PRESENTATION & ACTIVITIES
Almost all Hellenic group rituals include
some form of one or all of these additional
activities: theatrical performances, dancing,
games, contests or other group activities. These
vary with the type of ritual but the primary
purpose is building a sense of community.
FEAST
When the activities are over and the feast is
prepared, the sacred herald announces the feast.
This can be a simple announcement, or you
might use these lines: "When mirth reigns
throughout the town and feasters about the house,
sitting in order, listen to a minstrel; when the tables
beside them are laden with bread and meat and a
wine bearer draws sweet drink from the mixing
bowl and fills cups; this I think in my heart to be
the most delightsome."
During the feast, each person gets only as much
food as they can consume with a small portion to
be sacrificed in the fire. This should be carefully
planned as nothing of the sacrifice is to be taken
away. The sacrifices for each person consist of a
small portion of the food thrown on the fire for
Hestia, the unused portions (bones, skin, fat, etc.)
thrown on the fire for the honored deity. The
important thing to consider, for the feast and the
sacrifice, is that they are a sharing with the
Immortals of what they have given us. Therefore,
the food should be the best of quality but should
never be more than what is normally consumed.
Keep in mind; these are offerings to honored guests.
Just as in the libations above, daily devotions and
Chthonian deities are handled differently. Food
sacrifices for daily devotions consist of a few
morsels placed in the hearth fire and offerings to
Chthonian deities are never shared (they are buried
in their entirety).
CLOSING LIBATION
Closing libations are performed exactly like the
initial libations but in reverse order (Olympians,
honored Immortal(s), Hestia). After the libations,
the sacred herald should announce the end of the
ritual with something similar to “Tharrei pant
agatha pepragamen” (“be brave for all good things
have come to pass”).
GLOSSARY
•  hestia - the hearth of a house.
•  pompe - solemn procession
•  sponde - drink-offering
•  temenos - a piece of land marked
off from common uses and dedicated to a
god
•  khernips - water for washing the
hands
•  khthonios - in, under or beneath the
earth.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Burkert, Walter. (1985) "Greek Religion" Trans.
John Raffan. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press. for more information, contact us at:
 Nilsson, Martin. (1940) "Greek Folk Religion"
Hellenion@hellenion.org
Philadelphia, PA: Columbia University Press.
NOTE: Some of the practices mentioned in this
brochure are specific to one particular Demos
and are provided as examples only. The rituals of
other demoi within Hellenion may vary.
INTRODUCTION
Hellenic ritual is most often for the purpose of
asking the Immortals to intervene in our lives, to
thank them for past interventions or to generally
honor and recognize them. The most common
forms of ritual are daily devotion, honoring of the
Olympians and prayers to a Chthonian. The
structure of a Hellenic ritual usually consists of a
procession, purification of the people, purification
of the sacred area, lighting the hearth fire, initial
libations, presentations and activities, a feast shared
with the Immortals and closing libations.
Throughout the ritual, the clerical “roles” can be
performed by anyone that is respectful of the
Immortals and knowledgeable of their functions.
Each of these clerical functions can be performed
by a different participant and/or more than one
function can be performed by the same person. In
Hellenic ritual there is always more emphasis on
what is done rather than what is said and, being a
community focused religion, it is important that
each person participates to some extent.
PROCESSION
: Processions are usually found in the
festivals to honor the Olympians and the purpose
is to separate the sacred from the profane.
In historical times, the procession was from the
Hestia (community hearth) or from the city gates to
the place of worship. Along the way, the parade
would pick up many others to join the parade and
the celebration. In modern times, a procession
should be from a place symbolic of the center of
town, from the edge of town, o r f r o m a
d e s i g n at ed s p o t i n o r o u t s i d e yo u r
home to the location of the ritual.
PURIFICATION OF PEOPLE
: The other separation between the sacred
and the profane is the purification of the people.
This is a part of every ritual since nobody should
appear before the Immortals in a polluted state.
Fulfilling a clerical role in a ritual to honor the
Immortals sometimes requires a more extensive
purification with periods of abstinence, fasting, and
avoidance of things dealing with birth and death.
Abstinence and fasting is not due to sex or food
being inherently evil but to enhance any sexual
experience or food consumed within the ritual.
Avoidance of things dealing with birth and death is
to rid oneself of evil spirits who are attracted by the
beginning and end of life.
For others attending a ritual and for daily
devotional rituals, washing hands with lustral water
and banishing evil spirits, is sufficient purification.
Lustral water, as in most religions, consists of a
blessed salt-water solution. In Hellenic beliefs,
lustral water can also be created by placing a
burning firebrand into the water (this should be
done very carefully since burning wood sometimes
explodes). The cleric pours lustral water over the
hands of the participant while they say a banishing
phrase such as, “Ekas! Ekas! Esti bebeloi!” (Far
off! Far off! Even to the profane!”).
PURIFICATION OF AREA
: Any area purified for the purpose of
Hellenic ritual work is a “sacred area”. The cleric
can purify an area through several acts. One
example is by sprinkling around natron (a mixture
of salt and baking soda). One may also toss
barley on the area. This is usually done for any
ritual dealing with the Immortals but is sometimes
omitted for a simple daily devotion.
LIGHTING THE HEARTH FIRE
: While lighting the hearth fire, the cleric
purifies the hearth by what they do and/or say.
Similar to purifying the area, one may toss
incense or barley into the fire, or make a
statement. Many prefer to do both
simultaneously.
INITIAL LIBATIONS
: Libations are drink offerings shared with
the Immortals. They usually consist of wine mixed
equally with spring water but can also be made
from grape juice mixed with water, milk or olive
oil. The choice of libation is made by the group as
everyone uses the same drink for the offering. The
cleric serves participants with the same amount of
the libation (about a half-pint each) into their
drinking bowl.
For each libation, the participants announce whom
the libation is for (i.e. “Libation to Hestia, always
the first and the last”), pour a little of the libation
onto the ground (or into a libation bowl to be
poured onto the ground later) and drinks a little of
the libation. There are always a t least three
libations (and there may be more). The first is to
Hestia, the second to the Immortal(s) honored at the
current ritual and the last to the Olympians as a
group.
Libations for daily devotions and to Chthonian
deities are slightly different. For daily devotions, a
few drops are sprinkled on the floor for the
Agathos Daemon (good spirit and guardian of the
house). Libations to Chthonian deities are not
shared (the entire libation is poured on the ground)
and not witnessed (libations are made behind the
back and the person walks away without looking
back).