The ancient Romans believed that the spirits of the departed became ghosts. They believed that there were three types of ghosts and they had a name for each:
- Lares: good spirits
- Lemures: evil spirits
- Lames: unknown
They believed that at certain times of the year the lemure were very active in their homes. They developed ways which they believed would protect them against the lemure. They even developed an endearing back story.
The Origin of a Pagan Ritual
After Romulus killed his brother Remus he became fearful of repercussions from the world of the dead. To appease his brother he instituted the feast. That is the story the Romans told to support the origin of their feast of Lemuria.
The Romans were very superstitious. They believed in all sorts of spiritual beings such as ghosts, gods, spirits, and guardian angels. The Romans developed an elaborate culture of customs to deal with these fearsome phantoms. Lemuria was just such a custom.
Appeasing Ghosts and Evil Spirits
Lemuria was a nine day feast in the month of May. While a similar feast, Faralia took place in February. On these occasions the observers would essentially share a meal with the ghosts of the family.
They believed that in the month of May there was greater contact between the world of the living and the world of the dead. To appease any potentially angry spirits the man of the house would walk around the interior of the house barefoot and toss beans onto the floor behind him.
Lemuria must have been an intense time of bonding for families. Surely they discussed past slights and wrongs against this departed uncle or that son and surely it forced them to face the rifts in their living relationships with one another.
Some Interesting Facts about Lemuria
- In ancient Rome it was considered unlucky to marry in the month of May. From this superstition the saying was born "they wed ill who wed in may."
- Maia is the goddess of the month of May and Hermes (the herdsman of the dead) is the corresponding god.
References:
“Lamuria FAQ”. Lamuria. Last accessed October 5, 2009.
"Lemuria." Encyclopædia Britannica.Last accessed October 6, 2009.
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Marc Salyer - Since childhood Marc has been a fan of history and the Bible. After spending years living in the Middle East involved in archaeology ...
