The God of Wine: the Liberalia in Honour of Liber Pater / Bacchus / Dionysus and Libera

Who is Liber Pater?

On March 17, the ancient Romans celebrated the Liberalia in honour of Liber Pater and Libera.

Liber Pater is an ancient Italic Fertility Deity that is closely related to the Greek God of Wine ΔΙΟΝΥΣΟΣ 【Dionysos】 or ΒΑΚΧΟΣ 【Bakkhos】. [I] Through Greek influence, Liber Pater was also commonly referred to as Bacchus.

During the Imperial period, He was typically depicted as a young man with a wreath of Ivy berries and leaves on top of His head since He was a once hidden under some ivy leaves to protect Him from His jealous stepmother Iuno. [II]  By the way, artists of the renaissance period and later often mistook the leaves and fruit on His head for grape leaves and grapes, though ancient depictions of grapes in addition to Ivy berries in His wreath exist too.

In His hands, Bacchus often carries some grapes, a cantharus (Greek: ΚΑΝΘΑΡΟΣ 【kantharos】) filled with wine or a thyrsus (Greek: ΘΥΡΣΟΣ 【thyrsos】), which is a phallic staff with a pine cone or some vine leaves on top.

He often wears nothing more than a shoulder cloth, a leopard skin or a deer skin.

Who is Libera?

Libera is an ancient Italic Fertility Deity as well. As the consort of Liber Pater, She became associated with a mortal girl from Greek mythology called ΑΡΙΑΔΝΗ 【Ariadnē】: Right after she was abandoned on the island Naxos by Theseus, the slayer of the Minotaurus (Greek: ΜΙΝΩΤΑΥΡΟΣ【Minōtauros】. [III]

Bacchus found the beautiful Ariadne, sobbing on the beach. He comforted Her, one thing led to another and She ended up becoming His immortal consort. [IV]

Liber Pater’s retinue

Liber Pater and Libera are often depicted in the company of the following creatures:

・ a string of female followers called the Maenades (Greek: ΜΑΙΝΑΔΕΣ 【Mainades】)

・ the Satyri (Greek: SATΥROI 【Satyroi】), a race of men with pointy ears and a horse tails

・ Silenus, the father of the Satyri

As guests, we can sometimes also see the Gods:

・ Faunus and

・ Hercules as they followed Bacchus’ merry gang around during a certain period.

・ Here and there, Amor shows up too, perhaps to symbolise Liber Pater’s love for Libera, or, more generally, passionate emotions that are often experienced while under the influence of wine.

・ And then finally, there’s the large felines that help Bacchus and His friends to get from one place to another.

What did the Romans do on the Liberalia?

So how did the Romans celebrate the Liberalia?

First of all, there was the offering of liba, or honey cakes, to Liber Pater. Just like in the followers of Dionysos in Greece, followers of Liber Pater were often women and it was a priestess that presided over the ritual. According to Ovidius, it had to be an older woman because they love wine more than young girls do. [V]

Secondly, there was an important rite of passage for a number of freeborn boys every year on this day:

To symbolise the fact that they were leaving boyhood behind, they took of their “bulla” which was amulet that boys wore around their neck for protection. They would offer the bulla to the household Deities called the Lares.) The striped toga called the toga Praetexta was taken off and exchanged for a pure white toga virilis, a symbol that they were now free, adult citizens. [VI] [VII] [V]

The age that was considered appropriate for this rite of passage seems to have differed, but it was generally between the age 13 and 18 years old. [VIII]

Sources:

[I] Mac Góráin, Fiachra. "Dionysus in Rome " in Vanda Zajko et al. (2017) A Handbook to the Reception of Classical Mythology: Wiley Blackwell.

[II] Ovidius. Fasti. Book III 767.

[III] Ovidius. Metamorphoseon Libri. Book VIII:152-182.

[IV] Ovidius. Fasti. Book III: March 8.

[V] Ovidius. Fasti. Book III 762.

[VI] Persius. Satires: 5.30-31]

[VII] Propertius 4.1.131-2.

[VIII] Olson, Kelly (2017) Masculinity and Dress in Roman Antiquity. Taylor & Francis: p48.

Honorouring the Spirits of the Ancestors in Ancient Rome: Parentalia (February 13～21)

In ancient Rome, the month of February was a busy month when it comes to "feriae" (religious celebrations). Many feriae were related to the ancestors in one way or another.

From February 13^th to February 21^st , there were a series of rituals and festivities called the Parentalia. [I] During this period, the Spirits of the Dead, or Di Manes, were believed to come back to the world of the living. [II]

 

The poet Ovidius warned his contemporaries that neglecting the Di Manes, would have consequences: He wrote that once, when the Romans happened to be at war during the Parentalia, they failed to pay their respects at the tombs of the deceased and that night, the "Snimae" (Spirits) came out of Their tombs and voiced Their discontent, howling through the streets of Rome.

The people made sure to conduct the appropriate rites from then on. [III ]

However, even if the spirits were pleased, there was a certain danger associated with Their arrival, because -for at least a certain period during the Parentalia- marriages were not allowed and the temple doors were closed to shield the Gods from the spirits of the dead. [IV]

This kind of taboo also exists in other polytheistic traditions:

In native Japanese “path of the Gods” “Shintō”, it is also customary to shield the Deities from the pollution that is caused by the dead: When someone has passed on in a certain household, the household shrine known in Japanese as kamidana is covered up with a piece of paper for the duration of the mourning period. [V]

References: 
[I] Beard, Mary et al. (1998) Religions of Rome: Volume 2, A Sourcebook. Cambridge University Press: p122.[II] Ovidius. Fasti: Book II: 565.
[III ] Ovidius. Fasti: Book II: 548.[IV] Ovidius. Fasti: Book II: 557.
[V] hakkouden (2016)『神棚封じについて』”Kamidana-fuuji ni tsuite” on youtube.com < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mthNPy6wrfA&t=54s> (retrieved February 12, 2018)

Iemanjá: Afro-Brazilian Goddess of the New Year and the Sea

Happy New Year everyone!

On New Year’s Eve, we were fortunate enough to see some pagan rituals of a tradition that is very much alive. We went to Brazil and witnessed rituals in honour of Iemanjá, a Sea Goddess that is also seen as the Goddess of the New Year.

Fig. 1. From left to right: Pai João (a Preto Velho), Iemanjá and a "figa" (fig sign)

This Orixá (or Deity) has Her origins in West Africa, but is now also venerated on the other side of the Atlantic. Many African slaves kept worshipping the Gods of their homelands and passed down the religious rites to the next generations. [I]

These West African rites were mixed with elements of Catholicism and indigenous American elements resulting in the modern-day religions of Umbanda and Candomblé [II] that attract followers from all races and backgrounds [see video].

Fig. 2. Holiday decoration in a pousada in Paraty, Brazil (figurine of Iemanjá in blue on the mantelpiece).

In Brazil, Alongside Christmas trees and Santa Claus, one can often see blue and white Iemanjá-themed decoration in the hot summer month of December (Fig. 2.) and on New Year’s Eve, many people dress in white (or blue) and go down to the beach for the countdown and the ensuing party.

When we were there, we saw shallow holes dug by celbrants all over the beach, with candles, flowers, incense sticks etc. in them. It truly was an enchanting sight.

Fig. 3. Votive pit with candles and petals for Iemanjá on a beach in Boiçucanga, Brazil.

Regardless of their religion, many people throw a white rose (or a similar offering) in the sea for Iemanjá and then jump over seven waves, quietly making a wish for the coming year every time they jump a wave.

Iemanjá is one of the 7 main Orixás, but there are many more interesting divinities, spirits and symbols in Brazilian folklore. I particularly like the Pretos Velhos or “Old Blacks” which are seen as wise, benevolent spirits that were African slaves during their lifetime. [III]

One example of such a Preto Velho is Pai João or “Father John” [IV] who is typically depicted seated, smoking a pipe.(Fig. 1.)

Sources:[I] Boyce Davies, Carole (2008) Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora: Origins, Experiences, and Culture. A-C. Volume 1, Volume 2. ABC-CLIO: p257.[II] Jenkins, Willis J. et al. (2016) Routledge Handbook of Religion and Ecology. Routledge: p193.[III] Anthony Appiah, Kwame & Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2005) Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. Oxford University Press: p584.[IV] Molina, N.A. (2015) Livro de Feitiços de Preto Velho. Livropostal: p16.]