Cult instruments, Greek

Abstract

Abstract Special implements were needed for the rituals that formed part of Greek religious practice. The most common Greek ritual was animal sacrifice, and the essential instruments for it were a basket called kanoun , which held the cult tools, a basin for the priest to wash his hands, and the knife used to kill the animal. Mystery rituals, which were limited to those initiated into the mystery cult, had their own set of sacred objects; these included torches, since mystery rituals usually took place at night, and a pottery bowl, the plemochoe , for making offerings to the deities worshipped in the mysteries. Special objects were also used in rites of passage – that is, cult rituals that marked important transitions in human life; such objects included distinctive pottery shapes for weddings and funerals.