Embodied Wearing: clothing for Artemis in Ancient Athenian Religion1

This study examines the role of clothing in the worship of Artemis in ancient Athens and its surrounding region, focusing on the sensory and embodied experience of dress in religious practice. Using the framework of Haptic Religion, which foregrounds touch-based sensory engagement, the study analyze...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mackin Roberts, Ellie (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2024
In: Material religion
Year: 2024, Volume: 20, Issue: 3/4, Pages: 257-282
Further subjects:B Dress
B Ancient Greece
B Artemis
B Sensory Perception
B Textiles
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:This study examines the role of clothing in the worship of Artemis in ancient Athens and its surrounding region, focusing on the sensory and embodied experience of dress in religious practice. Using the framework of Haptic Religion, which foregrounds touch-based sensory engagement, the study analyzes two primary sources: the Brauron Clothing Catalogue, a series of inscriptions from the mid-fourth century BCE, and epigrams describing dedications of clothing to Artemis. The study considers the physical and sensory experience of clothes-wearing during religious rituals and the evocation of sense-memory through dedicated garments. It explores the link between clothing and coming-of-age rituals for young girls at Brauron, as well as the significance of clothing dedications for women marking transitions such as marriage and childbirth. By examining the intersection of materiality, embodiment, and religious experience, this study sheds new light on the religious practices of women and girls in ancient Athens, highlighting the central role of dress in their relationship with the goddess Artemis. The dedication of clothing in sanctuaries is shown to facilitate the creation of communal memory and the navigation of personal and social identities within the context of religious belief and practice.
ISSN:1751-8342
Contains:Enthalten in: Material religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/17432200.2024.2418220