Dithyramb

Aurora/29 ● Thasos-focused Hellenic Reconstructionist ● Oathbound to Dionysus ● Devotee of Aphrodite ● Follower of Pan, Priapus, Apollo, Zeus & Hera.

[thegrapeandthefig]

Blog masterpost / FAQ

PSA 1: All posts written after August 1st 2020 are also posted on my Wordpress, as well as some chosen older articles. 

PSA 2: My posts are now available in audio format on Soundcloud. As of 12/12/2020, only posts written after November 1st are recorded, but I will be recording the older ones in the near future. 

So this blog has recently reached its 3000 followers milestone. Warm welcome to my new followers, glad to see you there. 

Because I suck at keeping a consistent tagging system, I’ve figured that maybe a masterpost would be necessary. If you’re new, you can refer to it and catch up with some of my older posts. 

About Dionysus

30 day of Dionysus Masterpost

About my oath to Dionysus

About my magpie UPG

About his aspects

About my worship of Dionysus + how it happened

Why pine is sacred to Dionysus

Debunking the 12 days of Dionysus

About the Haloa festival

Tips on how to take your worship to the next level

Tips on researching Dionysus’ chthonic aspects

My understanding of Dionysus-Hades: an orphic perspective

How NOT to act with Dionysus (or any god for the matter)

Dionysus’ less known epithets

Dionysus’ link to swamps

Reading recommendation on Dionysus + tips on further research

The Cult of Dionysus in Roman Britain and Northern Western Europe

Maenadism, Artemis and Dionysus

Gender neutral term for dionysian worshippers

Addressing the Dionysian Phallus

Raw meat meals for Dionysus

On satyrs

Rethinking the Anthesteria

Dionysus, this winter god

Wine posts

Wine basics 1 and 2

Prime wines in Dionysiac worship

About Pan

Cultic information on Pan 1

Cultic information on Pan 2

The Caves of Pan 1

The Caves of Pan 2

About Silenus

He deserves worship and respect: a rant

Worshiping Silenus 1

Worshiping Silenus 2

An updated list of Silenus Epithets

About Priapus

30 days of Priapus Masterpost

Introduction to Priapus

Practical information on the cult of Priapus

More information and historical offering list

I love Priapus (a rambly rant)

Priapus the Sailor + “sacred” birb

An updated list of Priapus Epithets

Hymns for Priapus (which I wrote)

The Covered Priapus

About Aristaeus

About Aristaeus

Offering ideas

Poem request for him written by @winestainedpoetry

Prayer request for him written by @adri-le-chat

About Aphrodite

On Aphrodite Areia (a very rambly post, sorry)

Respect pigeons

Sacred prostitution: an overview on the historical debate

On Aphrodite’s “gravedigger” and “she upon the graves” epithets

Aphrodite of the Sea

About Zeus

Worshipping Zeus 1: Why is he the King of Heavens?

Worshipping Zeus 2: Civic and legal aspects

Worshipping Zeus 3: Zeus as a paternal and domestic god

About Hera

General information on Hera

Why Hera is not “a jealous wife”

Tips on researching her cult

Hera in Samos

Hera and her ship models

Hera Henioche, the charioteer

Hera the Blossoming

About Hephaestus

He deserves respect and worship: a rant

Hephaestus’ return to Olympos and Dionysus

About Athena

Weaving in Ancient Greece

About the owl

About Apollon

Apollo Delphinios in the Ionian city of Miletos

About Asklepios

Introduction to Asklepios

Healing Shrines and Incubation in Asclepian cult

About Prometheus

Prometheus and his cult in Athens

Generalities

Important and useful online resources

Book recommendation for beginners + more books

About the Hellenic Calendar

On the fact that myths are written by mortals

Why divine silence is normal and good

Tips to get over bad representation in myth (example of Poseidon)

Why fearing the gods is counterproductive

Tips for beginners + Can I introduce myself to all the gods at once? + Can I address an offering to multiple gods?

Why consistency in myth is not an issue

About oaths

Delphic maxims and core values of Hellenic Polytheism

About Cerberus

Tree cult and sacred groves in Ancient Greece Part 1

Tree cult and sacred groves in Ancient Greece Part 2

Anacreontic poetry and why it’s underrated

The Auloi

The Mushroom Discourse (a rant)

Werewolves in Greek myth and folklore (Halloween special)

Why Personal Devotion Matters

Spiritual Protection in the Greco-Roman World

The Protective Functions of Ancient Greek Sanctuaries

Children in Ancient (Athenian) Festivals

Actual ancient lapidaries or “the ancient Greeks and Romans probably didn’t use crystals the way you think they did”

“How the Greeks asked for household spiritual protection”

Dissecting ancient Greek wedding customs

Orphism

A few things about Orphism

About the first Orphic Hymn to Hekate

Offerings and devotionals

About food offerings

Examples of daily devotional activities

Another example of devotional activities (more recent)

About private sacrifices

About clay offerings and making your own + additional information about clay offerings

Offering flowers (check notes for additional info)

Some sacred plants

Salt is sacred

Offerings for special events

Why water is not a “lazy” offering

On offerings of fruits and nuts

Offering jewelry

The Golden Phallus I made for Dionysus

Can I offer this drink? A chart

Throwing Barley

Hair offerings: historical context, purpose and uses

Opinions and personal viewpoints

My personal viewpoint on death and the hellenic afterlife

My personal opinion on veiling

Scents I associate to the gods

My personal example of local cultus (can help if you live by the sea, not up to date with my current practice)

Why I don’t worship my “native deities”

Why I don’t trust pagan authors 1

Why I don’t trust pagans authors 2

Why I have trust issues with pagan groups

My opinion on the reconstructibility of Orphism

My opinion on timezones in worship (the case of Pan)

I really like figs

Professional patrons, a fun list

About my views on philosophy and my own

Organizing worship (or “I made a book for myself”)

Why Thasos?

Calendars and local reconstructionism

My method as to how to tackle local reconstruction

Making a festival from scratch (case example: the Priapeia)

Differences between Ancient Greek calendars

The Posideia Festival: a breakdown

Last updated: December 2023 (non exhaustive)

[slobzsloth]

[thegrapeandthefig]

Hi! I actually asked this on your blog before realizing you had a tumblr and it would be way easier to do here- are you considering making another calendar? I love the one you put out for last year and found it really useful!!

Hello! Yes I do want to make one. I've just been completely swamped up by Life™ which is why I'm basically a month late on when I'd normally be making it.

[countrydionysia]

Time to announce the winners!!!

For good Fortune! The 2024 Rural Dionysia is now officially over. The poll is now closed, and it is time to reveal the winners of this year's edition:

For the Freestyle poetry category, the winner is:

Helene / Klytemnestra by @apiswitchcraft

For the Modern Hymn category, the winner is

Minor Hymn to Love (Eros) by @piristephes

and finally, for the “Complete the Fragment” category, the winner is

For We Are Only Mortal - By Aön Re of @hyakinthou-naos

Thank you to everyone who has participated and voted and big congratulations to our three winners for this edition!

For those who celebrate it, receive our best wishes, and that you have a merry Rural Dionysia and happy holiday season regardless of what you celebrate.

Reminder: The City Dionysia has its own blog @dionysia-ta-astika, so any upcoming news will be posted there. Give that blog a follow if you want to be updated. The City Dionysia is expected to be held between early February and early March 2025.

[countrydionysia]

Submit your vote!

Submissions are now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted a piece for this edition of the Rural Dionysia! Are listed below this year's entries. Enjoy the read!

Freestyle Poetry

Nymphs by @junipersplace

Curious Light by @agressivepoet

QUALMS ABOUT UNANSWERING(?) GODS by @hellyeahmfwitchcrafttime

In wine, truth. by @piristephes

2 Makes 1 by @froggyart

Helene / Klytemnestra by @apiswitchcraft

Distance by @khaire-traveler

Modern Hymn

To Apollo of Parnassus by M. Rutilia Laeta @apis-vergilii

Minor Hymn to Love (Eros) by @piristephes

Hymn to Persephone by @apiswitchcraft

Complete the fragment

Selene's wisdom by @piristephes

For We Are Only Mortal - By Aön Re of @hyakinthou-naos

(alcaeus) muses on sappho's triumph by @imperturbitude

To vote:

Voting takes place via poll. You will be asked to vote for 1 entry per category. You have until Dec. 25th to vote and we will be announcing the winners on Dec. 26-27th latest.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

[countrydionysia]

Last chance to vote! Submissions close at the end of the day (midnight PST)

[countrydionysia]

Submit your vote!

Submissions are now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted a piece for this edition of the Rural Dionysia! Are listed below this year's entries. Enjoy the read!

Freestyle Poetry

Nymphs by @junipersplace

Curious Light by @agressivepoet

QUALMS ABOUT UNANSWERING(?) GODS by @hellyeahmfwitchcrafttime

In wine, truth. by @piristephes

2 Makes 1 by @froggyart

Helene / Klytemnestra by @apiswitchcraft

Distance by @khaire-traveler

Modern Hymn

To Apollo of Parnassus by M. Rutilia Laeta @apis-vergilii

Minor Hymn to Love (Eros) by @piristephes

Hymn to Persephone by @apiswitchcraft

Complete the fragment

Selene's wisdom by @piristephes

For We Are Only Mortal - By Aön Re of @hyakinthou-naos

(alcaeus) muses on sappho's triumph by @imperturbitude

To vote:

Voting takes place via poll. You will be asked to vote for 1 entry per category. You have until Dec. 25th to vote and we will be announcing the winners on Dec. 26-27th latest.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

[countrydionysia]

Submit your vote!

Submissions are now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted a piece for this edition of the Rural Dionysia! Are listed below this year's entries. Enjoy the read!

Freestyle Poetry

Nymphs by @junipersplace

Curious Light by @agressivepoet

QUALMS ABOUT UNANSWERING(?) GODS by @hellyeahmfwitchcrafttime

In wine, truth. by @piristephes

2 Makes 1 by @froggyart

Helene / Klytemnestra by @apiswitchcraft

Distance by @khaire-traveler

Modern Hymn

To Apollo of Parnassus by M. Rutilia Laeta @apis-vergilii

Minor Hymn to Love (Eros) by @piristephes

Hymn to Persephone by @apiswitchcraft

Complete the fragment

Selene's wisdom by @piristephes

For We Are Only Mortal - By Aön Re of @hyakinthou-naos

(alcaeus) muses on sappho's triumph by @imperturbitude

To vote:

Voting takes place via poll. You will be asked to vote for 1 entry per category. You have until Dec. 25th to vote and we will be announcing the winners on Dec. 26-27th latest.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

[deathlessathanasia]

Hi! I was wondering if there really are any attestations for the passage in your pinned post that in the Heraion of Argos there was "an image of Hera's mouth closed amorously around Zeus's erect phallus". As far as I've been able to research Roberto Calasso's The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony is the only place it's declared and (at least in the version I managed to get) he doesn't cite any sources for it. I was wondering if you knew any more on the subject, or if someone made it up? ❤️ ur posts

Oh, the infamous fellatio. Controversial topic, this one. Whether such an image existed or not is impossible to say for sure (personally I'm skeptical), but we do have some references to it.

Origenes (Contra Celsum 4.48) talks about an allegorical interpretation made by the Stoic philosopher Chrysippos of Soli based on a supposed image at Samos in which, Origenes says, "Hera was depicted committing an indecency to Zeus". Chrysippos explained it this way: "Having received the seminal principles (spermatikoi logoi) of the god, matter retains them within itself for [the purpose of] ordering the universe. Hera, then, represents matter in the painting of Samos and Zeus god."

No explicit mention of fellatio here (though the indecency he talks about likely refers to it), but Pseudo-Clement (Homilies) does make it clearer that this is what the image, which he says was displayed in Argos rather than in Samos, depicted: "Chrysippus… in his Erotic Letters mentions the painting in Argos and locates Hera’s face close to Zeus’ private parts"

Diogenes Laertios also has things to say about this interpretation of Chrysippos, though he gives no details about it: "There are people who run Chrysippus down as having written much in a tone that is gross and indecent. For in his work On the ancient Natural Philosophers at line 600 or thereabouts he interprets the story of Hera and Zeus coarsely, with details which no one would soil his lips by repeating. Indeed, his interpretation of the story is condemned as most indecent. He may be commending physical doctrine, but the language used is more appropriate to street-walkers than to deities." Diogenes Laertios adds that Chrysippos invented this story and that no such painting existed: "and it is moreover not even mentioned by those who wrote on paintings. What Chrysippus makes of it is not to be found in Polemo nor Hypsicrates, no, nor even in Antigonus. It is his own invention."

And Theophilos of Antiok talks about it as well, no reference to a painting here but the act is mentioned: "And did not Chrysippus, who uttered so much nonsense, indicate that Hera with impure mouth had intercourse with Zeus?"

So maybe there really was an actual image showing Hera and Zeus engaging in oral sex, maybe there wasn't, but in any case it seems that Chrysippos wrote something about such a story, and that it was considered terribly indecent and scandalous.

[countrydionysia]

2024 Rural Dionysia Announcement

Io! The time of the year has come again for the Rural Dionysia!

How to participate

The Rural Dionysia is meant to be a smaller competition than its urban counterpart, as such, we have selected only 3 categories:

Freestyle poetry

Modern hymns

“Complete the fragment”

Freestyle poetry

Your poem can be about any chosen topic (myth, personal experience etc.) in any written format. It doesn't have to be religious in nature.

Modern hymn

An hymn must sing the praises of a deity of your choice. Unlike the "freestyle poetry", your work must be of religious nature to fit in this category.

Complete the Fragment

Each year, we choose a fragment from an Ancient Greek poet to work with. The challenge is that the initial fragment must be included somewhere in your piece in its original order. This means you can fill the gaps however you want, but you can’t switch the order of the words in your piece or remove words from the original fragment.

Here is the fragment selected for this 2024 edition:

Fragment 113 by Alcaeus (trans. David A. Campbell; Loeb 142)

…kiss…(they) began…knowledge…sits…are…mortal

Here is the Greek text for reference. Note that because the word "they" is implied, it will be acceptable to keep or modify this word.

If in doubt for any of these categories, remember that you can check submissions from the previous years to get an idea of how others have done before.

Submitting your piece

Please submit your piece through submissions on this blog. All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. but you can only choose 1 category per piece and each person may only submit 1 entry per category each year.

Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks. If your entry needs a trigger warning, kindly add them at the end of your submission and we will take care of adding them in. Check the rules below for further information about submissions.

Calendar of the event

Nov. 16: Official announcement and opening of submissions. Dec. 17: Final submission day. Dec. 18: Vote opening. Dec. 25: Vote closing. Dec. 25-26: Announcement of the winners!

No worries though! We will be posting reminders about each step when the time comes.

General rules

Roleplay and fanfic are not acceptable submissions. This is a religious festival, please respect our faith and do not submit an entry if you are roleplaying or writing fanfiction.

Unlike with the City Dionysia, entries do not necessarily have to be about specific deities or Hellenic polytheism except for the “Modern Hymn” category, which has to be dedicated to one or many gods of your choice.

There are no meter restrictions. This is up to the writer.

All stories, myths, and poems must be entered using the submissions button.

All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks.

An entry may only be submitted to a single category.

Each person may only submit one entry per category each year.

Winners for each category will be decided by popular vote.

Admins of this blog cannot participate, for obvious reasons. As for now, this includes @thegrapeandthefig @verdantlyviolet

Questions about the rules? Check the blog for past answers, your answer might be in there. And if it's not, simply submit an ask. We'll answer in the best delays possible.

[countrydionysia]

Last call + small modification

Due to my work schedule, I will be closing submissions later than intended. If you're living in the Americas, closure will be pushed to Wednesday 18th, early morning. For those of you in Europe, Africa or Asia, it will likely correspond to later in the evening (aka when I can come back from work).

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

The thing with the Mari Lwyd, though, is that it's being... I don't know, 'appropriated' is the wrong word, but certainly turned into something it isn't.

Thing is, this is a folk tradition in the Welsh language, and that's the most important aspect of it. I feel partly responsible for this, because I accidentally became a bit of an expert on the topic of the Mari Lwyd in a post that escaped Tumblr containment, and I clearly didn't stress it strongly enough there (in my defence, I wrote that post for ten likes and some attention); but this is a Welsh language tradition, conducted in Welsh, using Welsh language poetic forms that are older than the entire English language, and also a very specific sung melody (with a very specific first verse; that's Cân y Fari). It is not actually a 'rap battle'. It's not a recited poem. It is not any old rhyme scheme however you want.

It is not in English.

Given the extensive and frankly ongoing attempts by England to wipe out Welsh, and its attendant cultural traditions, the Mari is being revived across Wales as an act of linguistic-cultural defiance. She's a symbol of Welsh language culture, specifically; an icon to remind that we are a distinct people, with our own culture and traditions, and in spite of everyone and everything, we're still here. Separating her from that by removing the Welsh is, to put it mildly, wildly disrespectful.

...but it IS what I'm increasingly seeing, both online and in real world Mari Lwyd festivals. She's gained enormous pop-culture popularity in recent years, which is fantastic; but she's also been reduced from the tradition to just an aesthetic now.

So many people are talking/drawing about her as though she's a cryptid or a mythological figure, rather than the folk practice of shoving a skull on a stick and pretending to be a naughty horse for cheese and drunken larks. And I get it! It's an intriguing visual! Some of the artwork is great! But this is not what she is. She's not a Krampus equivalent for your Dark Christmas aesthetic.

I see people writing their own version of the pwnco (though never called the pwnco; almost always called some variant on 'Mari Lwyd rap battle'), and as fun as these are, they are never even written in the meter and poetic rules of Cân y Fari, much less in Welsh, and they never conclude with the promise to behave before letting the Mari into the house. The pwnco is the central part to the tradition; this is the Welsh language part, the bit that's important and matters.

Mari Lwyd festivals are increasingly just English wassail festivals with a Mari or two present. The Swansea one last weekend didn't even include a Mari trying to break into a building (insert Shrek meme); there was no pwnco at all. Even in the Chepstow ones, they didn't do actual Cân y Fari; just a couple of recited verses. Instead, the Maris are just an aesthetic, a way to make it look a bit more Welsh, without having to commit to the unfashionable inconvenience of actually including Welsh.

And I don't really know what the answers are to these. I can tell you what I'd like - I'd like art to include the Welsh somewhere, maybe incorporating the first line of Cân y Fari like this one did, to keep it connected to the actual Welsh tradition (or other Welsh, if other phrases are preferred). I'd like people who want to write their version of the pwnco to respect the actual tradition of it by using Cân y Fari's meter and rhyme scheme, finishing with the promise to behave, and actually calling it the pwnco rather than a rap battle (and preferably in Welsh, though I do understand that's not always possible lol). I'd like to see the festivals actually observe the tradition, and include a link on the booking website to an audio clip of Cân y Fari and the words to the first verse, so attendees who want to can learn it ahead of time. I don't know how feasible any of that is, of course! But that's what I'd like to see.

I don't know. This is rambly. But it's something I've been thinking about - and increasingly nettled by - for a while. There's was something so affirming and wonderful at first about seeing the Mari's climb into international recognition, but it's very much turned to dismay by now, because she's important to my endangered culture and yet that's the part that everyone apparently wants to drop for being too awkward and ruining the aesthetic. It's very frustrating.

[countrydionysia]

2024 Rural Dionysia Announcement

Io! The time of the year has come again for the Rural Dionysia!

How to participate

The Rural Dionysia is meant to be a smaller competition than its urban counterpart, as such, we have selected only 3 categories:

Freestyle poetry

Modern hymns

“Complete the fragment”

Freestyle poetry

Your poem can be about any chosen topic (myth, personal experience etc.) in any written format. It doesn't have to be religious in nature.

Modern hymn

An hymn must sing the praises of a deity of your choice. Unlike the "freestyle poetry", your work must be of religious nature to fit in this category.

Complete the Fragment

Each year, we choose a fragment from an Ancient Greek poet to work with. The challenge is that the initial fragment must be included somewhere in your piece in its original order. This means you can fill the gaps however you want, but you can’t switch the order of the words in your piece or remove words from the original fragment.

Here is the fragment selected for this 2024 edition:

Fragment 113 by Alcaeus (trans. David A. Campbell; Loeb 142)

…kiss…(they) began…knowledge…sits…are…mortal

Here is the Greek text for reference. Note that because the word "they" is implied, it will be acceptable to keep or modify this word.

If in doubt for any of these categories, remember that you can check submissions from the previous years to get an idea of how others have done before.

Submitting your piece

Please submit your piece through submissions on this blog. All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. but you can only choose 1 category per piece and each person may only submit 1 entry per category each year.

Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks. If your entry needs a trigger warning, kindly add them at the end of your submission and we will take care of adding them in. Check the rules below for further information about submissions.

Calendar of the event

Nov. 16: Official announcement and opening of submissions. Dec. 17: Final submission day. Dec. 18: Vote opening. Dec. 25: Vote closing. Dec. 25-26: Announcement of the winners!

No worries though! We will be posting reminders about each step when the time comes.

General rules

Roleplay and fanfic are not acceptable submissions. This is a religious festival, please respect our faith and do not submit an entry if you are roleplaying or writing fanfiction.

Unlike with the City Dionysia, entries do not necessarily have to be about specific deities or Hellenic polytheism except for the “Modern Hymn” category, which has to be dedicated to one or many gods of your choice.

There are no meter restrictions. This is up to the writer.

All stories, myths, and poems must be entered using the submissions button.

All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks.

An entry may only be submitted to a single category.

Each person may only submit one entry per category each year.

Winners for each category will be decided by popular vote.

Admins of this blog cannot participate, for obvious reasons. As for now, this includes @thegrapeandthefig @verdantlyviolet

Questions about the rules? Check the blog for past answers, your answer might be in there. And if it's not, simply submit an ask. We'll answer in the best delays possible.

[countrydionysia]

6 DAYS LEFT TO SUBMIT YOUR WRITING!

[himynameisemail]

[men-iss-vess-ull-deactivated202]

so called "free thinkers" when there's a bug on the ceiling

[countrydionysia]

2024 Rural Dionysia Announcement

Io! The time of the year has come again for the Rural Dionysia!

How to participate

The Rural Dionysia is meant to be a smaller competition than its urban counterpart, as such, we have selected only 3 categories:

Freestyle poetry

Modern hymns

“Complete the fragment”

Freestyle poetry

Your poem can be about any chosen topic (myth, personal experience etc.) in any written format. It doesn't have to be religious in nature.

Modern hymn

An hymn must sing the praises of a deity of your choice. Unlike the "freestyle poetry", your work must be of religious nature to fit in this category.

Complete the Fragment

Each year, we choose a fragment from an Ancient Greek poet to work with. The challenge is that the initial fragment must be included somewhere in your piece in its original order. This means you can fill the gaps however you want, but you can’t switch the order of the words in your piece or remove words from the original fragment.

Here is the fragment selected for this 2024 edition:

Fragment 113 by Alcaeus (trans. David A. Campbell; Loeb 142)

…kiss…(they) began…knowledge…sits…are…mortal

Here is the Greek text for reference. Note that because the word "they" is implied, it will be acceptable to keep or modify this word.

If in doubt for any of these categories, remember that you can check submissions from the previous years to get an idea of how others have done before.

Submitting your piece

Please submit your piece through submissions on this blog. All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. but you can only choose 1 category per piece and each person may only submit 1 entry per category each year.

Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks. If your entry needs a trigger warning, kindly add them at the end of your submission and we will take care of adding them in. Check the rules below for further information about submissions.

Calendar of the event

Nov. 16: Official announcement and opening of submissions. Dec. 17: Final submission day. Dec. 18: Vote opening. Dec. 25: Vote closing. Dec. 25-26: Announcement of the winners!

No worries though! We will be posting reminders about each step when the time comes.

General rules

Roleplay and fanfic are not acceptable submissions. This is a religious festival, please respect our faith and do not submit an entry if you are roleplaying or writing fanfiction.

Unlike with the City Dionysia, entries do not necessarily have to be about specific deities or Hellenic polytheism except for the “Modern Hymn” category, which has to be dedicated to one or many gods of your choice.

There are no meter restrictions. This is up to the writer.

All stories, myths, and poems must be entered using the submissions button.

All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks.

An entry may only be submitted to a single category.

Each person may only submit one entry per category each year.

Winners for each category will be decided by popular vote.

Admins of this blog cannot participate, for obvious reasons. As for now, this includes @thegrapeandthefig @verdantlyviolet

Questions about the rules? Check the blog for past answers, your answer might be in there. And if it's not, simply submit an ask. We'll answer in the best delays possible.

[thegrapeandthefig]

Hey! So sorry if you have already answered this but will you be doing an Attic calendar for 2025?

Yes, I want to make one, I'm just ridiculously late on everything.

[solarg0blin]

mē, tangō leviter Miētte cum latus pedīs meī: Miētta, dēmovēre ut nōn incurrere in tē

Miētte, cum oculōs ēius magnōs: tū CALITRĀS Miētte? tū calitrās corpus ēius sīcut follis? ēheu! ēheu! carcer prō Mātre! carcer prō Mātre prō Singula Mīlla Annōs!!!!

[twinktorturer]

studying ancient history will have you thinking stuff like The 18th century was basically yesterday

[countrydionysia]

2024 Rural Dionysia Announcement

Io! The time of the year has come again for the Rural Dionysia!

How to participate

The Rural Dionysia is meant to be a smaller competition than its urban counterpart, as such, we have selected only 3 categories:

Freestyle poetry

Modern hymns

“Complete the fragment”

Freestyle poetry

Your poem can be about any chosen topic (myth, personal experience etc.) in any written format. It doesn't have to be religious in nature.

Modern hymn

An hymn must sing the praises of a deity of your choice. Unlike the "freestyle poetry", your work must be of religious nature to fit in this category.

Complete the Fragment

Each year, we choose a fragment from an Ancient Greek poet to work with. The challenge is that the initial fragment must be included somewhere in your piece in its original order. This means you can fill the gaps however you want, but you can’t switch the order of the words in your piece or remove words from the original fragment.

Here is the fragment selected for this 2024 edition:

Fragment 113 by Alcaeus (trans. David A. Campbell; Loeb 142)

…kiss…(they) began…knowledge…sits…are…mortal

Here is the Greek text for reference. Note that because the word "they" is implied, it will be acceptable to keep or modify this word.

If in doubt for any of these categories, remember that you can check submissions from the previous years to get an idea of how others have done before.

Submitting your piece

Please submit your piece through submissions on this blog. All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. but you can only choose 1 category per piece and each person may only submit 1 entry per category each year.

Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks. If your entry needs a trigger warning, kindly add them at the end of your submission and we will take care of adding them in. Check the rules below for further information about submissions.

Calendar of the event

Nov. 16: Official announcement and opening of submissions. Dec. 17: Final submission day. Dec. 18: Vote opening. Dec. 25: Vote closing. Dec. 25-26: Announcement of the winners!

No worries though! We will be posting reminders about each step when the time comes.

General rules

Roleplay and fanfic are not acceptable submissions. This is a religious festival, please respect our faith and do not submit an entry if you are roleplaying or writing fanfiction.

Unlike with the City Dionysia, entries do not necessarily have to be about specific deities or Hellenic polytheism except for the “Modern Hymn” category, which has to be dedicated to one or many gods of your choice.

There are no meter restrictions. This is up to the writer.

All stories, myths, and poems must be entered using the submissions button.

All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks.

An entry may only be submitted to a single category.

Each person may only submit one entry per category each year.

Winners for each category will be decided by popular vote.

Admins of this blog cannot participate, for obvious reasons. As for now, this includes @thegrapeandthefig @verdantlyviolet

Questions about the rules? Check the blog for past answers, your answer might be in there. And if it's not, simply submit an ask. We'll answer in the best delays possible.