Suarentaro writeup started
This is what I have so far. I need to fill in the chants and spoken prayers. Do you all think this needs more detail? I know some is needed, but how much? Comments and criticisms are welcomed.
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The purpose of this effort is to honor the gods in ritual, specifically Zeus, Ares, and the Dioskouroi. While Zeus has many festivals that have come down to us over the years, Ares has very few, and the Dioskouroi none. I’m attempting to rectify this situation and give the gods the rituals that They deserve. I have decided to call the ritual the Suarentauro, which is a combination of the Greek words for Swine (Su, expressed in such words as sueios (of swine), subosion (herd of swine), suagros (wild boar or sow, wild swine), etc.), Sheep (aren), and Bull (tauros). The word specifically echoes the same term that appears in two other Indo-European cultures; Rome (the sautraman), and India (the suovetaurilia). While the rituals are not exact copies, they are close enough to use as the bases for the ritual that I’m creating.
This is a highly chthonic ritual, meant to purify and bless. For a variety of reasons (celestial movements of Gemini for example), I believe the ideal time to hold this ritual as a festival is in May. The long version of the ritual/festival will take two days to complete, and likely for modern practitioners Friday and Saturday will lend themselves best to doing this (though Saturday and Sunday can also work).
I am designing this ritual with both the reconstructionist and the neo-pagan in mind. One may conduct this ritual as purely Hellenic, purely neo-pagan, or some combination. One may use the long version, or a shorter version. Depending upon the circumstances, one may conduct this inside or outside, alone or with a large group, on a farm or in an apartment. To me, the most important thing to remember is intent. In honoring the gods and asking Them to purify your place of residence and/or your lands, the circumstances and position aren’t as critical as the act.
Below is a discussion of the long ritual. After that I will provide suggestions on shorter or simpler rituals, so that users can adapt the ritual to their needs and circumstances.
LONG RITUAL
I assume that the long ritual will be held outdoors, in a yard or field. Adaptations can be made for an indoor ritual, which will be discussed. I envision this in my back yard on a patio that’s about 20 feet by 20 feet in size and next to both a deck and my house. Smaller areas are possible, as are larger ones. I mention what I envision as a reference; obviously you can adapt this to your circumstances.
Before the festival
If you are planning on a full festival with others, this ritual could be a bit expensive. Suggestions are made to reduce costs as I go.
You will need the following ready before the ritual/festival begins:
· Obtain the grains that you will need. These will be millet, emmer and einkorn, and barley. I suggest getting them pre-ground, but if you have a machine that can grind the grains into flour then by all means feel free to get the grains whole. For millet this is actually recommended by some sites, so that you can toast the grains before grinding them. Getting the grains whole allows you to obtain more of the ‘living essence’ from the grain, so if you can handle the grains whole and grind them yourself, that’s terrific. A combination of pre-ground flour, grains that you grind in a grinder, and maybe a handful that are ground by hand, may lead to a more meaningful experience as you work more closely with the grains during the baking and cooking process.
Places to get grains (as of this writing on 5/11/08) include http://www.bluebirdgrainfarms.com/ for emmer, and http://www.primegrains.com/index.htm for einkorn.
· Make sure you have three grills, or three places for fires on which you can cook meat. Having friends bring over small grills, or getting small ones cheaply, is fine.
· Purify or otherwise set aside a portion of your house or yard as ritual space. Purification or wards can include crystals, holy water, or other wards. You may set aside your entire yard or farm, or just a portion around the house and yard where you will be performing the ritual. Make sure to let the land spirits know they are welcomed to stay and are not excluded.
· A source of blood and meat. I have found a local farm that is also a private slaughterhouse and butcher that has agreed to allow me to collect blood from the pig, sheep, and cow that are slaughtered there regularly. If you do not have this available, another possibility is to find an Indian store that might sell Indian supplies. A veteran’s technician might also be able to help if they have a farmer who would be friendly to the idea. Finally, if you can find packaged meat with blood in it, that can also suffice, though the true nature of this is to try to obtain the ‘living essence’ of the animals, and the fresher the blood the better.
· If you are having guests and a full festival, make sure you have enough food supplies for all. In the place where you will be performing the ritual, have chairs for a few people. Also, have a container or tub where you can put dirt or earth. Guests can be invited to bring some from their own homes or areas, but you can also put together a ‘communal’ tub of earth as well.
· A ritual table and setup materials. If you’re doing a neo-pagan rite as well, this will be an altar for the god and goddess, and can also hold various items needed for the ritual. Smaller tables may be necessary next to each of the grills or fires as well.
· Make sure you have a proper outfit, white or light-colored, primarily of linen if possible. Cotton is also okay. This can be modern clothing if that’s what you have.
Day 1
If you are going to go to a slaughterhouse, you’ll need to have an early start. Otherwise, if you’re obtaining blood and meat from other areas you don’t have to start so early.
Begin by taking a normal shower, and then take a short ritual bath. A ritual bath should be done by using sea salt and purified holy water. From the Neos Alexandria website (http://www.neosalexandria.org/gerite_commentary.htm), you can obtain holy water in one of three ways:
Option 1: Gather the water from a river, lake, or spring or set out a vessel to collect pure rain water. Because this water comes directly from the divinities, it is considered holy by nature and requires no further preparation. You should, however thank the nymphai or spirits of the water for their gift, and leave something in return for taking it.
Option 2: Fill a bowl with water, either bottled spring water or from the tap. Drop a couple granules of natron (salt and sodium bicarbonate or baking soda) into the water and let them dissolve. As you stir the mixture together, envision the natron mingling with the water and purifying it as if with a golden light like that of the pure rays of the Sun, transforming it into a salty substance like the tears that Isis wept over her beloved Osiris, which removed the grime and blood and made his body fit for burial. If you choose, recite words to that effect over the water, or simply visualize the whole process.
Option 3: Fill a bowl with water, either bottled spring water or from the tap. Take a branch (can be of laurel or pine or some other sacred tree) light it - with or without saying a blessing - and then dip the flaming branch into the water, extinguishing it. The purity arises from the meeting of all the elements.
You can take a full bath, or simply wash your hands and face. Make sure when washing your face to put some water over your eyes, ears and mouth. If you’re taking a full bath, you can prepare a bowl of holy water and pour it into the main bath.
Dress in clean garb that you consider ritualistic for the day. If you’re going to a farm, obviously putting on a suit is out of the question. You’ll need to wear clothing for the place you’re visiting, but make sure it’s clean. You should sprinkle it with holy water before dressing, signifying its purpose for the day.
Once dressed, make an offering to Hestia. Whether you do this at your personal altar, on a hearth, or in the kitchen, make an offering of wine and some grains and recite the following: Hestia, highest Goddess among both mortals and immortals You in your eternal home are the one most revered of all Without you, we can hold no banquet, for yours is the first drop of sweet wine Poured out on the ground, and yours is the last drop, too, O’ Hestia (Homeric Hymn to Hestia).
Travel where you need to go to obtain the blood necessary. This may be a short or a long trip. If you can purchase part of the recently butchered animal to be consumed the next day, that’s terrific. If not, obtain meat at a local grocer. Either way, return home and begin cooking.
Mix the blood of the proper animal with the proper grains. For Zeus, mix barley with sheep's blood and make cakes or breads. For Ares, mix cow’s blood with millet. For the Dioskouroi, mix pig’s blood with emmer and einkorn. Recipes follow. You can use pre-ground grains, or grind them yourself. I suggest casting a circle around the cooking area, either using a neo-pagan method or again sprinkling holy water as you circle. Your cooking and preparation of the breads should happen within this area. You should make an offering to Demeter and Persephone before beginning to cook, and make sure to recite blessings to the appropriate gods as you work the cakes and breads.
You do not have to cook all of the bread this day, but some should be prepared and the rest cooked the next day. You want to cook as soon as you can to preserve the ‘living essence’ of the blood. These cakes and breads will be offered to the gods and can be shared with guests and you.
Keep in mind if you have to change clothes, to again use an outfit that is clean and has been sprinkled with holy water to purify it.
Day 2
-------------------------------------------
The purpose of this effort is to honor the gods in ritual, specifically Zeus, Ares, and the Dioskouroi. While Zeus has many festivals that have come down to us over the years, Ares has very few, and the Dioskouroi none. I’m attempting to rectify this situation and give the gods the rituals that They deserve. I have decided to call the ritual the Suarentauro, which is a combination of the Greek words for Swine (Su, expressed in such words as sueios (of swine), subosion (herd of swine), suagros (wild boar or sow, wild swine), etc.), Sheep (aren), and Bull (tauros). The word specifically echoes the same term that appears in two other Indo-European cultures; Rome (the sautraman), and India (the suovetaurilia). While the rituals are not exact copies, they are close enough to use as the bases for the ritual that I’m creating.
This is a highly chthonic ritual, meant to purify and bless. For a variety of reasons (celestial movements of Gemini for example), I believe the ideal time to hold this ritual as a festival is in May. The long version of the ritual/festival will take two days to complete, and likely for modern practitioners Friday and Saturday will lend themselves best to doing this (though Saturday and Sunday can also work).
I am designing this ritual with both the reconstructionist and the neo-pagan in mind. One may conduct this ritual as purely Hellenic, purely neo-pagan, or some combination. One may use the long version, or a shorter version. Depending upon the circumstances, one may conduct this inside or outside, alone or with a large group, on a farm or in an apartment. To me, the most important thing to remember is intent. In honoring the gods and asking Them to purify your place of residence and/or your lands, the circumstances and position aren’t as critical as the act.
Below is a discussion of the long ritual. After that I will provide suggestions on shorter or simpler rituals, so that users can adapt the ritual to their needs and circumstances.
LONG RITUAL
I assume that the long ritual will be held outdoors, in a yard or field. Adaptations can be made for an indoor ritual, which will be discussed. I envision this in my back yard on a patio that’s about 20 feet by 20 feet in size and next to both a deck and my house. Smaller areas are possible, as are larger ones. I mention what I envision as a reference; obviously you can adapt this to your circumstances.
Before the festival
If you are planning on a full festival with others, this ritual could be a bit expensive. Suggestions are made to reduce costs as I go.
You will need the following ready before the ritual/festival begins:
· Obtain the grains that you will need. These will be millet, emmer and einkorn, and barley. I suggest getting them pre-ground, but if you have a machine that can grind the grains into flour then by all means feel free to get the grains whole. For millet this is actually recommended by some sites, so that you can toast the grains before grinding them. Getting the grains whole allows you to obtain more of the ‘living essence’ from the grain, so if you can handle the grains whole and grind them yourself, that’s terrific. A combination of pre-ground flour, grains that you grind in a grinder, and maybe a handful that are ground by hand, may lead to a more meaningful experience as you work more closely with the grains during the baking and cooking process.
Places to get grains (as of this writing on 5/11/08) include http://www.bluebirdgrainfarms.com/ for emmer, and http://www.primegrains.com/index.htm for einkorn.
· Make sure you have three grills, or three places for fires on which you can cook meat. Having friends bring over small grills, or getting small ones cheaply, is fine.
· Purify or otherwise set aside a portion of your house or yard as ritual space. Purification or wards can include crystals, holy water, or other wards. You may set aside your entire yard or farm, or just a portion around the house and yard where you will be performing the ritual. Make sure to let the land spirits know they are welcomed to stay and are not excluded.
· A source of blood and meat. I have found a local farm that is also a private slaughterhouse and butcher that has agreed to allow me to collect blood from the pig, sheep, and cow that are slaughtered there regularly. If you do not have this available, another possibility is to find an Indian store that might sell Indian supplies. A veteran’s technician might also be able to help if they have a farmer who would be friendly to the idea. Finally, if you can find packaged meat with blood in it, that can also suffice, though the true nature of this is to try to obtain the ‘living essence’ of the animals, and the fresher the blood the better.
· If you are having guests and a full festival, make sure you have enough food supplies for all. In the place where you will be performing the ritual, have chairs for a few people. Also, have a container or tub where you can put dirt or earth. Guests can be invited to bring some from their own homes or areas, but you can also put together a ‘communal’ tub of earth as well.
· A ritual table and setup materials. If you’re doing a neo-pagan rite as well, this will be an altar for the god and goddess, and can also hold various items needed for the ritual. Smaller tables may be necessary next to each of the grills or fires as well.
· Make sure you have a proper outfit, white or light-colored, primarily of linen if possible. Cotton is also okay. This can be modern clothing if that’s what you have.
Day 1
If you are going to go to a slaughterhouse, you’ll need to have an early start. Otherwise, if you’re obtaining blood and meat from other areas you don’t have to start so early.
Begin by taking a normal shower, and then take a short ritual bath. A ritual bath should be done by using sea salt and purified holy water. From the Neos Alexandria website (http://www.neosalexandria.org/gerite_commentary.htm), you can obtain holy water in one of three ways:
Option 1: Gather the water from a river, lake, or spring or set out a vessel to collect pure rain water. Because this water comes directly from the divinities, it is considered holy by nature and requires no further preparation. You should, however thank the nymphai or spirits of the water for their gift, and leave something in return for taking it.
Option 2: Fill a bowl with water, either bottled spring water or from the tap. Drop a couple granules of natron (salt and sodium bicarbonate or baking soda) into the water and let them dissolve. As you stir the mixture together, envision the natron mingling with the water and purifying it as if with a golden light like that of the pure rays of the Sun, transforming it into a salty substance like the tears that Isis wept over her beloved Osiris, which removed the grime and blood and made his body fit for burial. If you choose, recite words to that effect over the water, or simply visualize the whole process.
Option 3: Fill a bowl with water, either bottled spring water or from the tap. Take a branch (can be of laurel or pine or some other sacred tree) light it - with or without saying a blessing - and then dip the flaming branch into the water, extinguishing it. The purity arises from the meeting of all the elements.
You can take a full bath, or simply wash your hands and face. Make sure when washing your face to put some water over your eyes, ears and mouth. If you’re taking a full bath, you can prepare a bowl of holy water and pour it into the main bath.
Dress in clean garb that you consider ritualistic for the day. If you’re going to a farm, obviously putting on a suit is out of the question. You’ll need to wear clothing for the place you’re visiting, but make sure it’s clean. You should sprinkle it with holy water before dressing, signifying its purpose for the day.
Once dressed, make an offering to Hestia. Whether you do this at your personal altar, on a hearth, or in the kitchen, make an offering of wine and some grains and recite the following: Hestia, highest Goddess among both mortals and immortals You in your eternal home are the one most revered of all Without you, we can hold no banquet, for yours is the first drop of sweet wine Poured out on the ground, and yours is the last drop, too, O’ Hestia (Homeric Hymn to Hestia).
Travel where you need to go to obtain the blood necessary. This may be a short or a long trip. If you can purchase part of the recently butchered animal to be consumed the next day, that’s terrific. If not, obtain meat at a local grocer. Either way, return home and begin cooking.
Mix the blood of the proper animal with the proper grains. For Zeus, mix barley with sheep's blood and make cakes or breads. For Ares, mix cow’s blood with millet. For the Dioskouroi, mix pig’s blood with emmer and einkorn. Recipes follow. You can use pre-ground grains, or grind them yourself. I suggest casting a circle around the cooking area, either using a neo-pagan method or again sprinkling holy water as you circle. Your cooking and preparation of the breads should happen within this area. You should make an offering to Demeter and Persephone before beginning to cook, and make sure to recite blessings to the appropriate gods as you work the cakes and breads.
You do not have to cook all of the bread this day, but some should be prepared and the rest cooked the next day. You want to cook as soon as you can to preserve the ‘living essence’ of the blood. These cakes and breads will be offered to the gods and can be shared with guests and you.
Keep in mind if you have to change clothes, to again use an outfit that is clean and has been sprinkled with holy water to purify it.
Day 2