Excited noises and flailing of limbs

I just found a complete list of the month-names for the polis of Olbia – and unsurprisingly there’s a strong Dionysian presence:

To Apollo Delphinios, Ietros, Thargilios, Lykeios
Andokides made offerings through the months
Taureon, Thargelion, Kalamaion, Panemos, Metageitnion,
Boedromion, Kuanepsion, Apatourion, Poseideon,
Leneon, Anthesterion, Artemision. (SEG 30.977)

Even if you’re not a calendar nerd like I am there’s a lot of interesting stuff to unpack here. Many of these are familiar from my study of calendars from different Greek city-states, but a couple of the names are new to me and I’ll need to parse out their meanings.  And why there seems to be a blend of Ionian, Doric and Makedonian month-names when these tend not to mix. I wonder if this is because Olbia was an emporion, and also what its ethnic make-up was, especially after it outgrew its status as a colony of … Miletos, I think? I’ll need to check and confirm that, so don’t quote me. I also wonder how closely these synch up to their correlates in other calendars; if they do that means Anthesterion (generally around February/March) came towards the end of their year, rather than its beginning. And a month devoted to Artemis immediately following it has some intriguing implications, especially considering the relationship between Ariadne and Apollo’s sister. Speaking of which, did you catch the final epiklesis Andokides addresses him by? Lykeios – the Wolf God.

Speaking of empty declarations, it looks as if Hellenismos has solved it’s neo-Nazi problem – there have been no new tweets from XD since December 2nd and no retweets since December 27th – and if you’re looking for content relevant to their stated mission you’ve got to wade much further back.

So the totality of their accomplishments was “outing” me as someone who uses verboten symbols (which I’ve never hidden; I also take strange drugs and practice sorcery) and bringing attention to the fact that Pyrokanthos is a pretty sketchy dude. (While ignoring repeated warnings that another one of their signatories – who’s still on there BTW – is a sexual predator, no allegedly about it.)

Those 230 individuals and over 40 groups should be so fucking proud. I can almost hear their resounding collective ree of “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA!”

Actually, that’s an unfair comparison. At least those people are out in the streets, carrying signs, milkshaking people and causing property damage rather than just keyboard crusading and posting woke AF memes. 

I found this interesting passage Roger Pearse posted, thanks to Edward Butler. With a couple minor changes (like substituting virtue signalling for ethical exhortation) Alexander could be speaking about Neopagans and Polytheists.

P.W. van der Horst & J. Mansfeld, An Alexandrian Platonist against Dualism: Alexander of Lycopolis’ Treatise ‘Critique of the Doctrines of Manichaeus’, Leiden, 1974.

The philosophy of the Christians is a simple philosophy. It is chiefly devoted to ethical instruction, while in so far as relatively precise statements of the Christians about God are concerned it remains ambiguous. The endeavours in this direction amount to the assumption that the productive cause is the most honourable, the most important and the cause of all beings, an idea to which, in all fairness, no one will take exception. In ethics too they avoid the more difficult problems such as what is ethical and what is intellectual virtue and the whole subject of dispositions and affections. Hence they merely devote themselves to ethical exhortation, without laying down the principles according to which each individual virtue should be acquired, but indiscriminately heaping up precepts of a rather ponderous nature. Ordinary people listen to these precepts and, as you can see with your own eyes, make great progress in virtue, and a stamp of piety is imprinted on their characters, stimulating the moral disposition which grows from this sort of habituation and leading them by degrees towards the desire of the good.

Since this simple philosophy has been split up into numerous factions by its later adherents, the number of issues has increased just as in sophistry, with the result that some of these men became even  more skilful and, so to speak, more prone to creating issues than others. Indeed some of them, in the long run, became leaders of sects. Consequently, ethical instruction declined and grew dim, since none of those who wanted to be leaders of sects was able to attain theoretical precision  and since the common people became more inclined to internal strife. For there was no norm or laws on the basis of which issues could be decided.

Edward also tweeted We Should Probably Talk About That Time Susan and Lucy Attended a Bacchanal in Narnia.

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Behold Chewbacchus:

There is even an Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus – gives a whole new meaning to “Starry Bear.”

Incidentally, I bet he could totally kick that child-abusing piece of shit Gritty’s ass.

• The Three-Headed One at the Crossroad: A Comparative Study of the Slavic God Triglav by Jiří Dynda
• Odin and Mithras : religious acculturation during the Roman Iron Age and the Migration Period by Olof Sundqvist
• Penance, Power, and Pursuit: On the Trail of the Wild Hunt by Ari Berk and Willliam Spytma
• The Symbolism of the Hornet in the Greek World by Marianna Scapini

Yes, you.

A while back Tetra of the Stone Pillar and I were discussing Starry Bear mysteries, which he eloquently stitched together like so:

So I just learned something pretty crazy which I’m sure you already knew: ARKAS WAS THE KID THAT LYCAON SACRIFICED!!!

In my quest to understand Hermes better I decided to look into the great Bear King Arkas who appears to be a chthonic form of Hermes considering that his name is one of Hermes’ epithets (which is corraborated further by Maia being Arkas’ wet nurse thus making the two children brothers). I did some reading and found out that Arkas was the kid Lycaon either sacrificed to Zeus or gives to Zeus to eat which leads to Lycaon becoming the first werewolf.

Which totally made me realize a deeper connection between Hermes and Tarantism. The symptoms of Tarantism as you have noted resemble Lycanthropy and there is a whole lot of wolf symbolism in the lore surrounding the phenomenon. You have alluded in your poetry to Tarantism having parallels to Maenadism. If we take into consideration how one of the major roles in Maenadism is to be both nurturer and slayer of Dionysos and that this parallels that slaying of the divine child we see in the cult of Zeus Lykaios (if we go with Burkert’s hypothesis that the lycanthropy lore surrounding the sacrifices and feasts in the cult were initiatory rites for ephebes which then of course gives Hermes and Dionysos further syncretic links in that both follow a “Bull begets a serpent and serpent begets a bull” schema in regards to the divine child being killed which leads to union with that child). The association of the snakes on the Kerykion with Zeus’ relationship with Rhea Cybele which then leads to the relationships of Zeus and Persephone and Dionysos and Ariadne thus is even now less of a coincidence. This leads me to think that Tarantism could be the bisexual Bacchic-Hermaic intersection between forms of initiatory ecstasy connected to the respective deities.

Now, what I’m going to write next is just pure speculation but what if the Bear King is the intersection between the Bull and Wolf Kings? If memory serves, some have suggested that the name of the Geatish hero Beowulf could be a kenning “bee-wolf” which as you know means bear. So a bear is a wolf that goes after bees (or more accurately, their hives). The bear is a predator like a wolf but is a game animal like a bull. And hibernation is certainly connected to dying and rising. So many threads to follow…

And I just realized something else – Ursa Major and Ursa Minor never set over the horizon. If Apollo is the Sun in the Sky and Dionysos is the Sun in the Underworld then it only makes sense that the constellation who used to be Hermes’ heroic form is a constellation who is always in between these realms since the Hermaic sphere is the intersection between the Apollonian and Dionysian spheres. 

I would arrange some of the details a little differently, and there are some important pieces missing (particularly in the shoulder area) but I’ll say this, he’s pretty damn astute.  

Asterios conceived a bastard passion for the strange country, being hard of heart. He was not again to see his native land and the cave of the Idaian mount shimmering with helmets; he preferred a life of exile, and instead of Dikte he became a Knossian settler in Skythia. He left greyheaded Minos and his wife; the civilized one joined the barbaric tribes of guest-murdering Colchians, called them Asterians, they whose nature provided them with outlandish customs. (Nonnos, Dionysiaka 13.238-252)

Pókos

Apparently some jackanape is attempting to trademark “Heathen” and related terms (including, it would seem, Shieldmaiden, Einherjar, Vanadís, etc.) As laughable as this shit is, it’s happened before – with Hermes, the God of fucking commerce no less! – so do what you can before it’s too late.

That said, I don’t intend to stop using “Bacchic Orphic Heathenry” as an allonym for the Starry Bear tradition, and anyone who doesn’t like that can fight me.

One of the most detailed studies of Northern Bakcheia is Katerina Amanatidou’s The cult of Dionysos in the Black Sea region (which I discovered only after I had already done a significant amount of my own research.) With Anthesteria coming up I was curious to see if I could find anything on how the festival was celebrated among the Greek and indigenous populations of the area, to supplement what I’ve already written here and here. This is what I found. While not all of it can be taken as direct evidence of Anthesteria observances, these passages do speak to the milieu of the festival. 

Odessos

In the area of city’s necropolis was unearthed the remains of a coroplastic workshop, dated from the 3rd century BC, which produced a variety of terracotta statuettes intended for the decoration of sarcophagi. Among the produced types were representations of Dionysos, of Satyrs and Maenads. A miniature mask of a smiling Silen wreathed with ivy leaves was found in the debris of the building.

Furthermore, clay figurines of Dionysos and his wife Ariadne came to light at excavations in other parts of the city. Likewise, votive reliefs made of lead and shaped as bull heads were found at the site. Those reliefs that were encircled with a decoration of grapes functioned, probably, as offerings to the god. An imported amphora neck of the Hellenistic period bearing the relief image of a Satyr’s head was also discovered. Finally, the excavations yielded an almost life-size marble statue of a Satyr and two attic red figure bell craters bearing Dionysian scenes with Satyrs and Maenads.

Nikonion

In the filling of a “thaviss” (a special pit where the worn out utensils of sacred premises were kept instead of being discarded) were found two statuettes that represent Silens in a squatting posture dated to the end of the 6th century B.C. The scholars correlate those finds with analogues found in the sanctuaries of Demeter and Kabeiroi which are also chthonic deities and gods functioning as protectors of farming. Finally in the same pit was discovered, beside the statuettes of various female deities, a skyphos who had on its outer surface inscribed the phrase “ΕΚΠΙΝΩΣΤΑΧΟ”, which means “drink it fast”. That phrase and the fact that the particular drinking vessel had about 2.5 liters capacity allude to the existence of the Dionysian feast of Anthesteria in which was held a wine drinking contest. 

Olbia

Olbia is the best archaeologically searched site in the northern Black Sea area. Dionysos was among the primary deities that were venerated in the city of Olbia as well as in its rural territory. Taking into account the epigraphic data it is assumed that a theatre functioned in Olbia despite the fact it has not yet been discovered. According to an inscription a person named Anthesterios was rewarded by the polis of Olbia with a golden wreath annually, during the celebrations of the Dionysia festival held in the city’s theatre. This corroborates the existence of the theatre and the significance of festivals in honour of Dionysos.

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During the excavation of Olbia was found a bronze mirror dated around 500 BC that was possibly a grave good. In the mirror, which is decorated with bucranium and labrys, is engraved a Bacchic inscription: “Demonassa, daughter of Lenaios euai, and Lenaios, son of Demokles eiai.” Both the decoration and the inscription are elements denoting a mystic aspect of Dionysos’ cult in the context of a blessed afterlife.

Poljanka

Some of the terracotta figurines and miniature clay masks that were discovered in this domestic sanctuary are connected with Dionysos’ worship. These include figurines of a bearded bull, a Silen on a goat, a Satyr with goat hooves wearing a cloak and a round hat, and the masks of a bearded Dionysos and a young Dionysos. 

***

To the west of the Poljanka settlement is located the General’skoye fortified site in which was excavated a sacred complex consisting of two structures with two rooms each. The complex functioned as a sanctuary or even a “rural” modest temple. Among the terracotta finds that were unearthed in the rooms belong two fragments of masks depicting, with high possibility, young Dionysos. The first one, which was found near an altar, preserves the lower part of the face. The other one, found in a different room, preserves the upper part of the face with lush hair and small horns, probably depicting Dionysos “the bull”. This fragment has, also, an aperture for suspension. The researchers date the series of the so-called votive masks of Dionysos in his youth found in the Cimmerian Bosporus from the 1st century BC to the 2nd century AD.

Porthmion

Porthmion was a small city situated near the shore of the Kerch Straits. Although the sanctuary has not been found a monumental altar was discovered with possibly related chthonic deities. Furthermore, excavations yielded among a variety of figurines representing mainly female deities, a head of great artistry portraying Dionysos in his youth. He is adorned with a wreath of vine leaves and bears an imperceptible smile. 

Panticapaion

The excavations in the second terrace of the city unearthed a cult building of the 3rd century BC, which was interpreted as a temple of Dionysos, without excluding the possibility that other deities were worshiped there too, including Aphrodite. Owing to its proximity with the central edifice of the Panticapaion rulers’ palace complex the building was identified as a temple that served the residents of the palace. The temple had a roof of tiles, its floor was covered by mortar in which were embedded black polished pebbles and the internal surface of the walls was coated with plaster and painted with a variety of colours. Most probably it was destroyed due to an earthquake in 63 BC. The bulk of the terracotta figurines discovered in the destruction layer of the sanctuary’s area is connected with Dionysian iconography such as bunches of grapes. The most remarkable is a mask of Dionysos wreathed with a band of ivy and leaves from other flowers. 

Kytaia

The excavations in the ash hill, which covers the continental rock landscape in the center of the city, unearthed the religious area and the sanctuary of Kytaia. In the remains of a building with an altar, in a sacrificial bothros pit and in the natural and artificial clefts of the hill a great number of objects were discovered and identified as religious offerings. Those votive findings consist of pottery fragments, a lot of which bear incised dedications to Dionysos, terracotta statuettes depicting him and his companions, and clay models of bread and phalli, along with animal bones of pigs, sheep and goat. 

The researchers assume that, initially, the sanctuary was devoted more generally to deities of a chthonic nature that were associated with fertility, which was also a basic characteristic of the god Dionysos. A group of terracotta figurines and small votive clay masks representing Dionysos and Silenoi, Maenads and Satyrs, the members of his entourage, testifies its worship in the sanctuary. Most notable are a small mask portraying Dionysos with beard and a diadem on his head and a figurine of an actor wearing a Silens’ mask. 

As witnessed by the above mentioned archaeological data discovered in different Bosporan settlements, namely the terracotta figurines and the masks representing Dionysos and his companions, rituals in honor of Dionysos were being practiced from the 2nd- 1st century BC to the 2nd century AD in the Kerch peninsula and at the northeastern part of the Crimean Azov coast. From the 2nd – 1st centuries BC Dionysos’ chthonic functions and connection with mysteries made his cult popular in the Bosporus region. People, who were facing difficult conditions due to the natural disasters, war and economic crisis had pinned their hopes on the god’s assistance in overcoming their problems.

Vani

The inland site of Vani situated on three terraces on the slopes of a hill to the south of Rioni river is one of the most intensively researched and studied settlements of the Colchian coast. In the Hellenistic period Dionysos’ cult was especially popular and widespread among the inhabitants of Vani. That popularity is attributed by the researchers to the fact that the city and the whole region was closely linked with the cultivation of vines and wine production. During this period began the local production of fairly sizable amphorae for wine transportation that have been discovered to the north of the Black Sea area. In addition, during the early Hellenistic period a new burial practice was introduced in Vani, which was inhumation inside a large storage vessel, mainly for wine, the so-called pithos, which can be interpreted as a reflection of wine’s great significance in the life of the inhabitants.

Amisos

A bronze plaque in high relief with the depiction of Dionysos Tauromorphos was found in a grave. The plaque, which is dated in the late 2nd century BC, presumably functioned as a decoration of a wooden sarcophagus. Furthermore, among the grave goods from another burial was discovered a bronze bust depicting Dionysos Botrys. Dionysos is rendered with long hair and a beard while wreathed with grape leaves and corymbs. Noteworthy in the case of Amisos is the abundance of terracotta statuettes and clay masks of Dionysos Botrys and Tauromorphos along with that of Silens, Satyrs and actors that were found in the excavations in various contexts. The figurines, which are of fine craftsmanship and quality, were being manufactured in local coroplastic workshops. The same also applies for the rather unique large sized tragedy and comedy masks, and masks representing Satyrs and Dionysos. In particular, the characteristic elements of the Dionysos Tauromorphos type of mask was two bull horns protruding out of the forehead, while in the Botrys type, the hair and the beard are rendered as bunches of grapes. In both of the types the god is depicted either young or elderly.

Sinope

Apart from the terracotta figurines, the excavations brought to light a marble statue of Dionysos and coins bearing his image. The statue, which is based on an altar, is dated to the Roman period and depicts the god naked, but not barefoot, crowned with a garland made of ivy leaves and flower buds and accompanied most probably by a panther. Additionally, in some figurines Dionysos is depicted wearing a diadem of ivy leafs and flowers and a band, tainia, on his forehead. Lastly, his function as the patron deity especially of viticulture and of fertility of nature generally is also evident in Sinopean numismatics. In several coins is represented the head of Dionysos in his youth along with some of his attributes such as the thyrsos and the cista mystica.

Continuing the theme, in addition to Odysseus’ loyal companion, there are the Heavenly Hunting Hounds or Canes Venatici.

These are the dogs of Boötes, who is both the Hunter and Guardian of the Great Bear. The Canes Venatici pursue Ursa Major as it circles the Pole, and would catch it if it weren’t for Boötes’ leash. Their name Venatici has some interesting associations, according to Anne Wright:

The word Venatici is from Latin vinaticus, from Latin venari, ‘to hunt, pursue’, and comes from Indo-European root *wen– ‘To desire, strive for’. Derivatives:  win (‘to seek to gain’), wynn (an Old English rune having the sound  W or uu; rune for granting wishes), winsome, won (achieved victory), wont, wean (to accustom, train a young mammal gradually to get less milk from its mother), ween (to think; suppose), wish, Vanir (an early race of Norse gods who dwelt with the Aesir in Asgard), vanadium (from Old Norse Vanadis, name of the goddess Freya), venerate, venereal, venery (indulgence in or pursuit of sexual activity), Venus, venom (from Latin venenum, love potion or poison), Wend (to wend one’s way, from Germanic *Weneda-, a Slavic people), venial (easily excused or forgiven; a venial offense, from Latin venia, favor, forgiveness), venery (hunting or game), venison (used to mean any meat that was hunted, but is now restricted to the flesh of deer), venatic (relating to hunting, from Latin venari, to hunt), Venus is said to have derived from the eponymous mother of Venetian tribes of the Adriatic, after whom the city of Venice was also named.

The names of these two dogs themselves are rather interesting. The Southern is named Chara meaning “graceful, cheerful, joyous, favored, etc” – while the Northern dog is named … Asterion. Yes, as in the Minotaur and marijuana.

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Kenneth Kitchell, Penelope’s Geese: Pets of the Ancient Greeks
Another pet in the Odyssey is justifiably famous— Odysseus’ long-suffering dog. As Odysseus nears his  home in a deformed beggar’s disguise provided by Athena, he has fooled everyone he has met. But at the city gates lies an old dog named Argos. Odysseus had raised him but left for Troy before the dog was fully grown. Argos had been a great hunter in his day, but now he is banished outside the gates of Ithaca, lying “in the dung, all covered with dog ticks” (Od. 17.300, trans. Lattimore), no longer useful to those who are making decisions in Odysseus’ absence. He is at least 20 years old—ancient in dog years—but as soon as Odysseus comes near, he sees through the disguise and recognizes his master. In one of the most heart-wrenching scenes from antiquity, the dog—who can no longer walk—lays his ears back, wags his tail, and closes his eyes for the last time. Homer tells us that tears came to Odysseus’ eyes as he watched the dog first welcome him and then die.