For those of you who are too young to get the pop-culture reference, 7•UP was at one time marketed as the “uncola,” and it would seem there are those who are marketing Hellenismos as the unreligion. What does it say when certain individuals and groups will not even say that something as basic and essential as sacrifices and offerings were/are fundamental practices?
We had been talking about the fundamentals of Hellenismos on the Olympianism Yahoo Group, and one person expressed strong criticisms of Reconstructionists and Ethnikoi, stating not only were the definitions we use too narrow, but just flat out wrong. While she had a lot of unsupported opinions about how wrong Reconstructionists and Ethnikoi were, she did not once offer any real alternative. She used a lot of flowery words, but avoided making any statement as to what she considered practicing Hellenismos.
It took some prodding, but she finally stated that the Hellenic religion is “undefined” because it had no “systematic religion”. She was, to a point, correct in saying there was no “systematic religion”, but she takes that soundbite to an extreme, and represents it to mean there were absolutely no systems in place, there were no traditions and customs, there were no identifiable ethics. She is an example of a certain segment that promote the Hellenic religion as the unreligion.
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excerpt from Greek Popular Religion, by Martin P. Nilsson (1940)
A great scholar has graphically described Artemis as the goddess of the outdoors (Göttin des Draussen). Untamed nature may be lovely and beneficent, but, on the other hand, it may be terrible and frightful. The desert wilderness, the rugged mountains, the deep ravines, the precipitous torrents, and the thick forests inspire awe in man. Among them he feels himself subject to unknown and dangerous powers. There the wild beasts which attack him and his herds roam about, and robbers may lurk in the glens. “It is better at home, for it is dangerous outdoors” is an old Greek saying, found in Hesiod and in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes. 1 Within the walls of his house, man feels himself secure, protected from dangers which threaten without. The ancient Greeks would have understood what we mean when we say, “A man’s house is his castle.” In the beginning of the work of Thucydides there is a vivid description of how unsafe life was in early times because of robbers and pirates.
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translated by Hugh G.Evelyn-White (1914)
I begin to sing of rich-haired Demeter, awful goddess — of her and her trim-ankled daughter whom Aidoneus [Hades] rapt away, given to him by all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer. Apart from Demeter, lady of the golden sword and glorious fruits, she was playing with the deep-bosomed daughters of Oceanus and gathering flowers over a soft meadow, roses and crocuses and beautiful violets, irises also and hyacinths and the narcissus which Earth made to grow at the will of Zeus and to please the Host of Many, to be a snare for the bloom-like girl — a marvellous, radiant flower. It was a thing of awe whether for deathless gods or mortal men to see: from its root grew a hundred blooms and it smelled most sweetly, so that all wide heaven above and the whole earth and the sea’s salt swell laughed for joy. And the girl was amazed and reached out with both hands to take the lovely toy; but the wide-pathed earth yawned there in the plain of Nysa, and the lord, Host of Many, with his immortal horses sprang out upon her — the Son of Cronos, He who has many names.[1]
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translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White (1914)
(ll. 1-10) Muses of Pieria who give glory through song, come hither, tell of Zeus your father and chant his praise. Through him mortal men are famed or un-famed, sung or unsung alike, as great Zeus wills. For easily he makes strong, and easily he brings the strong man low; easily he humbles the proud and raises the obscure, and easily he straightens the crooked and blasts the proud, — Zeus who thunders aloft and has his dwelling most high.
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translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White (1914)
(ll. 1-25) From the Heliconian Muses let us begin to sing, who hold the great and holy mount of Helicon, and dance on soft feet about the deep-blue spring and the altar of the almighty son of Cronos, and, when they have washed their tender bodies in Permessus or in the Horse’s Spring or Olmeius, make their fair, lovely dances upon highest Helicon and move with vigorous feet. Thence they arise and go abroad by night, veiled in thick mist, and utter their song with lovely voice, praising Zeus the aegis- holder and queenly Hera of Argos who walks on golden sandals and the daughter of Zeus the aegis-holder bright-eyed Athene, and Phoebus Apollo, and Artemis who delights in arrows, and Poseidon the earth-holder who shakes the earth, and reverend Themis and quick-glancing (1) Aphrodite, and Hebe with the crown of gold, and fair Dione, Leto, Iapetus, and Cronos the crafty counsellor, Eos and great Helius and bright Selene, Earth too, and great Oceanus, and dark Night, and the holy race of all the other deathless ones that are for ever. And one day they taught Hesiod glorious song while he was shepherding his lambs under holy Helicon, and this word first the goddesses said to me — the Muses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus who holds the aegis:
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I was travelling from April 17th to 21st. It was planned since the end of february. Before going, I took the words of an Greek alphabet oracle (it is suggested HERE and I’ve made one set of pyrographic ceramic to play, you can see a photo HERE and HERE) and it told me not to go. But I went.
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In our continuing dialogues we have covered the importance of honoring the Twelve, appropriate patron relationships within a Hellenic paradigm, virtue and vice, personal deities are personal daimons and tutelary spirits, and the Hellenic religion overall. Today, I wish to discuss the Household Gods and everyday practice. Many new to Hellenismos seem to focus only on the grand festivals and large public sacrifices of the city-states, which in some respects is understandable, but this focus leaves large and empty gaps. In many respects, a practitioner of Hellenismos who places their main emphasis on festivals is like a Christian who only sees the inside of a church on Christmas or Easter.
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My essay for Graeco-Roman Religions class (Winter 2006).
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Although Zeus was not considered an eternal god in ancient Greece, his influence can still be seen in the modern world through both direct and indirect means. Today, several groups and solitary practitioners around the world attempt to revive the worship of the ancient Greek pantheon, including Zeus. These people are involved in revivalist religions that operate under various names including: Hellenic Reconstructionism, Hellenic Polytheism, Hellenic Paganism, Hellenismos and Dodekatheism. A general overview of Hellenic Reconstructionism will be provided alongside examples of Zeus-specific beliefs and practices by groups and individuals who self-identify as Hellenic Reconstructionists. Additionally, the quadrennial Olympics are an indirect way in which the influence of Zeus is still present in the modern world. Although the contemporary Olympics are not held to honour Zeus, there are rituals in the modern Games which are similar to practices of antiquity whose purpose was to worship him. Through Hellenic Reconstructionism and the Olympic Games, the spirit of Zeus lives on.
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I often find myself perplexed as to why some people feel the need to engage in intellectual masturbation. There is no great debate within academia regarding the ancient Greek religion and culture. So, why do we have people debating what is and is not Hellenismos? These people who make outlandish and ludicrous claims, and cause these great debates, are nobodies. Are they the recognized scholars regarding ancient Greece? No. Are they archeologists? No. Does anything they have to say, about the ancient Greek religion, call into question the work of Gilbert Murry, Carl Kerenyi, Jon Mikalson, Paul Veyne, or any other serious scholar and writer? No.
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