#adonia

Aphrodite & Adonis 

This illustration was inspired by a mirror at the MFA in Boston depicting Aphrodite shielding Adonis with her veil. The scene in the mirror has more urgency to it, but I wanted to convey something a little more playful and romantic. 

The myth of Adonis, a beautiful youth loved by the goddess Aphrodite, is central to this custom. His death at the hands of a boar was mourned, followed by his eventual resurrection or return.

Rituals included lamentations, usually by women, and in some places, the symbolic burial and then retrieval of an image of Adonis. In other places, the ritual might involve a young man taking on the role of the god; he would lay on the ground, mimicking death. After ritual mourning provided by onlookers, he would rise to his feet and be crowned with a floral wreath, symbolizing the god's return.

The myth of Adonis' death and rebirth, as well as the revival rituals, are often interpreted as reflecting the cyclical aspect of nature, particularly agricultural cycles. The winter months represented a time of death and decay, while the spring brought the revival of life and vegetation, represented by Adonis' return.

The Adonis cult, or variations of it, were practiced in Phoenicia, Greece, and other areas of the Mediterranean and Near East. These rituals were sometimes incorporated into broader spring festivals and fertility rites.

i, truthfully, do not think that with reconstruction you have to celebrate festivals on the exact date they were in Ancient Greece if you know the cultural context as to why they were celebrated then.

Let’s talk about Adonia - my fav holiday.

its origins lie in Mesopotamia - originally brought over to Greece through the modern day Levant and Cyprus. The cults of Ashtart and Tammuz likely brought those festivals into greece to mourn the death of Tammuz and his descent.

These were held in Mesopotamia around the late spring/early summertime. the land would become extremely hot, barren and dry. Since Dumuzid was a god of fertility - this was connected to his death as fertility was draining out of the area.

Now, Adonia, due to the climate of Greece being different than Mesopotamia - was set a bit later in the summer and shifted to acclimate to the Aegean climate. The weather being that dry and hot was incredibly important to the rituals taking place.

now - i live in florida. Central Florida. We are wet as FUCK.

i am going to do Adonia most likely in the next coming weeks as we shift into Summer. Late May is one of our hottest and driest times of the year here, and as florida gets deeper into summer - it gets wet as fuck.