978 1 84694 425 3 Myths of the Afterlife txt:Layout 1
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The Ancient Mystery Cults
one founded on the sacred “mysteries” of the gods. The Orphics thought that the human being comprised of a Dionysian eternal soul incarcerated within the confines of a flesh covered Titanic body. Through living a pure and pious life, initiates believed that the soul could be freed from its last mortal incarnation and actualize its immortal destiny—achieving the status and home of the deified soul. There is some reference to the fact that ritual sacrifice did not include animal offerings, as Orpheus taught the initiates to refrain from killing. However, ritual offerings were made, followed by prayer and sacred chanting. Part of the rites also included stepping in and out of a circle or enclosure that symbolized the wheel of life and then climbing a ladder, a motif that served to bridge the earth to the heavens. The Orphic rites of initiation and the history of Orpheus were recorded on small gold bars that were buried with the dead; and several of the inscriptions detailed instructions for the deceased upon their arrival in Hades. The initiates were reminded that they must drink from the Lake of Memory, rather than the Spring of Forgetfulness. Having drunk from the lake, the soul is rewarded for a pious earthly life and, along with other joyful initiates, enjoyed an eternal harmonious and pleasant afterlife state.
The Eleusinian Mysteries The myth of Demeter and Persephone is primarily a vegetation myth. Persephone’s descent and return from the underworld resulted in her being associated with the seasons. The time spent with Hades represented the fall and winter, when the earth would remain fallow and barren. Her return symbolized spring, regeneration, and renewal of the crops. Her mother, Demeter, revealed the sacred mysteries of the corn and both mother and daughter were personified in the symbolism of the corn. The old crops, represented by Demeter, gave way to new growth embodied in the figure of Persephone. 37
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