Magna Graecia

Hekate in Magna Graecia: Morgantina

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Morgantina

Morgantina was a province in Enna, Sicily, which is roughly in the east-center of the island. Morgantina was settled sometime around 1000 BCE and life continued there until around 50 CE. In present day, the area is known as “Aidone”. Morgantina was the site of a major sanctuary to Demeter and Persephone, and many statues, votives, pottery, and curse tablets have so far been recovered at the site. Sadly, much looting was done here and artifacts are still being recovered and returned to Italy in present-day.

Remains of the sanctuary of Demeter & Persephone, and a Greek theater beyond the sanctuary. Image from Wikimedia Commons

Morgantina was home to a major sanctuary dedicated to Demeter and Persephone, the excavated remains of one may be seen in the above photo. Researchers discovered that there were actually five separate sanctuaries in Morgantina dedicated to Demeter and Persephone, and each one likely served different functions. They were located on each directional side (north, south, east, and west). Morgantina is near Pergusa, which is where Persephone was abducted by Hades. A main sanctuary, referred to as the “thesmophorion” to celebrate the Eleusinian mysteries, comprised of several different rooms, some of which were believed to be living quarters for the temple priestesses. Many different votive offerings were found surrounding the altars, and they mostly consisted of figurines and vases. Also found at the site were statues & busts of the goddesses, ritual clay lamps, and hair accessories. Some of the statues found show Persephone holding a piglet and torches. Other artifacts were found within the sanctuary, including items used for pressing oil and wine, and for grinding corn and other grains.

As seen in other sanctuaries to Demeter and Persephone, the main sanctuary at Morgantina has a propylon dedicated to a Chthonian goddess, possibly Hekate or Persephone. This propylon contains a pit in the ground for offerings (a “botros”), and a cylindrical stone altar. Animal bones (likely from pigs) and pottery votive offerings have been found within the botros.

Propylon dedicated to a Chthonian goddess, showing a round altar and botros (offering pit). Public domain image from Wikipedia

Several lead curse tablets have also been found at Morgantina, and most have been unearthed from the offering pit in the sanctuary / propylon to the still-unnamed Chthonian goddess. One tablet, pictured below, is part of a group of four tablets all cursing a slave named Venusta, and asking the gods of the Underworld to take her to their realm of the dead.

Curse Tablet, about 100 B.C., found in Morgantina, Sicily. Lead, 3 11/16 x 1 13/16 in. (9.4 x 4.6 cm). Museo Archeologico Regionale of Aidone. Photo from Getty Images.

I hope you enjoyed this short essay on Hekate in Magna Graecia: Morgantina. I will expand on this specific topic of Morgantina in the future.

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Demeter and the Madonna Addolorata

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Exploring the Misteri di Trapani and Demeter’s Search for Persephone

Trapani (sometimes referred to as “Drepana”) is a city on the northwest tip of Sicily, and was founded by the Elymians approximately 3rd century BCE. There are a few legends as to the founding of Trapani (near Eryx / Erice), and one of them involves Demeter’s search for Persephone after her abduction by Hades. According to the legend, Demeter dropped her sickle while searching for Persephone, which would explain why the coastal land resembles the curved blade of a sickle.

Sicily was once known as Magna Graecia, and the echoes of that past are evident just about everywhere you go on that magical island. Even though Catholicism became the dominant religion in Italy, the “old ways” were kept by rural peasants especially in Sicily, and were disguised as Catholic to keep up appearances. One such practice is the veneration of the Black Madonna. The Catholic Church has a simplistic explanation for Black Madonnas – mostly that the statues / icons of the Virgin Mary “aged” over the years, darkening the coloring of the icon. But those who know, know that the Black Madonna is the divine feminine – a concept carried over from the old ways. We know Her by many names: Dark Mother, Demeter, Melaina, etc. The Catholic Virgin and Child is said by many to actually represent Demeter and Persephone, especially in Sicily where the Eleusinian Mysteries were carried out long ago in places like Selinunte and Locri. The story of Demeter and Persephone – from Persephone’s abduction to Demeter’s search for her – has been kept alive in Sicily in various ways, and one can find echoes of that in the annual Easter procession in Trapani.

Misteri

The Procession of the Mysteries in Trapani started over 400 years ago and people come from far and wide to witness this event every year. Near the end of Holy Week, on Good Friday (as of this writing in 2022 that day falls on April 15th), the procession begins with many floats depicting the passion and death of Christ. Each statue represents each station of the cross along the Via Dolorosa (“sorrowful road”), and the statues are usually crafted by local artisan guilds. In Trapani, there are two processions for the Holy Mother: an official church procession for the “white” Madonna Addolorata (“sorrowful mother”); and a second procession of the Black Madonna – the divine feminine. 

Many women of Sicily, to the dismay of the Catholic church, have always venerated the Black Madonna, sometimes in secret. To these women, the Black Madonna represents the divine feminine presence in all women and creation; the powerful Earth Mother whose blackness represents the dark, fecund earth and fertility. Simply, the Black Madonna is the protectress of the poor and marginalized people of society, and is called upon for social justice and righting wrongs. She is also the Dark Mother; the powerful force of life, death, and rebirth.

With the traditional Good Friday procession that includes the Madonna Addolorata, the statues of the son and mother separate at the beginning before the son begins the way of the cross that leads to his death. This is a solemn procession, with the mother cloaked in her dark mantle desperately searching for her beloved son. This scene transcends religions and cultures and is such a powerful display that evokes ancient, ancestral memories. During these mysteries, the statue of the Madonna is joined by a statue of John the evangelist (a saint, believed by some to be one of the Apostles), and they are carried all over town in search of the son. The Holy Week mysteries come to a conclusion on Easter Sunday, when the son is resurrected/reborn and reunited with his mother.

Madonna Addolorata, photo by Processione dei Misteri di Trapani

Eleusinia

Trapani is not that far from Enna, where according to Sicilian lore Persephone was abducted by Hades on the shores of Lake Pergusa while she was picking flowers with her maidens. The story of Persephone’s abduction and Demeter’s search for her is told in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Hekate assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, with her torches illuminating the way. During this time, Demeter caused all crops to wither and trees and flowers went dormant while Persephone was in the underworld with Hades. Eventually, Demeter and Persephone were reunited after Zeus intervened and tasked Hermes the Messenger to mediate between Demeter and Hades to make arrangements for Persephone’s return. Hades tricked Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds, forever binding her to the underworld. Hekate then became Persephone’s torch-bearing guide on her travels between the realms in the spring and autumn. The Eleusinian Mysteries celebrated the mysteries of life, death, and rebirth.

Eleusinian relief, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Photo © Melissa McNair, personal collection
Terracotta bell-krater attributed to “Persephone Painter”, 440 BCE. Hekate and Hermes, assisting in returning Persephone from the underworld. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Photo © Melissa McNair, personal collection

Κυανοπεπλος / Kyanopeplos

The Madonna’s search for her beloved son is similar to Demeter’s search for Persephone. Both mother figures are experiencing pain and a deep, aching dread. Their searches are wrought with sorrow, frustration, and grief. One may say, when witnessing the procession of the Madonna Addolorata cloaked in her dark mantle, that she held a quiet rage within her. Rage for being separated from her child, and rage for wanting justice.

Demeter’s grief over losing Persephone eventually turned to rage, when she caused all crops, plants, flowers, and trees to wither and die while she was searching for her daughter. She decreed the lands to be eternally barren while separated from her beloved Persephone. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, she is described as being veiled (“Kyanopeplos”), not unlike the Madonna, during her search for Persephone:

“Bitter pain seized her heart, and she rent the covering upon her divine hair with her dear hands: her dark cloak she cast down from both her shoulders and sped, like a wild-bird, over the firm land and yielding sea, seeking her child.”

“[Demeter mourning Persephone] walked behind . . . with her head veiled and wearing a dark cloak which waved about the slender feet of the goddess . . . “

Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter

The ancient Greeks associated this myth with the changing of the seasons from summer to dormant autumn with her abduction, and Persephone’s return to the world of the living with the return of spring. To this day, many Sicilians living on country farms make offerings to Demeter for bountiful harvests and express their gratitude for their prosperity and abundance during the growing seasons.

I hope you enjoyed this short blog post about the magical Misteri, and that it has perhaps inspired you to delve into the mysteries of the Black Madonna and her connections to Demeter and Hekate. Sicily is forever in my heart, my soul, and in my bones. It is my ancestral land; the history, the lore, the ancient memories are etched within me. I have been a devotee of Hekate for many years, and Demeter and Persephone are close to my heart as well.

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My Breath, My Body

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Valley of the Temples, Agrigento Sicily

One day, I will set foot on the land of my ancestors

I long to be where they once lived and breathed

I want to lay down on the Earth, with my head in the grass

And feel the energy of the land and of those who have gone before

I yearn to stand in that valley among the olive and almond groves

What do they remember? Trees remember.

I want to root myself to the Earth, and stand tall

Power building

Hear the whispers of the wind

Among the temple ruins, I stand

The echoes of the memories of those who have gone before

Voices on the wind, asking for remembrance

I feel their presence

My blood begins to sing the songs of the forgotten priestesses

The Women

Power building

Juno, Demeter, Persephone, Hekate

Their call is speaking to my soul

Running through the blood in my veins

Power building

Deepening into my bones

My breath, my voice will sing their names

My breath, my body honors them

Always

Remember

© Melissa McNair / The Torch and Key

The Sanctuary of Demeter Malophoros, Selinunte (Part I)

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The ancient Greek community of Selinunte was founded as a sub-colony of Megara Iblea in 651-650 BCE. One of the first sacred sites in the western Sicilian city, which is considered one of the world’s largest archaeological zones, is the Santuario della Malophoros or the Sanctuary of the Fruit Bearer. “Malophoros” implies pomegranates or apples, […]

The Sanctuary of Demeter Malophoros, Selinunte (Part I)

Hekate in Magna Graecia: Locri

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Locri

Locri was a Greek colony of Magna Graecia, located in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Locri was the site of a great sanctuary to Persephone – worshipped as a protectress of fertile marriage. Pinakes (or plaques) unearthed at this site depict Persephone as “Queen of the Dead”, residing in Hades. Hundreds of votives, plaques, and other artifacts were found in the temple remains, dating back to about the 5th century BCE. The images depicted on these items tell Persephone’s story as it is described in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and Eleusinian Mysteries, including pottery tablets depicted Persephone and Hades, sitting side by side on their thrones as King and Queen of the Underworld.

The sanctuary dedicated to Persephone in Locri (also known as Locri Epizefiri) was described by Diodorus Siculus as one of the most famous of the sanctuaries in Magna Graecia. Persephone’s temple featured a propylaia, and possibly had underground rooms for chthonic rites. Based on archaeological findings, it is believed that the Eleusinian Mysteries were re-enacted here.

Outside the temple walls was another location for rituals – the Cave of the Nymphs, also known as the Grotta Caruso. Here, women would undergo katabasis (underworld journey); caves are a common location for rituals involving chthonic deities. Excavations of this site revealed stairs leading down into a subterranean area containing a natural spring basin used for ritual bathing, complete with an altar. Niches were set into the walls for votive offerings. Some of the votives uncovered included figurines of women, many of which were triple-headed (triform).

A very interesting archaeological find was discovered within Persephone’s temple – a pinake of a winged female daimon. This brings to mind the earlier mention of Angelos – the winged messenger/angelic chthonic deity who is identified with both Hekate and Artemis. Winged deities who travel between the worlds are typically messengers or guides of the dead and departed souls.

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Temple of Persephone remains at Locri – from Wikimedia

I hope you enjoyed this essay on Hekate in  Magna Graecia: Locri.

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Hekate in Magna Graecia: Bosco Littorio

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Bosco Littorio

This location, the Greek Baths in Gela in the province of Caltanissetta, deserves a mention although information is scarce. It is situated on the southern Sicilian coast, and some curious archaeological remains were found here. Named the “archaic emporium”, the remains of three stone altars dating to approximately 6th century BCE were found. One depicted Medusa the Gorgon, the famed sea creature of Greek myths who had snakes for hair and turned anyone to stone who dared to look at her. With Medusa were her children Pegasus and Chrysaor. Another altar depicted Eos (goddess of the dawn) kidnapping Thanatos (personification of death). The third altar is showing a trio of female figures but they have yet to be positively identified. All three altars are currently on display in the Regional Archaeological Museum of Gela.

It is also worth noting that some type of catastrophic natural disaster happened here, possibly a tsunami preceded by an earthquake, around 480 BCE. Numerous shipwrecks were found in the vicinity and no archaeological remains dated from after that time have been found there.

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Altar figure of a trio of females – Bosco Littorio – from Wikipedia

I hope you enjoyed this essay on Hekate in  Magna Graecia: Bosco Littorio.

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Hekate in Magna Graecia: Scyllaeum

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Scyllaeum

Scyllaeum is another colony in Magna Graecia, and was home to the mythical sea monster Scylla (or Skylla). Scyllaeum was located in the Calabria region of Southern Italy. The Hekatean connection here is parentage. In Appollonius Rhodius Argonautica, Hekate Krataiis (epithet meaning “rocky” or “mighty”) and the sea god Phorkys were parents to the sea monster Skylla:

“Ausonian Skylla (Scylla), the wicked monster borne to Phorkys (Phorcys) by night-wandering Hekate (Hecate), whom men call Kratais (Crataeis).”

Skylla was a sea monster that haunted the rocks in the waters off the coast, and any ships that sailed too close would lose their men to one of Skylla’s many monstrous heads. Skylla was situated between the coast and a whirlpool of Kharybdis, another sea monster that threatened ships in the waters off the coast. Another passage from the Argonautica details the warnings given against Skylla and Kharybdis: 

“[Hera commands the sea-goddess Thetis to guide the Argonauts safely past Skylla (Scylla) :] ‘And do not let my friends [the Argonauts] be so unwary as to fall into Kharybdis (Charybdis), or at one gulp she will swallow them all. Nor let them go too near the hateful den of Ausonian Skylla (Scylla), the wicked monster borne to Phorkys by nigh-wandering Hekate (Hecate), whom men call Kratais (Crataeis)–or she may swoop down, take her pick and destroy them in her terrible jaws. What you must do is so to guide the ship that they escape disaster, if only by a hair’s breadth.’”

Strabo described Scyllaeum as a projecting rocky headland that juts out into the sea, joined to the mainland by an isthmus that forms a bay on each side. The village is active today and is known by the name of Scilla, and boasts a little over 5000 residents. It is primarily a fishing village, and it is also an active tourist destination.

Scylla_Louvre_CA1341

Scylla as a maiden with a kētos tail and dog heads sprouting from her body. Detail from a red-figure bell-crater in the Louvre, 450–425 BCE. This form of Scylla was prevalent in ancient depictions, though very different from the description in Homer, where she is land-based and more dragon-like. Image from Wikimedia.

Castello_scilla

The Rock of Scilla, Calabria, which is said to be the home of Scylla. Image from Wikimedia.

I hope you enjoyed this essay on Hekate in  Magna Graecia: Scyllaeum.

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Hekate in Magna Graecia: Cumae

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Cumae

The Cumaean Sybil is a well-known figure in Virgil’s Aeneid, as well as one of the most well known oracles in Magna Graecia. Cumae was a Greek colony located near coastal Naples in southern Italy, belonging to Magna Graecia. The Latin word “sybil” comes from the Greek word “sibylla”, which means “prophetess”.  The Cumaean Sybil quickly became famous across southern Italy, and gained favor with Rome, with people coming from afar to hear her prophecies, much like the Delphic Oracle in Greece.

The Sybil was said to reside in a cave, and called on Hekate to enlist Her aid in necromantic rites, as written in Virgil’s Aeneid, where Aeneas was attempting to reach the underworld:

“[The Sibyl performs the rites of necromancy at the oracle of the dead at Cumae] : The Sibyl first lined up four black-skinned bullocks, poured a libation wine upon their foreheads, and then, plucking the topmost hairs from between their brows, she placed these on the altar fires as an initial offering, calling aloud upon Hecate, powerful in heaven and hell.”…..” But listen!–at the very first crack of dawn, the ground underfoot began to mutter, the woody ridges to quake, and a baying of hounds was heard through the half-light : the goddess was coming, Hecate. [A path was then opened for the Sibyl and Aeneas to journey on through the underworld.]”

The rites that the Cumaean Sybil performed to Hekate always took place within the cave in Cumae where the Sybil resided.

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Entrance to the cave of the Cumaean Sybil – from Wikimedia

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Hekate in Magna Graecia: Enna

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Enna

Enna is located in central Sicily, and according to Diodorus Siculus, is the famed mythical location for Persephone’s abduction, which was said to have happened near Lake Pergusa. Enna was one of the most prominent locations in Sicily for Demeter and Persephone’s cult. Near Lake Pergusa is an archaeological site known as Cozzo Matrice, where one will find the remains of a fortified village believed to be dated to about 8000 BCE. Other archaeological remains date back to a little over 2000 years old, and they include a citadel, remains of a necropolis, and remains of a temple to Demeter. Today, the area of Lake Pergusa is home to a park called “Proserpina Park”, named after Persephone (Proserpina or Proserpine is how Persephone was referred to by the Romans). Nearby, the Rocca (or Rocco) di Cerere Geopark is now known as the land that was once consecrated to the chthonian deities of the Eleusinian mysteries, and their power and presence is very much felt to this day.

The story of Persephone’s abduction and Demeter’s subsequent search is recounted in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, in which Hekate plays a very prominent role. It is also lays the foundation for the Eleusinian Mysteries.

Persephone was picking flowers, when Hades emerged from a nearby cave and stole her away to his realm in the underworld. Hekate and the sun god Helios witnessed this abduction, though Hekate did not see it happen; She only heard Persephone’s cries for help. Demeter wandered all over the earth for Persephone for nine days, and on the tenth day Hekate appeared before Demeter to tell her what She had witnessed, as told in this passage from the Homeric Hymn to Demeter:

“But when the tenth enlightening dawn had come, Hecate, with a torch in her hands, met her, and spoke to her and told her news: “Queenly Demeter, bringer of seasons and giver of good gifts, what god of heaven or what mortal man has rapt away Persephone and pierced with sorrow your dear heart? For I heard her voice, yet saw not with my eyes who it was. But I tell you truly and shortly all I know.”

Together, Demeter and Hekate went to Helios to ask for his help in finding Persephone. Helios told Demeter where her daughter was taken, but also tried to tell her that she should remain where she was. Demeter did not want to accept that, and continued to wander until she ended up at Eleusis, where she decreed that a temple be built in her honor. During this time when Demeter was in despair, the earth and it’s fruits wasted away. Zeus took notice of the suffering of the earth and it’s inhabitants, and arranged for Hermes to mediate between Hades and Demeter for Persephone’s return. Hades agreed, but, tricked Persephone into eating some pomegranate seeds, which then forever bound her to the underworld for part of the year. Persephone and Demeter were reunited, and Hekate joined them in their reunion. From that moment on, Hekate became Persephone’s torch-bearing guide to and from the underworld twice a year. One of Hekate’s epithets is “Propolos”, which means “guide”.  From the Homeric Hymn to Demeter:

“Then bright-coiffed Hecate came near to them, and often did she embrace the daughter of holy Demeter: and from that time the lady Hecate was minister and companion to Persephone.”

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Rocca di Cereri – Enna – from Wikimedia

 

I hope you enjoyed this essay on Hekate in  Magna Graecia: Enna.

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