(no subject)
Celebrating the Deipnon
Intro
In Greek, deipnon means the evening meal, usually the largest meal of the day. Hekate's Deipnon is, at it's most basic, a meal served to Hekate and the restless dead once a lunar month. This article sets forth: 1) a brief history including the practices of Hekate's Deipnon in antiquity; 2) a small (and necessarily incomplete) summation of Hekate as She relates to Her Deipnon; and 3) some of the more common ways Hellenic Polytheists celebrate the Deipnon today. This article makes no claim to be a complete, all-inclusive, or a formal scholarly work. When possible, sources are noted and historical facts are separated from opinion.
Hekate
The Titan Hekate, the “Worker From Afar,” was born from the Titans Perses, the “Destroyer,” and Asteria, “Starry One,” who was a sister to Leto. This parentage grants Hekate dominion over oracular communion with the ghosts of the dead while Her cousin, Apollo, presides over oracles inspired by the heavens with prophetic powers granted by Zeus.
The Earth, Sea, and Sky
Hekate, in the time of the Golden Age of Titans, ruled in the heavens, on the Earth, and in the sea. Unlike all other Titans, Her authority did not diminish with the ascendency of the Olympians.
“The son of Kronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods: but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honor, but much more still, for Zeus honors her.” - Hesiod, Theogony 404
This resulted in Her keeping the power to grant or withhold wealth, wise counsel, victory, good luck to sailors and hunters, prosperity, and increases in flocks and herds based on what She thought each individual deserved.
“For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favor according to custom, he calls upon Hekate. Great honor comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favorably, and she bestows wealth upon him; for the power surely is with her...Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgment, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them: and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents. And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will: and to those whose business is in the gray uncomfortable sea, and who pray to Hekate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few, or makes many to be less.” - Hesiod, Theogony 404
The Crossroads
So closely was Hekate associated with the crossroads that a common epithet for Her is Trioditis “of the Three Ways” or “of the Crossroads.” The crossroads were viewed as places where spirits bent on vengeance were able to emerge, especially on the darkest night, the night of the new moon. On this night, with Hekate leading the revel-rout, accompanied by the howls of Stygian dogs, souls could cause great evil to befall whomever they came upon. As a result, She is described as a mighty and terrible divinity, ruling over the souls of the dead.[1]
As the door of many homes opened to a crossroads (the path from the home which intersected with the street), most homes had a shrine to Hekate built into the wall adjacent to their gate or doorway. Offerings and prayers were placed there to protect the family from evil influences and to ask for Hekate's blessings on the household.[2] The members of the household also sought oracle reading from the shrines. While it is not clear how this was accomplished as the small shrine was unattended, it could be that omens were read there.[3]
Hekate is the Kore's guide to and from Her Husband's House and, as such, She played an important role in the Mysteries at Eleusis. This is a crossroads of life into death and death into life. While knowledge concerning the Mysteries at Eleusis is limited, we do know that those who were initiated no longer feared death and were the happiest of people.
“Beautiful indeed is the Mystery given us by the blessed gods: death is for mortals no longer an evil, but a blessing.” - inscription found at Eleusis
This lack of specific knowledge concerning the Mysteries of Eleusis opens the door to individual theories. Hekate's role in the Mysteries, in my opinion, is signaled by the two torches She carries. Statues of Hekate lighting the way line the walls of the temple at Eleusis. Imagine you have died and find yourself at the cross point of a three-way path. Your life is the path behind you. Hekate is directly in front of you where the path makes a V. Her torches, since you have learned the Mysteries, reveal both paths. One path leads to evil, the other leads to happiness and blessings. If you have not been through the Mysteries, you may be fated to stay at the crossroads, becoming one of the restless spirits that emerge from the crossroads to wreak havoc in the mortal world, or you may stumble onto the path that leads to evil, or you may be lucky and find the blessed path.
I believe this offers a viable explanation for the thread that connects Hekate to the revel-routs of restless souls at the crossroads and the Mysteries of Eleusis.
Purification and Expiation
Less commonly known about the Titan is that She, like her cousin Apollon, could offer purification and expiation for those who committed bad deeds. Generally, but not exclusively, expiation at the Deipnon was for minor bad deeds within the household. One such ritual performed at the Deipnon required all the household members to touch a dog, which was then sacrificed to Hekate as a scapegoat.
Murder attracted Her special attention. She, and the vengeful spirit of the person murdered, would inflict madness on the criminal until he or she atoned for the crime.
History and Practices of the Deipnon
The main purpose of the Deipnon was to honor Hekate and to placate the souls in her wake who “longed for vengeance.” [4] A secondary purpose was to purify the household and to atone for bad deeds a household member may have committed offended Hekate, causing Her to withhold Her favor from them.
This was done the night before the first visible sliver of moon could be seen, the night of the new moon.[5] The new moon was the last day of the lunar month and the Deipnon rituals allowed the family to begin the new month, which they celebrated as the Noumenia, purified.[6] This differs from how modern astronomy calculates the new moon, so one may not follow a modern calendar to set this date.
The Deipnon consists of three main parts: 1) the meal that was set out at a crossroads, 2) an expiation sacrifice, and 3) purification of the household.
The Meal
The specific foods mentioned most often in primary sources are those usually associated with offerings for the dead: raw eggs, some type of small cake, garlic, leeks and/or onions, and fish.[7] The meal was set out at a crossroads after sunset. Most families placed the meal on top of or inside the small shrine to Hekate they had outside of their door.
After the meal was set out, the person placing it did not look back at it, believing the restless spirits who dined became angry at anyone who looked at them; those who looked back could be driven insane.
Although it was considered sacrilegious, and would invite Hekate's wrath, it was a common practice for persons in extreme poverty to do eat the meal.[8]
"Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month [food placed inside her door-front shrines] and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served." - Aristophanes, Plutus 410 - (trans. O'Neill)
Expiation
As previously discussed, in order to atone for acts committed by the household, some of which they might not even be aware of, a dog was sacrificed to Hekate as a scapegoat.[9] According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary a scapegoat is “one that bears the blame for others.” Prior to the sacrifice taking place, each member of the household touched the dog, transmitting all of their bad deeds onto this sacred animal of Hekate. Once the dog was sacrificed, the head of the family read the entrails to be sure the sacrifice was accepted and any act of offense against the Titan or the Gods was wiped clean. This ritual allowed the family to go forward into the new month free of pollution.
Purification
Purification of the household had two parts: 1) fumigation; and 2) the removal of “leftovers” from offerings and sacrifices. Fumigation was accomplished by carrying a baked clay censer of incense throughout the house and property. The clay censer was then deposited at the crossroads or shrine as an offering and was never used again.[10] It was considered a “leftover” from the ritual. Other such leftovers included; incense ashes and the ashes from sacrifices that were on the family altar, waste blood[11], and any remaining food that had fallen onto the floor. Food that falls to the floor was never to be picked up as it had passed to Hekate, who would redistribute it to the spirits.[12]
“Whatever is thrown or dropped is lost to this world, whatever is caught is gained” - Pausanias, Description of Greece I, 17, 3; Aelius Spartianus, Hadrian XXVI, 7.
This suggests how the poor may have been able to eat the meals without incurring Hekate's wrath. If the poor were able to snatch the meal up before it was set down, before it was “lost” to the spirits and to Hekate, it would be their “gain.”
All of the leftovers were deposited at the shrine or a crossroads, preferably at the same time as the meal since you were not to look back at it. Then the household shut its doors and retired for the night. As it was considered unlucky to pick up, touch, or step on these offerings[13], I am uncertain on how the offerings were dealt with the following days. The offerings may have been left in place or the prohibition on touching them may have expired following a set length of time.
Current Practices
Current methods of observing the Deipnon mix traditional forms of ritual with new. In some cases, the new ritual practices are due to adapting to modern life in a very different culture than that of ancient Athens. Other practices arise out of differing interpretations of Hekate's significance. Some knowledge has been lost and some history is no longer intuitively understood. From what others share about how they celebrate the Deipnon, there is less of a focus on placation and warding the home from evil spirits and an increased focus on making an offering to Hekate and performing acts of charity. Sacrificing a dog is currently illegal in the USA. Scapegoating, to my knowledge, is no longer performed even in a “bloodless” way. The element of expiation has been completely omitted from the Deipnon. Below is a sampling of what modern coreligionists do to observe the Deipnon.
The Meal
This offering is one of the more common ritual elements in current practice. Eggs, onions, garlic, and leeks are still placed on plates and offered. It's not unheard of for incense to take the place of food as the meal offering.
While the make up of the meal has remained intact, the location of the offering often differs from traditional placement. Almost no one has a shrine to Hekate where their sidewalk or driveway meets the street in front of their home. While many still seek out a crossroads, others place the meal on a central altar in their home or apartment for a day and then dispose of the offering later. Others place the offering on a plate that rests on a rock in a pool of water, neatly bringing together the three areas over which Hekate rules.
There is much less worry about looking back at the plate once it has been placed or about vengeful spirits driving one mad if not placated. Modern discussions center on what constitutes “proper disposal” of the offering the next day. Burial of the offering is preferred whenever possible, but some place it in the trash or in a composter. Persons who place the meal outside say they have not needed to dispose of the offering as it is usually gone by morning.
Cleaning or Sweeping the House
While offering the sweepings from the home is still done, what is in the sweepings can be much different from ancient Athens. No longer do we allow dropped food to stay on the floor for weeks. People currently do not have ashes from sacrificed animals, dog carcasses, or waste blood in homes and apartments. Stubs from candles used in rituals, ashes from incense, and other previous offerings can find their way into the pile of “sweepings,” which is offered on the Deipnon, as this is a time when some Hellenic Polytheists clean off all home altars and shrines. Cleaning out a refrigerator or pantry is becoming a common practice.
Charity
Although the purpose of the meal offered at the Deipnon was not intended to feed the poor in antiquity, current offerings of food or money to local food banks in Hekate's name are an expression of charity designed to do precisely that - feed the hungry. Donating time at a soup kitchen serving meals is another act of charity and goodwill done to observe the Deipnon. Not only do Hellenic Polytheists believe this is an ethical act keeping with Hellenic virtues, they are giving in Hekate's name so She may find them worthy of Her blessings of prosperity, wisdom, and increase. This is not viewed as a quid pro quo, but a reciprocation of favors that build a stronger bond.
Other practices are resolving personal and/or financial obligations and emptying and cleaning a special jar kept in a pantry or on an altar in honor of Zeus Ktesios. Both practices are based on the same general concept - to close out the old month and enter the new month fresh. That fresh start is celebrated the next day during the Noumenia when it is auspicious to start new projects and unspoiled contents are placed back into the Ktesios jar.
Summary
Information on the historical observance of the Deipnon is spotty at best and spread throughout many primary sources, making it difficult for modern coreligionists to obtain accurate information on this important and basic household ritual. As increasingly concise information is more widely disseminated and more Hellenic Polytheists incorporate this ritual into their spiritual lives, it will be interesting to see an evolution of the continued rituals and also to see if those participating find the Deipnon to be as fulfilling and important as their religious and cultural ancestors.
[1] Apollon. Rhod. iii. 529, 861, iv. 829; Theocrit. l. c. ; Ov. Heroid. xii. 168, Met. xiv. 405; Stat. Theb. iv. 428 ; Virg. Aen. iv. 609; Orph. Lith. 45, 47; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1197, 1887; Diod. iv. 45.
[2] Aristoph. Vesp. 816, Lysistr. 64; Eurip. Med. 396; Porphyr. de Abstin. ii. 16; Hesych. s. v. Hekataia
[3] Aristoph. Vesp. 816, Lysistr. 64; Eurip. Med. 396; Porphyr. de Abstin. ii. 16; Hesych. s. v. Hekataia
[4] Plutarch (Moralia, 709 A)
[5] Aristophanes (Plutus, 594)
[6] Rodhe, i 234 n., and references.
[7] Antiphanes, in Athenaeus, 313 B (2. 39 K), and 358 F; Melanthius, in Athenaeus, 325 B. Plato, Com. (i. 647. 19 K), Apollodorus, Melanthius, Hegesander, Chariclides (iii. 394 K), Antiphanes, in Athenaeus, 358 F; Aristophanes, Plutus, 596.
[8] Cinesias, in Plutarch, Moralia, 170 B.
[9] Hekate's Suppers, by K. F. Smith.
[10] Roscher, 1889; Heckenbach, 2781; Rohde, ii. 79, n. 1.
[11] Ammonius (p. 79, Valckenaer)
[12] Diels, Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 1:463; Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers VIII, 34.
[13] Petronius, 134
Intro
In Greek, deipnon means the evening meal, usually the largest meal of the day. Hekate's Deipnon is, at it's most basic, a meal served to Hekate and the restless dead once a lunar month. This article sets forth: 1) a brief history including the practices of Hekate's Deipnon in antiquity; 2) a small (and necessarily incomplete) summation of Hekate as She relates to Her Deipnon; and 3) some of the more common ways Hellenic Polytheists celebrate the Deipnon today. This article makes no claim to be a complete, all-inclusive, or a formal scholarly work. When possible, sources are noted and historical facts are separated from opinion.
Hekate
The Titan Hekate, the “Worker From Afar,” was born from the Titans Perses, the “Destroyer,” and Asteria, “Starry One,” who was a sister to Leto. This parentage grants Hekate dominion over oracular communion with the ghosts of the dead while Her cousin, Apollo, presides over oracles inspired by the heavens with prophetic powers granted by Zeus.
The Earth, Sea, and Sky
Hekate, in the time of the Golden Age of Titans, ruled in the heavens, on the Earth, and in the sea. Unlike all other Titans, Her authority did not diminish with the ascendency of the Olympians.
“The son of Kronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods: but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honor, but much more still, for Zeus honors her.” - Hesiod, Theogony 404
This resulted in Her keeping the power to grant or withhold wealth, wise counsel, victory, good luck to sailors and hunters, prosperity, and increases in flocks and herds based on what She thought each individual deserved.
“For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favor according to custom, he calls upon Hekate. Great honor comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favorably, and she bestows wealth upon him; for the power surely is with her...Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgment, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them: and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents. And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will: and to those whose business is in the gray uncomfortable sea, and who pray to Hekate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few, or makes many to be less.” - Hesiod, Theogony 404
The Crossroads
So closely was Hekate associated with the crossroads that a common epithet for Her is Trioditis “of the Three Ways” or “of the Crossroads.” The crossroads were viewed as places where spirits bent on vengeance were able to emerge, especially on the darkest night, the night of the new moon. On this night, with Hekate leading the revel-rout, accompanied by the howls of Stygian dogs, souls could cause great evil to befall whomever they came upon. As a result, She is described as a mighty and terrible divinity, ruling over the souls of the dead.[1]
As the door of many homes opened to a crossroads (the path from the home which intersected with the street), most homes had a shrine to Hekate built into the wall adjacent to their gate or doorway. Offerings and prayers were placed there to protect the family from evil influences and to ask for Hekate's blessings on the household.[2] The members of the household also sought oracle reading from the shrines. While it is not clear how this was accomplished as the small shrine was unattended, it could be that omens were read there.[3]
Hekate is the Kore's guide to and from Her Husband's House and, as such, She played an important role in the Mysteries at Eleusis. This is a crossroads of life into death and death into life. While knowledge concerning the Mysteries at Eleusis is limited, we do know that those who were initiated no longer feared death and were the happiest of people.
“Beautiful indeed is the Mystery given us by the blessed gods: death is for mortals no longer an evil, but a blessing.” - inscription found at Eleusis
This lack of specific knowledge concerning the Mysteries of Eleusis opens the door to individual theories. Hekate's role in the Mysteries, in my opinion, is signaled by the two torches She carries. Statues of Hekate lighting the way line the walls of the temple at Eleusis. Imagine you have died and find yourself at the cross point of a three-way path. Your life is the path behind you. Hekate is directly in front of you where the path makes a V. Her torches, since you have learned the Mysteries, reveal both paths. One path leads to evil, the other leads to happiness and blessings. If you have not been through the Mysteries, you may be fated to stay at the crossroads, becoming one of the restless spirits that emerge from the crossroads to wreak havoc in the mortal world, or you may stumble onto the path that leads to evil, or you may be lucky and find the blessed path.
I believe this offers a viable explanation for the thread that connects Hekate to the revel-routs of restless souls at the crossroads and the Mysteries of Eleusis.
Purification and Expiation
Less commonly known about the Titan is that She, like her cousin Apollon, could offer purification and expiation for those who committed bad deeds. Generally, but not exclusively, expiation at the Deipnon was for minor bad deeds within the household. One such ritual performed at the Deipnon required all the household members to touch a dog, which was then sacrificed to Hekate as a scapegoat.
Murder attracted Her special attention. She, and the vengeful spirit of the person murdered, would inflict madness on the criminal until he or she atoned for the crime.
History and Practices of the Deipnon
The main purpose of the Deipnon was to honor Hekate and to placate the souls in her wake who “longed for vengeance.” [4] A secondary purpose was to purify the household and to atone for bad deeds a household member may have committed offended Hekate, causing Her to withhold Her favor from them.
This was done the night before the first visible sliver of moon could be seen, the night of the new moon.[5] The new moon was the last day of the lunar month and the Deipnon rituals allowed the family to begin the new month, which they celebrated as the Noumenia, purified.[6] This differs from how modern astronomy calculates the new moon, so one may not follow a modern calendar to set this date.
The Deipnon consists of three main parts: 1) the meal that was set out at a crossroads, 2) an expiation sacrifice, and 3) purification of the household.
The Meal
The specific foods mentioned most often in primary sources are those usually associated with offerings for the dead: raw eggs, some type of small cake, garlic, leeks and/or onions, and fish.[7] The meal was set out at a crossroads after sunset. Most families placed the meal on top of or inside the small shrine to Hekate they had outside of their door.
After the meal was set out, the person placing it did not look back at it, believing the restless spirits who dined became angry at anyone who looked at them; those who looked back could be driven insane.
Although it was considered sacrilegious, and would invite Hekate's wrath, it was a common practice for persons in extreme poverty to do eat the meal.[8]
"Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month [food placed inside her door-front shrines] and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served." - Aristophanes, Plutus 410 - (trans. O'Neill)
Expiation
As previously discussed, in order to atone for acts committed by the household, some of which they might not even be aware of, a dog was sacrificed to Hekate as a scapegoat.[9] According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary a scapegoat is “one that bears the blame for others.” Prior to the sacrifice taking place, each member of the household touched the dog, transmitting all of their bad deeds onto this sacred animal of Hekate. Once the dog was sacrificed, the head of the family read the entrails to be sure the sacrifice was accepted and any act of offense against the Titan or the Gods was wiped clean. This ritual allowed the family to go forward into the new month free of pollution.
Purification
Purification of the household had two parts: 1) fumigation; and 2) the removal of “leftovers” from offerings and sacrifices. Fumigation was accomplished by carrying a baked clay censer of incense throughout the house and property. The clay censer was then deposited at the crossroads or shrine as an offering and was never used again.[10] It was considered a “leftover” from the ritual. Other such leftovers included; incense ashes and the ashes from sacrifices that were on the family altar, waste blood[11], and any remaining food that had fallen onto the floor. Food that falls to the floor was never to be picked up as it had passed to Hekate, who would redistribute it to the spirits.[12]
“Whatever is thrown or dropped is lost to this world, whatever is caught is gained” - Pausanias, Description of Greece I, 17, 3; Aelius Spartianus, Hadrian XXVI, 7.
This suggests how the poor may have been able to eat the meals without incurring Hekate's wrath. If the poor were able to snatch the meal up before it was set down, before it was “lost” to the spirits and to Hekate, it would be their “gain.”
All of the leftovers were deposited at the shrine or a crossroads, preferably at the same time as the meal since you were not to look back at it. Then the household shut its doors and retired for the night. As it was considered unlucky to pick up, touch, or step on these offerings[13], I am uncertain on how the offerings were dealt with the following days. The offerings may have been left in place or the prohibition on touching them may have expired following a set length of time.
Current Practices
Current methods of observing the Deipnon mix traditional forms of ritual with new. In some cases, the new ritual practices are due to adapting to modern life in a very different culture than that of ancient Athens. Other practices arise out of differing interpretations of Hekate's significance. Some knowledge has been lost and some history is no longer intuitively understood. From what others share about how they celebrate the Deipnon, there is less of a focus on placation and warding the home from evil spirits and an increased focus on making an offering to Hekate and performing acts of charity. Sacrificing a dog is currently illegal in the USA. Scapegoating, to my knowledge, is no longer performed even in a “bloodless” way. The element of expiation has been completely omitted from the Deipnon. Below is a sampling of what modern coreligionists do to observe the Deipnon.
The Meal
This offering is one of the more common ritual elements in current practice. Eggs, onions, garlic, and leeks are still placed on plates and offered. It's not unheard of for incense to take the place of food as the meal offering.
While the make up of the meal has remained intact, the location of the offering often differs from traditional placement. Almost no one has a shrine to Hekate where their sidewalk or driveway meets the street in front of their home. While many still seek out a crossroads, others place the meal on a central altar in their home or apartment for a day and then dispose of the offering later. Others place the offering on a plate that rests on a rock in a pool of water, neatly bringing together the three areas over which Hekate rules.
There is much less worry about looking back at the plate once it has been placed or about vengeful spirits driving one mad if not placated. Modern discussions center on what constitutes “proper disposal” of the offering the next day. Burial of the offering is preferred whenever possible, but some place it in the trash or in a composter. Persons who place the meal outside say they have not needed to dispose of the offering as it is usually gone by morning.
Cleaning or Sweeping the House
While offering the sweepings from the home is still done, what is in the sweepings can be much different from ancient Athens. No longer do we allow dropped food to stay on the floor for weeks. People currently do not have ashes from sacrificed animals, dog carcasses, or waste blood in homes and apartments. Stubs from candles used in rituals, ashes from incense, and other previous offerings can find their way into the pile of “sweepings,” which is offered on the Deipnon, as this is a time when some Hellenic Polytheists clean off all home altars and shrines. Cleaning out a refrigerator or pantry is becoming a common practice.
Charity
Although the purpose of the meal offered at the Deipnon was not intended to feed the poor in antiquity, current offerings of food or money to local food banks in Hekate's name are an expression of charity designed to do precisely that - feed the hungry. Donating time at a soup kitchen serving meals is another act of charity and goodwill done to observe the Deipnon. Not only do Hellenic Polytheists believe this is an ethical act keeping with Hellenic virtues, they are giving in Hekate's name so She may find them worthy of Her blessings of prosperity, wisdom, and increase. This is not viewed as a quid pro quo, but a reciprocation of favors that build a stronger bond.
Other practices are resolving personal and/or financial obligations and emptying and cleaning a special jar kept in a pantry or on an altar in honor of Zeus Ktesios. Both practices are based on the same general concept - to close out the old month and enter the new month fresh. That fresh start is celebrated the next day during the Noumenia when it is auspicious to start new projects and unspoiled contents are placed back into the Ktesios jar.
Summary
Information on the historical observance of the Deipnon is spotty at best and spread throughout many primary sources, making it difficult for modern coreligionists to obtain accurate information on this important and basic household ritual. As increasingly concise information is more widely disseminated and more Hellenic Polytheists incorporate this ritual into their spiritual lives, it will be interesting to see an evolution of the continued rituals and also to see if those participating find the Deipnon to be as fulfilling and important as their religious and cultural ancestors.
[1] Apollon. Rhod. iii. 529, 861, iv. 829; Theocrit. l. c. ; Ov. Heroid. xii. 168, Met. xiv. 405; Stat. Theb. iv. 428 ; Virg. Aen. iv. 609; Orph. Lith. 45, 47; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1197, 1887; Diod. iv. 45.
[2] Aristoph. Vesp. 816, Lysistr. 64; Eurip. Med. 396; Porphyr. de Abstin. ii. 16; Hesych. s. v. Hekataia
[3] Aristoph. Vesp. 816, Lysistr. 64; Eurip. Med. 396; Porphyr. de Abstin. ii. 16; Hesych. s. v. Hekataia
[4] Plutarch (Moralia, 709 A)
[5] Aristophanes (Plutus, 594)
[6] Rodhe, i 234 n., and references.
[7] Antiphanes, in Athenaeus, 313 B (2. 39 K), and 358 F; Melanthius, in Athenaeus, 325 B. Plato, Com. (i. 647. 19 K), Apollodorus, Melanthius, Hegesander, Chariclides (iii. 394 K), Antiphanes, in Athenaeus, 358 F; Aristophanes, Plutus, 596.
[8] Cinesias, in Plutarch, Moralia, 170 B.
[9] Hekate's Suppers, by K. F. Smith.
[10] Roscher, 1889; Heckenbach, 2781; Rohde, ii. 79, n. 1.
[11] Ammonius (p. 79, Valckenaer)
[12] Diels, Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, 1:463; Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers VIII, 34.
[13] Petronius, 134