Lemures and Roman Bean Recieps
Learn about Lemuria: The Ancient Roman festival of the dead
In Ancient Rome, people believed in all sorts of spirits and gods. One of the festivals to ward off evil spirits known as Lemuria.
What Happened during the festival?
The festival was held on three non-consecutive days in May (the 9th, 11th, and 13th). During this festival, people performed different rituals to get rid of evil spirits and ensure that the ghosts did not harm the living. The rituals involved the male head of the household (known as the paterfamilias) walking around barefoot at midnight while throwing dark-colored beans over his shoulder. Dark beans were associated with the Underworld because of their color and ability to sprout new life (learn more about the myths of the Underworld with our Persephone and Cerberus crafts.)
As the dad of the house roamed around barefoot throwing beans he would shout, “I cast out these Lemures, with these beans I redeem myself and my family.”
At the end of the ritual, the beans were gathered by the family. The beans were symbolic of the dead and could absorb the negative energy of the ghosts. They believed this would chase away any evil spirits lurking in the house. The beans were either burned or thrown into running water as everyone in the house purified themselves by washing their hands and feet.
So what is A Lemure?
For the ancient Romans, Lemures were not those cute little primates that live off the coast of Africa in Madagascar. In Latin the word Lemur means ghost. To the Romans, Lemures were the spirits of the dead who had returned to the land of the living to cause trouble. Typically, these spirits were people who had died violently or had not been properly mourned or buried. These unhappy creatures roamed the Earth as evil ghosts.
Why did the Romans do it?
The Romans believed the dead could come back to life and haunt them unless they were given proper respect. They thought ghosts might even be able to make people sick or cause death! The festival was a way for people to pay respect to their ancestors and keep themselves safe from evil spirits.
While the ritual itself seems a little creepy, the festival ended with a big meal shared by the family.
Try making this Roman-inspired bean dish to celebrate Lemuria!
Fabaciae Vitelliance (Vitellian Beans)
Ingredients:
2 cups of beans
2 cups chicken broth
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of garum (a Roman fermented fish sauce— okay you can use an Asian fish sauce or Worcester sauce as a substitute)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Soak the beans overnight, drain, and rinse them
2. In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion
3. Add the beans and chicken broth to the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer
4. Cook the beans until tender (about 1 hour)
5. Stir in the garum and season with salt and pepper
6. Serve hot