CLASS 40 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Homeric Hymns, Kantharos, Maenad
Document Summary
Childhood initiation v. ritual initiation: separation, ritual initiation. Parade, procession: designed to take you out of your comfort zone, childhood initiation. Into a liminal zone: liminal zone, dietary rules don"t apply, not sacrificing: close connection between ourselves and god, reintegration, ritual initiation. Personal religious experience: coming back with an altered psychological state (better awareness of life and death) Going into the minds of the gods or too close to the actions of gods can drive you literally insane. Terms: maccus, symposium, kantharos, satyrs, maenads, thyrsus, semele, theatre of. Play in 4th century bc: walks on stage and talks to audience. God of drinking: when you drink the crater of wine and water, good ! Second crater is also good, tenth crater is madness. Wine drinking is good and relieves us of our normal conditions happier , but problem of going too far and having dionysus take you over. Image: dionysus holding ivy vines (grape vines) and a goblet.
