#hellenic reconstrunctionism

Isis and Demeter: Symbols of Divine Motherhood

Author: Vincent Arieh Tobin

excerpt from "The Library of History" by Diodorus Siculus, 1st century CE.

"The Sikeloi [Sicilians] who dwell in the island [of Sicily] have received the tradition from their ancestors, the report ever having been handed down successively from the earliest time by one generation to the next, that the island is sacred to Demeter and Kore; although there are certain poets who recount the myth that at the marriage of Plouton and Persephone Zeus gave this island as a wedding present to his bride.

That the ancient inhabitants of Sikelia [Sicily], the Sikanoi, were indigenous, is stated by the best authorities among historians, and also that the goddesses who have mentioned their first appearance on this island, and that it was the first, because of the fertility of the soil, to bring forth the fruit of corn, facts to which the most renowned of poets also bears witness when he [Homer in the Odyssey describing the land of the Cyclopses] writes:

"But all these things grow there for them unsown, and even untilled, both wheat and barley, yea, even vines, which yields such wine as fine grapes give, and rain of Zeus gives increase unto them."

Indeed, in the plain of Leontini, we are told, and throughout many other parts of Sikelia, the what men call "wild" grows even to this day. And, [...] it is also to be observed the goddesses who made this discovery [Demeter and Persephone] are those who receive the highest honour among the Sikeloitai.

Again, the fact that the Abduction of Kore took place in Sikelia is, men say, proof most evident that the goddesses made this island their favourite retreat because it was cherished by them before all others. And the Abduction of Kore, the myth relates, took place in the meadows of the territory of Enna. The spot lies near the city, a place of striking beauty, for its violets and every other kind of flower and worthy of the goddess. And the story is told that, because of the sweet odour of the flowers growing there, trained hunting dogs are unable to hold their trail, because their natural sense of smell is balked. And the meadows we have mentioned is level in the centre and well-watered throughout, but on its periphery it rises high and falls off with precipitous cliffs on every side. And it is conceived of as lying in the very centre of the island, which is the reason why certain writers call it the navel of Sikelia.

Near to it are also sacred groves, surrounded by marshy flats, and a huge grotto which contains a chasm which leads down into the earth and opens up to the north, and through it, the myth relates, Plouton, coming out with his chariot, effected the Abduction of Kore. And the violets, we are told, and the rest of the flowers which supply the sweet odour continue to bloom, to one's amazement, throughout the entire year, and so the whole place is one of flowers and delight. [1]

Kore, we are told, received as her portion the meadows around Enna, but a great fountain was made sacred to her in the territory of Syrakousa [modern day Syracuse, Sicily] and given the name Kyane or "azure front." For the myth relates that it was near Syrakousa that Plouton effected the Abduction of Persephone and took her away in his chariot, and that after cleaving the earth asunder, he himself descended into Haides, taking along with him the bride whom he had seized, and that he caused the fountain named Kyane to gush forth [2], near which the Syrakousans each year hold a notable festival gathering and private individuals offer the lesser victims, but when the ceremony is on behalf of the community, bulls are plunged in the pool, this manner of sacrifice having been commanded by Herakles on the occasion when he made the circuit of all Sikelia, while driving off the cattle of Geryones.

After the Abduction of Kore, the myth goes on to recount, Demeter being unable to find her daughter, kindled torches in the craters of Mt Aitna [Mount Etna], and visited many parts of the inhabited world... the inhabitants of Sikelai, since by reason of the intimate relationship with Demeter and Kore with them they were the first to share in the corn after its discovery, instituted each one of the goddesses sacrifices and festive gatherings, which they named after them, and by the time chosen for these made acknowledgment of the gifts which had been conferred upon them. In the case of Kore, for example, they established the celebration of her return at about the time when the fruit of the corn was found to come to maturity, and they celebrate this sacrifice and festive gathering with such strictness of observance and zeal as we should reasonably expect those men to show who are returning thanks for having been selected before all mankind for the greatest possible gift...

That the Abduction of Kore took place in the manner we have described is attested by many ancient poets and historians. Karkinos the tragic poet, for instance, who often visited Syrakousa, and witnessed the zeal which the inhabitants displayed in the sacrifices and festive gatherings for both Demeter and Kore, has the following verses in his writings:

"Demeter's daughter, her whom none may name, by scheming secret Plouton, men say, stole, and then he dropped into earth's depths, whose light is darkness. Longing for the vanished girl her mother searched and visited all lands in turn. And Sikelia's land by Aitna's crags was filled with streams of fire which no man could approach, and groaned throughout its length, in grief over the maiden now the folk, beloved of Zeus, was perishing without the corn. Hence honour they these goddesses even now.""

[1] The lake in these meadows and reputed site of Persephone's abduction is now encircled by a racing track, the Autodroma di Pergusa. There is not much 'untouched' nature left. In the area of Lake Pergusa, you can find an archeological site known as Cozzo Matrice. This site houses the ruins of an old fortified village, walls constructed around the 9th millennium BC, a sacred citadel, a necropolis and the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Demeter, dating back more than 2,000 years.

If the female under discussion is not a well recognized goddess, one must decide whether to refer to her as a mortal woman (that is, a heroine), as a nymph, or as a member of some other group. It is, of course, made more tricky by the ambiguity of the term numphê, which can refer not only to the minor female divinities of the wild places but also to any nubile woman or, more commonly, to a bride. Occasionally, a numphê may be a mature, even matronly woman. When applied to a mortal woman, the term points to her status as a sexual being.

Below are enumerated the main criteria of the distinction between heroine and nymph.

Terminology used by ancient sources. Surprisingly often, the Greek sources take the trouble to identify nymphs. More often, the terms naiad and nymph are juxtaposed in order to make the sense unmistakable. 

Parentage. Nymphs are described with great frequency as the daughter of Zeus, of Ge, or of various river gods. Acheloös often figures as the father. Heroines, on the other hand, are normally the daughters of heroes. There are exceptions.

Mortality and death narrative. While the ultimate mortality of nymphs was debated among ancient authors, it was clear to the ancient that they enjoyed a superhuman lifespan far outstripping that of mortal men and women. Heroines were all too easily killed. The emphasis on their death is complemented by the focus of heroic cults at what were believed to be the tombs of the heroes and heroines. 

Gender restrictions and vulnerability to mortal men. The nymph is a highly ambiguous figure. Though sexually desirable, she is usually free of familial restrictions applied to mortal women and can rarely be fully domesticated. They may be sexually promiscuous, and they often act as the aggressors in ephemeral affairs with mortals. Sometimes these could be deadly to the male. Unlike nymphs, mythological heroines who indulged in promiscuity or violence are usually punished in one fashion or another. Moreover, their narrative often emphasizes their passive availability to men’s use and their vulnerability to male violence. 

Role in heroin genealogies and narrative flexibility. The nymph often played a role in local genealogies as the earliest, autochthonous ancestor and provided a link to and an implicit claim upon the land and its resources. This is in contrast to heroines, who may be virgins, wives, or crones, admirable or villainous, and who play detailed roles in the local myths. 

Associations with a water source. Nymphs regularly personify and inhabit springs, rivers, and lakes. One of their main mythic and cultic functions is to provide fresh water. 

Special functions in relation to gods. While the cult of heroines usually exist within a familial context, so that they are worshipped in conjunction with a husband or son, nymphs are associated with Hermes, Apollo, Pan, the river god Acheloös, and other deities. Their cult organization isn’t analogous to the family but to the relationship between a god and their thiasos or the chorus leader and chorus. 

Cultic functions. Comparison here reveals some overlap. The main area of overlap encompasses human fertility, childbirth, and childcare. This kourotrophic function can be further divided into concern for young children and for those approaching adulthood, a group of special interest to the community as future warriors and fertile wives. The participation of nymphs at each stage of this process is well-documented. Heroines may play a similar role, especially when concerns are given a civic focus. There are some divergences. Nymphs, because of their associations with springs, are often healing deities. Though there are several examples of heroes who heal, there is little evidence for heroine healers; this gap can correspond to the societal restraints on female physicians. Another area that nymphs normally don’t share with heroines is that of inspiration, and to a lesser extent, divination. 

Physical setting and significance of cult spaces. Heroines’ tombs and shrines, like those of heroes, tend to be strategically located in central spots within the city walls. Sometimes, they are literally focal points of the city. The cult places of nymphs, on the other hand, are as a rule associated with natural features: rivers, caves, and springs. Many, if not most, are rural. Exceptions abound, however. Both nymphs and heroines contribute to the community’s sense of itself in history. Heroines, on the other hand, are more likely to have civic functions of little concern to the nymph (political concern, for example). 

Objects commemorating cult. Two votive reliefs with well-developed iconography can be compared: one for heroines and one for nymphs. Sculptural conventions oppose the domestic setting of a banquet for heroic figures with natural settings in caves for nymphs, and familial relationships with “choric” ones. 

Other narrative or cultic motifs. Satyrs or silens, herding and pastoralism, caves, trees, bees, and honey are all common motifs in the myths and cult of nymphs.

None of these criteria should be employed alone or applied too rigidly, but taken as a whole they can provide a workable method for us to distinguish nymphs from heroines as well as from various minor goddesses, and they indicate that the Greeks generally did the same. Of course, there are hybrid cases of female figures who exhibit some characteristics of both nymph and heroine; there is no use attempting to force such individuals into one category or the other.