The antique Greek dance, after sculptured and painted figures . F THE GODS 400. Originally all of these dances were in honor of the gods, areligious practice of worship by means of rhythmic movements. Strabo speaks of the sacrifices accompanied by frenzy thusFrenzy is a kind of celestial inspiration. It is a saintly fury,manifested by visible signs. Its ritual included the orgiastic dances. It is not confined to theworship of Dionysos; the cult of Rhea, and the mysteries of Orpheusevoked a dance that was strangely violent, which transformed itsadepts into frantic maniacs. It is possible that t
The antique Greek dance, after sculptured and painted figures . F THE GODS 400. Originally all of these dances were in honor of the gods, areligious practice of worship by means of rhythmic movements. Strabo speaks of the sacrifices accompanied by frenzy thusFrenzy is a kind of celestial inspiration. It is a saintly fury,manifested by visible signs. Its ritual included the orgiastic dances. It is not confined to theworship of Dionysos; the cult of Rhea, and the mysteries of Orpheusevoked a dance that was strangely violent, which transformed itsadepts into frantic maniacs. It is possible that the cult of Apollohad its place in the orgiastic dances: the frenzy, according toStrabo, extended to prophecy, as is proved by the contortions ofthe Pythonesses. There is a likeness between their ecstatic poses andthe movements of a great number of the dancers who figure in thepaintings and reliefs. 401. The dance of the Clashers (386) is derived from the ritual-istic dance belonging to the cult of Rhea. It is reasonable to sup- DANCES IN HONOR OF THE GODS £3. Fig. 57*. pose that the adorers of the Great Mother of the gods executed the whirling Steps which are related to those used by the protectors of the infant Zeus. The priests of Rhea were mad, they stamped their feet and uttered inarticulate sounds, while making crazy motions as to which the texts are rather obscure, but which appear to have been something like those of the whirling dervishes. 402. The practices of the Omo-phagie, where blood was spilled, andto which some monuments are conse-crated, cannot be regarded as alto-gether fictitious. Without doubt themenade who holds a human foot inher hand, and, with backward benthead, executes an orgiastic dance, is to be accepted as purely symbolic. This recalls the legend of Dio-nysos Zagreus and the Titans. But this cult of raw flesh—reduced to the laceration of the body, was prac-ticed in the nocturnal ceremonies inhonor of Zagreus. The initiates par-took of the raw fles
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