gods, goddesses, heroines, and heroes
 

• Demeter (goddess of grain) and her daughter Persephone (also called Kore, “daughter”)
• Hades (lord of the underworld, also called Aidoneus, Plouton)
• Hekate (a nurturing goddess)
• Keleos (king of Eleusis), Metaneira (queen of Eleusis), Demophoon (their son)
• Iambe (a very rude lady)
• Iakchos (god of the joyous procession)
• Ploutos (“wealth”), Triptolemos, Eubouleus  (“good counselor”)

The complete Homeric Hymn to Demeter, translated by Gregory Nagy, is available at the Diotima web site.
 
 

cult terms
 

• mysterion (“mystery,” “that to which the eyes are shut”); mystes  (“initiate”), mystagogos (“escorter of an initiate”)
• telete  (“initiation”)
• epopteia  (“witness”, the highest stage of initiation)
• dromena (“things done”), deiknumena (“things shown”), legomena (“things said”)
• gephyrismos (“bridgery,” scurrilous abuse)
• kykeon  (“potion”)

cult personnel
 

• priestly families:  Eumolpidai  (“descendants of Eumolpos, ‘Good-Singer’”), Kerykes (“Heralds”)
• Hierophant  (“displayer of the sacred things”), Hierophantides (“lady Hierophants”)  [from the Eumolpidai]
• Dadouchos  (“torch-bearer”)  [from the Kerykes]
• Hierokeryx  (“sacred herald”)  [from the Kerykes]
• Priestess of Demeter, priestesses panageis (“all-holy”)
• Priest at the altar, Phaethyntes (“cleaner”), Hydranos (“water-pourer”), Neokoros (“temple-cleaner”)
• Iakchagogos  (“escorter of Iakchos”)
• the Child from the Hearth
• Exegetai  (exegetes, “interpreters” of the sacred laws)

days of the celebration  (Boedromion [Sept./Oct.] 14-24)
 

0                                                 sacred objects brought from Eleusis to the Eleusinion in Athens
1  gathering                             festive assembly, proclamation
2  to the sea, initiates!           bathing of initiates and piglings; sacrifices; roast pork
3  hither the victims               sacrifices and prayers
4  Epidauria  (Asklepieia)     Asklepios (the god of healing) arrived late, as did some initiates
5  procession / Iakchos        joyous procession from Athens to Eleusis
                                                   gephyrismos, torchlight
6,7 initiation                            fasting, drinking the kykeon
                                                   pageantry, emotional extremes, exaltation
                                                   dromena, deiknumena, legomena
8  libations                               offerings for the dead
9  departure
10                                               report to the Athenian council in the Eleusinion
 

For a detailed account of the Eleusinian Mysteries and their possible significance, go to the Ecole Initiative of Edward Beach.  For details of the rituals scroll down about 5 screens to "Ceremonies."