#theoi summary

[thegrapeandthefig]

Book "review": Personal Experience and Materiality in Greek Religion by K.A. Rask

Back in 2020, I wrote a post titled “Why personal devotion matters” which was, for the most part, a summary of a 2016 article by K. A. Rask ("Devotionalism, Material Culture, and the Personal in Greek Religion”). The post became one of my most popular ones, and I have noticed that others have also written about it over the years, and for good reasons.

Rask’s angle of study is one that I think is very relevant to modern worshippers since she focuses on the importance of personal experience and religiosity as it was lived by ancient worshippers. As Rask wrote herself, in the introduction of her article: “Many studies of Greek religion have glossed over personal devotion and instead emphasized ritualization and the social forces at work underlying Greek practice.” But us, who worship the Theoi in various ways today, very much focus on our personal experiences and it is true that the literature of ancient Greek religion only seldom echoed our experiences and praxis.

In April of this year, Rask published an entire book on the topic, titled Personal Experience and Materiality in Greek Religion which finally provides both academia and modern Hellenic pagans with a study to begin to understand the religious experiences of the ancients.

While I don’t want this post to be a formal review - and truly I am too biased in favour of her work to make one - I’d like to highlight some important points found in her book less through the lens of academia and more through the one of a modern worshipper who can recognize similarities. And hopefully, I can keep this post at a reasonable length (lol).

First, it is important to point out the boundaries of the study. Rask focuses on Archaic to late Classical data (8th to late 4th century BC) using an array of evidence, from literary sources to votives and other archaeological material. This is an important frame to keep in mind when approaching this study since a lot of religious changes occur through the Hellenistic and Imperial eras, which are outside of Rask’s chosen periods. Nonetheless, even for worshippers like myself who extend their frame of reconstruction/revivalism to later periods, the information provided by this book gives us a clearer idea of religious behaviours and experiences that are underlying to a more general religious logic or landscape that we are used to (from principles to more concrete things like festivals).

Home-made offerings and devotional labour

We know that there was a market for offerings. Ancient people bought ready-to-offer items from artisans and merchant stalls, especially outside of important temples. It is exactly for this reason that Rask pays special attention to self-made offerings and votives:

“These items took on a wide variety of forms, ranging from standard types familiar from votive media and genres, to more personal items directly related to an individual’s life and symbolic of the deity’s benefaction. Sometimes these personal offerings poignantly attest to a person’s pride in their own abilities and the belief that holy figures would find them pleasing.”

Rask recognizes self-made offerings as labours of devotion, where the effort of crafting the item already participates in the offering. While the initial example presented is the one of a ceramic dedicated to Poseidon, Rask extends her logic to other types of activities that include caring for shrines, decorating sacred spaces, growing/caring for a garden on the premises of a shrine etc. For the author, it all comes down to the idea that the time, effort and perseverance in one’s devotional work is a way to honour the gods.

There is little room in this post to go into the details of each category present in the study, but Rask spends special attention on wreaths, cakes, woven votives and wood carvings. Wreaths and cakes are very common offerings, which we find as part of various festivals (eg. the flower wreaths worn during the Anthesteria or, in Lampsakos, the wreaths of laurel offered to Asclepios etc.) As for cakes, the examples abound and show an important variety, from specially-shaped bread (deer, goat, genitalia…) for specific occasions or specific deities.

In any case, Rask nails it when saying “Making a gift is a particularly intimate activity, the process of which continually reinforces one’s connection to another. In a religious context, the maker demonstrates their piety through their labor, but in many cases, this work also seems to attest to reverence and even affection for the sacred recipient. As such, the process of making an offering is rendered personally and emotionally significant.”

And, as a modern worshipper, this is all extremely familiar. As I am writing this, there is a potted olive tree getting artificial light behind me because I want it to thrive for the gods, on my altar(s) are the clay votives that I’ve made over the years for various occasions, and then there’s this cross-stitch of Athena that I have really just started and plan to get done so I can offer it for the Apatouria, which will be in November and marks the New Year in my calendar.

Divine presence (or lack thereof)

Now, this is a hot topic in modern Hellenic pagan circles, especially when it comes to the anxiety around being heard/seen vs. not hearing/seeing the gods. I will say, before even beginning to summarize the two chapters of the book on this topic, that I find it… reassuring (for lack of a better word) to see that the concern around the presence/absence of the gods is so strikingly similar in modern and ancient worshippers.

The explicit presence that is so often discussed in modern discourse is referred to as epiphany. Definitions vary, but I will use Georgia Petridou’s as example: “the manifestation of a deity to an individual or a group of people, in sleep or in waking reality, in a crisis or cult context.” Rask also defines epiphany as “those moments when mortal witnesses encounter and recognize sacred powers.”

Both definitions open a wide scope of possible experiences that ancient (and modern!) worshippers recognize as the presence of the gods in their lives. As Rask points out: “the gods’ presence was felt and experienced in the successes, victories, and blessings that they provided. Holy figures watched over their devotees in the workshop, on the race-track, in successful romantic relationships, and throughout the course of long and fruitful lives.”

This is an interesting analysis of epiphany as a divine presence that is understood, felt, and sometimes simply observed. They impact mortals directly by having a hand in their affairs but also indirectly by being the things that surround us: Nature, Time, Food etc. Defining epiphany as the moment when mortals recognize sacred powers also encompasses what modern worshippers call “signs” in the form of dreams, omens or happenstance. Rask recognizes the chaotic nature of the gods in that regard, by saying that “while sanctuary authorities, infrastructure, and festival calendars might attempt to control access to the gods and heroes, divine presence could never be completely controlled. The gods and heroes gave instructions in dreams to whomever they chose”.

In contrast, the concept of divine absence is explained here as when: “gods and heroes suddenly disappear, becoming no longer perceptible to human senses. Persephone and Trophonios vanish, for example, with their disappearance crucial to their narratives, their cultic calendars, and the sanctuaries that celebrate them. […] these stories say more about the miraculous nature of divine visibility and human perception, rather than a world in which human followers were unable to feel the closeness of the gods and heroes; gods may be “visible at particular times, but this does not mean that at other times [they are] not there.”

Rask, however, doesn’t only conceptualize divine presence as something abstractly felt or experienced but rather expands the idea to the realm of materiality. She explains how, for the Ancients, the gods were present in their images. We can observe this idea through specific festivals that require the washing and tending to the statue of a deity, for example (the Athenian Plynteria comes to mind, as well as the Samian Tonaia). While there have been changes throughout the centuries concerning dedicatory practices, visual styles or cultural ideas, the images of the gods remained a part of daily life for the Ancients. Rask challenges the modern analysis of image as symbolism/representation and argues that, for the Ancients, image is a more fluid presence of divine powers.

She particularly focuses on the images of gods on worn items, such as rings, seals, and amulets which were seen as capable of manifesting a divine presence through physical contact with the wearer. Similarly, she analyses the importance of offering one’s hair as a bodily presence even when the body is somewhere else. When left at a shrine, hair is a remnant of the person’s presence near the god.

Childhood and lifelong dedication

I am moving this aspect to later, even though it is the third chapter of the book because it addresses the aspect we often are deprived of as modern worshippers, that is religious education through family and communities. Rask brilliantly highlights how Attic children were exposed to and included in religious activity from a very early age and grew into this cultural context. She makes the argument that this childhood experience of lived religion shaped the religious experience of the adults they became and created important emotional bonds with their religion (and the gods) which lasted throughout their lives.

The topic (like almost everything here, really) would deserve its own dedicated post, especially since I often see this point being used as an argument in discussions about worshipper’s safety when dealing with the divine.

 

There is much more in the book that I wish I could cover in a single post but this is already long as it is. For my magically inclined followers, this is also an important read, as Rask makes the excellent call to see magic as an extension of religious practice, and goes into the details of what human/god presence entails in magic. She also goes into the details of daimones and spirit presence. This aside, there is also a whole chapter in the book dedicated to the religious life of sailors, as it is its own topic. I simply cannot fit all this in a single summary/post, but I hope to be able to come back to this book and write about more specific topics.

#book review #i guess #i just really wanted to talk about this because it truly is an important topic #hellenic paganism #hellenic polytheism #hellenic pagan #hellenic gods #hellenic deities

[will-o-the-witch]

okay so i have a question about lilith and i truly mean this in good faith. i went through your tags ab her bc i was trying to avoid asking the same questions as other people. you said it’s not a problem if people work with the lilitu. to my understanding, and maybe i’m wrong, some people do that but still refer to them as lilith bc they still see them as the same if that makes sense? like lilith was likely inspired a bit by the lilitu so some people see them as equivalent and honestly i think that’s why a lot of people think they can worship her, when i was looking into her i saw all the stuff about her possible sumerian/mespotomian origins but i know you’ve already been over that. my gf has been trying to explain all this to me. to me it seems a bit like how there’s almost equivalent roman and greek goddesses? aren’t diana and artemis about the same? maybe i’m being blasphemous i’m still very new to witchy things it’s just genuinely confusing to me. so in summary it would be okay to work with lilitu but not to refer to them as lilith bc she’s jewish?

Heya! No worries it gets confusing when people try to call different things by the same name lol.

So Lilith shares etymological roots with the lilitu, but the two are very distinct. Lilith is a singular Jewish figure whereas the lilitu are a class of Mesopotamian spirits, like dragons/unicorns/gnomes/what have you. The two don't have a lot of overlap besides very broad, generic stuff.

As for Greek vs. Roman deities, while they share a lot of similarities and overlap, modern practitioners still treat them as pretty distinct ftmp! Even with the very direct history of importing the Theoi wholesale into Religio Romana, they can still take on a different historic/cultural meaning within that context. Other people can probably offer more specific examples than I can. Lilith does not have that same sort of 1:1 translation though by any means.

To answer your question directly though, it's fine to work with the lilitu because they're a totally different thing. It wouldn't make sense to call them Lilith any more than it would make sense to work with bats then say you work with Batman.

[rightwheretheyleftme]

Worshipping the Furies

The Erinyes, commonly called the Furies, are 3 chthonic goddesses of vengeance and retribution. Their names are Alecto (Unceasing), Megaera (Grudge), and Tisiphone (Murder retribution).

Depending on the myth, they are either the daughters of Ouranos and Gaia (When Kronos castrated Ouranos, his blood fell on the earth [Gaia] and the Erinyes sprang up), of Nyx, or of Hades and Persephone. The first 2 parentages are the most interesting, because it would make the Erinyes older than the Olympians.

They resided in the underworld and were servants of Hades and Persephone; After a soul was judged by the three judges of the dead, they were handed over to the Furies who absolved the good for their wrongdoings and rewarded them for their virtues, and carried the extremely evil to Tartarus.

Were the Furies worshipped?

There is evidence that the furies were worshipped. In Athens they had their own sanctuary and sacred grotto, and were called the “Eumenides,” meaning “the kindly ones.”

In the Oresteia, a play written by Athenian author Aeschylus in the 5th century BC, the Furies torment Orestes for killing his mother. Long story short, Orestes is put on trial and declared innocent- the Furies are extremely angry with this result but Athena points out that they were not defeated or disgraced by the court's decision. Since the vote was a tie and the voice of Zeus himself was heard at the trial, speaking through his oracle Apollo, she says, justice has indeed prevailed. She urges the Furies to subdue their anger against Athens and promises to give them a sanctuary of their own in the city, where the citizens can worship them and make offerings.

This sanctuary that Athena mentions in the play existed in real life- it was in Areopagus, Athens. At this shrine, the Erinyes were called “The August” and there were images of Hades, Hermes, and Gaia on the walls. They were not depicted as terrifying women with snakes on their head, like Aeschylus described them. According to Pausanias, at that location none of the underworld deities were depicted as terrible.

There are 2 Orphic Hymns about these goddesses, one dedicated to the Furies and the other one dedicated to the Kindly Ones. Here is my favorite fragment:

“Dark-colour'd queens, whose glittering eyes, are bright with dreadful, radiant, life-destroying, light: Eternal rulers, terrible and strong, to whom revenge, and tortures dire belong; Fatal and horrid to the human sight, with snaky tresses wand'ring in the night; Either approach, and in these rites rejoice, for ye, I call, with holy, suppliant voice.”

Sources: Wikipedia page

Classical Wisdom

Theoi

“Oresteia” summary

#greek mythology #greek gods #hellenic polytheism #hellenic worship #hades deity #the furies #chthonic #the erinyes #the kindly ones

[my-name-is-apollo]

Hi! I'm doing research on Tennes and I saw that Theoi says this about Hemithea:

But it's in the "summary of characters' history" part and I couldn't find any source that would claim that Hemithea and Tennes were twins or that Hemithea was Apollo' daughter. All the texts I read that mention Apollo only call him the father of Tennes and don't mention any connections to Hemithea.

Am I missing something? Did you ever stumbled upon any sources that would claim Apollo as Hemithea's father? (or Tennes as her twin?)

Maybe I missed the summary section of the theoi.com page, but I was never under the impression that Hemithea was Apollo's daughter. And you're right, only Tenes is called his son, and he is only called the brother of Hemithea. I have not found any sources where they are twins and she is Apollo's daughter.

#asks #amiti-art #Tbh theoi.com's summary sections are not always reliable #I'm happy you decided to look more into it on your own

[loemius]

Hiii!

I read a post of you talking about books and so on of the hellenic gods

Do you have a list or something?

I wanna connect more to this deities but lm really lost cuz the only thing people recommend it’s the Iliad

Only if you have time though

Thank you ♥️

hello! thank you for the ask :D

i'm not as in depth in my research yet as other recon practitioners as i'm still pretty new to the scene but here is what i would suggest as far as general information goes:

-Theogony and Works and Days by Hesiod (primary source)

-Odyssey by Homer (primary source)

-Hellenic Polytheism; Household Worship by LABRYS Polytheist Community

-Greek Religion by Walter Burkert

-Fel the Blithe (youtube channel)

as always, i am going to suggest the websites theoi.com, labrys.gr/eng, and hellenicgods.org. these sites will have info about specific gods and general praxis. i will outright state this upfront: some of these sources will have differing perspectives. LABRYS is a hard recon organization and hellenicgods.org comes at it from an orphic perspective. fel the blithe is a modern practitioner who posts about her praxis and research on youtube. i think this is best for someone looking to connect to the theoi more. there's a lot of ways to worship out there. do research from a lot of different places, soak up the information, and figure out your path to the gods. the theoi are personal gods, after all, and your path will look different than another worshipper, and that is both okay and natural and also cool as shit imo. that's something i love about the theoi, personally.

i will also strongly suggest familiarizing yourself with the primary sources of hesiod and homer, then i suggest moving onto sappho and the comedies/tragedies. if you're interested in dionysus, i suggest the bacchae. interested in demeter? read about her mysteries. interested in aphrodite? read about her adonia festival. pick a god or two and get *deep*, find primary sources about it and look at cult worship in central areas. if the language is giving you a headache (no shame if it does! i'm a significantly slower reader when i read the classics because of the time it takes me to digest them and make sure i'm fully understanding) then i strongly suggest at least looking over the cliff's notes or a summary. even if you read the summary first then try to read the primary text itself, it helps to know what's going on. having an understanding of the remaining texts we have from the ancient era helps provide context to the theoi themselves and their domains. the gods arent the myths themselves, but the myths are a good place to start. if all else fails, hit up wikipedia and go to the bottom in the references section. they link all their sources, and you can just start diving into all their citations.

best wishes and honor to the theoi!

#hellenist #hellenic pagan #hellenic reconstructionism #hellenic polytheism #witchblr #pagan witch #my posts #my asks

[fountainsofcyprus]

30 Days of Deity Devotion ( Aphrodite ) - Day 30

Any suggestions for others just starting to learn about this deity? As many others would say, her theoi page is probably the best place to start. There’s also a summary page for her on the same website, so if you want even more of a breakdown, that can be useful as to not get overwhelmed with information right away. I'd also recommend reading her myths and hymns.

Else, I’d say just introduce yourself and let her show herself to you. My perceptions of her before worship and now are very different things, and if I hadn’t taken the time to build kharis with her, I wouldn’t know much of what I do right now.

#aphrodite deity #aphrodite #aphrodite worship #30 days of deity devotion #30 days of devotion #hellenic polytheism

[koraki-grimoire]

Theoi Summary - Dionysos

Διονυσος (dee-OH-nee-sohs) - Dionysos AKA Dionysus God of wine, chaos, reincarnation, rebirth, pleasure, madness, mental illness, fertility, the grape harvest, androgyny, and the transgender/nonbinary Ouranic Olympian with Chthonic aspects

Symbols: Thyrsus, grapevine, ivy, chalice, pine cone, wine Animals: Goat, panther, leopard, bull, serpent, tiger Colors: Red, green, black, purple Plants/Herbs: Grapevine, ivy, bindweed, white pine Stones/Crystals: Amethyst, purple crystals

Retinue: Maenads, Satyrs Relations: Ariadne (wife), Zeus (father), Semele (mother), Persephone (sometimes mother), Priapos (son), Methe (daughter), Thysa (daughter), Telete (daughter), Iakkhos (son), Pasithea (daughter), Kharites (sometimes daughters), half sibling to all children of Zeus Identified with: Liber (Roman), Bacchus (Roman), Osiris (Kemetic), Haides (Hellenic), Iakkhos (Hellenic)

Festivals: Rural Dionysia (10th Pos.), City Dionysia (10-17th Ela.), Anthesteria (11-13th Ant.), Dionysian Mysteries (??), Eleusinian Mysteries (14-23rd Boe.)

Epithets: Maenoles (Mad), Nyctelius (Of the Night), Lampterus (Of the Torches), Hestius (Of the Feast), Androgynos (Androgynous), Auxites (Giver of Increase), Staphylites (Of the Grape), Theoenus (God of Wine), Oenops (Wine-Dark), Dimetor (Twice-Born), Anthion (Of the Flowers), Kissios (Of the Ivy), Eleuthereus (Liberator), Lysios (Of Release), Soterius (Savior from Madness)

#theoi #hellenic polytheism #hellenic paganism #hellenismos #olympian gods #dionysos #dioynsus #bacchus #grimoire #deity summary #theoi summary #witchblr #ouranic theoi #nomioic theoi #chthonic theoi #nature theoi

[crazycatsiren]

Grimoire - Goddess Devotions

Artemis: 30 Days of Artemis Artemis, goddess of the hunt and the wilderness What I have learned as a devotee (and adopted daughter) of Artemis Things that I can do on a regular basis for Artemis devotion My Favorite Epithets of Artemis My devotional playlist for Artemis Advice for new worshippers who are interested in becoming devotees of Artemis About my oath to Artemis Emoji Spell for Artemis Artemis offerings 6th and 7th Lunar days of the Attic Calendar, to Artemis and Apollon “Small” Ways to Incorporate/honor Lady Artemis in everyday life Maenadism, Artemis and Dionysus The Dark Side of Artemis Callimachus's Hymn to Artemis

Hestia: 15 Days of Hestia Hestia, goddess of the hearth and the home What I have learned as a devotee of Hestia Things that I can do on a regular basis for Hestia devotion How Hestia inspires me to be the best keeper of my home that I can be Hestia to me My devotional playlist for Hestia Emoji Spell for Hestia Theoi Summary - Hestia Hestia Offerings Acts of devotion to Hestia Simple Ways To Honor Hestia Hestia is… Flameless Hearths & Devotions Hestia and Dionysus

Melinoe: Melinoe, goddess of ghosts and spirits Acts of Devotion to Melinoe Melinoe's Underworld Family Melinoe in my thoughts Melinoe, ghost lady of the night My devotional playlist for Melinoe Emoji spell for Melinoe A Hymn to Melinoe Ode to Melinoe Poem for Melinoe

Other Goddesses: “Aphrodite” Aphrodite small devotional acts Misconceptions of Aphrodite Was sacred prostitution for Aphrodite really a thing? Aphrodite of the Sea “Athena” Athena small devotional acts Suggestions for Tritogeneia Medusa, Athena and Poseidon Don't Go Talking Classics Out of School: Medusa Hecate small devotional acts Common Misconceptions about the Goddess Hekate Why are the Crossroads Holy, and What Does that Mean for Hekate? Hekate and Witchcraft in Ancient Greece What is Hekatean Witchcraft? Macaria My UPG story of Macaria and Melinoe Melissa Theoi Summary - Melissa Sappho Worship Masterpost Epithets of Sappho The Thriae/Thriai

#grimoire #grimoire pages #online grimoire #digital grimoire #goddess devotions

[yamayuandadu]

A bit late to this whole thing, and bad sources + pop culture are not helping, but what is and isn't Hecate a goddess of?

What's well attested: -the well known matters: connections to witchcraft, midwifery, restless ghosts, crossroads, and so on. No explanation required, Theoi has a pretty decent summary, as usual. -an association with Demeter and Persephone, included both in the sphere of myth (Homeric Hymn to Demeter) and cult (evidence from Elesusis; source) -an additional function as a guardian of oaths, alongside Helios; specifically, Helios was meant to act as a witness, and an underworld deity as a deterrent against breaking them (source) -a source of success in various human affairs BUT only alongside other gods, not alone - basically a divine mediator (source); this is obviously tied to the first point, too. -tutelary role in the city of Lagina in Caria (in modern Turkey; source) What I'd be cautious with: -Hecate's lunar role is technically attested in genuine sources, but developed rather late and was hardly consistent. Selene's primacy in this sphere over Artemis, let alone Hecate, is rather clear. -purported equation with Ereshkigal: while it's attested in late magical papyri, Ereshkigal is basically a meaningless context-less name there and the goddess described fits the usual descriptions of Hecate so it's not really "syncretism" at all (source) -claims from the Chaldean Oracles: this is a late and rather odd work which is basically pure gnosticism. Irrelevant to Hecate as an earlier figure since the name is just reassigned to the "world soul" there. What's a modern invention as far as I am aware: -in older papers there are occasionally claims that Hecate, at least in Anatolia, was a nature goddess and/or "magna mater" figure like Cybele and the (in)famous "Ephesian Artemis"; this has been questioned by J. S. Clay who points out Hecate is almost exclusively tied to human activity in sources like Theogony (source). -anything rooted in the work of Graves and co.

[koraki-pharmakis]

Hellenismos Religiogender Masterlist

If you don't like xenogenders or religiogenders, good for you, keep scrolling! This is for people who do like them, or would like another way to merge praxis and identity.

This is a list of every genuine, non-bigoted gender I could find based on Hellenismos and its deities.

First, we'll start with some simple definitions! Hellenismos is the religion of Hellenic Polytheism, wherein one worships the Ancient Greek theoi (gods). Cultural genders are genders restricted to members of a specific culture. For example, boi is a cultural gender exclusive to Black transmascs. A religiogender is a gender based on or rooted in one's religion, like the Jewish gender tumtum. Not all religiogenders are xenogenders--for example, it may even be offensive to call tumtum a xenogender. A xenogender is a gender falling outside of what is generally considered to be a gender.

This list will be split into three sections: Modern, Ancient-Inspired, and Ancient. Modern is a term that is fully modern without historical basis, though it may use historic language; Ancient-Inspired is a term directly named after a real Ancient group or individual, but that may bend the concept it's named for; Ancient is a term that has largely retained its ancient meaning (as far as we know.)

Some, but not all, of these terms are exclusive. If a term does not say it's exclusive to a certain group or related to worship, it may be used by non-Hellenic Pagans or anyone who identifies with it! Importantly, you do not need to be trans or nonbinary to use a xenogender! If a term isn't noted as trans/enby/AGAB-specific, you can identify with it.

The summaries are brief and do not fully capture the terms they're about--click the names if you want details!

With that out of the way, let's crack in!

Modern

Antheic - A gender characterized by beauty in love in your identity, based on Aphrodite and her attendant Antheia

Apolloian - A gender related to worshiping Apollon

Apollox - A gender related to Apollon

Dionygender - A gender in some way related to Dionysos

Dionysian - A gender related to being a devotee of Dionysos

Gaeagender - A gender connected to Gaia and the Earth

Hermaphrian - A gender related to worshiping of Hermaphroditos

Keresgender - A gender related to the Keres and/or violent death

Maenadian - A gender related to Dionysos and/or Dionysian philosophy, somewhat connected to femininity but not just female

Marigender - A gender related to Ares, Mars (Roman), and/or the planet Mars

Mercugender - A gender related to Hermes, Mercury (Roman), and/or the planet Mercury

Neptunigender - A gender related to Poseidon, Neptune (Roman), and/or the planet Neptune

Ourania(gender) - A heavenly gender that feels blessed by Aphrodite, often by/for Aphrodite worshipers and devotees

Plutigender - A gender related to Hades, Pluto (Roman), or the planet Pluto

Poseidei - A gender related to worshipping Poseidon

Poseidonx - A gender related to Poseidon

Sappholatryc - A gender related to worshipping Sappho

Sonnegender - A gender related to Helios, Sol (Roman), and/or the Sun

Terragender - A gender related to Gaia, Demeter, Persephone, Terra (Roman), and/or the planet Earth

Thanagender - A gender related to Thanatos and/or peaceful death

Uranagender - A gender related to Ouranos, Uranus (Roman), and/or the planet Uranus

Venugender - A gender elated to Aphrodite, Venus (Roman), and/or the planet Venus

Ancient-Inspired

Dionysian Gender System - A gender system for worshipers of Dionysos tied to the historical Cult of Dionysos

Dionysian Gender/Dionygender - An umbrella term for those who use the Dionysian Gender System as well as someone whose gender is tied to worshiping Dionysos Maedic/Maegender - A gender related to the Maenads with ties to nonconforming femininity, appreciating/loving women, and power Thyrsoan/Thyrsogender - A gender named after the Thyrsos with ties to the androgynous and mixed gender spectrum, enbies, and life Satyrian/Satyrigender - A gender related to the Satyrs with ties to the masculine gender spectrum, vincians, and wildness

Iphisian - A gender for Hellenists who are AFAB or intersex & transgender, especially worshipers of Hera, Aphrodite, or Isis (Egyptian), named after the myth of the trans male Iphis

Ithyphalloi - A gender for AFAB bigender worshipers of Dionysos, inspired by the historic dancers by the same name

Teiresian - A gender for Hellenists who are bigender, genderfluid, multigender, or AMAB and transgender, especially worshipers of Apollon, Hera, or Hermes, named after the priest Tiersias

Ancient

Androgynes - Literally “womanly man" or "manly woman”; a common epithet of entities who by modern standards would likely be nonbinary. This word is the root of androgynous, and can apply to any nonbinary or even some GNC individuals

Enaree - Hellenic and Scythian transfeminine individuals who worship Aphrodite and/or Argimpasa

Eunoukhos - (Eunuch) A castrated male or AMAB transgender person

Gallus - A castrated male or AMAB trans priest(ess) of Cybele/Agdistis, in modern times may be transsex, an andrognyous man, an intersex person, or an AMAB trans person

Hermaphr*dite - A person possessing both male and female characteristics--due to its modern context as a slur, only intersex people may use this identity

If you find a term you like on this post, feel free to let me know! I'd love to hear it. This was done with a few weeks of work, and it'd be nice to know if it paid off.

RBs and replies are welcome! TERFs, transmeds, anti-MOGAI, etc. DNI

#hellenismos #queer hellenismos #queer pagan #queer witch #trans witch #trans pagan #xenogender #religiogender #mythogender #greek mythology #hellenic mythology #hellenic gender #greek gender

[sunshineandsisyphus]

Do you know if there was any historical use of crystals in hellenic polytheism? I read somewhere that lapis lazuli is connected to Apollon, but I can’t find much about it apart from that and I haven’t really found much else about crystals associated with the gods and worship in the past.

Hey! What an interesting question!

There are actually a lot of examples of crystals being used in Ancient Greece. The two that I know the most lore about are amethyst and, as you mentioned, lapis lazuli.

Amethyst was an especially big hit in Ancient Greece because it was believed to prevent intoxication. Wine was often served in glasses that were made of amethyst in order to prevent the drinker from actually getting drunk, and amethyst jewelry was worn for ritual purification and protection. According to the mythos, Amethystos was a young woman who was minding her own business in Artemis’s temple when along comes a very unhappy Dionysus. Dionysus had just been insulted by a mortal and he was not about to let that slide, so he decided that he was going to exact his revenge on the next mortal he came across. Unfortunately for her, this was Amethystos. Dionysus unleashed two tigers on her, and in a panic, she called on Artemis to protect her. Artemis did, although maybe not in the way Amethystos had intended, because Artemis turned her into a hunk of clear quartz. The tigers, of course, were utterly uninterested in a piece of quartz, but Amethystos was now a rock. Dionysus immediately realized “hey, I just got this nice girl turned into a rock and that was not very cash money of me” and as an apology, he poured some wine onto the crystal, turning it purple. Behold, amethyst was created

Lapis lazuli is kind of an interesting one, because the ancient Greeks probably didn’t call it lapis lazuli. Ancient Greeks associated the gem that they called sapphire with Apollo, but based on the way they described their sapphire, scholars suspect that they were actually describing what we call lapis and that the names just got muddled up somewhere around the Middle Ages. Lapis was used in various forms of healing, as well as providing protection, especially against jealousy. It was often worn by those petitioning Apollo for favor or visiting oracles. I’ve heard it’s associated with Apollo because it used to be called a Hyacinth, named, of course, after Hyacinthus, but I haven’t actually seen any historical corroboration for that, and since “sapheiros” means blue in Ancient Greek, I’m not really willing to give any actual historical weight to the tumblr post floating around that says it was originally named after the flower. Cute idea, though, and it is associated with Apollo, although probably because it was supposed to bring clarity, just like the Pythia’s prophecies, not that clarity was usually high on the list of things people got from the Pythia. Wishful thinking, then, maybe.

There are also a couple of other fun facts that are kind of disparate, but that since I have, I might as well share! Jasper, when held against a woman’s thigh, was believed to ease the pains of childbirth. Hematite was sometimes rubbed on the bodies of warriors before they went to war, as it was believed to lend them strength and protection during battle. Garnet was sometimes exchanged when people in a relationship were separated, as it represented the pomegranate seeds that Hades gave Persephone so she would always come back to him, which is honestly kinda cute. Carved gemstones and jewelry made of various crystals were also kind of a big deal, and were sometimes left at temples as offerings to the gods. Some carved gemstones were also used by the upper class as seals or signet rings. Carnelian was especially popular for the latter.

I’m pretty sure that for the theoi that have specific crystals historically associated with them, you can usually find that on their theoi.com page under the summary section. Not all gods do (I know Ares, for example, doesn’t, but Apollo does) but if there were certain gods you were wondering about, that might be a good place to check!

#hellenic polytheism #hellenism #dodekatheism #apollo #apollo* #apollon #apollon* #anonymous #answered #worship

[teawiththegods]

Do the gods have the same emotions as humans? When I’m reading the myths some of the gods are depicted as being jealous and spiteful. Are they really this way? How can I worship if I’m worried about accidentally offending them and getting harmed in some way?

This is completely based on my own experiences and beliefs on the subject so do with it what you will!

I personally DO believe the gods experience the same emotions as humans. I really think if they didn’t it would be hard for us to form such deep and profound relationships with them. One of my favorite theories @theoi-crow has ever presented to me is the idea that some of mythology is explaining how the gods have struggled, have hurt, have lost, and suffered allowing them able to help mortals through similar experiences. Take Aphrodite. She is able to be a comfort to those who have lost love not just because she’s the Goddess of Love but because she has FELT that grief herself. She knows first hand what it is like to have true love ripped unfairly and cruelly from your hands. The hole thats left in your heart that doesn’t heal no matter how many tears you cry or how loudly you scream at the unjust world. She knows it all too well so she is able to empathize with those who are experiencing it themselves.

My experiences with the gods compliment this theory well because they do exhibit different emotions and reactions to my actions and behaviors. Ive angered them, i’ve made them proud, i’ve upset them, I’m made them laugh, I’ve disappointed them, i’ve made them worried and concerned, and I’ve even hurt them. Yes, I a lowly mortal have hurt the feelings of multiple gods.

They experience emotions and have feelings, HOWEVER the difference between them and us really comes down to time. If you had an eternity to work on yourself and learn to manage your emotions you would a lot more of a chill person. So the gods have had LOADS of time to calm the fuck down. Not to mention they have also been studying and hanging out with mortals for eons meaning they know how we are. They know what to expect and that we are ultimately beautiful disasters. So they aren’t going to get so offended when we act like beautiful disasters!

And this is only if you want to believe 100% in what mythology has to say about the gods. Mythology in itself is a whole beast that modern worshipers seem to really struggle with but ultimately it comes down to the fact that mythology is a piece of the puzzle that is The Divine. It is a piece so we can’t abandon it completely but it’s not the whole picture so we can’t put everything on it either. It’s a balancing act really.

So yeah the summary is that I do believe the gods experience emotions like we do but they are more in control of themselves and know mortals enough to not fly off the handle like people seem to think they will.

#Anonymous

[poppyco]

🌸 5 Hellenic Resources 🌸

For those who are too lazy to read (like myself)

Hello my lovelies! Today I thought I’d put together a list of some of my favorite video/podcast based resources when it comes to learning about Hellenism and mythos! Because let’s be honest, reading can be exhausting sometimes. So grab some tea, take a seat, and go support these creators!

1. Aliakai:

One of my absolute favorites! Her videos are always well researched and fun to watch. Aliakai mostly focuses on Hellenism from a reconstructionist point of view which I think everyone (reconstructionist or not) will absolutely benefit from when it comes to their own personal worship! One of my favorite things about Aliakai is that she also focuses on allyship which I believe is extremely important in everyday life. Everyone should watch her videos in my opinion!

2. Tea With The Gods:

I’m absolutely OBSESSED with this podcast! This is a great resource for anyone just getting into Hellenism. Her video on Doubt and Skepticism helped me tremendously when I was going through a tough time in my spiritual practice. Jessie covers the basics of the religion flawlessly. @thepastelpriestess if you happen upon this post, I love you and you’re doing wonders for this community!

3. Podcast On The River Styx

Alright this next one is currently a work in progress, but my friend @chthonichimbo will be starting a podcast surrounding hellenism and the theoi very soon! Please go support his project if you’re interested! We also have a discord surrounding Hellenism, check that out in my pinned post if you’re interested!

These next creators are not necessarily hellenic’s themselves to my knowledge, but they still provide fantastic coverage on mythos for those who are interested! Keep an open mind.

4. Overly Sarcastic Productions

A favorite of many! OSP has dozens of animated myths from not just Greek Mythology but also myths from a lot of other cultures as well! Each video is very well produced and is animated in such an adorable art style. They also have some videos on the gods detailing their history! My personal favorite is the one they have on Aphrodite. This channel is perfect if you’re just looking to lay back and enjoy some mythology after a long day of working!

5. Mythunderstood

Last but not least Mythunderstood! This one may be a little controversial, but keep in mind these are not told from the perspective of a hellenic. I personally really enjoyed this podcast as it retold many classic myths and told a variety of myths I’d never heard before. The podcast is ran by Sarah and Paul, two friends learning about mythology together. I really enjoyed their dynamic as it made you feel as if you were actually there and not just an audience member tuning in. I will mention though sometimes the gods are not portrayed in the best light and assumptions are made based on how they act in the myths, so if that’s not something you’re willing to listen to while learning about mythology I completely understand!

#hellenism #paganism #pagan #greek mythology #hellenic gods #greek gods #deity work #theoi #hellenic polytheism #hellenism basics #hellenism beginner #Mythunderstood #overly sarcastic productions #Aliakai #Tea With The Gods #greek deities #hellenic worship #hellenic resources #hellenic reconstructionism #hellenic revivalism #hellenic community #hellenic religion #pagan community #eclectic pagan

[littlesparklight]

Why don't you like Prometheus bound I get the Dionysiaca since I tried reading a summary of it and it was a mess but Prometheus bound seems decent a bit

I just don't like him. :V

He annoys the piss out of me, in the excerpts I've read on Theoi. So it has nothing to do with the quality of the work itself, just with how Prometheus comes across in it, to me.

#asks #greek myth thoughts

[oracularodyssey]

Hermes Resources

So I tend to not see more in depth resource suggestions floating around for Hermes in particular, or maybe I’m just conveniently missing them somehow, but either way I figured I’d compile a list of things I’ve read and am reading for convenience sake. This is by no means exhaustive, and I welcome other resource suggestions!

Most of these you can find easily available online at no cost or a low cost if you look hard enough. Archive.org has some of these available to borrow, JSTOR and Academia.edu  have most of the articles listed, and Scribd has some things available as well with a free trial account. And of course, check what you can find at your library. If you're struggling to find anything, you can also feel free to message me and I'll help you out.

Web Resources

Some web resources to start - should go without saying Theoi is a good first stop. All of these are just some basic summaries but for anyone starting out, some good overviews can be found online.

https://www.theoi.com/Summary/Hermes.html

https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Hermes.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hermes-Greek-mythology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes

Books on Hermes

There are sadly very few books all about Hermes, but these are the small handful I have found

Hermes: Guide of Souls by Karl Kerényi (1944)

Hermes the Thief: The Evolution of a Myth by Norman O. Brown (1969)

Eternal Hermes: From Greek God to Alchemical Magus by Antoine Faivre (1995)

Hermes by Arlene Allan (2018)

Tracking Hermes, Pursuing Mercury by John F. Miller, Jenny Strauss Clay (2019)

Note that this last book I have not read entirely, however I have read selections from it - if anyone knows where I can find it without spending more money than I currently have, I would be grateful for the info!

Other Books ft. Hermes

Books that feature sections on Hermes or otherwise have a good bit of information about Hermes within them. Obviously there are bound to be many more likes these, but these are the ones I've read myself that come to mind.

The Gods of the Greeks by Karl Kerényi (1951)

Greek Religion by Walter Burkert (1977)

The Cult Of Pan In Ancient Greece by Philippe Borgeaud (1988)

Trickster Makes This World by Lewis Hyde (1998)

Greek Nymphs: Myth, Cult, Lore by Jennifer Larson (2001)

Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide by Jennifer Larson (2007)

A Companion to Greek Religion by Daniel Ogden (2007)

Articles ft. Hermes

All of these should be available online - you are welcome to message me for any of them if you're having a difficult time finding them.

The Origin of the Greek Herm by Hetty Goldman

Diaktoros Agreiphontes Jacqueline Chittenden

Hestia - Hermes : The religious expression of space and movement among the Greeks by Jean-Pierre Vernant

Hermes the Craftsman: The Invention of the Lyre by Romani Mistretta Marco

The Liminality of Hermes and the Meaning of Hermeneutics by Richard E. Palmer

Crossing the Borders Vergil’s Intertextual Mercury by Sergio Casali

Hermes among Pan and the Nymphs on Fourth-Century Votive Reliefs by Carolyn M. Laferrière

The Sacred Stones in Ancient Greek and Macedonian Folk Traditions by Lidija Kovacheva

The Evolution of Hermes His Influences and Appearance from the Archaic to Classical Periods by Haley Lavach

Hestia and Hermes: The Greek Imagination of Motion and Space by Jean Robert

Hermes a-re-ja (PY Tn 316): a new interpretation by José Marcos Macedo

Rethinking Hermes: A New Proposal by Nicola Reggiani

Communicating with the Divine Herms by Helene Collard

Cupid, Hermes, and Hymns in Ovid’s Metamorphoses by Micah Young Myers

Hermes Iambicus by Andrea Capra, Cecilia Nobili

Hermes and Herackles by Jennifer Larson

Lugalbanda and Hermes by Jennifer Larson

The Corycian Nymphs and the Bee Maidens and the Homeric Hymn to Hermes by Jennifer Larson

Like Mother Like Son by H. A. Shapiro

Dearest to be Man's Companion Hermes, Divine Aid, and Agency by David Chou

Books on Magic

Books on Magic and Necromancy in the Ancient Greek world that have interesting snippets about Hermes in them that offer insights as well. Some I've read or browsed through include:

Magika Hiera: Ancient Greek Magic and Religion by Christopher A. Faraone (1991)

Greek & Roman Necromancy by Daniel Ogden (2001)

Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds by Daniel Ogden (2002)

---

Also, please do offer any suggestions of your own, because this is by no means an exhaustive list, it's just my personal list and I'm always looking for more.

#hermes #hermesdeity #resources

[astra-and-atlas]

On Medusa: The Myth

Part IIa: Some of her myths

It’s been a while, but I finally have time to keep sharing my thoughts. This section of “on Medusa” will discuss the various interpretations of her myth, and the modern reception. I’ll be covering a few ancient versions of her myths and their most common interpretations.

This section includes a content warning for the themes discussed in Medusa’s myth, namely, her r*pe and m*rder.

Check part one of the series here, or visit here to see my other original posts on the Theoi. Let’s begin!

Her Story in Summary:

Sections in brackets are where accounts differ.

Medusa was a [monster or human], who, at one point in time, [laid with] the sea-god Poseidon. Here, accounts differ on [where, and why]. She was then [turned into, or banished] because of her monstrous appearance. Accounts differ again on [who, and why]. The various stories all say she was then living in a far off cave usually referred to as “the cave of the gorgones”, which was either [in Libya or the Island of Cisthene]. There, she terrified men and was accordingly a danger to many. She was beheaded by Perseus as part of his quest, and gave birth from her corpse Pegasos and Khyrsaor. What happened to her remains varies on the myth.

This is an long post- longer than I anticipated. Whoops. 

Hesoid

The first account to cover is Hesoid, who writes of her twice. The myth is not covered in great detail by him, but this is both from what I can find, and from the issue that most accounts of Medusa are from what we can piece together from Perseus’s myth. However, accounts of the Gorgones we can find elsewhere, which help characterize Medusa in later works.

Hesoid is the first author to fully develop the story of Medusa- Homer writes of Gorgon-heads and Perseus, but makes no connection between the two. The other two depictions are in art at the time, however it is unclear how the story formed in full.

Hesiod, Theogony 270 ff

“ Medousa, whose fate is a sad one, for she was mortal, but the other two immortal and ageless both alike. Poseidon, he of the dark hair, lay with one of these, in a soft meadow and among spring flowers. But when Perseus had cut off the head of Medousa there sprang from her blood great Khrysaor and the horse Pegasos, so named from the springs of Okeanos, where she was born."

Medusa is characterized by her mortality-- both in this account and in all other tales of her myth. It sets her apart from her siblings. She retains her monstrous form in this account, and is never referred to as beautiful or enviable in any way. She is a figure of pity-- doomed from the start.

In this quote it’s not directly specified which of the three sisters Poseidon sleeps with, however, as later Medusa gives birth to the two it is clear Hesoid was referring to Medusa when he says “one of these”.  What is also important to note is that Poseidon and Medusa’s relationship is gentle. Their union happens in a meadow, not a temple, and there is no implication of violence. There is no “transformation”, or wrath, in this myth beyond the mortal wrath of King Polydectes (who orders the beheading of Medusa, forcing the role upon young Perseus).  

Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 216 ff

The head of a dreadful monster, the Gorgo, covered the broad of his back, and a bag of silver--a marvel to see--contained it: and from the bag bright tassels of gold hung down.

Hesoid’s later descriptions of Medusa describe her when she is already dead, but we can see here she is a monster for her entire life. Not only does he list her mother as Keto (Keto being the mother to sea-monsters), but in this depiction she is a “dreadful monster”.

She is also referred to as “the Gorgo” most likely just as the singular of Gorgones because of her central role, but also similar to how Aix, the Elder Gorgo, is referred to during accounts of the Titan Wars. Their myth has similarities in their death, as they are both beheaded and turned into the aegis.

Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 216 ff

And after him rushed the Gorgones, unapproachable and unspeakable, longing to seize him : as they trod upon the pale adamant, the shield rang sharp and clear with a loud clanging. Two serpents hung down at their girdles with heads curved forward: their tongues were flickering, and their teeth gnashing with fury, and their eyes glaring fiercely. And upon the awful heads of the Gorgones great Phobos (Fear) was quaking."

This is further detail towards the appearance of the Gorgones. This scene describes the sisters of Medusa, Stheno and Euryale, chasing Perseus. Their descriptions match how gorgones are formed in grecian art at the time. As Homer and Hesoid are mentioned at the beginning of this post, so a piece of art should also be referenced, namely, the gorgenia, which had wide, grinning faces with snakes for hair, and often grotesque features. At the time when Medusa’s myth is first being formed, Gorgones are not beautiful like Medusa is sometimes called in later myth. True to their birth, they are monsters.

Ovid

I consider this to be the most well-known version of her myth, and the one most commonly used for retellings and poetic twists. Do I have statistics for this? No. Shh.

In this version of her story, Medusa was not yet a Gorgon before her tragedy, but presumably a fetching woman. She would be desirable to a god such as Poseidon, and to many others as well. The following quotes attest to her beauty.

Ovid, Heroides 19. 129 ff

“nor Medusa when her locks were not yet twined with snakes,”

Ovid, Metamorphoses 4. 770 ff

Her beauty was far-famed, the jealous hope of many a suitor, and of all her charms her hair was loveliest; so I was told by one who claimed to have seen her.

You may note it doesn’t specifically state she is not a Gorgon, and this is because technically she is- but not as we know them. I wrote above that she was “not yet a Gorgon” because it is easier to understand here when we look at the next few aspects of her myth: violence, wrath, and transformation. She is only truly referenced in these texts from a time after her transformation, and while I would not want to presume what Ovid intended for her to be, he does say that before Athena’s wrath, she had lovely tresses and they were turned to snakes afterwards. If we look at nearly all of the mosaics and pottery that represent the Gorgones, the most identifiable piece of their figure is their hair of snakes. Her lack of this here presents the idea that she is a woman, not a monster.

In the next part of her myth, she and Poseidon have sex in Athena’s temple. Whether this is consensual or not is unclear, as it depends on what translation you’ve used- here I’ve attached multiple translations so you can decide for yourself. Personally I believe it is most likely she was raped, given Poseidon’s characterization in his other myths and the violence that Ovid uses in his telling of her myth.  

From Ov. Met. 4.706

(translation: Golding)

Fame declares the Sovereign of the Sea attained her love in chaste Minerva's temple. While enraged she turned her head away and held her shield before her eyes. To punish that great crime Minerva changed the Gorgon's splendid hair to serpents horrible. And now to strike her foes with fear, she wears upon her breast those awful vipers—creatures of her rage.

(translation: More)

It is reported how she should abusde by Neptune bee In Pallas Church: from which fowle facte Joves daughter turnde hir eye, And with hir Target hid hir face from such a villanie. And lest it should unpunisht be, she turnde hir seemely heare To lothly Snakes: the which (the more to put hir foes in feare Before hir brest continually she in her shield doth beare.

(translation: Melville)

She, it's said, was violated in Minerva's [Athena's] shrine by the Lord of the Sea (Rector Pelagi) [Poseidon]. Jove's [Zeus'] daughter turned away and covered with her shield her virgin's eyes. And then for fitting punishment transformed the Gorgo's lovely hair to loathsome snakes. Minerva [Athena] still, to strike her foes with dread, upon her breastplate wears the snakes she made.’"

Already we can see how each translation uses words with specific connotations, which is quite compelling to study. Moving on from this, in these three translations I’ve also included the second piece of her myth, the wrath of Athena, where she transforms Medusa into the form we know (and love) so well: that of a monster.

Athena’s wrath is one of power, as she is commonly portrayed. The punishment here is removing Medusa’s beauty, her hair, for the desecration of her temple. Athena’s wrath is appropriate in the way it is shown later- Athena is often credited to helping Perseus slay the Gorgo and this thread of vengeance rationalizes why Athena might be favoured towards Perseus.

Ovid, Metamorphoses 5. 250 ff :

"Through all these mighty deeds Pallas, Minerva [Athena], had availed to guide her gold-begotten brother [Perseus]."

Medusa’s death is told by Perseus in the following manner:

Ovid, Metamorphoses 4. 769 ff :

Along the way, in fields and by the roads, I saw on all sides men and animals--like statues--turned to flinty stone at sight of dread Medusa's visage. Nevertheless reflected on the brazen shield, I bore upon my left, I saw her horrid face. When she was helpless in the power of sleep and even her serpent-hair was slumber-bound, I struck, and took her head sheer from the neck.--To winged Pegasus the blood gave birth, his brother [Chrysaor] also, twins of rapid wing.’

Medusa is a monster when Perseus kills her- no trace of the enviable maiden Ovid once hints at. She is sleeping when he slays her, and thus defenseless. It is largely unclear whether Medusa had the power to petrify before her transformation- it is a common power of Gorgones but a power such as this could also be reasonably granted by a goddess during Athena’s transformation and curse to Medusa.  This version is often used to make Perseus into a monster himself, or to make Athena a hero and to vilify the power of men in Greek mythology. This is all valid (although poor Perseus had no choice but to kill her? Don’t make this his fault, but I will discuss this and other modern interpretations later).

Other Versions

There are a thousand different versions I could choose to write about (well, not thousands), but namely Nonnus, Suidas, Pindar, and Pausinias. Because of attention span, time and length constraints (this post is already so long), I’ve chosen to write brief summaries with key quotes as to the various remaining versions.

Rationalizations: Suidas, Pausanias

In these accounts, Medusa is credited as being a Libyan queen who terrorized others until Perseus had killed her. It is a rationalization of the myth- Pausanias says he “omits the miraculous”. She is described as beautiful yet warlike, explaining perhaps why she is monstrous to some and enviable to others. It gives a reason why Athena may have been angry specifically towards her (she harmed those who were sacred to Athena).

Pausanias, Guide to Greece 2. 21. 5 - 6 :

“going out hunting and leading the Libyans to battle. On one such occasion, when she was encamped with an army over against the forces of Perseus, who was followed by picked troops from the Peloponnesos, she was assassinated by night. Perseus, admiring her beauty even in death, cut off her head and carried it to show the Greeks.”

“ Among the incredible monsters to be found in the Libyan desert are wild men and wild women. Prokles affirmed that he had seen a man from them who had been brought to Rome. So he guessed that a woman wandered from them, reached Lake Tritonis, and harried the neighbours until Perseus killed her; Athena was supposed to have helped him in this exploit, because the people who live around Lake Tritonis are sacred to her."

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 3. 52. 4

Now there have been in Libya a number of races of women who were warlike and greatly admired for their manly vigour...[Perseus]  who accomplished the campaign against these women, and that this was his greatest Labour may be taken by any man as proof of both the pre-eminence and the power of the women we have mentioned.

Nonnus: Her death.

In Dionysiaca, Nonnus makes no mention of Medusa’s creation. We do not know if Poseidon forced himself on her or even if he is the father of Pegasos and Khyrsoar, although it is implied by the references to horses. However he does make the interesting claim that each of the Gorgons had one power: Stethno to turn others to stone, Euryale with her bellow, and Medusa with the hair of snakes. He also makes great reference to “harvest” when referring to her and the birth of her children, which is interesting to me, at least.

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 24. 270 ff

then shore off the snaky swathe of one Medousa (Medusa), while her womb was still burdened and swollen with young... and reaped the neck of the pregnant Gorgon, firstfruits of a horsebreeding neck? There was no battle when swiftshoe Perseus lifted the lifeless token of victory, the snaky sheaf of Gorgon hair, relics of the head dripping drops of blood, gently wheezing a half-heard hiss through the severed throats

listening for no trumpet but [the Gorgon] Euryale's bellowing--having despoiled a little Libyan hole!"

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 30. 264 ff

Have you set foot in Libya? Have you had the task of Perseus? Have you seen the eye of [the Gorgon] Sthenno which turns all to stone, or the bellowing invincible throat of [the Gorgon] Euryale herself? Have you seen the tresses of viperhair Medousa (Medusa), and have the open mouths of her tangled serpents run round you?

Pindar: The flute

Athena invented the flute to mimic the bellow of the gorgones when Medusa had been slain. He also says that Medusa is attractive in some way. In this version Athena is in support of Perseus as well.

Pindar, Pythian Ode 12. 8 ff

The art that long ago Pallas Athene invented [the flute], weaving in music's rich refrain the ghoulish dirge of the fierce-heareted Gorgones. From those dread maidens' lips was heard streaming, and from those writhing serpent heads untouchable

the head of the fair-cheeked Medousa

But when the goddess maid delivered from these labours the man she loved, then she contrived the manifold melodies of the flute, to make in music's notes an image of the shrill lamenting cries, strung from Euryale's ravening jaws. A goddess found, but finding, gave the strain to mortal men to hold, naming it the tune of many heads."

I’m really only adding in Pindar’s account here because the flute is an important piece of one of the next posts I have planned for Medusa and I figured it might be best to introduce the concept now.

If youŕe interested in further resources relating to Medusa, I recommend the book Perseus by Daniel Ogden, which provides an in-depth analysis of Medusa and the Gorgones as well as the myth of Perseus. (This was recommended to me by @adri-le-chat , and I recommend checking out their posts on Perseus as well).

You can also use Theoi. com to browse Perseus and Medusa’s pages, and the Perseus Tufts database to find some valuable translations.

If anyone would like to go back in time and recover the Aeschylus, Phorcides, um, please do, because the Phorcides was the second in a trilogy and was supposed to focus specifically on Perseus’s encounters with Medusa. An entire play? About Perseus and Medusa? Imagine the information we could’ve had, I’m so upset that it was lost. Just imagine! But all we have is one fragment and it’s really not all that helpful, so if anyone would like to visit that time period and miraculously defy the laws of time so I can read about Medusa...

Anyways this post is long enough! I hope you enjoyed it and keep an eye out for the next section which will focus on my analysis of the myths presented!

| Part One | Other Theoi Notes | Resources | 

#medusa #hellenic polytheism #hellenic devotion #cw: death #cw: rape mention #long post #hellenic heroes #I just love her so much sorry this is so long but FIGHT ME