Themis, a study of the social origins of Greek ... - Warburg Institute

Table of Contents xxv
CHAPTER V.
Totemism, Sacrament and Sacrifice.
The Kouretic rite of the Omophagia. The Omophagia a communal,
sacramental feast. Nature of sacrament best understood in the light of
totemism. Psychology of totemism. The word totem means group. Totem-
istic thinking expresses unity of human members of group, and community with
non-human members. Totemistic thinking a stage in epistemology. Totem-
ism reflects group thinking. The Intichiuma ceremonies. fie6e£is (participation)
precedes fiifirjcris (imitation). Idea of imitation supposes severance. Gradual
segregation of god from worshippers. Worship involves idea of segregation.
Totemistic thinking survives in Greek ritual and mythology. Instances.
Practice of tattooing among Thracians, theriomorphic gods. Sacrament
contrasted with gift-sacrifice. Sacrament necessarily precedes gift-sacrifice.
Eating the most effective form of sacrament. Food an early 'focus of
attention.' The Bouphonia as a primitive sacrament. The Year-Bull at
Magnesia. The Hosioter at Delphi. The dais or communal meal and the
thiasos or community. Dionysos Isodaites. pp.118— 157.
CHAPTER VI.
The Dithyramb, the Spring Festival and the Hagia Triada
Sarcophagos.
The bull-sacrifice on the Hagia Triada sarcophagos. Its object to bring
mana to fruit-trees. The Bird, the Axe and the Tree. The Bull-sacrament
of Atlantis, of Ilium. Sanctity of fruit-trees. Relation to Ge Karpophoros.
Sanctities of the Erechtheion analogous to those of the Hagia Triada sarco-
phagos. The Pandroseion and the Bouphonia and the Hersephoria. Sanctity
of Dew and Rain. The Moriae, Zeus Morios and Kataibates. The Hieros
Oamos of Ouranos and Gaia. ve. kvc. The Danaides. The Bird on the
Axe marks a Spring-Festival. Hera and the Cuckoo. Bird-Tree, Bull and
Maiden on Cretan Coins. The Bouphonia a Year-Festival. Meaning of
ivuarros. The Year and the Horae. The Spring as Hora. The Seasonal,
Lunar and Solar Years. The Charites as Horae. The Moon-Year and the
Salii. The Salii and Mars. Mamurius and Anna Perenna. The Kouretes
and the Sun. Satyrs and Helios. The Dithyramb as Spring- Song of the
Year-Festival. Dithyramb and Dithoramb. The 'Bull-Driving Dithyramb.'
Dithyramb and Tragedy. Song of Bull-Driving and Goat-Song. The
Epheboi and the Bull at the Great Dionysia at Athens.
Scene on the reverse of sarcophagos. Offering of bull-calves to youth.
Is he Dionysos or a dead hero or the Kouros 1 To answer question we must
consider another dromenon, the agonistic festival of Olympia. pp. 158—211.