Celebration for the Goddess Athens

Once a year there was a very special night. Everyone had washed their self and put their best robes. Goats and bulls where led to the altar. Some People spent all day to paint the horns of their goat and tying ribbons onto the goat. On the evening people make music, beautiful music. There are also people who carry water jugs. They use them later to sprinkle water on humans’ heads and animals’ heads. People do this to make a sign that we are pure in sight of Athens. Some people carry a basket on their heads. These baskets are full with barley and oats. When we receive by the altar. The music stops and the silence fall. The strongest bull carries Athens to that altar. When the bull reached the altar, it needs to stay in a circle around the altar. The altars are mostly made of stone or bricks. The priest comes to the altar. He washes his hands with water and sprinkles over the altar and those gather around. As the cold water hits the bull, the head will go from side to side. An excited whisper goes around the crown, What will happen? Then they all go to a woman who has grain and take a hand of it. Close there eyes and throw it over the altar. The priest pulls up the head of the bull and cut its throat. The bones and the fat of the bull get offered to Athens. Now the festival can begin. People drink Wine. The mead get cooked and divided over all of us. The music and entertainment starts.

Hey,

This is my Humanities homework. We have a project about Ancient Greece (Old Greece).

Maaike