September sweeps in on a rush of warm air, the last of summer’s breath filtering through the slowly changing leaves on a breeze edged with only the slightest hint of the chill yet to come. Though summer may try as she might to keep her hold on the land, there is no denying autumn her reign.
In this liminal time, we teeter on the edge of the dark half of the year, preparing in our own ways to be plunged into the darkness of those long nights. Though marked by the quiet decay of the liveliness of spring and summer, autumn is not without its own spirited atmosphere. It is something beyond the easy brightness of the lighter months; it’s something that feels more alert and alive than even the brightest days of summer, an atmosphere that cloaks us in its shadows and whispers to us the ways of the past. For those who hear autumn’s summons in each creak of a branch and whistle of the wind, autumn truly is a liminal time; not just a transition of seasons, but a time when the earth seems to show itself as what it is—something ancient that asks us to look closer, listen closer. Within autumn’s bare branch forests and blackest nights exists a threshold between past and present, this world and others.
Related: Samhain and Cider | Liquor Literacy
The ancient world lives alongside us each autumn, the land alive with the beliefs and traditions of old that are as tied to history as they are to the earth beneath our very feet. Autumn dredges them up and conjures doorways with them, these beliefs of the past. In today’s Liquor Literacy post, we invite you to step through one such doorway with us.
The Drink
Inspired by the deepening nights, ancient rituals, and the goddess Persephone, today’s drink is a modern recipe that is the perfect accompaniment to those long autumn nights that await us—warm pomegranate cider with a little twist.
Persephone, Pomegranates, and the Underworld| An Ancient Greek Autumn
When autumn arrives, there is a tendency to think of ancient autumnal traditions in pagan terms that still color our autumns today. Jack-o’lanterns, the Headless Horseman, trick or treating and more all have their origins in pagan beliefs and traditions surrounding Samhain—the origin of our modern Halloween. As much as exploring ancient pagan beliefs delights us, it’s the beckoning of ancient Greek culture that we’re answering today.
In ancient Greece, the arrival of the dark half of the year was tied to Persephone, Goddess of Spring and eventual Queen of the Underworld. The daughter of Zeus and Demeter, who was the goddess of agriculture and fertility (both agricultural and human), Persephone was also called Kore, meaning “the maiden,” and was Goddess of Springtime by divine birth. As the myth goes, Persephone was enjoying the beauty of a field of flowers one fateful day when she spotted the most irresistibly beautiful narcissus and went to pick it. As soon as she did, however, the earth opened beneath her feet and Hades, God of the Underworld and denied suitor of Persephone, emerged from the Underworld on his chariot pulled by black horses and took her for himself.
Demeter immediately began the desperate search for her daughter, aided by Hecate, goddess of witchcraft. Demeter scoured the earth for sign of her daughter, but to no avail. Finally, she came to rest in the city of Eleusis where she disguised herself as an old mortal woman and cared for the earthly queen’s infant son. There, she baptized the boy in nightly fire to give him the gift of an immortal life. The mortal queen, upon finding her nursemaid placing her son in the fire, was outraged. When Demeter revealed her true divine identity, the queen was mollified. In exchange for the people of Eleusis building her a temple, Demeter taught the queen’s son, Triptolemos, the art of agriculture.
It was during Demeter’s search for Persephone that the earth began to suffer and wither as Demeter neglected her agricultural duties—either because of her grief or as an act of vengeance against Zeus, who had something to do with Persephone’s abduction. With the earth dying, Zeus was forced to bargain with Hades for Persephone’s release. Hades agreed, but Persephone had already eaten the seeds of a pomegranate which represented the dissolubility of marriage. Eating in the Underworld tied to her to Hades eternally, but Zeus intervened and worked out an agreement requiring her to spend only a few months of the year in the Underworld with Hades. These months of Persephone’s absence were marked by the withering and death of the agricultural world; her return brought the rebirth of springtime—and thus the ancient Greeks explained the cycle of the seasons.
The myth of Persephone had a deeper significance within ancient Greek culture, as well. It represented the cycle of life and death, most importantly representing that death was not a permanent end and a different sort of existence awaited their souls in the afterlife. It was this—as well as the simple worship of the goddesses who provided them with the year’s harvest—that inspired the rituals honoring Demeter and Persephone each autumn.
Related: Greek Mythology, Mead, and Metheglin | Liquor Literacy
The Eleusinian Mysteries, the most well known of the secret ancient Greek religious rites, were rituals meant to initiate people into a cult that worshipped Demeter and Persephone. Despite the word “cult” perhaps implying a strange, small sect of ancient Greek religious zealots, the cult of Demeter and Persephone was fantastically popular and surprisingly loose in its qualification for membership—to join, you simply needed to speak Greek and have never committed a murder. The most popular cult in ancient Greece, Plato said of it, “Whoever arrives in Haides as an uninitiate and non-participant in the initiation rites will lie in mud, but he or she who has been both purified and has participated in the initiation rites, upon arrival there, will dwell with the gods.”
The Mysteries were festivals meant to initiate new members, but also honor and represent Demeter and Persephone’s story. The first portion of the rituals, the Lesser Mysteries, were celebrated in spring and acted as a purification for the coming autumn rituals. The Greater Mysteries took place later in the year, around September during the harvest. Details of these rituals are relatively unknown—participants were sworn to secrecy upon the penalty of death—however we know that they represented Demeter’s journey to find Persephone as well as Persephone’s journey to the underworld and back. Participants were supposedly thoroughly convinced of an incredible afterlife awaiting them because of the secret ritual rites. It’s possible the strength of their convictions after spending the night in an underground theatre for the secret rites was aided by the Kykeon—a beverage of barley and mint that might’ve been spiked with a psychotropic fungus—that they drank as they rested by the same Eleusis well that Demeter sat by. Either way, these rituals were some of the most important and most impactful in all of ancient Greece.
As the autumn arrived, ancient Greeks also celebrated two other festivals inspired by Persephone and Demeter’s myth and meant to honor the goddesses. Sometimes celebrated around the autumn equinox or sometimes later in the autumn, the festivals of Stenia and Thesmophoria were also among the most popular in all of ancient Greece. They were a large part of how the Greeks welcomed in the harvest months and thanked the gods for that year’s food, but were also celebrated to promote both human and agricultural fertility. These festivals were unique in that they were for women only. Men were forbidden to partake in or even witness the rituals. There’s some uncertainty as to which women were allowed to participate, with some saying all adult women could participate while others say only married women or only aristocratic women were allowed.
Stenia was celebrated three days before Thesmophoria and involved women gathering to trade aiskhrologia—insults, foul language, and risqué humor women used with other women who were friends or family—in hopes of making Demeter laugh. Women also abstained from certain foods during this time and practiced chastity as purification for the Thesmophoria festival to come. Pigs were sacrificed, their carcasses left to rot in pits called megara. Specific women would be tasked with being the “bailers” and retrieving the pig remains to place on an altar to Demeter and Persephone along with cakes shaped into serpents and symbols of fertility. Thesmophoria also saw women grouping together to live in the woods for these few days where they would elect female officials as a sort of role reversal, whip each other with bark, and march with torches through the night. Many of the details of these rituals are unknown, but we know it was a time to honor Demeter and Persephone and for women to play a spiritual role in the fertility of their people and land for the coming year. While some of their practices might have been more solemn, there’s no denying that some of these practices—specifically the aiskhrologia—allowed the women of ancient Greece some time away from their domestic duties for what hopefully was a bit of fun.
The Recipe
With the autumn equinox being represented by Persephone’s annual descent to the Underworld, it’s only right that we make something inspired by the Queen of the Underworld herself. Pomegranates, being a symbol of Persephone, were the perfect pairing with a traditional mulled cider.
This recipe originally appeared on Becca Ink.
16 ounces pomegranate juice
4 cups of apple cider
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise pods
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 cup of rum
Note: The original recipe calls for a specific variety of cinnamon sticks called sweet cinnamon sticks. I was unable to find them, so I used ordinary cinnamon sticks which seemed to do the trick.
Another Note: Rum is optional. You could also substitute whiskey for it, if that’s your preference.
Directions
After diving deep into the rituals of ancient Greece and the complicated stories of Greek mythology, there’s something extra nice about making a relatively simple recipe with no baked and mashed apples or clove-studded oranges in sight.
Place cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and star anise pods into cheesecloth or spice ball.
Add pomegranate juice, apple cider, orange juice, lemon juice and brown sugar to pot or slow cooker. Add in the spices.
If making this on the stovetop, let the cider come to a boil before reducing the heat and letting it simmer for 10 minutes.
If making this in a slow cooker, simply let all the ingredients heat and mull on the low setting for 2 to 4 hours.
Remove spices and add the rum immediately before serving.
Don your cloaks, light the torches, and take to the woods. This autumn, we drink to the women of ancient Greece and the goddesses Demeter and Persephone.
If absolutely necessary, ladling into mugs from the comfort of your home is also acceptable if carrying a torch through the woods to worship ancient goddesses isn’t your thing.
Pairs Well With
Whether you’re interested in learning more about Greek mythology by reading the myths themselves or through modern retellings, there is a vast world of books to choose from. While it’s difficult to find any books focused solely on Persephone’s story that aren’t retellings of her relationship with Hades, what this drink truly inspires is an atmospheric read, Persephone-inspired or not. The rich, warm pomegranate cider only asks that something dark and intriguing and unexpected be read alongside it.
Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
by Edith Hamilton
For nearly seventy years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling, enchanting, and fascinating world of Western mythology. From Odysseus’s adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin’s effort to postpone the final day of doom, Edith Hamilton’s classic collection not only retells these stories with brilliant clarity but shows us how the ancients saw their own place in the world and how their themes echo in our consciousness today. An essential part of every home library, Mythology is the definitive volume for anyone who wants to know the key dramas, the primary characters, the triumphs, failures, fears, and hopes first narrated thousands of years ago – and is still spellbinding to this day.
The Greek Myths
by Robert Graves
In this much-loved collection, poet and scholar Robert Graves retells the immortal stories of the Greek myths. Demeter mourning her daughter Persephone, Icarus flying too close to the sun, Theseus and the Minotaur … all are captured here with the author’s characteristic erudition and flair.
The Greek Myths is the culmination of years of research and careful observation, however what makes this collection extraordinary is the imaginative and poetic style of the retelling. Drawing on his experience as a novelist and poet, Graves tells the fantastic stories of Ancient Greece in a style that is both absorbing and easy for the general reader to understand. Each story is accompanied by Graves’ interpretation of the origins and deeper meaning of the story, giving a reader an unparalleled insight into the customs and development of the Greek world.
The Haunting Season
by Various Authors
Winter, with its unsettling blend of the cosy and the sinister, has long been a popular time for gathering by the bright flame of a candle, or the warm crackling of a fire, and swapping stories of ghosts and strange happenings. Now eight bestselling, award-winning authors – master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre – bring this time-honoured tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding collection of new and original haunted tales. From a bustling Covent Garden Christmas market to the frosty moors of Yorkshire, from a country estate with a dreadful secret, to a London mansion where a beautiful girl lies frozen in death, these are stories to make your hair stand on end, send shivers down your spine and to serve as your indispensable companion to the long nights of winter. So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of The Haunting Season . . .
The Historian
by Elizabeth Kostova
To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history….Late one night, exploring her father’s library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to “My dear and unfortunate successor,” and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of, a labyrinth where the secrets of her father’s past and her mother’s mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.
The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself–to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive. What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time and borders, as first the father and then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, and the depths of Eastern Europe. In city after city, in monasteries and archives, in letters and in secret conversations, the horrible truth emerges about Vlad the Impaler’s dark reign and about a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive down through the ages.
Related: Must Read Greek Mythology Retellings
Final Thoughts
Pomegranate Cider is delicious. It’s quite tart, but it’s balanced well with the spices and brown sugar. The rum plays a supporting role, not overpowering any of the ingredients we want to take center stage, namely the pomegranate juice and cider. It adds an added layer of warmth with just the slightest kick to each sip. This drink will certainly be a welcome addition to my cozy evenings this autumn, as I hope it will be to yours.
This does sound good. A nice mulled drink after raking leaves or being out in the crisp autumn weather.
It’s delicious! It’s pretty simple, so it’s the perfect drink to throw in the slow cooker and let it come together while you’re busy outside enjoying the crisp weather. I hope you enjoy it if you make it!