The Halôa are part of the festivals of Demeter and of Corè, of whom we know little. Most of our information comes in fact from a scholium in the Dialogues of the Hetaerae by Lucian which has aroused the curiosity and imagination of specialists. The exact dates are not known, probably in December-January.
The Halôa, the festivals of Demeter and Core
Most of our information comes in fact from a scholium in Lucian's Dialogues of the Hetaerae which has aroused the curiosity and imagination of specialists. The detailed way in which this document refers to ritual acts is quite exceptional compared to the laconic style of most of our sources relating religious facts. Here is the text:
The Halôa are a festival celebrated in Athens that includes the mysteries of Demeter, Core and Dionysus, on the occasion of the pruning of the vines and the tasting of the wine put in reserve; they are celebrated among the Athenians; there are exhibited simulacra of the male shameful parts, which are said to be symbols of the seed of men, because Dionysus in giving the wine provided a drug stimulating sexual union.
He gave this drink to Ikarios, who was killed by shepherds unaware of its effects; the latter were then struck with mania, because of their deplorable behavior towards Dionysus and they remained in a shameful appearanceAn oracle has ordered an end to their mania by making clay genitals and consecrating them; this done, they were relieved of the evil, and the festival in question is founded in memory of their ordeal.
As part of this festival, among other things, Eleusis, a kind of feminine rite where many jokes and mockeries are uttered; only women are introduced there, and they therefore have the freedom to say what they want; and they exchange in fact the most shameful words and the priestesses approach them quietly and speak in their ear, advising them of illicit love as if it were a secret of the mysteries; all the women send each other shameful and immodest words, wearing indecent representations of male and female bodies.
There a great quantity of wine and tables, overflowing with all the foods of the land and the sea - with the exception of those which are forbidden in the mysteries, that is to say, the pomegranate, the apple, the fowl and the eggs, and among the species of the sea, the red mullet, the red mullet, the oblade, the crab, the shark - are placed before the guests. It is the archons who offer the tables and leave them inside for the women; then they go away and, remaining outside, they show to all the foreign visitors the civilized foods which they have discovered and communicated to all men.
Cakes in the shape of the genitals of both sexes complete the laid tables. This festival was given the name of Halôa after the fruits of Dionysus; because the Hello are the works of the vineyard.
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On this day, in ancient times Greece, the Athenians celebrated the Haloa in honor of Demeter and Kore. It was an opportunity to prune the vines, taste the wine. Many sex cults are attributed to these festivals. #calendar #20December #mythology #myth #legend #demeter #core #athenes #haloa
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