#calathus

[lionofchaeronea]

Attic ceramic kalathos (basket), decorated in the Late Geometric style. Artist unknown; ca. 750-700 BCE. Now in the Louvre. Photo credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen/Wikimedia Commons.

[dea-syria]

They show a sitting goddess wearing a calathus with a veil over it, holding a mirror, and facing her a youth dressed in the Scythian manner, drinking from a rhyton...iconographically, these compositions recall rather numerous representations of a seated Aphrodite holding a mirror...

This image has been variously interpreted as an image of the goddess being worshipped by a youth who drinks the sacred beverage, an image of a king or hero being invested with divine power, or a sacred marriage.

Mirrors were associated with weddings and feminine sexuality in Iranian peoples, and were a symbol of Aphrodite. They were also buried with Scythian priestesses and used in prophecy and shamanic ceremonies.

A calathus, or polos, is a cylindrical headdress or crown, usually found in depictions of Cybele, Rhea, and Hera.

A rhyton is a drinking flagon.

The Scythians drank unmixed wine and fermented mare’s milk and used both opium and cannabis in their religious rituals; but it seems that the latter two were smoked rather than drunk, so my best guess is that the Scythian ritual *drink* was alcohol.

[ladylucia19-blog]

Had some curious people ask to see the longhand pages from this recent Calathus upstate, so here they are. I wrote them in my trusty notebook with my trusty pen.

Actually, no. That pen is shady as fu--

[ladylucia19-blog]

Sneak Peek 

Calathus - Chapter Seventeen

Iari seems to have a secret. Of course he does. A guy that always disguises himself is bound to have one. Or two. Or many.

Right now the rest of the chapter is being written in longhand, but I hope to finish it up tonight and have it up by Sunday. 

While you wait, you can check this out if you haven't already! --> Calathus Website