracious to my mystic pray’r, Surrounded with thy choir of nurses fair.

Pour Libation to Dionysus

Prayer to Hestia — Thrasys

Hestia prytaneia, lady of eternal flame, center of the communal fire - accept these offerings and prayers on behalf of our community, that it may be pleasing and bring honor to the gods of Olympus. As the gods will it so it shall be.

Pour Libation to Hestia

Day 3: Chytori “Day of the Pots”

Chytroi is named after the cooking vessel that was used to prepare a “supper for the souls” which consisted of boiled grains and honey. 3

Everyone except the priests ate this meal and all the other temples were still closed. No other gods are offered to this day except Hermes Chthonios, “the god who had led them up from the underworld, was supposed to lead them back again.”4 Athenians were also known to call out “Out, you Keres, it is no longer Anthesteria!” to help drive out the “spirit” who may still be dwelling in the city. 3 4

Sources: 3.Herbert William Parke, Festivals if the Athenians, page 146,1977 4.Carl Kereyni, Dionysus Archetypal Image of Indestructible Life, pages 322-323, 1976

Purification / Khernips

Prepare khernips. Light your herbs or a match and drop this into a bowl of water while saying: “xerniptosai,” pronounced “kher-nip-TOS-aye-ee” and meaning “be purified.” OR ask one of the god/s you’ve built Kharis with to bless this water. ### Prayer to Apollon for Khernips — Thrasys

Apollon, Phoebus, light bringer, giver of healing and plague, we call to you to purify this water, Katharsios so that we may clean and bless this place. (Wash hands and face with khernips)

(Sprinkle khernips/barley on the altar space): With this water I purify this space and this altar so I may give offerings and praise to the deathless Gods.

Preparation and set-up

Light a candle and lay out any offerings to be made

Homeric Hymn 24 — Hugh G. Evelyn-White

(ll. 1-5) Hestia, you who tend the holy house of the lord Apollo, the Far-shooter at goodly Pytho, with soft oil dripping ever from your locks, come now into this house, come, having one mind with Zeus the all-wise—draw near, and withal bestow grace upon my song. Pour Initial Libation to Hestia

Invocation

Orphic Hymn 28 — Thomas Taylor

Hermes, draw near, and to my pray’r incline, Angel of Jove, and Maia’s son divine; Prefect of contests, ruler of mankind, With heart almighty, and a prudent mind. Celestial messenger of various skill, Whose pow’rful art could watchful Argus kill. With winged feet ’tis thine thro’ air to coarse, O friend of man, and prophet of discourse: Great life-supporter, to rejoice is thine In arts gymnastic, and in fraud divine. With pow’r endu’d all language to explain, Of care the loos’ner, and the source of gain. Whose hand contains of blameless peace the rod, Corucian, blessed, profitable God. Of various speech, whose aid in works we find, And in necessities to mortals kind. Dire weapon of the tongue, which men revere, Be present, Hermes, and thy suppliant hear; Assist my works, conclude my life with peace, Give graceful speech, and memory’s increase. We honor the dead on this last day of Anthesteria as Hermes gathers them close and leads them back to the Underworld.

Prayer

Orphic Hymn 57 — Thomas Taylor

Hermes, I call, whom Fate decrees to dwell Near to Cocytos, the fam’d stream of hell, And in Necessity’s dread path, whose bourn To none that reach it e’er permits return. O Bacchic Hermes, progeny divine Of Dionysius, parent of the vine, And of celestial Venus, Paphian queen, Dark-eyelash’d Goddess, of a lovely mien: Who constant wand’rest thro’ the sacred seats Where Hell’s dread empress, Proserpine, retreats; To wretched souls the leader of the way, When Fate decrees, to regions void of day. Thine is the wand which causes sleep to fly, Or lulls to slumb’rous rest the weary eye; For Proserpine, thro’ Tart’rus dark and wide, Gave thee for ever flowing souls to guide. Come, blessed pow’r, the sacrifice attend, And grant thy mystics’ works a happy end.

Prayer to the Ancestors — Thrasys

Ancestors, beloved of my blood and of my heart, may you continue to look kindly on me and mine. I honor your lives and struggles that have brought me here to this moment, the unspoken truths, all that you’ve loved and known. As we go through this new season in our lives, whether it be spring or winter, we persevere with the will to life you’ve left with us. While we may never know the whole of your stories, may you continue to watch over ours until the day comes Hermes guides us to be together on the same side of the veil.

Offerings/Sacrifice (Thysia/Libation)

Hermes, we offer this libation to you

Ancestors, we offer this libation to you

Accept this offering of incense that it may carry our prayers, our hopes and praises and be pleasing to you.

Accept this sacrifice on behalf of my household and the community, a share in the blessings the gods have given us this season.

Accept these creative offerings from the community:

(Any offerings the community would like to offer)

Closing

Waymaker — Thrasys

For Hermes

Hermes, master of ingenuity, of clever speech. Pathfinder, epimelios. Beloved guide, I call to you.

I thank you for the good things you bring even when I dont ask for them.

I see you, quicksilver, charidotes In your cryptic messages, In a glimpse at your darker face In the coins you put in my hands I praise you, i honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Daikotoros, Grant me grace When the message is bitter When the road is long When the way is difficult Especially when the way is right

Dotor Eaon, May the good things outweigh the bad Or let every painful things Be growth in disguise.

When I am lost The path changes beneath my feet. There is a light - It was intuition, a gift, Banish doubt from me.

When the road ends, Psychopompos Loan me a coin at the ferry When the living forget the dead With all the works I've offered you As a way to pay if forward.

You knows the way of things Who is the path to all things, Waymaker, I praise and honor you I thank you for your blessings. Pour Libation for Hermes ### Prayer to Hestia — Thrasys

Hestia prytaneia, lady of eternal flame, center of the communal fire - accept these offerings and prayers on behalf of our community, that it may be pleasing and bring honor to the gods of Olympus. As the gods will it so it shall be. Pour Libation to Hestia