This document provides guidelines for typical activities and rituals within Hellenic group rituals. It describes common elements such as purification of the area and people, lighting the hearth fire, performing initial libations to various gods, engaging in performances, games or other community building activities, sharing a feast with the gods, and closing with final libations. The purpose is to build a sense of community while honoring the gods through sharing food, drink and celebration in their presence according to traditional practices.
This document provides guidelines for typical activities and rituals within Hellenic group rituals. It describes common elements such as purification of the area and people, lighting the hearth fire, performing initial libations to various gods, engaging in performances, games or other community building activities, sharing a feast with the gods, and closing with final libations. The purpose is to build a sense of community while honoring the gods through sharing food, drink and celebration in their presence according to traditional practices.
This document provides guidelines for typical activities and rituals within Hellenic group rituals. It describes common elements such as purification of the area and people, lighting the hearth fire, performing initial libations to various gods, engaging in performances, games or other community building activities, sharing a feast with the gods, and closing with final libations. The purpose is to build a sense of community while honoring the gods through sharing food, drink and celebration in their presence according to traditional practices.
This document provides guidelines for typical activities and rituals within Hellenic group rituals. It describes common elements such as purification of the area and people, lighting the hearth fire, performing initial libations to various gods, engaging in performances, games or other community building activities, sharing a feast with the gods, and closing with final libations. The purpose is to build a sense of community while honoring the gods through sharing food, drink and celebration in their presence according to traditional practices.
Almost all Hellenic group rituals include CLOSING LIBATION
some form of one or all of these additional Closing libations are performed exactly like the activities: theatrical performances, dancing, initial libations but in reverse order (Olympians, games, contests or other group activities. These honored Immortal(s), Hestia). After the libations, vary with the type of ritual but the primary the sacred herald should announce the end of the ritual with something similar to “Tharrei pant purpose is building a sense of community. agatha pepragamen” (“be brave for all good things FEAST have come to pass”). When the activities are over and the feast is GLOSSARY prepared, the sacred herald announces the feast. This can be a simple announcement, or you • hestia - the hearth of a house. might use these lines: "When mirth reigns • pompe - solemn procession throughout the town and feasters about the house, • sponde - drink-offering sitting in order, listen to a minstrel; when the tables beside them are laden with bread and meat and a • temenos - a piece of land marked wine bearer draws sweet drink from the mixing off from common uses and dedicated to a bowl and fills cups; this I think in my heart to be god the most delightsome." • khernips - water for washing the During the feast, each person gets only as much hands food as they can consume with a small portion to • khthonios - in, under or beneath the be sacrificed in the fire. This should be carefully earth. planned as nothing of the sacrifice is to be taken away. The sacrifices for each person consist of a BIBLIOGRAPHY small portion of the food thrown on the fire for Burkert, Walter. (1985) "Greek Religion" Trans. Hestia, the unused portions (bones, skin, fat, etc.) John Raffan. Cambridge, MA: Harvard thrown on the fire for the honored deity. The University Press. for more information, contact us at: important thing to consider, for the feast and the Nilsson, Martin. (1940) "Greek Folk Religion" sacrifice, is that they are a sharing with the Hellenion@hellenion.org Philadelphia, PA: Columbia University Press. Immortals of what they have given us. Therefore, the food should be the best of quality but should never be more than what is normally consumed. Keep in mind; these are offerings to honored guests. Just as in the libations above, daily devotions and Chthonian deities are handled differently. Food sacrifices for daily devotions consist of a few morsels placed in the hearth fire and offerings to Chthonian deities are never shared (they are buried NOTE: Some of the practices mentioned in this home to the location of the ritual. LIGHTING THE HEARTH FIRE brochure are specific to one particular Demos PURIFICATION OF PEOPLE and are provided as examples only. The rituals of : While lighting the hearth fire, the cleric other demoi within Hellenion may vary. : The other separation between the sacred purifies the hearth by what they do and/or say. and the profane is the purification of the people. Similar to purifying the area, one may toss INTRODUCTION This is a part of every ritual since nobody should incense or barley into the fire, or make a Hellenic ritual is most often for the purpose of appear before the Immortals in a polluted state. statement. Many prefer to do both asking the Immortals to intervene in our lives, to simultaneously. Fulfilling a clerical role in a ritual to honor the thank them for past interventions or to generally Immortals sometimes requires a more extensive INITIAL LIBATIONS honor and recognize them. The most common purification with periods of abstinence, fasting, and forms of ritual are daily devotion, honoring of the : Libations are drink offerings shared with avoidance of things dealing with birth and death. Olympians and prayers to a Chthonian. The the Immortals. They usually consist of wine mixed Abstinence and fasting is not due to sex or food structure of a Hellenic ritual usually consists of a equally with spring water but can also be made being inherently evil but to enhance any sexual procession, purification of the people, purification from grape juice mixed with water, milk or olive experience or food consumed within the ritual. of the sacred area, lighting the hearth fire, initial oil. The choice of libation is made by the group as Avoidance of things dealing with birth and death is libations, presentations and activities, a feast shared everyone uses the same drink for the offering. The to rid oneself of evil spirits who are attracted by the with the Immortals and closing libations. cleric serves participants with the same amount of beginning and end of life. the libation (about a half-pint each) into their Throughout the ritual, the clerical “roles” can be For others attending a ritual and for daily drinking bowl. performed by anyone that is respectful of the devotional rituals, washing hands with lustral water Immortals and knowledgeable of their functions. For each libation, the participants announce whom and banishing evil spirits, is sufficient purification. Each of these clerical functions can be performed the libation is for (i.e. “Libation to Hestia, always Lustral water, as in most religions, consists of a by a different participant and/or more than one the first and the last”), pour a little of the libation blessed salt-water solution. In Hellenic beliefs, function can be performed by the same person. In onto the ground (or into a libation bowl to be lustral water can also be created by placing a Hellenic ritual there is always more emphasis on poured onto the ground later) and drinks a little of burning firebrand into the water (this should be what is done rather than what is said and, being a the libation. There are always a t least three done very carefully since burning wood sometimes community focused religion, it is important that libations (and there may be more). The first is to explodes). The cleric pours lustral water over the each person participates to some extent. Hestia, the second to the Immortal(s) honored at the hands of the participant while they say a banishing current ritual and the last to the Olympians as a PROCESSION phrase such as, “Ekas! Ekas! Esti bebeloi!” (Far group. off! Far off! Even to the profane!”). : Processions are usually found in the Libations for daily devotions and to Chthonian festivals to honor the Olympians and the purpose PURIFICATION OF AREA deities are slightly different. For daily devotions, a is to separate the sacred from the profane. : Any area purified for the purpose of few drops are sprinkled on the floor for the In historical times, the procession was from the Hellenic ritual work is a “sacred area”. The cleric Agathos Daemon (good spirit and guardian of the Hestia (community hearth) or from the city gates to can purify an area through several acts. One house). Libations to Chthonian deities are not the place of worship. Along the way, the parade example is by sprinkling around natron (a mixture shared (the entire libation is poured on the ground) would pick up many others to join the parade and of salt and baking soda). One may also toss and not witnessed (libations are made behind the the celebration. In modern times, a procession barley on the area. This is usually done for any back and the person walks away without looking should be from a place symbolic of the center of ritual dealing with the Immortals but is sometimes back). town, from the edge of town, o r f r o m a omitted for a simple daily devotion. d e s i g n at ed s p o t i n o r o u t s i d e yo u r
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