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Demeter, Barley-Mother.
DAMAT6
[To Whom the second day of May, day 122, is dedicated]
Geography/Culture: Greek: Eleusis, Crete, Sicily.
Linguistic Note: Her name has been explained as 1) 'Grain mother' from delta-eta-alpha-iota, (deai) the Cretan form of zeta-epsilon-iota-alpha-iota, (zeiai) 'barley'. 2) 'mother earth', delta-alpha, (da) being regarded as the Doric form of gamma-eta (ge). Pronunciation based on delta-eta-mu-eta-tau-hro-epsilon-iota-omikron-iota (demetheioi) a term meaning 'the dead'.
Description: Mistress of the earth, the sea, the under-earth-world and (perhaps) the moon; Goddess of vegetal fertility, agriculture and all grains; She Who causes the plants and seeds to grow; She Who brings forth the fruits of the earth; Teacher of agriculture; 'White Goddess of bread', the corn-field and corn-mills; Introducer of civilization (all the blessings which agriculture brings in its train); Matron of marriage, birth, prophesy, health and healing; Mother of death; Instructor in Her own mysteries and worship.
Invocations, Pleas, Hymns and Other Homage to HER: Demeter
To Whom Sacred: barley (cooked and uncooked); seed-corn; ears of corn; poppy; corn-flowers; blue-iris (usually called narcissus); fig, tree and fruit; pomegranate; hyacinth; myrtle; asphodel; grove (probably of plane-trees); unpressed grapes; taboo on beans; barley-water flavoured with mint (ritual drink); honey-comb; serpent; serpent-drawn chariot; short-eared owl (into which She metamorphesized someone); crane (indicator of the weather); mare; horse; chariot drawn by horses or dragons (which She is sometimes shown driving); cow; ram; pig (sacrifice); lizard (into which She metamorphosed Abas); dragon; unspun wool; sacred-well; thrice-ploughed field (fertility rites); plough; winnowing fan; calathus (mystic basket filled with flowers, corn and fruit of all kinds); torch (associated with Her search for Core); falchion (golden sickle, new-moon sign -- Her consorts carried it when deputizing for Her); mirror (Her priestesses at Patrae give oracles to the sick from a mirror lowered into Her well by a rope); parasol; sciras (a sort of gypsum); male-sacrifice.
Her priestesses also initiate brides and bridegrooms into the secrets of the couch.
Festival: Aparchai, 'festival of first-fruits'. Chloeia, '{festival of the sprouting corn}', in the month of Anthesterion (early spring). Chthonia, '{Festival of the soil}'. Haloa, '{Festival of the Threshing-floor}'. Held in the month Poseidon (December). Proacturia, '{Festival before the rising of Arcturus}', (probably sometime in September). Scirophoria, on the 12th day of the month Scirophon. Thalysia, ----, a thanksgiving festival (autumn). The Greater Eleusinian Mysteries in the month Boedromion, (The Lesser Mysteries, in the month of Anthesterion, honoured Core alone). Thesmophoria, ----, the women's festival. {For more info. on fests. qv. notes on DGN/Demeter.}
Male Associates: sons, Iacchus, by Her brother Zeus. Plutus by Iasius. She is sometimes named as mother of Dionysus. She is associated with Poseidon.
<<<>>>
As Ta-Thea, The-Two-Goddesses,
Demeter, Barley-Mother and Persephoneia, Destroyer,
are a Dual Goddess of the corn mysteries.
See also Egyptian Neb-Ti, under Nekhebet.
<<<>>>
Demeter may be the singular name of a Triple Goddess composed of:
Maiden Core, Daughter, Goddess of the green corn.
Mother Persephoneia, Destroyer, Goddess of the ripe ear.
Crone Hecate, One-Hundred, Goddess of the harvested corn.
<<<>>>
Or She may have formed one person of a Triple Goddess composed of:
Maiden Iambe,, She-Who-Limps-Along,
Mother Demeter, Barley-Mother
Crone Baubo, Soother.
<<<>>>
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Title: Aglao-Carpos, below.
- Title: Achaia, {this may be a typo}.
- Title: Achaiva, below..
- Title: Alcis, Might (or title of Persephoneia).
- Title: Androcleia, Glory-of-Men (or title of Persephoneia).
- Title: Amphictyonis, President-of-Neighbours, but distinguished in Her Cycle of Transformations.
- Associated with Baubo, Soother, Who is linked with Iambe, She-Who-Limps-Along.
- Title: Brimo, Raging-One.
- Title: Cabiria, ----.
- Title: Chalcocrotos, [check spelling] Brass-Rattling.
- Title: Chloe, Green-One.
- Title: Chrysaoros, ----.
- Title: Chthonia, She-of-the-Soil, Who is linked with Zemelo,.
- Mother of (ie. younger aspect of Herself), Core, Daughter.
- Some see Her as reflecting Babylonian Dam-Kina, qv.
- Title Deo, The-Seeker.
- Title (also called Mother of), Despoina, Mistress.
- Title: Doso, ----.
- Title Erinys, The-Angry', Who is linked with the Erinyes, .
- At Lebadia She had the title: Europe, qv.
- Associated with: Iambe, Limping.
- Title: Ioulo, Corn-Sheaf, below.
- The Greeks identified Her (Demeter) with Egyptian Isis, qv.
- Title: Lousia, The-Bather, as Demeter-Erinus.
- Title: Mallophoria, ----.
- Title: Melania, She-Who-is-Black.
- Also called (perhaps short form of Her name): Meter, Mother.
- Title (and the name of Her priestess incarnation): Nicippe, see below.
- Title: Panachaia, ----.
- She may have been titled: Phorcis, when in Her sow form.
- Daughter of: Rhea, Earth.
- Title: Semne, see below.
- Perhaps title (perhaps Her origininal name): Thea-Meter, Mother-Goddess.
- Title: Thesmophoros, The-bringer-of-law-and-order.
- See also Tyche, Who sometimes carries Plutus (Ploutos).
- Title: Xiphoros, ----.
Source: Encyc Brit: Demeter; Graves GMv1 39, 43, 89, 90, 92, 94-5, 124, 129, 179, 201, 269, 288, 298, 329; Graves GMv2 100, 108, 153, 248, 258.
Achaiva, Sorrowing-One.
*XIV1
Alternate meaning: Spinner.
{ù Achaiva (Roman form of), transcrip var: Akhaia, Greek: Achae, Akhaeon, Boeotian. All this is muddle try and sort out.} {this too is part of the confusion ÄÄ> Ety: Akhaio(mikron)s, an Achaian, lat. Achivus. Bkhaio(mi kron)i, the Achaians or Greeks generally. Alfa-khi-alfa-iota-alfa, place-name in the Peloponese.}
Description: Goddess of {grief}.
To Whom Sacred: {the colour black; cave}.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Title of Demeter, Barley-Mother, above.
Source: IGEL 141; Graves WG 138.
Aglao-Carpos, Bearing-Beautiful-and-Goodly-Fruits.
*GL10-K*P0S
Geography/Culture: Greek.
Linguistic Note: h-gamma-lambda-alfa-omikron-sigma, 'splendid, shining, bright, beautiful'.
Description: Goddess of vegetation; Giver of the fruits of the earth.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Title of Demeter, Barley-Mother, above.
Source: IGEL/6.
Cabiria, ----.
K1BYRY1
Geography/Culture: Greek: Thebes.
Description: Goddess of the dead;
Male Associates: {perhaps Mother of the Cabiri}.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Title of Demeter, Barley-Mother, above.
- prob. var. Kabiro.
Source: Neumann GM 325.
Cabiro, ----.
K1BYRO
Geography/Culture: Greek. Probably from Prygia.
Description: Goddess of fertility;
Male Associates: sons, the Cabiri.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Probably variant of Cabiria.
Source: Neumann GM 324.
Chalcocrotos, Brass-rattling.
X*LK0KR0TOS
Geography/Culture:
Greek.
Linguistic Note: Greek orthography xàlkokpoços (khalkokrotos).
Description: Goddess of the earth.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Title of Demeter, Barley-Mother, above.
Source: EBv7 980-2.
Chrysaoros, ----.
XRÜS10R0S
Geography/Culture: Greek.
Description: She Who is a memory of the time when land was won and kept by the sword.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Title of Demeter, Barley-Mother, above.
Source: EBv7 980-2.
Doso, -----.
DOSO
Geography/Culture: Greek.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Title of Demeter, Barley-Mother, (above), as nursemaid to Demophoon.
Ioulo, Corn-Sheaf.
Geography/Culture: Greek.
Description: She Who is invoked by the iouloi, 'howls', of Demeter's devotees.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Compare with Svaha, Who is linked with Ganga, Swift-Goer.
Source: Stutley HDH 293.
Nicippe, Conquering-Mare.
NYKYPA
Geography/Culture: Pelasgian Greek: Dotium.
Description: Priestess incarnation of Demeter; Gaurdian of Her sacred grove; She Whose curse could cause perpetual hunger.
To Whom Sacred: trees.
Male Associates: consort, Sthenelus, Strong-Forcer-Back; son, Eurystheus, Forcing-Strongly-Back-Far-and-Wide.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Title: Amphibia, 1MFYBY1, Water.
- Linguistic note: related English word: amphibious.
- Daughter of Hippodameia, qv Dione.
- Mother of Alcino, ----.
- Mother of Medusa, Ruler, qv Gorgones.
Source: Graves GMv1 89; ibid GMv2 86, index; Kravitz WWGRM 164.
Semne, Holy.
S]MNA
add from 0thers-s
worked on: October, May 1995; July, February 1991; July, June 1990.
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