In ancient Rome, the
month of May was associated with the ancestors and the dead in general.
According to Ovidius,
even the name of the month of May itself “Mensis Maius” derived from “Maiores”
meaning “the ancestors”. Because of the association with death, it was
considered ill-advised to get married during this month, just like it was
during the Parentalia in February. Also just like during the Parentalia: the
doors of temples were closed on at least certain days of the month of May. [I]
On May 9th
, 11th and 13th there were rituals associated with the
Lemures.
These vague entities were in any case associated with the dead. Depending on the interpretation, they were the spirits of those who died young, those who suffered a violent death [II] [III] or those who did not receive the proper funeral rites. [IV] This is a theme one can also encounter in other cultures.
These vague entities were in any case associated with the dead. Depending on the interpretation, they were the spirits of those who died young, those who suffered a violent death [II] [III] or those who did not receive the proper funeral rites. [IV] This is a theme one can also encounter in other cultures.
Origin Legend
According to one
theory, Lemuria was originally pronounced Remuria. Ovidius sees a connection
between these celebrations and Remus, the twin brother of the mythical founder
of Rome Romulus.
Remus was tragically killed and after the burial of Remus, his ghost was said
to have appeared before Faustulus and Acca (they were the adoptive parents of
Romulus and Remus that found the twins at the teat of a she-wolf and raised
them until they were men). Remus’ ghost appeared before the old couple and
pleaded with them to have his brother institute a day of celebration in his
honour. Faustulus and Acca communicated the request of their deceased son to
their still-living son and the latter complied: Romulus named these
celebrations “Remuria” after his twin brother Remus.[I]
Ritual
At a certain point
during the Lemuria the Lemures were believed to haunt the houses at night.
To appease these spirits
of the dead, the head of the household was to get up in the middle of the night
wearing shoes without knots.
There is also mention
of a certain apotropaic hand gesture that is often believed to have looked
something like this:
After washing his
hands with spring water, the head of the
household would avert his face
while throwing black
beans. At this point he would utter the following charm 9 times:
“HAEC EGO MITTO, HIS […] REDIMO MEQVE MEOSQVE FABIS”
Which means something
like:
“I cast these beans
and by doing so I redeem myself and my family.”
After that, he washes
his hands once again and produces some kind
of sound by striking or clashing bronze (perhaps pots or pans?). Once the shades have collected their offerings (being the beans) it is time to
ask them to leave. Again 9 times: the
pater familias shouts:
“MANES EXITE PATERNI”
Which means
“Spirits of the
ancestors, get out! “
He then turns his head
forward again and at this point the ritual is over. [I]
Setsubun 節分
Beans as a means to
ward off evil in Japan: Mamemaki 豆撒き
Beans are also used to
ward of harmful entities in other cultures:
In many households in
modern-day Japan, the father of the house dresses up as an oni (鬼 demon) at the beginning of February to scare
and/or amuse his children, who in turn will throw soy beans at him shouting
“Demons out, good fortune in!” (鬼は外！福は内！Oni ha soto! Fuku ha uchi!)
Sources
[I] Ovidius. Fasti. Book V (May 9).[II] Thaniel, George "LEMURES AND LARVAE" in The American Journal of Philology (summer 1973), The Johns Hopkins University Press: p182.[III] Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins (2014) Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. Infobase Publishing: p317.] [IV] Saint Augustine (2012) The City of God: Books 1-10. New City Press: p290, footnote 32.]
Sources
[I] Ovidius. Fasti. Book V (May 9).[II] Thaniel, George "LEMURES AND LARVAE" in The American Journal of Philology (summer 1973), The Johns Hopkins University Press: p182.[III] Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins (2014) Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. Infobase Publishing: p317.] [IV] Saint Augustine (2012) The City of God: Books 1-10. New City Press: p290, footnote 32.]
