Manes
The Manes are Rome’s deified ancestors. A modern term for “ancestor worship” is manism. Their name may mean the “kindly” or “goodly ones,” possibly an attempt to soothe and propitiate difficult spirits, sort of like hopefully addressing a snarling hound as, “Good doggy!” The goddess Mania presides over this host of infernal spirits.
The Manes were originally envisioned as the benevolent dead, who must be consistently propitiated to stop them from becoming the threatening dead like the Lemures. Manes eventually became a looser term, incorporating spirits associated with death like tomb and cemetery guardians in addition to dead souls.
ORIGIN:
Rome
Feast:
24 August
Spirit allies:
Mania and Ceres are venerated alongside the Manes.
DAY:
24 August, the Roman Festival of Mania. On this day the cover that shielded the entrance to Hades was lifted so that the ghosts had easy access. Just to be on the safe side, however, the Manes are also traditionally honored and propitiated throughout the entire year.
OFFERINGS:
Beans, bread, eggs, honey, milk, oil, wine, and roses
SEE ALSO:
- Ancestors
- Ceres
- Ghosts
- Lemures
- Mania
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by : Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.
