I’m at home on another week’s vacation, doing all sorts of things. Another blouse. Sewing buttons on the blouse I made during my last vacation. Hanging curtains in the bedroom. Setting up a new altar.
The other idea I had – along with an actually usable Daybook – was a book of tales. It occurred to me a few entries ago that very few of us grow up hearing the tales that, say, ancient Egyptian children knew as they were growing up, or Roman children heard about Zeus and Hera and the Olympians. Or that Greek children heard about Koré and Dionysus. That Irish children learned about Brigit. Scandinavian children heard about Thor. Why don’t we all know the story of Isis and Osiris the same way we all know the stories of Winnie the Pooh? Or Demeter and Persephone? Instead of only celebrating the days that Iris traveled around the country, collecting body parts, why don’t we read the stories as well? And there are so many stories to learn! And so many gorgeous pieces of art that tell the story as well.
Here’s an interesting example: we’re in the middle of The festival of Nemoralia (aka Festival of Torches) which was celebrated by the ancient Romans either on the 13-15 August or on the August Full Moon, in honor of the goddess Diana. Diana is and has been worshiped, according to Grimassi, by Italian streghe, long before anyone even heard of christians.
Naturally, this festival was later adopted (translation: outright stolen) by Catholics as The Feast of the Assumption. I do love Ovid’s description of it, though:
"In the Arrician valley, there is a lake surrounded by shady forests, held sacred by a religion from the olden times... On a long fence hang many pieces of woven thread, and many tablets are placed there as grateful gifts to the Goddess. Often does a woman whose prayers Diana answered, With a wreath of flowers crowning her head, Walk from Rome carrying a burning torch... There a stream flows down gurgling from its rocky bed..."
On this day, worshippers would form a shimmering procession of torches and candles around the dark waters of Lake Nemi (Nemi, from the Latin nemus, meaning sacred wood or sacred grove), Diana's Mirror. The lights of their candles join the light of the moon, dancing in reflection upon the surface of the water. Today's festival is held in the Greek fashion.
Hundreds join together at the lake, wearing wreaths of flowers. According to Plutarch, part of the ritual (before the procession around the lake) is the washing of hair and dressing it with flowers. It is a day of rest for women and slaves. Hounds are also honored and dressed with blossoms. Travelers between the north and south banks of the lake are carried in small boats lit by lanterns. Similar lamps were used by Vestal virgins and have been found with images of the Goddess at Nemi, so Diana and Vesta are sometimes considered to be the same Goddess.
One 1st century CE Roman poet, Propertius, did not attend the festival, but observed it from the periphery as indicated in these words to his beloved:
"Ah, if you would only walk here in your leisure hours. But we cannot meet today, When I see you hurrying in excitement with a burning torch To the grove of Nemi where you Bear light in honor of the Goddess Diana."
Requests and offerings to Diana may include: small written messages on ribbons, tied to the altar or to trees; small baked clay or bread statuettes of body parts in need of healing; small clay images of mother and child; tiny sculptures of stags; dance and song; and fruit such as apples.
In addition, offerings of garlic are made to the Goddess of the Dark Moon, Hecate, during the festival. Hunting or killing of any beast is forbidden on Nemoralia. Can you imagine how beautiful that procession would have been? All of those torches and lights, reflected in the dark waters of Lake Nemi along with the light of the full moon? Two weeks ago, I should have reminded myself that this festival was on the horizon. If I didn’t have an offering, I could have made one out of flour-salt clay, and baked it. So I needed the flour, the salt, perhaps a cookie cutter, definitely acrylic paint to decorate the offering with ... all of this should have been already created and awaiting today’s festival! Being hit with this today, it’s almost too exhausting to contemplate, pulling this together at the last minute. Besides, I’m going out to a charity event tonight ... I hardly have the time to do anything.
Lake Nemi, by the way, is located in Lazio, Italy and is a beautiful, tranquil volcanic lake (see photo) – absolutely gorgeous. In fact, it still looks like it probably looked back then.
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