Page 16 - GALIET THESMOPHORIAS AND EUPHORIAS: Of Eyes and Funnels, Of Tracks and Traces IV

Galiet & Galiet
mixture was spread on altars to be scattered with seeds for a good harvest. Dillon reveals that this custom, explained by Clement of Alexandria and a Scholiast, recalls those pigs (a symbol of fecundity) that fell into a chasm when Hades took Persephone to Tartarus. Burkert ratifies this claim by saying that the “myth explains” the pig sacrifice: when Persephone went to Tartarus, the swines of the swineherd Eubouleus were also swallowed up. (243). Hence, Burkert explains that marriage to Hades is symbolic of the swallowing of pigs, which in turn, explains their sacrifice. Dillon, however, suggests a reversal: the myth seeks to explain why pigs were thrown into pits. In a way, Persephone can be thought to assume the role of the sow which is sacrificed and whose remains, when retrieved, becomes the nurturing essence for abundant crops. Another possibility might be that pigs are symbolic of women rejecting masculinity. As an example, Circe, the enchantress, turns Odysseus’ men into swine with her magic Dionysian spell (Odyssey, Book 10).
Though women-slayers were encountered at the Thesmophoria (Battos of Cyrene, Pausanias), Dillon believes that women were capable of slaying animals except for the notion that they ought not to kill (115). For example, at the Thesmophoroi in Lakonia women ate pigs. I shall add that if women, aristocratic and non-aristocratic, were in charge of cooking, they were perfectly capable of killing animals as is seen today in many parts of the underdeveloped world. Not to mention that Clytemnestra, Medea and Denaeira wielded axe and sword: masculine weapons. Clytemnestra kills her husband, Medea murders her children and Denaeira kills herself. However, Detienne argues that women don’t wield sacrificial implements (116); they were bread and biscuits bakers.
Burkert’s main witness’ text speaks of “unspeakable things are made up of dough:” models of snakes and male phalluses. In addition to the dough, the bailers take down pine branches. This is called fertility-mix by Dillon and
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