The Original Meaning Of The Mysteries Of The Ancient World

For probably over 2,000 years in antiquity, mystery rites were celebrated in many different cities stretching from parts of Europe and Africa all the way to India. There were many variations to the rituals and explanations for their meaning. But the use of ‘mysteries’, in this context, is a translation from “muein,” which specifically had to do with secrets, that were shared only with initiates (mystai). A variant of these rites took place under one tradition as the Orphic Mysteries near Athens – Orpheus descended and returned from the Underworld. Orpheus’ death in this myth was seen as an allegory for peaceful societies inevitably succumbing to barbarism. Under another tradition, also near Athens, the Eleusinian Mysteries were practiced. The island of Crete had a rites celebration that was anciently attributed to being the origin of the Greek mysteries and was not secretive like many of the others; in Mesopotamia there were the rites of Zoë and Bios; in Egypt and Crete rites centered around a great mother and her son-lover, and as far away as India there was a similar ceremony of the Sivite women. The secret known only to the initiates in some cases, was said to be the identity of Persephone, while in another case it could have referred to the goddess Persephone’s association with pomegranates, as she was often depicted holding them. The many variations of the rituals and their associated myths make it difficult to establish the original meaning of the rituals, but many clues were left behind.

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