What happened at the Eleusinian Mysteries?

Eleusinian Mysteries, most famous of the secret religious rites of ancient Greece. According to the myth told in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, the earth goddess Demeter (q.v.) went to Eleusis in search of her daughter Kore (Persephone), who had been abducted by Hades (Pluto), god of the underworld.

Did ancient Greeks do psychedelics?

Psychedelics have been used for thousands of years by indigenous cultures but new research suggests that the ancient Greeks, Romans and even some early Christians may have…

What did the Eleusinian Mysteries offer to initiates?

In order to qualify for initiation, participants would sacrifice a piglet to Demeter and Persephone, and then ritually purify themselves in the river Illisos. Upon completion of the Lesser Mysteries, participants were deemed mystai (“initiates”) worthy of witnessing the Greater Mysteries.

What food was avoided during the Eleusinian Mysteries?

“In the Eleusian mysteries, likewise, the initiated are ordered to abstain from domestic birds, from fishes and beans, pomegranates and apples; which fruits are as equally defiling to the touch, as a woman recently delivered, and a dead body.”

What are the Eleusinian rites?

The Rites of Eleusis, or the Eleusinian Mysteries, were the secret rituals of the mystery school of Eleusis and were observed regularly from c. 1600 BCE – 392 CE. Exactly what this mystic ritual was no one knows; but why the ancient Greeks participated in it can be understood by the testimonials of the initiated.

What did ancient Greeks get high on?

Research into the habits of past Greeks reveals that some of the most common substances used in ancient times were Opium and Hemp.

What was Kykeon made of?

In ancient Greece, kykeon was commonly drunk to break fasts and was traditionally made from water, barley and a type of mint. It was also said to contain psychoactive elements (which heightened the consumer’s experience). Noted for its digestive properties – in Aristophanes’ Peace (v.

What are the eleusinian rites?

How long did the Eleusinian Mysteries last?

two thousand years
The Mysteries at Eleusis, called ta Mysteria, lasted almost two thousand years, from approximately 1450 BCE to 392 CE. The Greater Mysteries were celebrated in the early fall at Athens and Eleusis, in the middle of the Greek month Boedromion (roughly equivalent to our September), near the time of the autumnal equinox.