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Description

The sixth of Θαργηλιων (Thargelion) is a day of purification and a festival to honor Artemis. Two men are chosen as φαρμακοι (pharmakoi) because they are ugly, poor, criminal or otherwise undesirable. They are feasted for a period of time up to as much as a year. On this day, they are decorated, one with black figs representing the men and one with white figs representing the women. They are chased around the boundaries of the town and out of town, never to return. While being chased, they are beaten with fig branches and pungent plants such as leeks. These men are symbols of everything evil in the town and, by chasing them out of town, the town is purified. The sacrifice and feast on this day is a ram for Artemis. This is one of the few occasions where a male animal is sacrificed to a goddess.

The seventh is a day of first fruit offerings to Apollon. The offerings consist of a barley and vegetable stew called θαργηλος (thargelos), loaves of barley bread also called θαργηλος (thargelos), and a bull or goat. Since this festival comes before the harvest, it is more of an appeal for a good harvest then thanks for a good harvest. This day also includes singing contests (where the prize is a tripod?), and boys carrying the eiresione as they did at the Pyanopsia. The songs at the singing contests are epic poems set to music (called nomes). Also at this festival, fathers go before the altar and acknowledge their born or adopted sons to the clan. The clan then vote on whether the sons will be accepted into the clan.

Greek terms are used where an adequate term in English with the same meaning, cannot be found. These are followed by their pronunciation and a glossary follows with full definitions.

Equipment

Presentation

χερνιπς (chernips)

As each person enters the τεμενος (temenos - sacred space), they stop at the entrance for the chernips. They place their hands over the bowl while the υδροφορος (hydrophoros - water bearer) pours lustral water over their hands. As they wash their hands, they say in a firm voice, "Ηεκας! Ηεκας! Εστε βεβηλος!" [E kas! E kas! ES te ve VEE los!] (Far off! Far off! Even to the impure!), commanding any evil spirits to leave the area. While it is acceptable for the hydrophoros to prompt them, people should say this themselves to ward off their own κηρς, (evil spirits).

After everyone has performed the chernips, the impure water is poured on the ground, in a place where it is out of sight, as an offering to the Chthonic deities. Afterwards, no one is to look at this spot for the rest of the day. (until sunset)

Purification of the τεμενος (sacred area) and Lighting the ιστια (hearth fire)

The temenos is a piece of land marked off from common uses and dedicated to a god or goddess. It should be one where you can have an open flame burning throughout the ritual. (Please, observe all rules of fire safety and ensure there is a means to put out the fire in case of an emergency.) If it isn't practical to have a full hearth fire burning during the whole festival, a symbolic hearth fire (such as a candle) can be substituted. Once all the people are gathered around the hestia, the ιερεια, (iereia - priestess) / ιερευς (iereus - priest) says, "ευφημια 'στω!" [ee FEEM eea STO!] (Let there be solemn silence!), and then sprinkles natron in a circle around the area. The δαδοφορος (torch bearer) ignites the prepared hearth fire and says, "I conjure you sacred fire whose mother is Ιστια [EES tee a], and whose father is Ηφαιστος [EE fes tos]". (During the rest of the ritual, it is the responsibility of the dadouchos to tend the hearth fire so it doesn't go out or get out of control.)

Opening Libations

The σπονδφοροι (spondphoroi - libation bearer) mixes the wine or grape juice and water, about the same amount each, in a krater then ladles an equal amount into each person's drinking bowl.

For each libation, the participants repeat what the ιερος κηρυξ (hieros keryx - sacred messenger) says and pours a small amount of the libation on the side of the altar, on the ground or into the libation bowl. (In the latter case, the libations are poured on the ground after the ritual.) After the final libation, each participant drinks the rest of the libation as a sharing with the Immortals.

Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Ιστια [EES tee a], guardian of hearth's fire,
Yours is always the first and the last.
Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Απολλον Αποτροπαιος [Apollon APOT rope os],
Averting what is evil and gross.
Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Αρτεμις Ηγεμονη [Ar tem ees Ee gem on ee],
Leading us to guiltless economy.
Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Immortal Olympians,
Come join our festivities.

Presentation and Activities

Pharmakoi

The first activity is intended to rid people and the community of bad luck using pharmakoi. Two volunteers (one to represent the men and one to represent the women) dress in full face masks, wigs, and used clothes to completely conceal their identity (these items are worn over another set of clothes so they can be removed and destroyed at the end of the festival). Each of the other participants give the pharmakoi a food gift and a paper description (which includes something bad in their life that they want to rid themselves, what actions they will perform to help rid themselves of the evil and what their life will be like after it is gone). (Later the food gift will be donated to a local food bank for the poor and the paper descriptions will be destroyed unread.) After everyone has gifted the pharmakoi, they form a double line. The pharmakoi pass through this double line to be beaten by green onions and "symbolically" run out of the community. When the pharmakoi are out of sight, they remove the outer clothes, masks and wigs to be destroyed. Leaving the pharmakoi disguise and food gifts to be retrieved later, the volunteers return to the festival.

Polis

These next activities can be performed before, during or after the feast as convenient. To symbolically recreate the historical practice of presenting sons to the clan, each participant should introduce themselves, what community they belong to and any changes to their family.

Nomes

If appropriate songs can be found, a singing contest (judged by the participants) is held with the prize being a tripod (a three legged cauldron).

Eiresoine

All of the participants create an eiresone while discussing the good things they want to draw into their life, what they are going to do to help those good things happen and what their life will be like afterwards if that happens. (Keep in mind that we believe in "nothing to excess" so only propose obtainable goals.) The eiresone consists of a tree branch with symbols of fruit and food tied on (these should be artificial materials as they have to last for a year). The hosts will provide the necessary materials. When the eiresones are made, everyone gives gifts to the hosts and say, "The eiresone bears figs and rich cakes and honey in a jar and olive oil to anoint yourself with and a cup of mellow wine that you may drink and fall asleep." The gifts to the hosts should be proportional to the amount of good luck you want to draw. The hosts can give these gifts away (although not to the giver), use them for their own purposes or sacrifice them to the Immortals, whichever they please. Each participant should take their eiresone home and place it near the front door to remain there and draw good luck throughout the year.

Announcement of Feast

When the feast is ready, the sacred herald announces it by saying, "When mirth reigns throughout the town and feasters about the house, sitting in order, listen to a minstrel; when the tables beside them are laden with bread and meat and a wine bearer draws sweet drink from the mixing bowl and fills cups; this I think in my heart to be the most delightsome."

Feast and Sacrifice

The meal includes mutton or beef, barley and vegetable soup, barley bread, and wine mixed with water. The wine and water mixture are served by the cup bearer to ensure that each person has the same amount. During the feast, a portion equal to what everyone else is having, is laid out for the Immortals (which includes skin, bones and other uneatable parts). Afterwards, this portion is completely burned or, if that isn’t practical, disposed of in some other manner.

Closing Libations

After the feast, closing libations are performed the same as the opening libations only in reverse order:

Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Immortal Olympians,
We thank you for joining our festival and paeans.
Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Αρτεμις Ηγεμονη [Ar tem ees Ee gem on ee],
Leading us to guiltless economy.
Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Απολλον Αποτροπαιος [Apollon APOT rope os],
Averting what is evil and gross.
Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Ιστια [EES tee a], guardian of hearth's fire,
Yours is always the first and the last.

Closing

After the closing libations, all participants help clean the festival area to be the same as it was when they arrived. After the cleanup, when everyone is ready to leave, the sacred herald leads everyone in saying, "Θαρσεω πανταγαθα πεπραγαμεν. [thar EE PANT AGA tha PEP ra GAM en], (take courage for good times have come to pass)

Glossary

Απολλον Αποτροπαιος [Apollon APOT rope os]
Apollon, who averts evil.
Αρτεμις Ηγεμονη [Ar tem ees Ee gem on ee]
Artemis, she who leads.
δαδοφορος [DA doe FOR os]
torch bearer.
ευφημια 'στω! [ee FEEM eea STO!]
Let there be solemn silence!, a proclamation of silence before a prayer.
Ηεκας! Ηεκας! Εστε βεβηλος! [E kas! E kas! ES te ve VEE los!]
Far off! Far off! Even to the impure!, commanding any evil spirits to leave the area.
Ηφαιστοσ [Ee fes tos]
Hephistos, God of forge and industry.
Θαρσεω πανταγαθα πεπραγαμεν [thar EE PANT AGA tha PEP ra GAM en]
take courage for good times have come to pass.
ιερεια [EE reea]
priestess, keeper of the sacred items.
ιερευς [EE rees]
priest, in charge of the sacrifices to some special god.
ιερος κηρυξ [EE ros kee REEKS]
sacred messenger, person that leads the participants in any verbal parts of the ritual.
ιστια [EES tee a]
hearth fire, hearth.
κηρς [keers]
evil spirits, doom, bane, ruin, calamity.
κρατηρ [kra teer]
mixing bowl for wine, urn with two handles.
μαγεια [may EE a]
magic.
μαγειρος [may eer os]
cook, sacrificing priest.
περιρραντηριον [per eer rant EER ee on]
vessel for lustral water, large stone bowl.
σπονδη [SPOND ee]
drink-offering, of wine poured out to the gods before drinking.
σπονδφοροι [SPOND fore]
libation bearer.
τεμενος [TEM en os]
a piece of land marked off from common uses and dedicated to a god.
χερνιπς [hern EEPS]
holy water, water for washing the hands, purification with lustral water.
υδροφορος [EEDRO foros]
water bearer.

Works Cited