MAIVS It owes its name to the goddess to which it was consecrated, Maia , also known as the Bona Dea . Another theory maintains that it was the month of the elders, the maiorum, but among scholars of the subject the first option seems to weigh more. Maia was the goddess of fertility, chastity, and health. She was represented seated with a cornucopia in her arms, a symbol of abundance and the first emblem of the colony Valentia .
The floral and lemural festivities that took place during this month date back to the time of Romulus, perhaps to appease the remorse that consumed him for the murder of his brother Remo. The festivities in honor of plant life were typical and recurrent in this month, consecrated to Apollo and his divine light, which was represented by a mature man carrying a basket full of flowers on his head.
In the Kalendas of Maius, merchants offered their merchandise to the goddess Maia. In the city, this day was dedicated to the Lares Tutelares, the family divinities of the ancestors, in whose memory flowery chapels were erected in each neighborhood... Perhaps this is the origin of the May crosses?
It was the urban festivity that marked the return to daily activities, which is why centuries later this date became the work party . A new fire was lit and that flame symbolized the triumph of life over death. At the end of this ritual, which was celebrated outside the city, preferably in the mountains, a kind of sweet coca with egg was eaten. For those who don't know where the custom of eating the Easter mona among pine trees comes from...
On the 3rd the Floralia concluded. The town dressed in colors and the day ended with a certain debauchery leading to fertilization ceremonies.
On the 7th, a curious ritual took place, the festival of the Scapegoat . It was only held if the city had suffered a major calamity. One victim was sacrificed for the men and another for the women, the first adorning his neck with black figs and the other with white ones. This was so because the tutelary god of the ceremony was Apollo, protector of the fig trees.
On the 9th, 11th and 13th the Lemuria took place, destined to placate the Lemures , the souls of the dead. The Pater Familias had to get up before dawn and perform a series of rituals (throwing a handful of black beans down his back, hitting a bronze object, etc.) to expel evil spirits.
The Mercury festivities took place on the Idus de Maius , in which the merchants atoned for their remorse for the sacks they made to their customers during their commercial activity. On the 17th the festivities began in honor of the Dea Dia , the earth goddess. The priests, known as Arvales , they met in front of the temple early in the morning wearing a crown of dry spikes on their heads. Later they went to the baths to purify themselves and when they returned a banquet was held in which the first fruits of the harvest were consumed. On the 19th the ceremony consisted of the high priest of the Arvales sacrificing two piglets and a cow. In another banquet the victims were consumed, sacred pots were offered to the goddess and ancestral hymns were sung to the divinities, like this one:
Nos, Lares, iuvate
Neve luem ruinam sinas incurere in plures.
Satur this, fere Mars!
In limen insili! Sta! Verbera!
Semones alterni advocate cunctos.
Nos, Mamers, iuvato!
Triumpe!
On the 21st, the festivities concluded by repeating the first ritual.
The 23rd was the Tubilustrium and the Rosalia; the first rite was consecrated to the trumpets of Vulcano and a concert was held in her honor. The second consisted of bringing flowers to the graves in honor of the deceased.
The 25th was dedicated to Fortune . The 29th was the day of the oak. This was reminiscent of very ancient times, of Celtic origin, when the sanctuaries were the forests. They danced around an oak tree adorned with flowers and garlands and the day ended with planting a new one.
Collaboration of Gabriel Castelló author of Bravery