Pig sacrifice in the cult of Demeter

Abstract

This thesis addresses pig sacrifice at cult activities of Demeter, with a particular emphasis on the Eleusinian Mysteries and the Thesmophoria. Little is known about pig sacrifice that took place at festivals of Demeter. We know that each initiate required a pig as part of the cost of initiation at the Eleusinian Mysteries, and we are informed by later Roman writers that the Thesmophoria involved the deposit and exhumation of pigs as part of the festival. However, there is still debate on when during the festivals pig sacrifice took place, who undertook the sacrificing at female festivals and what was the utilisation of the pig within festivals of Demeter. This has raised a number of theories to be considered, including the deposit of the pigs into megara or pits, and "pig sharing" between festivals to help address the debate on what the timeframe was for the pigs being left underground. A lack of primary information makes these theories speculative and raises as many issues as solutions, for example the practicalities of sharing pig sacrifice between festivals in different locations. I have compared a number of festivals of Demeter, which has highlighted a number of similarities within cult worship to the Goddess, including the use of torches to suggest nocturnal activities, women feasting and fasting during a festival, the use of lurid language and association with fertility (and sex), secret rites and a connection to the Homeric Hymn of Demeter. Pig sacrifice is also a common feature with pig bones being found throughout a number of sanctuaries to the Goddesses, votive offerings of women with pigs, and a number of megara with charred pig remains, all of which support the theory that pig sacrifice was a major component of worship to Demeter.