Nowadays we gather to go to a
special place where to “taste” the wine and explore what we feel – not only
the organoleptic assessment, the equilibrium among the different elements
of the content of the wine, but also something deep in our soul, appearing
after drinking this liquid containing the body of the god Dionysus.
In the past it was a sacred initiation in the doctrine of immortality - a mystic and very complex philosophical system, famous as “orpheuism”. In the old paintings this ritual is presented as a feast where the preceptor with a rhyton in his land and the initiated lay on the bed while the rest of the others drink from fials. That’s why the vessels are the main attributes in the mysteries.
What is more these preceptors in Greece presented the paradise that they promised to the initiated as an endless feast. They said that after opening the death’s door the soul of the initiated had to choose the source of memory and drink from the pure, not mixed wine in order to take the right way. These beliefs contributed to the formation of a public opinion for those preceptors as being drunkards.
The mythical Thracian tsar-priest Orpheus became famous with his music that could bring peace and harmony between the enemies. His songs gathered together herbivorous animals and beasts of prey. Orpheus arranged special halls around the country where his followers gathered for special “tasting”. That wasn’t a feast because men had to leave their weapons outside. That’s how the fest changed into a place for initiation into the sacred mysteries of the doctrine of immortality.
The great Dionysus’ games were organized in March which the Christian people later associated with the holiday of “The first week of Lent”, from where comes the association with Easter. For this time of the year we have a trip with a presentation of a show of “Koukeri” /Mummers/: ritual game for the change of the old with the New Year. A response of this ancient custom is the fire-dancing: dances on live coals.
In the past it was a sacred initiation in the doctrine of immortality - a mystic and very complex philosophical system, famous as “orpheuism”. In the old paintings this ritual is presented as a feast where the preceptor with a rhyton in his land and the initiated lay on the bed while the rest of the others drink from fials. That’s why the vessels are the main attributes in the mysteries.
What is more these preceptors in Greece presented the paradise that they promised to the initiated as an endless feast. They said that after opening the death’s door the soul of the initiated had to choose the source of memory and drink from the pure, not mixed wine in order to take the right way. These beliefs contributed to the formation of a public opinion for those preceptors as being drunkards.
The mythical Thracian tsar-priest Orpheus became famous with his music that could bring peace and harmony between the enemies. His songs gathered together herbivorous animals and beasts of prey. Orpheus arranged special halls around the country where his followers gathered for special “tasting”. That wasn’t a feast because men had to leave their weapons outside. That’s how the fest changed into a place for initiation into the sacred mysteries of the doctrine of immortality.
The great Dionysus’ games were organized in March which the Christian people later associated with the holiday of “The first week of Lent”, from where comes the association with Easter. For this time of the year we have a trip with a presentation of a show of “Koukeri” /Mummers/: ritual game for the change of the old with the New Year. A response of this ancient custom is the fire-dancing: dances on live coals.
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