The Curse of Demeter

Julia Hauenstein standing with the caryatid in the museum at Eleusis.



It was one of two giant female statues that flanked an entrance to a decimated building on the sacred site. I thought it was Demeter. But the brochure says it is not a sculpture of the goddess, but of a priestess is who carrying the mystical objects on her head in a basket. (Called a KISTE?) No one is sure what was carried in the basket/chest, but the objects were sacred and secret.




The matching caryatid was smuggled away to a museum in England. A British professor found it buried up to its neck in a pile of manure. It was keeping the fields fertile. The locals have been trying to get it back for years. Our waiter told us that some people believe the theft caused the CURSE OF DEMETER. The area became an industrial cesspool of sorts. There is some movement by environmentalists to raise awareness and restore the area.

Philippos Koutsaftis made a film about Elefsina called Agelastos Petra (Mourning Rock). Julia said she's been trying to get her hands on a dvd of this documentary, but hasn't had any luck. I found a clip on YouTube.