14 Jul 2017
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The mysteries of Enna
Enna, a city between myth and reality. In the past this town was the centre of the cult of Demetra-Cerere and of her daughter Kore-Persefone. Both of them were godesses of the land, it’s fertility and of the agricultural activities. The classical works, of Diodoro Siculo and Cicerone, Ovidio and Claudiano, refer to Enna as a magical town where the kidnapping of Kore by the hands of the god Plutone took place. Plutone was the king of hell, the underland world of the dead.
This story is known: The beautiful daughter of Kore, Demetra ; was collecting flowers along with the nymphs, in a marvelous and always flowery garden. According to the myths the story takes place in the city of Ennesse. While the flower picking was happening , Hades, god of the world of the dead emerges from the underground and kidnaps Kore. The nymphs can do nothing but scream and watch while he takes her away.
Demetra is shocked and dispared for the loss of her daughter. She searches for her without rest and during this time she makes the land become infertile and causes a famine in the lands. Finally, thanks to help of Zeus, the mother is allowed to have her daughter by her side for six months a year. The remaining months of the year Persefone has to spend them with Hades, as queen of the underworld.
When he took her down into the underworld the first time, he made her taste the pomegranate through a ploy. Little did she know that tasting that fruit irreperably tied her to that world.
During the months that Kore spent with her mother the land would turn fertile and everything would blossom. During the six months of her daughters presence Demetra would make the nature become fecund. As soon as her daughter left, the land would become sterile and lifeless again. The six months of her absence would become an awaiting for the return of the good season. This cyclic alternation that involves fertility and infertility of the lands, is in line with the cycle of death and rebirth present in the legend.
This legend led to the spreading of the misteries of the Elusini in all the greek world. These legends take place in Eleusi, Attica. They are dedicated to the gods Demetra and Kore. Accoding to the tradition, the misteries are told in the famous Homeric hymn:”a Demetra”.
Demetra is shocked and dispared for the loss of her daughter. She searches for her without rest and during this time she makes the land become infertile and causes a famine in the lands. Finally, thanks to help of Zeus, the mother is allowed to have her daughter by her side for six months a year. The remaining months of the year Persefone has to spend them with Hades, as queen of the underworld.
When he took her down into the underworld the first time, he made her taste the pomegranate through a ploy. Little did she know that tasting that fruit irreperably tied her to that world.
During the months that Kore spent with her mother the land would turn fertile and everything would blossom. During the six months of her daughters presence Demetra would make the nature become fecund. As soon as her daughter left, the land would become sterile and lifeless again. The six months of her absence would become an awaiting for the return of the good season. This cyclic alternation that involves fertility and infertility of the lands, is in line with the cycle of death and rebirth present in the legend.
This legend led to the spreading of the misteries of the Elusini in all the greek world. These legends take place in Eleusi, Attica. They are dedicated to the gods Demetra and Kore. Accoding to the tradition, the misteries are told in the famous Homeric hymn:”a Demetra”.
Enna is the oldest centre in Sicily and is famous for the cults regarding these two divinities. One can’t exclude that the myths were practised in the same way in this town. The classical sources we have make it possible to consider the possibilty that the myths were practised in a very similar way. Some examples are the works of Diodorus Siculus and Cicerone.
Diodorus Siculus: (V, 4):”[…]After the Rape of Corê, the myth does on to recount, Demeter, being unable to find her daughter, kindled torches in the craters of Mt. Aetna and visited many parts of the inhabited world, and upon the men who received her with the greatest favour she conferred briefs, rewarding them with the gift of the fruit of the wheat. 4 And since a more kindly welcome was extended the goddess by the Athenians than by any other people, they were the first after the Siceliotae14 to be given the fruit of the wheat; and in return for this gift the citizens of that city in assembly honoured the goddess above all others with the establishment both of most notable sacrifices and of the mysteries of Eleusis, which, by reason of their very great antiquity and sanctity, have come to be famous among all mankind. From the Athenians many peoples received a portion of the gracious gift of the corn, and they in turn, sharing the gift of the seed with their neighbours, in this way caused all the inhabited world to abound with it. 5 And the inhabitants of Sicily, since by reason of the intimate relationship of Demeter and Corê with them they were the first to share in the corn after its discovery, instituted to each one of the goddesses sacrifices and festive gatherings, which they named after them, and by the time chosen for these made p109acknowledgement of the gifts which had been conferred upon them. 6 In the case of Corê, for instance, they established the celebration of her return at about the time when the fruit of the corn was found to come to maturity, and they celebrate this sacrifice and festive gathering with such strictness of observance and such zeal as we should reasonably expect those men to show who are returning thanks for having been selected before all mankind for the greatest possible gift; 7 but in the case of Demeter they preferred that time for the sacrifice when the sowing of the corn is first begun, and for a period of ten days they hold a festive gathering which bears the name of this goddess and is most magnificent by reason of the brilliance of their preparation for it, while in the observance of it they imitate the ancient manner of life. And it is their custom during these days to indulge in coarse language as they associate one with another, the reason being that by such coarseness the goddess, grieved though she was at the Rape of Corê, burst into laughter.[…]
Diodorus Siculus: (V, 4):”[…]After the Rape of Corê, the myth does on to recount, Demeter, being unable to find her daughter, kindled torches in the craters of Mt. Aetna and visited many parts of the inhabited world, and upon the men who received her with the greatest favour she conferred briefs, rewarding them with the gift of the fruit of the wheat. 4 And since a more kindly welcome was extended the goddess by the Athenians than by any other people, they were the first after the Siceliotae14 to be given the fruit of the wheat; and in return for this gift the citizens of that city in assembly honoured the goddess above all others with the establishment both of most notable sacrifices and of the mysteries of Eleusis, which, by reason of their very great antiquity and sanctity, have come to be famous among all mankind. From the Athenians many peoples received a portion of the gracious gift of the corn, and they in turn, sharing the gift of the seed with their neighbours, in this way caused all the inhabited world to abound with it. 5 And the inhabitants of Sicily, since by reason of the intimate relationship of Demeter and Corê with them they were the first to share in the corn after its discovery, instituted to each one of the goddesses sacrifices and festive gatherings, which they named after them, and by the time chosen for these made p109acknowledgement of the gifts which had been conferred upon them. 6 In the case of Corê, for instance, they established the celebration of her return at about the time when the fruit of the corn was found to come to maturity, and they celebrate this sacrifice and festive gathering with such strictness of observance and such zeal as we should reasonably expect those men to show who are returning thanks for having been selected before all mankind for the greatest possible gift; 7 but in the case of Demeter they preferred that time for the sacrifice when the sowing of the corn is first begun, and for a period of ten days they hold a festive gathering which bears the name of this goddess and is most magnificent by reason of the brilliance of their preparation for it, while in the observance of it they imitate the ancient manner of life. And it is their custom during these days to indulge in coarse language as they associate one with another, the reason being that by such coarseness the goddess, grieved though she was at the Rape of Corê, burst into laughter.[…]
According to the myth once the kidnapping was done, Plutone brought Kore on his carriage and to Siracusa. Then the ground opened and they both collapsed down into hell. In that same spot where they jumped into the deep world of the dead, a water sprout rose, it then got named Ciane. Every year, next to this water sprout, people of Siracusa celebrate. The ceremony consists in immerging a taurus in water. This tradition was born with Eracle while he was travelling in Sicily.
Diodoro affirms that Demetra donated wheat to Sicily. This fact was underlined also by Cicerone, that also noted the arcaic aspect of the cult. One can make the assumption that in Sicily, autoctone feminine figures linked to the fertility of the land and to the symbolisim of the death-rebirth concept, were present. Also important is the reference to Eracle, a hero who arrived much before the Greek colonizators. He taught the people of Sicarusa the ritual of the immersion of the taurus in the water fountain of Ciane. This happens in the same spot where, according to the legend, the land opened and Plutone went down in the underworld aboard of his carriage along with the kidnapped Kore.
All these sources are used to confim the theory of the existance of a indegenous cult regarding goddesses. These godesses are the indegenous version of Demetra and Kore, and present their same caracteristics.
Diodoro lists various ceremonies that where celebrated in honour of the godesses. These ceremonies where the Thesmophoria, dedicated to Demetra, and the Anagoghè, that was done to celebrate the return of Kore on earth.
The Katagoghè instead celebrated the moment when Kore went down in the underworld. The Anakalypteria, was in memory of the marriage between Kore and Plutone. One cannot exclude that also esoteric and mistic rituals took place during these ceremonies. Diodorus considers the agricultural element as a priority in Sicily, as opposed to the esoteric factor, which would represent a subsequent step, deriving from the exact same mythological event which becomes pathos and suffering, from the moment of abduction, to the final solution of the discovery.
According to Cicerone it is clear that the references correspond to the truth,based on both the antiqueness of the cults and the importance that they conserved until the roman period. The legend of Demetra and Kore is all brought along with pathos that was experienced once again during the sacred ceremonies dedicated to the godesses.
The setting, the offers, the sacrifices and the music during these ceremonies in their honour are all importan components. The whole myth was presented again like a play. The esoteric part only emerged at the end of the ceremonies and it was reserved to only a few people called mystai (tested).
None the sources talk about the ritual of initiation because it was forbidden. The one who undertook the initiation rituals where a contained number and had to undergo mutiple tasks. The rituals reserved to the mystai are in parallelism with the myth. The tests rappresent a spiritual journey that can be linked to the single parts of the myth. For example, one of the tasks was a ritual that rappresents the death and rebirth, a clue element in the myth. The task consisted in ritually dying and facing a journey in the underworld, that took place in a dark cave. In this cave the path was full of tests and a final act of purification at the end of the cave trip. The purification was done through the use of water. Once the cave task was completed the mysthai had obtained the first level of consciousness.
The adept, the following year had to repeat a complex ceremony to prevent the epopteia. The epopteia is the vision and the contemplation of the divinity. Finally the secret to obtain knowledge, consists in reveiling the ear of corn, symbol of death and rebirth. This kind of ceremony was only for those who had obtained a certain level of knowledge. The sacerdote was the person who organized and led the ritual. These rituals presented also sacred objects such as a basket that contained syymbolic elements that where used during the ceremonies.
The Katagoghè instead celebrated the moment when Kore went down in the underworld. The Anakalypteria, was in memory of the marriage between Kore and Plutone. One cannot exclude that also esoteric and mistic rituals took place during these ceremonies. Diodorus considers the agricultural element as a priority in Sicily, as opposed to the esoteric factor, which would represent a subsequent step, deriving from the exact same mythological event which becomes pathos and suffering, from the moment of abduction, to the final solution of the discovery.
According to Cicerone it is clear that the references correspond to the truth,based on both the antiqueness of the cults and the importance that they conserved until the roman period. The legend of Demetra and Kore is all brought along with pathos that was experienced once again during the sacred ceremonies dedicated to the godesses.
The setting, the offers, the sacrifices and the music during these ceremonies in their honour are all importan components. The whole myth was presented again like a play. The esoteric part only emerged at the end of the ceremonies and it was reserved to only a few people called mystai (tested).
None the sources talk about the ritual of initiation because it was forbidden. The one who undertook the initiation rituals where a contained number and had to undergo mutiple tasks. The rituals reserved to the mystai are in parallelism with the myth. The tests rappresent a spiritual journey that can be linked to the single parts of the myth. For example, one of the tasks was a ritual that rappresents the death and rebirth, a clue element in the myth. The task consisted in ritually dying and facing a journey in the underworld, that took place in a dark cave. In this cave the path was full of tests and a final act of purification at the end of the cave trip. The purification was done through the use of water. Once the cave task was completed the mysthai had obtained the first level of consciousness.
The adept, the following year had to repeat a complex ceremony to prevent the epopteia. The epopteia is the vision and the contemplation of the divinity. Finally the secret to obtain knowledge, consists in reveiling the ear of corn, symbol of death and rebirth. This kind of ceremony was only for those who had obtained a certain level of knowledge. The sacerdote was the person who organized and led the ritual. These rituals presented also sacred objects such as a basket that contained syymbolic elements that where used during the ceremonies.
The attemptor also drank sacred drinks during these rituals and tosted saying “To Demetra”. One can also suppose that the drink contained hallucinogens to allow the follower to have a mystic experience. It is thought that the hallucinogens elements where extracted from the poppy, a flower that is rappresented in the iconographic tradition of Demetra. All the steps of the ritual reflected passages that remembered the myth: the ritualic death, abbandonment of the old ways of living to obtain a higher level of knowledge.
The people who where willing to undergo the esotheric journey fasted up to the end of the ceremony, in memory of the fasting that Demetra lived after the ubduction of her daughter. During these rituals fire tourches would be used to rappresent the ones that Demetra put on the Etna while searching for the daughter Kore.
Enna is the best place for the celebration of mysteries. It’s a high place, full of forests and vegetation, full of caves, some of which also have internal permanent water streams. One of the most famous caves is the “Rocca di Cerere”, an enormous rocky area that is considered the memorial place of the demetric cult.
This archeological site also hosts the remains of an antique castle that offers a sacred setting, perfect for mystic celebrations and ceremonies in honour of the godesses. The cult of demetra and Kore becomes renound in the times of the Dinomenidi. They also started to become more popular also during the times of Timoleonteo, after the battle of the Cremiso (341 a.C.).
After the battle of Cartilagine was over, along with the demolishment of the tirrany, the new coins that were printed presented the face of Kore on them, along with the symbol of the tourches and of grain. All these facts are emblematic because the spreading of the cult in the island led to the acknoledgment of the importance of the myth.
The people who where willing to undergo the esotheric journey fasted up to the end of the ceremony, in memory of the fasting that Demetra lived after the ubduction of her daughter. During these rituals fire tourches would be used to rappresent the ones that Demetra put on the Etna while searching for the daughter Kore.
Enna is the best place for the celebration of mysteries. It’s a high place, full of forests and vegetation, full of caves, some of which also have internal permanent water streams. One of the most famous caves is the “Rocca di Cerere”, an enormous rocky area that is considered the memorial place of the demetric cult.
This archeological site also hosts the remains of an antique castle that offers a sacred setting, perfect for mystic celebrations and ceremonies in honour of the godesses. The cult of demetra and Kore becomes renound in the times of the Dinomenidi. They also started to become more popular also during the times of Timoleonteo, after the battle of the Cremiso (341 a.C.).
After the battle of Cartilagine was over, along with the demolishment of the tirrany, the new coins that were printed presented the face of Kore on them, along with the symbol of the tourches and of grain. All these facts are emblematic because the spreading of the cult in the island led to the acknoledgment of the importance of the myth.