72-92

Melissa Potnia

Σύμμεικτα

• Richards-Μαντζουλίνου, Έρση

The peculiar shape of the Delphic Omphalos has been a subject of many discussions and controversies. It has been suggested that it represents either Python’s or Dionysos’ tomb, that it is related to the egyptian omphaloi or the babylonian kudurrus, that it is thebase of the “celestial pillar” and finally that it is an imitation of a mole’s nest in connection with the cult of Smin- theus Apollo and his surname as Loxias.The writer believes that the greek art, which is so realistic and definite, should not allow any doubts as to its shape, a shape familiar to us all : a beehive. Seeking the reason behind it, is the subject of this article.The word “ omphi ” means ' divine voice’, and therefore the word “ omphalos ” designates the place where the divine, voice speaks, that is the oracle. At the same time the same word means 'navel’ and the expression commonly used “omphalos Gaias” was misinterpreted ( perhaps in late antiquity ) as 'navel of the Earth’ instead of “ oracle of the Earth”. In spite Cornutus’ efforts to correct this discrepancy, the game of words continued until our days. The myth concerning the two eagles sent by Zeus to mark the center of the earth, is believed to have been created by the presence of such a pair of golden birds, a precious offering, inside the Delphic temple.The fact that many omphaloi have been found in places other than Delphi, and sometimes in number more than one, proves that this stone was not an exclusive delphic symbol. Furthermore, the fact that Delphi never accused other oracular places for usurping its symbol, or, that no other oracles have accused Delphi on boasting for being the 'navel of the Earth’, proves that the omphalos meant something else. The writer believes that the omphalos stood as the symbol of all oracles that originated out of a bee - cult prophetic system. It must have been like a signpost meaning “ORACLE ”, only instead of an inscription it used its own shape, understood by the people at that time.A bee - cult is definitely connectedwith the origins of the Delphic Oracle, as mentioned in : (a) The Homeric Hymn to Hermes, where three bee - looking creatures living in Parnassus, are characterized by Apollo as 'teachers of prophesy’, (b) the second legendary temple of Delphi, being built by bees with honeycomb and feathers, as reported by Pausanias, and (c) Pindar referring to the prophetess as the Delphic Bee.A strange myth narrates that the bees were born out of the carcass of a dead bull or ox, and for this, the bee became the symbol of resurrection in the prehistoric period, with a special cult, as it seems in Crete. Burial offerings such as the golden bees of Malia, the gold - foils with bees from Mycenae ( Tomb III - Royal Circle A ) and similar ones in the Chora Museum, plus the beehive tombs of the Mycenean period, show a tendency to bury the dead with a symbol related to the bee ( among other symbols as well ) that perhaps would assure ressurection. This belief continues in the centuries that will follow: (a) the geometric terracotta 'granaries’ of the Agora Museum, that the writer interprets as beehives, (b) three similar protoattic beehives in a child’s grave in Kerameikos, (c) bees on rosettes, in an archaic golden necklace of Melos, and (d) golden bees on the newly found necklace of Vergina.At the same time, in Prehistory, the bee is of course worshipped for its honey, the only sweetening ingredient that existed. Beekeeping was introduced to Greece from the Middle East, perhaps from Egypt through Crete and started, as the myths can betray, in Attica, Boeotia and Argolis. An intoxicating honey drink was made before the wine was invented. A serie of myths concerning Hyrieus, Abas, Butes ( leaders of the beekeepers ) against Oeneus, Oenopion ( leaders of the wine producers ) shows the clash between these two major agricultural clans, a clash that started when viniculture was introduced to Greece. The two rival parties were finally reconciled, a fact that can be deduced from Melicertes’ myth, who is often considered as a counterpart of Dionysos.Very often in art and cults, the bee goes along with the snake, another sacred animal. Such examples are: (a) Meilichios Zeus, always shown as a snake, but who is appeased with honey, (b) the sacred snakes on the Acropolis, which was always fed with honey by the Athenians, and (c) the oracle of Trophonios, where the visitor had to hold honey - cakes so that the snakes wouldn’t harm him. A most extraordinary example is the protoattic amphora of the Eleusis Museum, where the two Gorgos that pursue Perseus, are shown with bees’ heads, and snakes in the place of the antennas and the first pair of legs*. The chthonian character of the snake matches the celestial one of the bee, plus the fact that they were both considered as fertility and resurrection divinities in prehistory. The being that could know the procedure of getting life after death ( resurrection ) could as well be an oracular being, and this is exactly the point when the bee “ enters ” the historic period as a symbol of prophecy.The bee was not only connected with Apollo and Delphi, as already mentioned, but with Erycina Aphrodite as well, who was considered as the bee - goddess of prehistory. A golden honeycomb was presented to her Sicilian sanctuary by Daedalus, when he fled from Crete, and bees are involved in her love stories with Anchises and Butes ( the hero who introduced beekeeping in Athens ). The diggings in her oracular sanctuaries, both in Cyprus and in Arcadia, brought to light some omphaloi. Furthermore, most of the Boeotian oracles are connected with bees : (a) a swarm of bees lead to the discovery of the Trophonios oracular cave, (b) the name of “ Ismenios ” Apollo is derived from 'smenos’ meaning bee swarm, (c) Abas, founder of the Abae oracle, already mentioned, (d) inTegyra, “Tegyraeos” Apollo meaning “ beehive coverer ”, and (e) perhaps Ptoos or Ptoios, a mis- pronounciation of the name Butes in the boeotian dialect.Honey definitely became the food that gave divine inspiration. Not only the great oracular gods, such as Zeus and Apollo were fed with honey in their babyhood, but divine poets as well, Homer being one of them. Flour is sometimes mixed with honey to increase inspiration, although not much is known on the subject.Butes, the famous beekeeper of Athens, founded the sacerdotal family of Buteids in Athens, while his grand - nephew Eumolpus, inherited the kingdom of King Tegyrius (: beehive cove- rer ) of Thrace and founded another sacerdotal family, the Eumolpids, in Eleusis. Omphaloi have been found in Athens ( theater of Dionysos and the Agora ) as well as in Eleusis, where they are represented on finds ( Anti- noiis with omphalos, and Ninnion’s tablet ).Therefore, one can assume that, since so many oracular places originated from a bee - cult, the beehive gave its shape to the primitive ( legendary or not ) constructions that started o- perating as oracles. First as a hut, then as a small adobe building ( as the diggings of the Daphnephorion in Eretria seem to prove). When the visitors started flocking, it became necessary to abandon these small buildings, and construct spacious ones, perhaps in the early archaic period. The shape of the beehive, the first oracle, became sacred, and its souvenir was kept alive, carved on a stone, the “ omphalos ”, that became an object of adoration and was kept inside the temple. Pilgrims would place their offerings on it, suchas embroidered bands and kind of necklaces. Other omphaloi were also offered, and these were placed around the sanctuary. The Omphalos of the Delphi Museum is a copy of the real one, showing all these votive offerings, but was put outside, where Pausanias saw it and where it was found.The small apsidal building of Corinth, that was properly identified as an oracle, supports the theory that such kind of buildings could originally have served such a purpose. The apsidal and polygonal buildings of the Daphnephorion ( earliest phases ) are believed to be imitations of the first mythical beehive temple of Delphi. It was also suggested that the slabs of marble bearing a honeycomb relief decoration found in Delos and Thasos belonged to such “ commemorative ” buildings. The writer believes that most probably the oracle of Delos that has not been located to date, should now be looked for in these unidentified adjoining buildings known as the “ Monuments of Hexagons”, and that small apsidal buildings ( such as the one on the S. side of the Delphic temple ) could most probably be identified as the first oracles.

• History and Archaeology

• Αρχαιολογία
• Ιστορία, Αρχαία

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