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Tapestry

The modern worship of ancient Greek gods

These days, the pantheon of Greek gods exists mainly in the realm of fiction. But for some people - in Greece and in North America - the old gods are alive and well. Journalist and ancient philosophy scholar Baynard Woods fills us in.
CBC Radio ·
Participants in the Promethia festival enact the birth of the muses on Mount Olympus in Greece. (Baynard Woods)
Tapestry27:30The Modern Worship of Ancient Greek Gods

It's 2016. If you want to hear about Zeus and Poseidon, your best bet is probably a Percy Jackson book.

But there are people who take the deities of Mt. Olympus very seriously. And when they gather in Athens to show devotion, they see nothing fictional about their beloved Greek gods.

Women gather in the ancient agora in Athens to worship at the Shrine of Hekate. (Baynard Woods)

Baynard Woods has a Ph.D. in ancient philosophy and decided to pursue a career in journalism as a way to lead a truly Socratic life. He has written about the contemporary worship of ancient Greek gods. 

Sometimes people honour the old gods in public and overt ways, such as during the annual Prometheia festival, which takes place on Mount Olympus every year.

But for many people, the invocation of Zeus or Demeter or Aphrodite, is a quieter, more private practice.  

"They were basically people who were minding their own business, being a Lutheran or whatever, and having a vision where Hera sweeps them up in her arms. And so then 20 years later, they're still doing weird little rituals in their yard, with their wives looking askance at them and their children laughing at them. Yeah, this seems ridiculous. I get it. But what do you do when a god calls you?"

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