Lemuria (May 9, 11 & 13): Dealing with Harmful Spirits in Ancient Rome

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 9^th , 11^th and 13^th 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.  

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.]