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Description

The Ληναια (Lenaia), sometimes call the Country Διωνυσια Dionysia, is a festival of fun and frivolity designed to lighten spirits for the coming winter months. It is held on a day in the month of Ποσειδηιων Poseideion chosen by the neighborhood. The date was staggered so performers could make a schedule to attend several local festivals.

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

Gathering

The participants first make offerings (in a spot that's secluded from public view) to request the attendance of the spirits of any of their ancestors who are in a polluted state. Each participant places a cup of honey and water on the ground and turns their back on the chosen location. They then drop some mixed grain (e.g. birdseed) over their shoulder and kick over the cup of honey water. They should then walk away without looking back. This offering is supervised by a priest(ess) of Dionysos, Hermes or Hekate as they have frequent dealings with spirits and will be less effected by what they might see. (They also gather up the empty offering cups.)

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] Φιλομειδια Αφροδιτη [Feelo meed eea Afro dee tee],
Lover of laughter, lifter of the downcast,
Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Διωνυσος Βρομιος [Deeo nee sos Vrom eeos],
Noisy and boisterous, giver of ease.
Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Immortal Olympians,
Come join our festivities.

Presentation and Activities

The sacred herald should present one of the stories of Dionysos. This should not be scripted or memorized but related from memory. Any deviation can be noted and considered to be a message from an Immortal.

While the μαγειρος (acrificing priest, cook) prepares the feast, the participants tell jokes, riddles, limericks and funny stories. After (or during) the storytelling, games are played that are strictly for fun. (Many of the games historically played during this ritual were erotic in nature or athletics dealing with one leg. For the modern ritual, the physical abilities and the sensibilities of non-Hellenic participants should be considered. Use your own judgement.) Some suggested games follow:

Balloon Battle

Players start with a balloon tied to their ankle on a two-foot string. While attempting to protect their own balloon, each player tries to burst as many of the other balloons as possible, using only their feet. No balloon may be touched by hand. A player whose balloon is burst is eliminated and the last player left in is the winner.

Love's Knock

A male player leaves the room while all the other players are given names of ancient Hellenes at random, male names for the men and female names for the women. The outsider knocks, rat-a-tat, on the door, and the assembled players call out, "Who's there?" "It's Love," replies the outsider, "and I have something for Helen." (or Antigone or Semele or any other from the list of women's names.) Out goes Helen to join the Love who gives her a long, lingering kiss. She remains outside to be the next Love while the former Love returns to the assembled players. When the players have chosen new names, she knocks on the door and announces she has something for Ajax (or any male name). The lucky fellow goes out to claim his kiss, and then has a turn at being the Love. So the game continues until every player has been thoroughly kissed.

Men's Names: Achilles, Agamemnon, Ajax, Aristophanes, Aristotle, Cleon, Draco, Euripedes, Hector, Jason, Orestes, Pindar, Socrates, Solon, Sophocles, Xenophon

Women's Names: Althea, Andromeda, Antigone, Arachne, Ariadne, Atalanta, Callisto, Cassandra, Electra, Helen, Medeia, Omphale, Pandora, Penelope, Sappho, Semele

Drama School

One player is chosen to be the playwright and one player is auditioning for a part in the play. The remaining players are the chorus. The playwright commands the applicant to express various moods or emotions – anger, despair, panic, delight, boredom, pride, fear, enthusiasm, benevolence, lust, incomprehension, smugness, guilt, and so on – the chorus score each performance from 1 to 10. Each player is allowed full scope to use speech, gesture, and facial expression for their performances but are not allowed to touch any of the other players.

After the applicant expresses four emotions, another is chosen as applicant, the previous applicant becomes the playwright and the previous playwright joins the chorus. Play proceeds until each person has had a chance to audition. The winner is the player who amasses the most points.

What Nonsense!

This game requires each player to talk a lot of nonsense about a particular topic for three minutes. A list of topics is devised – as many topics as there are players – and each topic is written on a slip of paper which is then folded. Each player in turn chooses a slip at random and then has to speak for three minutes on the topic chosen. The player who attains the highest peaks of lunacy is the winner. Some possible topics are:

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 consists entirely of food eaten with the hands such as fried chicken, fresh fruit, cut vegetables and hand breads (rolls, cupcakes, etc.). Loaves of bread can be included provided they are torn apart with the hands rather than cut.

During the feast, one portion equal to what everyone else is having, is laid aside 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 festivities.
Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Διωνυσος Βρομιος [Deeo nee sos Vrom eeos],
Noisy and boisterous, giver of ease.
Σπονδη [SPOND ee] Φιλομειδια Αφροδιτη [Feelo meed eea Afro dee tee],
Lover of laughter, lifter of the downcast,
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

αγαθος δαιμων [AGA thos DEA mon]
good spirit, a guardian spirit, in the form of a snake, that protects the home and the community.
Φιλομειδια Αφροδιτη [Feelo meed eea Afro dee tee]
Laughter loving Aphrodite.
δαδοφορος [DA doe FOR os]
torch bearer.
Διωνυσος [Deeo NEE sos]
Dionysos, god of wine, masks and chaos.
Διωνυσος Βρομιος [Deeo nee sos Vrom eeos]
Dionysos the Noisy and Boisterous.
Διωνυσια [Deeo NEES eea]
festival of Dionysus, one of the four Attic festivals of Dionysus: Mikra, Lenaia, Anthesterion and Megala.
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.
ευφημια 'στω! [ee FEEM eea STO!]
Let there be solemn silence!, a proclamation of silence before a prayer.
Εκητι Ξθονια [Ek ee tee H thon ee a]
Hekate of the earth, guide of spirits on the earth.
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.
κανηφορος [kane foros]
basket bearer.
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.
Ποσειδηων [Po see dee on]
the sixth month of the Attic year, mid December to mid January.
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