The Song of Eleusis

by Phil Swann

  “That guy,” Ben answered, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb.

  Ellie and Stewart looked to where Ben was pointing and saw a man lying in a bed with an oxygen mask over his face.

  Ben continued, “He came to me a few nights ago and told me things…things too complicated to go into right now. Besides, I’m not sure what he told me was true, but I am sure he knows more than he told me. Unfortunately, he’s not doing a lot of talking at the moment.”

  “Why?” Ellie asked.

  “He’s been shot…by Buchanan…the fat guy.”

  “What’s his name?” Stewart asked.

  “Timon Baros. He was a friend of my father. That’s largely why I believed his story.”

  Stewart nodded and then glanced at Ellie. “Dr. Scotes, are you all right?”

  Ellie didn’t answer; her face had gone pale.

  “Ellie?” Sarah said.

  “What did you say his name was?” Ellie asked, almost in a whisper.

  “Timon Baros,” Ben replied.

  Ellie moved Ben and Sarah aside. She walked to Timon’s bed, leaned over, and removed the oxygen mask from the old man’s face. “Oh, my God!”

  Stewart rushed to her. “Dr. Scotes, what’s wrong?”

  Ellie buried her head in Stewart’s chest and began crying.

  Sarah came over and took Ellie’s hand. “Do you know him?”

  Ellie responded with a nod.

  “How? How do you know him?” Ben asked.

  Ellie looked up, and her voice trembled. “He’s my grandfather.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Why is Papau here?” Ellie asked, hunched in a chair.

  “There’s no way this is a coincidence,” Ben said to Sarah. “Ms. Scotes—”

  “Doctor,” Stewart corrected, moving a few inches closer to Ellie.

  Ben blinked annoyingly and continued, “Dr. Scotes, have you ever heard of something called the ‘Song of Eleusis’?”

  “The what?” Ellie replied.

  “The ‘Song of Eleusis.’”

  “Papau is from Eleusis, Greece, but I’ve never heard of anything called the ‘Song of Eleusis.’ Answer me. Why is my grandfather lying in that bed? Why has he been shot?”

  Ben turned to Sarah again and shook his head. “I don’t even know where to start.”

  “Mr. Lambros,” Ellie said, “the two most important people in the world to me are in this room. One’s been kidnapped and drugged, and the other has a bullet hole in his chest. I don’t care where you start, just start. What’s going on?”

  Sarah put her hand on Ben’s shoulder. “You need to tell her everything, Ben.”

  The last thing Ben felt like doing was rehashing the entire story. Each time it sounded more ludicrous than the time before and yet…here he was. So, just as he did with Sarah, he told her how he met Timon Baros, about the secret organization, and his brother’s supposed involvement. He told her about the numbers, fifteen, forty-five, fifty-five, and eleven. When he checked for a reaction, there was none. He even relayed what Stevie had said about her grandfather, bluntly, leaving nothing out. “Am I forgetting anything?” he asked Sarah.

  “Tell her about what happened at the house.”

  Ben nodded. “We were sure Buchanan was going to kill us, but your grandfather was able to make him believe we were a part of their cult, like we were new recruits.”

  “Their cult? Papau’s not a member of a cult.”

  “That’s not what it sounded like,” Ben replied.

  Sarah cut in, “They used words like hierophant and dadouchos. They sounded like…titles or ranks or something.”

  Ben said, “Your grandfather called Buchanan…kerkey…or—”

  “Kerykes?” Ellie interrupted.

  “That’s it,” Sarah said. “He said, ‘You are Kerykes, and I am the dadouchos.’”

  Ellie looked at Stewart. “Why would he say that?”

  Stewart shook his head. “It sounds like they’re talking about the Mysteries?”

  “Yes!” Ben shouted, nearly coming out of his chair. “They are. Your grandfather said, ‘There will be no true mysteries without the song.’ Those were his exact words. What the hell are the mysteries? What are they talking about?”

  Ellie raised herself out of the chair and moved to Timon’s bedside. She put her hand on his head and tousled his thin gray hair. “Oh, Papau, what have you gotten into?”

  Stewart said, “Dr. Scotes? The lyre, it’s Mycenaean.”

  Ellie looked back at Stewart and nodded. “Yes, I was thinking the same thing.”

  “Do you think—”

  “I don’t know, Stewart. But it’s starting to look like me finding that lyre was no accident.” Ellie addressed Ben and Sarah. “What else was said? Tell me everything.”

  Ben shot up. “No! How about first you tell us what the hell is—”

  “Ben,” Sarah said, touching Ben’s arm.

  “No, Sarah, I’m sorry, but I’ve had enough of this family’s cryptic nonsense. Dr. Scotes, let me be clear. I’m not sure if your grandfather is a good guy or bad guy—the jury is very much still out. What I am sure of, however, is he’s involved in something that killed her husband, my brother, and ruined quite a few lives—one of them being my own, and that pisses me off because I liked my life. Now I want some goddamn answers.”

  “And I’m trying to give them to you, Mr. Lambros,” Ellie spit back. “You think I’m hiding something? This is the first I’ve heard of any of this. Jesus Christ, you self-absorbed prick, that’s my grandfather lying there, and for the record, he is a good guy—the best of guys, as a matter of fact. And, just so I’m clear, I’m not sure if you’re a good guy or bad guy, either. What I know is my best friend is lying over there practically in a coma, and Papau is lying here, shot in the chest, and involved with the man who got the president of the United States killed. So, Mr. Lambros, the jury is still very much out on you too!”

  “Okay!” Sarah barked. “Knock it off. Both of you. This isn’t accomplishing anything. Ellie…Dr. Scotes—”

  “Ellie’s fine,” she said to Sarah, but not taking her eyes off Ben.

  “Ellie, my family has been through hell the last year and a half. None of us are ourselves, and we’re all more than a bit on edge. Ben, when was the last time you slept?”

  “What year is it?” Ben replied.

  Sarah gave Ben a look.

  Ben raised his hands in surrender and sat back down.

  Sarah continued, “Ellie, we’re all tired and scared, and it’s obvious none of us know what’s going on. But maybe if we share what we do know, we’ll figure all this out.”

  Ellie responded by taking a deep breath.

  Sarah added, “It’s the best way we can help your grandfather and your friend.”

  There was a brief silence.

  “The Eleusinian Mysteries,” Stewart said, surprising everyone.

  “The what?” Sarah asked.

  “Those words, dadouchos, Kerykes, hierophant, they’re words associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries.”

  Ben asked, “What the hell is that?”

  Stewart looked at Ellie as if seeking permission. She smiled slightly and nodded. Stewart began: “The Eleusinian Mysteries was a ceremony dedicated to the worship of Demeter and her daughter Persephone. It dates back nearly four thousand years. It was the most sacred and revered ritual celebration in ancient Greece. It took place in Eleusis and continued for over two thousand years, until Christianity condemned the Mysteries as being pagan. But even so, it continued to thrive and exercise considerable influence on the formation and practices of the early Christian church. It was the world’s religion, as it were. Worshippers from all over Greece, and later throughout much of Africa, Persia, and the entire Roman Empire, would make the holy pilgrimage to Eleusis to participate in the secret ceremony.”

  “Secret ceremony?” Sarah asked.

  “Yes, ma’am, very secret,” Stewart said. “Revealing what went on dur
ing the ceremony was considered a capital crime punishable by death. That’s why, to this day, despite countless references in ancient literature, drama, and philosophy, the true nature of the Mysteries remain unknown. The little we do know is speculation based on circumstantial evidence. Even devotees like Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates, men usually quite forthcoming on such matters, all honored their sacred pledge and never revealed what took place inside the telesterion.”

  “That word!” Ben exclaimed. “Your grandfather said it to Buchanan. He said, “Not outside the teles…ester—”

  “Telesterion,” Ellie said.

  “And what is that?” Ben asked.

  “It’s the inner sanctum of the Temple of Demeter,” Stewart answered.

  Sarah asked, “Who was this Demeter person again?”

  Ellie cleared her throat. “Demeter was the goddess of the harvest. She presided over grains and fertility, as well as sacred law and all life and death on Earth. If you studied Greek mythology in college, you might remember reading about Demeter and her search for her lost daughter Persephone. It’s one of the more famous myths.”

  “Assume we didn’t,” Ben said.

  “Stewart,” Ellie said, sitting down, “would you mind?”

  “Not at all, doctor,” Stewart replied.

  Stewart stood and began pacing as if he were a professor giving a lecture. “First off, it should be noted that the concept of Demeter as a deity predates the Olympian gods by perhaps as much as a thousand years. Also, there are many different versions of the myth, each one adding or subtracting aspects of the story as the storyteller sees fit. However, the canonical work most associated with our understanding of the Eleusinian Mysteries is Homer’s The Hymn to Demeter, believed to have been written around the seventh or eighth century BC.

  “The hymn recounts the story of Demeter and Persephone and how they were separated when Hades abducted Persephone and took her into the underworld. Demeter was quite distraught and searched the world over for her daughter. Ultimately, she learns it was Hades who had stolen her daughter, and did so with the approval of Zeus. At this point, the narrative goes into a lengthy explanation on how Demeter originally came to Eleusis, as well as establishes her credentials as a true goddess and the deliverer of immortality to humankind. It’s a Homeric storytelling device that’s still used to this day. A James Bond film for instance—”

  “Stewart,” Ellie interrupted, “please, just stay with the myth.”

  “Yes, of course, sorry. So, Demeter, now realizing the role the other Olympians played in her misfortune, abandons her divine form and sets out alone disguised as an old woman. Eventually, she ends up in Eleusis where one day, while pining in agony, she meets a local chieftain named Celeus. Celeus and Demeter become friends, and Celeus introduces Demeter to his wife Metaneira. Metaneira is so impressed by the old woman that she offers her the position of nurse to their infant son. Demeter accepts, and under her care, the child thrives. However, what the mortals didn't know was Demeter was secretly treating the infant with a series of mystical practices. Every night she would anoint the boy’s limbs with ambrosia and put him into a fire. The child would have become ageless had the magic continued, but unfortunately, one night Metaneira spied on Demeter. When she saw her son being put into the flames, Metaneira screamed. The indignant goddess stops the treatment and reveals herself in her full divine majesty. She then demands a temple be built in her honor, and promises if they do this, she would return and teach the people her special magic. Then, she disappears.

  “The Eleusinians build their temple to Demeter, and she returns as promised. Problem is, she stays, longing for her daughter and refusing to rejoin the other gods on Mount Olympus. Moreover, she refuses to make the seeds sprout, thus, the world begins to suffer a famine. Even the gods suffer from the lack of gifts and sacrifices. Having no other choice, Zeus dispatches Hermes down to Hades, bidding the lord of the underworld to return Persephone to her mother. Hades reluctantly agrees, but first makes Persephone eat a morsel of food consisting of a single pomegranate seed. It was just enough to ensure she would always have to spend one third of every year with him. Finally, Persephone leaves the underworld, reunites with her mother, and all returns to normal. But every winter, Persephone must return to Hades. And this explains how the seasons came to be. That’s the myth…in a nutshell.”

  “Thank you, Stewart,” Ellie said.

  Stewart nodded and sat back down.

  Ben said, “Okay, nice story. What does that have to do with any of this?”

  Stewart cut in, “Oh, I should add the hymn ends with a promise of riches and reward to all devotees. It goes something like: happy are those on Earth who have seen the mysteries. But for the uninitiated, they will never have good things once they are dead—or something like that.”

  “Right blessed are they among those on Earth whom she freely loves,” Ben added.

  Ellie and Stewart looked at each other and then back at Ben.

  “Your grandfather said those very words to Buchanan.”

  Ellie closed her eyes.

  No one spoke for several seconds.

  It was Sarah who broke the silence. “Ellie, what’s a hierophant?”

  “A priest. The head priest actually. He presided over the ceremony.”

  “And a dadouchos?”

  Stewart answered. “The dadouchos was second-in-command to the hierophant, a monk of sorts. It’s believed he was the torchbearer, and perhaps even the one who enforced the secret of the Mysteries. Another important official was the high priestess. It’s believed she played the role of Demeter in a reenactment of the myth during the ceremony. There was also the hierophantids; they were young priestesses who worked under the hierophant. There was the dadouchousa, a female assistant to the dadouchos. The hierokerkyx, the holy herald who made the announcements and sometimes even acted as a mystagogos, meaning the one who teaches the new initiates; they were called mystes.”

  Every time Stewart would say a word that Ben and Sarah had heard Buchanan and Baros utter, they gave each other a knowing look.

  “How about Kerykes? What does that mean?” Ben asked.

  Ellie answered, “The Eleusinian Mysteries were eventually taken over by the government in Athens. However, two ancient royal families in Eleusis remained in charge. They were the Kerykes and the Eumolpidae. They wielded absolute power over the religion, especially the Eumolpidae. Not even the king could override their authority.”

  “Bloody hell,” Stewart said, patting himself down.

  “Your cell phone wouldn’t have worked anyway,” Ben said, knowing exactly what Stewart was looking for. “We’re surrounded by about twenty feet of concrete.”

  “Stewart?” Ellie asked.

  “I wanted to Google the Eleusinian Mysteries. Something Mrs. Lambros said a few moments ago jarred my brain, but I wanted to double check before saying anything.”

  Sarah said, “It’s okay, Stewart, go ahead. What is it?”

  “Ma’am, you said your family has been through hell the last year and a half.”

  “Yes, we have.”

  “No doubt, ma’am, I’m very sorry. But I was wondering…has it been exactly a year and a half? Has it indeed been eighteen months?”

  Sarah thought for a moment. “Now that you mention it, I think it’s been exactly eighteen months since Tom was killed.”

  “What are you thinking, Stewart?” Ellie asked.

  Stewart said, “Most of what I know about the Eleusinian Mysteries I picked up while attending drama school. I remember learning—”

  “Wait,” Ellie interrupted. “You went to drama school?”

  “Yes, for a few months, quite exhilarating. As I was saying, I learned there were actually two ceremonies, one at the telesterion, which occurred every five years and was very theatrical, lots of processions and whatnot. It was called the Greater Mysteries. The other was called the myesis. It was smaller and performed outside the telesterion.”

  Ben spoke up
. “Myesis, that’s another word her grandfather used.”

  “How did he use it, sir?” Stewart asked. “What were his exact words?”

  It was Sarah who answered. “He said, ‘The myesis of eighteen months ago was received with favor.’ Those were his exact words.”

  Stewart nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

  “Explain, Stewart,” Ellie said.

  “The myesis came to be known colloquially as the Lesser Mysteries. Details of this ceremony were under a law of secrecy as well, but it’s believed they involved purification rites performed on mystes before they could participate in the Greater Mysteries. The Greater Mysteries did not purify, that was accomplished during the Lesser Mysteries, and they occurred precisely one year and six months earlier.”

  “What did the purification rites consist of?” Ellie asked.

  Stewart shook his head. “Nobody knows.”

  Sarah stepped closer to Stewart. “Was killing a part of the purification ritual?”

  Stewart looked uneasily at Ellie.

  “Well, was it?” Ben asked.

  Ellie answered. “Yes. If it was a sanctioned execution.”

  Stewart lowered his head and nodded.

  Ellie continued, “The thing that made the Eleusinian Mysteries unique, and probably why it grew in popularity throughout the world, was that anyone could participate. Rich, poor, man, woman, child, master, slave, it didn’t matter. There were only two criteria: the initiate had to speak Greek, and the initiate must never have committed homicide. However, killing in self-defense or in times of war was acceptable. Also, they allowed for the killing of anyone who revealed the secrets of the ceremony. Such an act was considered a sanctioned execution.”

  Sarah turned to Ben, her face drawn with pain. “Do you think Tom could have—”

  “There’s no way,” Ben said. “Tom never would have gotten mixed up with this stuff. You remember what he was like, Sarah. This absolutely was not him.”

  “Neither would have Papau,” Ellie insisted. “He’s not even a religious man.”

  Again, there were several seconds of silence.

  Stewart said, “If what happened eighteen months ago was indeed a purification, then Buchanan is preparing for the Greater Mysteries.”