KernosRevue internationale et pluridisciplinaire de religion

grecque antique

9 | 1996

Varia

Cult Clay Figurines in Ancient ThraceArchaeological Evidence for the Existence of Thracian Orphism

Nikola Theodossiev

Electronic version

URL: http://journals.openedition.org/kernos/1169DOI: 10.4000/kernos.1169ISSN: 2034-7871

Publisher

Centre international d'étude de la religion grecque antique

Printed version

Date of publication: 1 January 1996ISSN: 0776-3824

Electronic reference

Nikola Theodossiev, « Cult Clay Figurines in Ancient Thrace », Kernos [Online], 9 | 1996, Online since 21April 2011, connection on 01 May 2019. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/kernos/1169 ; DOI :10.4000/kernos.1169

Kernos

Kernos, 9 (1996), p. 219-226.

Cult ClayFigurinesin AncientThrace:

ArchaeologicalEvidencefor theExistenceof

ThracianOrphism

Strangelittle clay objects and figurines have beendiscoveredin sometumuli with rieh Thracianaristocratiegraves,excavatedin Bulgaria during thefirst decadesof 20th century. Archaeologistsof that time defined the puzzlingartefactsas magie things, maybe connectedwith healing rites, or simply aschildren's toys. The following scholarsand many contemporaryBulgarianarchaeologistsalso accepttheseattitudes.In the recentyears, the numberofclay figurines andobjectsgrewup, beingfound not only in tumulargraves,butalso in fiat cemeteries,sanctuariesand settlementsl . The discoveredartefactsare datedfrom the beginningof the Early Iron Age (llth-10th centuryBC) tothe late RomanPeriod (end of the 2nd - beginningof the 3rd century afterChrist) in Thrace.Ali of them are of extremelyvarious shapesand it is verydiffieult to establisha generaltypology. An obvious commonelementis thequite primitive outlook of the figurines, whieh are handmadewith no excep-tion. At the same time, the different shapesof the artefactsare absolutelyconservativewithout any developmentduring the long period of their exis-tence,so it is not possibleto distinguishand date two figurines when they areout of cleararchaeologiealcontext.

Ir is not easyto interpretthe enigmatiefinds and to understandtheir exactmeaning.The main problem is that the ancientThracianshave beena non-literate society, and ail the information on their religion is indirect, given byGreek and Romanauthors.However, the clear ritual situations,in whieh themain part of the clay artefactsare found, show that they are to be examinedlike cult attributesandsymbols,connectedwith religiousbeliefs of the Thraciantribes. Their importancecould be bestseenin the aristocratieandking's graves,wherethe unattractivefigurines havebeenrestedtogetherwith manygold andsilver art treasures.

In the recent decadessome Bulgarian scholarsstarted to examine theGreek Orphie and Pythagoreanliterary texts, revealing many common

Review on ail the previous interpretationsand the main finds in Thrace in N. THEODOSSIEV,The SacredPlay of tbe Orpblc, in Kultllra, 2, 2 (1990), p. 64-78 (in Bulgarian); ID., The MysterlalToysoftbeThraclan O/pblcs, in O/pbey,2,3-4 (1992), p. 92-100(in Bulgarian).

220 N. THEODOSSIEV

elementswith the Thracian religion2. It was possibleto formulate a theoryaboutthe so-calledThracianOrphism,whieh hasbeenan aristocratieand eso-terie doctrine. In this connection,oneof the bestarchaeologiealproofs for theexistenceof Thracianmythologiealcomponents,whieh were includedduringthe syncretieformationof the GreekOrphism,canbe seenon a silver appliquéfrom Letnitsa treasure(Fig.1), dated ta the 4th century BC3. The Thracianuranie-chthoniegod appearsthere in the shapeof a dragon, accordinglyreferred ta as Zeus in the rationally treatedGreek Orphie theogony. He isopposedby DionysosZagreus,the sonof the god barnof the hierogamy,whois holding the principal mysterial Orphie attribute -the mirror- whieh hadmentionedfrom the 3rd centuryBC until the 4th centuryafter Christ4. In GreekOrphie myths Zeus acquiresthe image of a dragonin arderta engagein thesacredincest with Demeteror Persephone,while according ta one of thevariantsof the myth, Zagreus"dismemberedhimself into everything"preciselywhen he was holding the mirror5. Here it must be specifiedalso, that in manyThracianaristocratiemalegravesof the 5th-4thcenturyBC, bronzemirrors werediscoveredtogetherwith gold andsilver jewellery,weapons,clay cult figurines,etc. It is obvious, that thesemirrors have not beenrestedlike toilet articles inthe rieh men'sburials, but like mystieattributessimilar ta the clay artefacts.Onthe other hand, in ancientGreekand Italian ieonographythere are few repre-sentationsof DionysosZagreusfrom 4th centUlY BC onwards,but always as achild6. Sa, in that caseit is not possibleta seeka Greek influence on theLetnitsa appliqué,but on the contrary-the Titans on the Attie hydria of BritishMuseumwearThracianclothes.

Following the problems mentioned above, it is very interesting thatdescriptionsof the so-calledOrphie toys, preservedin sorneGreekandRomanliterary texts, coincidewith a part of the Thracianclay figurines andabjects,andit seemsthat they are closelyconnectedta eachother. The earliestaccountofthe Orphie toys, saveduntil today, canbe seenin the Gurob papyrusof the 3rdcenturyBC, found in Egypt? In the first column, lines 28-30 of the papyrus,the

A. FOL, Tbe 17Jracian O/pbism,Sofia, 1986 (in Bulgarian); ID., 17Je 17JracianDionysos.BookOne: Zagreus,Sofia, 1991 (in Bulgarian); D. POPOV, 17Je Gad lVitb Many Names, Sofia, 1995 (inBulgarian).

3 Already mentioned in N. THEODOSSIEV, 17Je Tbraclan Itbypba//tc Altar from Poliantbosand tbe SacredMarrlage oftbe Gods, in OJA, 13, 3 (1994), p. 313-323.

4 O. KERN, O/pblcorumfragmenta,Berolini, 1992, II 31, II 34, II 214.

On the dismembermentof Zagreuswhen holding mirror, see Ibid. II 209; on Zeus as adragon: C. KERÉNYI, 17Je Gods of tbe Greeks, London, 19762, p.252-254, with ancient literarysources,and especiallyNONNUS, Dion., Vl, 155-165(Keydell).

6 C. SMITH, O/pbtc Mytbs on Attic Vases,in JHS, 11 (1890), p. 343-351; E. SIMON, Zagreus.Über o/pbiscbeMotive in Campanareltefs,in M. RENARD (ed.), Hommagesà Albert Grenier,Bruxelles, 1962 (Coll. Latomus,58), p. 1418-1427.

7 KERN, op. clt. (n. 4), II 31; on the cone as a symbol of the cosmosthere is a later evidenceof the 2nd century after Christ: Achilleus Tatios, Isag. ad Arati Pbenom.,p. 77 (Vieborg).

CULT CLAY FIGURINES IN ANCIENT THRACE 221

Orphie mysterial abjectsare mentioned:cane, rhombos, knucklebonesandmirror, thrown in kalathos. Of partieular interest is the cane, whieh afterAchilleus Tatios has beenregardedas image of the cosmosprobablyby theOrphiesand whieh is very usual amongthe Thraciancult abjects,especiallyafter the 5th century BC (Fig. 2d), Maybe the most remarkableare the claycanescoveredwith silver foil, found in an aristocratietumulargravedatedfromthe end of the Ist centuryafter Christ, excavatednear the village of Slatina,Lovechdistriet. Simultaneously,it is weIl known that manyThracianshavelivedin Egypt during the Hellenistie period8

. Sa, it is possibleta assumethat theanonymousauthorof Gurob papyrushasbeenoccasionallyaffectedby sorneThraciansacrednarrativesandrites, performedin Egypt.

Fig. 1 : The Letnitsa appliqué,4th centuryBC.

8 V. VELKOV, A. FOL, Les Thracesen Égyptegréco-romaine,Sofia, 1977 (Studia Thracica, 4),p. 22-72, 97-102.

222 N. THEODOSSIEV

The following most eloquentaccounton the Orphie toys is inc1udedinProtreptikoswritten by Clementof Alexandria9, an early ChristianFatherwhoHved in the secondhaIf of the 2nd - first decadeof the 3rd centUlY AD. AfterClement,Orpheusthe Thraciansaid: cone, rhombos,movabletoys (figurines?)and the fruits of Hesperides.In the following Hnes the Fatheradds: knuckle-bone, sphere,whipping-top, apple, rhombos,mirror and fleece, aIl of themconnectedwith the paganmysteries.Although manyinformationsof Clement'sProtreptikosare not very reliable, it seemsthat the descriptionsmentionedabovefollow an old OrphieHterarytradition.

.

ｾＮＧ｜ＮＧｬ［ｾﾷＬＺｾ

U" " . " .........................".....

â··:/0"

.;J.',

fro.- ＮＺｾ

... 0. O.·..... /'<: ;"

. ,

Fig. 2 : Different Thracianclay figurines and abjects(withaut scales).

Among the sacred objects -some ones already known from Gurobpapyrus-,very importantare the movabletoys, whieh mayberepresentedHule

9 KERN, op. cif. (n. 4), II 34.

CULT CLAY FIGURINES IN ANCIENT THRACE 223

figurines. Such figurines in ancientThrace were the anthropomorphieandzoomorphieidols, the mostwidespreadcult artefacts.The humanfigurines arealways with very weil representedsex (Fig. 2q, r, s, t), and it is possibletoidentify them with the imagesof the Great Goddessand the male god, Thelittle clay animais-deers(Fig. 2u), buIls (Fig. 2v), rams,horses,he-goats,etc.-are amongthe usualsacrificial vietims in the Thracianburialsandsanctuaries,

Of upmostinterestis the sphere,whieh also is weil attestedamongtheThracianobjects(Fig. 2c). The sphereis mentionedin anotherearly Christianapologetieliterature as weil, where it could be connectedagain with OrphieideaslO , However, this object is most connectedwith the Pythagorean notionsaboutthe cosmogonieelements,becausethe spherehas beenassociatedwiththe fire and the divine powerll , Following Pythagoreanideas,the pyramidandthe cube must be specified also. After Aëtius, Pythagorassaid that the fireappearsfrom the pyramid and the earth from the cube12. Obviously, thesegeometriefigures havebeenperceivedlike the centralcosmogoniebeginnings,Again Clement of Alexandria mentioned the pyramid among the sacredsymbolsof the Eleusinian(or Orphie?)mysteries13. As one can alreadyexpect,many little pyramids (Fig. 2a) and cubes(Fig. 2b) are among the cult clayobjectsfound in Thrace.Ali the statementsabove,togetherwith anotherliteralYaccountby Epiphaniuson somecult objectsand symbolsin Eleusiswhieh areusual in the Orphie rites as we1l14, are very eloquentas to the commonelements and links between Greek Orphism and Pythagoreanism15, andbetweenOrphieandEleusinianmysteries16,

The last evidenceby Clementof Alexandria, whieh will be mentionedhere, is about the deathof DionysosZagreus.After the Father,when the godhad beentom to piecesand partly eatenby the Titans, the goddessAthenapiekedup the divine heartandshookit out of the blood17, The importantroleof Zagreus'heartin the Orphiebeliefs canbe weil seenin the later narrativeby

10 Ibid" II 56, II 247, 25.

11 Cf AËTIUS, Deplac. phil" l, 7, 16 et II, 8, 2 (Diels); HIPPOL,, De Reflltat, omn, haeres,, 1, 15,p, 18, 6 (Wendland).

12 AËTIUS, Deplac, phil" II, 6, 5 (Diels); cf also THEOPHR" De Igne, 52 (Gercke)and SIMPLIC"In Arlst. comment.de anima, p, 68, 5 (Bero!),

13 CLEM, ALEX., Protrept" II, 6 (Migne).

14 KERN, op, clt. (n, 4), II 34,

15 W, BURKERT, Otphlsm and Bacchlc Mysterles: New Evidence and Old Problems ofInterpretation, in The Center for HermeneutlcalStudles ln Hellenlstlc a/Id Modern Culture,Colloquy, 28 (1977), p, 1-8; L.]. ALDERNIK, Creation and Salvatlon ln AnclentOrphlsm, Ann Arbor,1981, p.7-23 with op, clt,; W. BURKERT, Craft versus Sect: the Problem of Orphlcs andPythagoreans,in B,H. MEYER, E,P. SANDERS (eds,), jewlsh and Christian Self-Definition,111: Self-Definition ln the Graeco-Roman\Var/d, London, 1982, p, 1-22.

16 Fr. GRAF, Eleuslsunddie otphlscheDlchtungAthensln vorhellenlstlschet'Zelt, Berlin - NewYork, 1974,passim;BURKERT, OtphlsmandBacchlc... (n, 15); ALDERINK, op. clt. (n. 15),

17 KERN, op, clt. (n, 4), II 35,

224 N. THEODOSSIEV

Iulius FirmieusMaternus,whereit hasbeenconnectedwith the worship of thedeadgod18. It must be pointedout also, that in mythologiealtradition, Semelebecamepregnantwith the secondDionysos,after shedrunk a potion from theheartof Zagreus,given by Zeus19. In the context of abovementioned,mostinterestingis the unusualheart-like (or leaf-like?) shapeof two gold leavesofthe end of the 4th centuryBC, found in Thessaly2o.The two lamellaecontainBacchie-Orphieritual texts. In ancientThrace,a clay heart is discoveredin theroyal tholos tomb near the town of Stre1cha,dated to the 4th century BC(Fig. 20. Most likely, this importanthumanorgan has beeneatenduring theThraciansacrifices21 and this terrible practicehas reflectedthe ritual tastingofZagreus'body in the GreekOrphiemyths.

Following the earlier apologetieliterary tradition, the next descriptionofOrphie toys is preselvedin Arnobius' Adversusnationesof the 3rd-4thcenturyafter Christ22. The attributesconnectedwith dismembermentof Zagreushavebeen: knucklebones,mirror, whipping-tops(spindles?),rolling wheels (mostprobably iunge?3),balls (spheres?)and fruits of the Hesperides.Among thesesacredobjects,most attentionhere deselvethe eventualspindles,whieh areextremelyusualin Thracianburialsandsanctuaries.

A,',, '..' "

Fig. 3 : The sceneon Pomoriedish, Ist centuryafter Christ

The last evidence,containinginformation on the Orphie toys, is given byIulius Firmieus Maternus,a Romanwriter of the 4th centuryafter Christ. Theauthor told a literary framedversion of Zagreus'myths on Crete24, where the

18 Ibid., II 215.

19 KERÉNYI, op. clt. (n. 5), p. 257 with ancientevidence.

20 K. TSANTSANOGLOU, G.M. PARASSOGLOU, Two Gold Lamellaefrom Thessaly,in Hellenlka,38 (987), p. 3-16.

21 On the humansacrificesin Thrace,seepopov, op. clf. (n. 2), p. 59-106: N. THEOOOSSIEV, T7JeSacl'edMountaln of tbe AnclentThraclans, in T7Jl'acla, 11 (995), p. 371-384(= Studla ln bonol'emAlexandl'I Fo/).

22 KERN, op. clf. (n. 4), II 34.

23 On the already mentionedOrphie l'bombos, ItIllX and other music instrumentsconnectedwith different rites, seeA. GOW, Iunx, Rbombos,Rbombus,Turbo, inJHS, 54 (934), p. 1-13.

24 KERN, op. clf. (n. 4) II 214.

CULT CLAY FIGURINES IN ANCIENT THRACE 225

younggodwas capturedby the Titans throughthe mirror and ratt/es.ThereareseveralThracianegg-like clay ratt/esagain,datedto the 5th-4thcenturyBC andconsistingof hollow bodieswith litt/e pelletsin them(Fig. Ze). They obviouslyhad the important role of rhytming of the rites. The shapeof these ratt/es,togetherwith many other clay eggs found in Thracian graves, is of specialinteresthere. It is well know, that in the Greek Orphie cosmogonythe mainpower for the creationof the world is Eros (Phanes,Protogonos,Erikepaios),who hasbeenborn from the cosmieegg-a clearsymboi of the cosmosin theOrphieandBacchiemysteries25. In ancientThracethe eggmostprobablyhadasimilar symbolism,connectedwith the birth of the god. Very eloquentfor thisInterpretationis a late Hellenistietumuluswithout humangrave,excavatednearthe village of Radovene,Vratsadistriet. Only an egg-likehollow, plasteredwithred clay, anda sacrificeddog, restedin this quite primitive litt/e chamber,werediscoveredin the tumular embankment.Perhaps,in this casethe sacreddog,Iain in the red egg, has beenperceivedlike a zoomorphieincarnationof thesupremeThracianmalegod with phallie power26.

Among the clay artefacts from Thrace there are many phallic cones(Fig. Zh) andphal/ai (Fig. Zg) againconnectedwith the male god, little discs(Fig. Zi, k) -the aniconieimagesof the solar god27, altars (Fig. Zn), cauldrons(Fig. ZO), conie tripodes(Fig. Zp.), etc. Someof themcould be connectedwiththe Orphie myths, but they are not attestedamongthe Orphie toys andwill benot studiedhere.

Very rare is a litt/e clay dishwith plastieimageson the innerwalls, found ina rieh tumular grave of the lst centUlY after Christ, nearthe town of Pomorie.On the bottomthereis a snake,very clearchthoniepersonage,andan ompha-los, whieh has beenacceptedlike a sacredcentreof the world in Delphi andeisewhere28. A rituai sceneis depietedon the walls: phallie male figurine withtriangle-like object, standingnearto two femalefigurines and crescent (Fig. 3).In accordancewith Pythagorean notions, the triangle hasbeenconnectedwiththe malegods,andquadranglewith femalegoddesses29. Thereare manyothertriangle-like (Fig. Z1) andtetragon-like(Fig. Zm) clay Thracianmysterialobjects,whieh could lead to similar conclusions.Logieally, the clay moonis closeto thefemale figurines. The goddessSe1enehad a role in the Orphic theogonyand

25 W.K.C. GUTHRIE, Orphel/s and Greek Religion, London, 1935, passim: A. ANEMOYANNIS-SINANIDIS, Le symbolismede l'œufdans les cosmogoniesorphiques,in Kernos, 4 (1991), p. 83-90;on the egg like a symbol of the cosmosespeciallysee: ACHILLEUS TATIOS, Isag. ad Amti Phenol/l.,p. 77 (Vieborg) and MACROB., Sat.,VII, 16, 691 (Willis).

26 Cf THEODOSSIEV, The ThmcianIthyphallic... art. cif. (n. 3).

27 Cf MAXIM. TYR., Dial. VIII, 8 (Dübner).

28 A.B. COOK, Zeus. A Study in Ancient Religion, II, Cambridge, 1925, p. 169-193: H.-V.HERMANN, Omphalos,MünsterWestf., 1959,passim.

29 PROCLUS, In Euc/., p. 166, 25, p. 173, 11 et p. 174,2(Colsin).

226 N. THEODOSSIEV

myths30, sometimesassociatedwith Bendisor Hecate31. Very signifieanthereisthe clay "pregnant" crescent,found in the ThraciansanctualYof the 7th-4thcenturyBC, nearthe village of Debelt, Burgasdistriet. It is clear, that in ancientThrace the moon could be acceptedlike the anieonie image of the GreatGoddess.

After someliterary versionson the deathof DionysosZagreus,he hasbeendecoiedthroughthe Orphie toys andthendismemberedby the Titans32. Similarwas the fate of Orpheus,who hasbeentorn ta piecesby women33. Obviously,dismembermentof the divine bodywas a typieal Orphie rite, maybeconnectedwith resurrectionof the god. In the usual Greek Orphie ritual practice thehumanvietim undoubtedlyhasbeenreplacedby sornezoomorphieincarnationof the god. However, in someTracian tumuli from the beginningof the EarlyIron Age down ta the late Hellenistieperiod, the bodiesof the deadaristocratsandkings havebeendismembered34. This ThracianOrphie rite could be easilyexplained: the deceasednoblemanhas beenidentified with the dying god.Most probably, the play of Zagreuswith the sacredobjects just before hisdeath, had sorne eschatologiealand cosmogoniealmeaning. Similarly, theThraciancult figurines, manyof them being cosmogonieal symbols,may havebeenusedby participantsin the different rites ta structurethe cosmos.

It is not surprisingthat the main part of descriptionsof the Orphie myste-rial toys are preservedin the early Christianapologetieliterature.The Fathershad a clear task: ta revealweIl and ta stigmatizethe sacramentsof the paganmysteries.1 hopethat the principal idea in this shortarticle is clear: therehavebeencommonelementsbetweenthe Thracianritual practieefrom one side,and the GreekOrphiemyths andPythagoreanideasfrom another.It is possibleto suppose,that the ancientGreekshave borrowedsomenotions, myths andrites from Thrace, during the syncretieformation of the Orphism and thePythagoreanism.

Nikola THEODOSSIEVSofia University "St. Kiiment Ohridski"Departmentof Archaeology15 TsarOsvoboditelBou!.1000 SOFIABulgaria

30 KERN, op. clt. (n. 4), J 167, II 3, II 272, II 283, II 280, 8, II 286, II 288 a.c., II 300, 2.

31 Ibid., II 200, II 204.

32 Ibid., II 34, II 214.

33 Ibid., J, 113-135.

34 D. GERGOVA, Tbraclan Et/l'laI Rites of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age, in J. BEST,N. DE VRlES (eds.), 71JraclansandMycenaeans,Leiden- Sofia, 1989, p. 231-240: N. THEOOOSSIEV,Tbraclan Tumulus near the Town of Kaval'l1a, in Helis, 3, 1 (1994), p. 109-122 with op. clt.;K. KISYOV, 71Je Rite diasparasso(anatemno)ln tbe Burlal Practlce of the Thraclan Trlbes lnRhodopeMountains during the SecondHalj of the 2nd - Ist Millenium Be, in Annual of theArchaeologlcalDepartmelltat the New Bulgarlan University, 1 (1994), p. 174-177with op. clt. (inBulgarian).