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TexasMadness Profile
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Registered: 03-2007
Location: Austin, Texas
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Adonia


Adonia is a Greek festival in honor of Adonis and Aphrodite. The exact date of the festival is still disputed today as it was either celebrated in the late spring or during the dog days of the summer. Franz Cumont, a famous Belgian archaeologist and historian set the date of this festival to be July 19 though it was most likely originally a moving holiday. As this date falls so close to the full moon of July this year, I like to think that perhaps it fell on the first full moon after the Summer Solstice.

The legend of Adonis varies from culture to culture and has changed over time. I will present one story here. Myrrha, daughter of the King of Syria, was permeated with lust for her father, Theias, by the goddess of love, Aphrodite. With the help of her maid, Myrrha seduced her father under the cover of night and lay with him. He discovered the deception and flew into a rage, chasing Myrrha with a knife. Aphrodite transformed the young woman into a myrrh tree to save her. When her father struck the tree with an arrow, Adonis was born forth.

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The Birth of Adonis


Aphrodite took the infant to Persephone in the Underworld. When Adonis was a young man, Aphrodite returned and found him to be irresistible. A terrible fight broke out between Aphrodite and Persephone and Zeus was forced to intervene. He determined that Adonis was to spend 4 months in the Underworld with Persephone followed by 4 months with Aphrodite. The remaining 4 months of the year, he could stay with whomever he chose. He chose Aphrodite.

Adonis was rather foolhardy however. When Aphrodite left him one day to attend to other matters, she warned him not to hunt for animals that showed no fear. Adonis did not heed this advice. He caught sight of a wild boar that watched him intently and approached him. Adonis tried to kill the boar but was gored by his tusks. The boar was truly Ares, another of Aphrodite’s lovers, in disguise. Ares had grown jealous of his lover’s devotion to the young man.

Image
The Death of Adonis, by Giuseppe Mazzuoli, 1709 (Hermitage Museum)


Aphrodite found the dying Adonis lying in a pool of blood. She mourned the loss and sprinkled his blood on the ground and gave it a new life as the Anemone.

Adonis was returned to the underworld, where Persephone dwelt. After a year, Aphrodite realized what had happened. She was furious and demanded that Zeus return Adonis to her. Zeus agreed to a more fair arrangement the second time. Adonis was to spend half the year with Persephone and half the year with Aphrodite.


The festival was observed chiefly by the women of Greece. Typically it took place over two days and was celebrated differently throughout the region. In one area, the first day was a day of mourning the death of Adonis followed by a day of celebrating his return. Conversely, other regions first celebrated the marriage of Adonis and Aphrodite and mourned his death on the following day.

Frequently, women planted fast germinating gardens of rye and other grains in shallow bowls and took them up to the roof tops (where the women would also drink their wine). The plants grew quickly but die just as fast as the shallow dishes did not have enough water. Some have interpreted this to be a celebration or acknowledgment of the ephemeral sexual nature of Adonis and males in general.

Image
Women carrying small bowl gardens and wine up ladders to the rooftops


For me, this holiday does have some significance. It ties in with July being our driest month and the fact that plants will not survive long. Adonis is supposed to be a dying vegetation god. And trust me, I know about dying vegetation these days! But alas, I did not get up on the rooftop and drink wine! emoticon
7/21/2008, 2:24 pm Link to this post Send Email to TexasMadness   Send PM to TexasMadness
 
Firlefanz Profile
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Registered: 05-2003
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Re: Adonia


Thanks, TM, for bringing this up. Very interesting!

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- Firlefanz


7/21/2008, 4:19 pm Link to this post Send Email to Firlefanz   Send PM to Firlefanz Blog
 
Saijen SilverWolf Profile
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Registered: 10-2004
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Re: Adonia


I don't think I've ever heard this version..and I took Mythology as an English course in Highschool! Very interesting....and enjoyable to read!!!
Thanks Texas!!

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Blessed Be,
~*~ Saijen ~*~

~~*~~ .~~*~~
7/22/2008, 5:10 am Link to this post Send Email to Saijen SilverWolf   Send PM to Saijen SilverWolf Yahoo
 


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