San Joaquin Delta College Hellenic Dancers doing the Greek Syrtos dance at the school's new campus dedication in 1977. They wear the traditional Greek folk dance costume. A musician is playing a Thracian gaida in the center of the circle, leading the dance. Used with permission.

When I originally wrote my paper on “The Genesis of the Round Dance,” I included a short section on the ancient Greek dance forms:

The ancient choruses, dances, and songs of the dithyramb of Greece displayed the familiar pattern of a dignified, circular dance around the altar of Dionysus in the theater's orchestra. In fact, the term orchestra originally meant the circular dancing place of the theater. In addition, the terms carole and chorus, also originally Greek, meant a sacred ring dance, men and women holding each others hands [other related English words are chorale, choir, and choreography]. LDS scholar, Dr. Hugh Nibley, reminds us that the creation was often acted out in these Greek dance dramas:

The Greek play has a chorus. Well what does chorus mean? It's a ring dance; it's a circle. Same as our word curve; Latin: curvus; going around. The chorus sings, and the chorus of the muses sings the poiema, the creation song . . . When they sing together, it's the poiema, the song of the creation. It's a glorious thing. It's a round dance like the Egyptian maypole.

Nibley takes it one step further to explain that all the arts originated from the ancient temple dramas. “So poetry, music, and dance,” he tells us, “go out to the world from the temple-called by the Greeks the Mouseion, the shrine of the Muses.” Again he states that, “All the arts and sciences began at the temple. Dance, music, architecture, sculpture, drama, and so forth-they all go back to the temple.” Kraus supports this claim of a ritualistic connection between the arts when he informs us that Native American ceremonies and sacred dances are “part of an elaborate drama which embraces all the arts.”

The more one learns about the arts, the more one is convinced of Nibley’s stunning summation.

I want to expand a bit more on the traditional Greek dance forms, and share some more interesting details I’ve learned about these ancient practices that still are continued today. 

Form

One of the most ancient literary references to dance in the Greek tradition is found in Homer’s The Iliad.  In book 18, the circular Shield of Achilles is described, with dancing youths making up one of the rings:

Hereon there danced youths and maidens whom all would woo, with their hands on one another’s wrists. The maidens wore robes of light linen, and the youths well woven shirts that were slightly oiled. The girls were crowned with garlands, while the young men had daggers of gold that hung by silver baldrics; sometimes they would dance deftly in a ring with merry twinkling feet, as it were a potter sitting at his work and making trial of his wheel to see whether it will run, and sometimes they would go all in line with one another, and much people was gathered joyously about the green. There was a bard also to sing to them and play his lyre, while two tumblers went about performing in the midst of them when the man struck up with his tune.

This same dance form has lived on in Greek literature, art, and tradition for centuries, changing little along the way.  There is a multitude of artifacts that represent the Greek dance, which tells us some of the story of how it was danced anciently.  The Greeks claim the form is the same today.  John Pappas of GreekFolkMusicandDance.com informs us:

Invariably, the dancers are in a circle or line, often with a musician or musicians in the center. The dancers are joined with the same common handholds still used in our Greek folk dances today. These include the shoulder hold, the chain hold, and the most common joining of hands (shoulder height with elbows down, like a ‘W’).

The Greeks don’t believe they invented this dance, but that it came from a divine source:

Ancient Greeks believed that dancing was invented by the Gods and therefore they had associated it with their religious and worshiping ceremonies. They believed that the Gods offered this gift to some select mortals only, who in turn taught dancing to their fellow-men.

Not only did the Gods reveal the dance, but it was an evolution of something else:

The ancient Greeks believed that dancing was a gift from the gods, and the art of the dance evolved from ritualized movements used in religious ceremonies.

These dances also included singing, which was antiphonal, meaning that a leader sang a statement, and another group responded or repeated the statement, which is where our modern verse and chorus originated.  Athan Karras writes:

Today the folk songs of the countryside still reflect antiphonal singing in their dances, especially in processional dances, when a leader will sing a verse, which the chorus repeats. The early church music also used chanters answering antiphonally with one another, evolving into today's choir. It is believed that in the earliest temples, the congregation danced and sang the liturgy. From this evolved the chorus leader and later, the priest. These early choruses or, Omadikoi Horoi, evolved by having the closed circle break open to allow for a leader. In her book on the ancient Greek dance, Lillian Lawler speaks about the circle, a sense of incorporating giving, receiving and excluding: “Circle dances and especially those with clasped hands have a mystical significance among ancient people, often performed around an altar, tree or a pillar or some sacred object, or even a musician. . . At times the circle dance seems to have been an invocation dance, as can be seen in ancient Minoan coins, or frescoes in the Minos palace in Knossos.”

One of the most well-known of the ritualistic uses of the dance is in the Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony.  First, the couple are crowned with flowered crowns, then the priest joins their right hands together, and later the bride, groom, and priest perform a dance procession around the altar, circling precisely three times.

There are many other uses of the Greek dances, used on occasions of “rites of passage” in life.

Greek dancing in Foustanelles costume (men) and Florina costume (ladies). 1970s. Used with permission.

Costume

"Women's Festive Costume... made of a variety of materials... sleeveless cotton tunic with a multi-colored embroidered hem, a silk jabot-trachilia, pure silk sleeves with lace... white woolen coat... The headgear with coins and ornaments... is covered with a white silk shawl... The apron is of velvet with floral embroidery." (http://www.greekfolkdancers.com/costumes.htm)

The Greek folk dance costume has a direct relationship to the liturgical garments of the Greek Orthodox Church:

Some of the characteristics of Greek folk costumes can be traced back to elements in ancient Hellenic and Byzantine costumes. In fact, many of the elements of the liturgical clothing worn today by the Greek Orthodox priests are related to the modern Greek folk costumes and have their origin in the clothing of the Byzantine Empire.

Such details make a study of the Greek folk dance costume even more intriguing.

While the costumes from various locations in Greece all differ significantly in ornamental design and individual styles, all the costumes are made with similar parts and construction.  I will focus particularly on the women’s costume.  The basic parts of this costume generally are:

• a long linen or cotton chemise or basic undergarment (Poukamiso)
• a sleeveless wool vest (Segouni)
• an apron (Bodia)
• a sash or girdle (Zonari)
• a scarf or head covering (Mandili)
• shoes or foot coverings (Tsarouhia)
• decorative jewelry

Many of these elements can be seen in the photographs of the Greek dancers above, and at the beginning of the article.  More examples of this costume and textiles can be seen at GreekFolkMusicandDance.com, GreekFolkDancers.com, and the Museum of Greek Folk Art.

"Greek Apron, 19th century Karagouna, Thessaly Athens, Museum of Greek Folk Art, Inv. No. 6633. The Karagounides were indigenous Greek inhabitants of the Thessaly plain. This particular apron is trapezoidal... Its surface is decorated all over with motifs including honeysuckle, spirals, arabesques and rosettes, and would appear to be a bridal apron judging from the lavish ornamentation." (Attika Guide of Museum of Greek Folk Art)

One of the more interesting accessories worn by the Greek dancers, and in daily wear, was and is an apron (called in Greek a podia or bodia).  This is one of the most ornamented and decorated articles of clothing worn by the Greeks and also one of the most important.

Their trapezoidal aprons of black wool were of great social significance… A woman would make about twenty-five for her dowry, each to be worn on a specific occasion.

This apron was not for practical use, to protect clothing underneath as is common in modern Western culture, but rather it stood as a symbol:

The purpose of the ubiquitous apron of most European peasant costume, and particularly that of eastern Europe, is symbolically protective and not practical.  Varying in style with each village but normally heavily embroidered, intricately pleated or finely woven in striped patterning, it covered a dress or petticoat that almost always was deliberately left plain where the apron would be worn.  It is the antithesis of an apron worn to protect precious clothing.  Instead it protects the body.

One of the primary associations of the apron was with marriage, a significant rite of passage:

This was the moment at which the bride, as well as taking a new hairstyle and headdress, changed the type of apron she had worn as a young girl to another that declared her status as a married woman… Women of the nomadic Sarakatsani, now living mainly in Greece, embroidered twenty to forty aprons (panoules) during their youth, each with different symbolism – such as the cross, the serpent, or the moon – that showed the woman’s social status or was thought suitable for various occasions and moods.  She would then choose each day the appropriate one to wear.

The designs embroidered on the aprons have “religious and magical significance”.

The apron and head scarf were important items in a girl’s dowry.  Her distinguishing traits of movement from girlhood to marriage did not derive so much from utility but as objects for protection and strengthening.  The apron (podia), is traditionally thrown over the stomach of Thracian women in labour to facilitate birth.

The apron – the podia – of all Greek costume was imbued with magical properties.

As can be seen in the links given above, the embroidery’s design on the Greek aprons is usually based on stylized vegetation, viz floral motifs, vines, leaves, etc.  The reason for this is because these designs usually are a depiction of the Tree of Life.

When embroidered, both everyday and festive aprons featured mainly flower designs or symbols of fertility such as the pomegranate.

The tree of life is one of the most common motifs in embroidery almost everywhere… almost every vaguely foliate shape and every pot of flowers is deemed to represent the tree of life.  Most in fact do. 

Sheila Paine describes why the Tree of Life is so universal in embroidery:

The tree is one of the most potent of symbols.  Its roots delve into the underworld, its trunk links the earth to the heavens – it transcends all three spheres.  Its life-cycle unfurls before our eyes in each season of the year, the symbolism of birth, maturity, death and rebirth embodied in leaf, bud and fruit.  Its fruitfulness is matched by the fruitfulness of woman and even sap and milk were equated by primitive man.

Many times the symbol of the Tree of Life is stylized:

It may be a simple linear pattern intended to signify a particular tree, such as a palm, or more often to convey the general concept of growth and fertility.  When the tree of life is depicted as an actual tree, it is stylized to convey its mythological significance.  Consequently foliate patterns or simple branched devices signify the tree of life, rather than a realistic tree with trunk and leafy branches.

Sampler, England, 1826. The tree of knowledge is a widely used motif in many English embroideries of the 19th century. (Embroidered Textiles, Sheila Paine.) Click for larger view.

The Tree of Knowledge, which bore the forbidden fruit, is also depicted on a number of embroideries:

The birth, life, death and regrowth of the tree symbolized in its fertility also the concept of immortality, an inestimable treasure.  In ancient Babylon such treasure was protected by a serpent and the concept of two trees, the one of immortality attained through the heavily guarded one of wisdom, formed part of mythological belief.  In biblical terms this is the tree of knowledge with the serpent that deprived Adam and Eve of paradise, and that became the central motif of a great number of nineteenth-century English samplers [a sampler is a piece of embroidery produced as a demonstration or test of skill in needlework].

Some scholars believe that the fig leaves that Adam and Eve used to make their aprons in fact came from the same tree that they had just eaten the forbidden fruit from, i.e. the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:6-7).

Conclusion

Studying the traditional Greek folk dances reveals that they are very rich in history and culture, and date back anciently to religious beliefs and practices, particularly the ring dance around the altar.  The suggestion that these traditions seem to have changed little since ancient times gives us a glimpse of how things might have been millenia ago.

Clearly, there is much more can be learned from a study of this subject.  Do you have any additional insights about the Greek folk dances?  Please share with us in the comments.

The Traditional Greek Folk Dances and their Ancient Roots

Detail from "The Last Judgment," c1425, by Fra Angelico - "The Dance of the Angels"

Some of you may remember my paper The Genesis of the Round Dance that I posted early in the life of TempleStudy.com.  It was a paper I wrote for a BYU Dance Department Symposium a few years ago that addressed the ancient ubiquitous practice of ring dancing, particularly as connected with religious worship and prayer.  It was a subject that really intrigued me, and is probably one of the most researched topics I’ve ever written about, as well as one of the first, taking some precious leads from Hugh Nibley and running.

Br. Frederick M. Huchel, an independent historian and scholar of the temple from Logan, Utah,  a week and a half ago spoke on the same subject at Margaret Barker’s Temple Studies Group symposium in London, England.  His presentation was entitled “The Cosmic Ring-Dance of the Angels: An Early Christian Rite of the Temple.”  The paper has now been published on David Larsen’s Heavenly Ascents blog.

I have not yet had the chance to read the paper, but I am confident that it will go far and above the detail of my paper, lending valuable insights particularly in the area of the ancient Israelite and early Christian elements.  Br. Huchel’s original work on the subject spans over 100 pages that he plans to publish at some point, of which this paper is a portion.

I’m really looking forward to learning more about this subject from Br. Huchel!  You can find the paper at the links below:

Introduction by Br. Huchel at Heavenly Ascents
PDF of “The Cosmic Ring-Dance of the Angels: An Early Christian Rite of the Temple”

Update: Frederick M. Huchel has now published a book on this subject.  You can buy it here: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-cosmic-ring-dance-of-the-angels—softbound/7409216?fNo=Cancel

“The Cosmic Ring-Dance of the Angels” by Frederick M. Huchel

For those who may have missed it the first time when this blog was in its infancy, have a look over at at the 6-part series I posted entitled “The Genesis of the Round Dance.”  I’d like to get your take on the paper.  I didn’t receive much commentary the first time round.  (No pun intended).

The Genesis of the Round Dance – Reprise

Dance of the Muses

Round dances, through all ages of time and all locations of the world, display striking similarities in structure and theme. This is strong evidence that they share a common origin. These dances are usually quite religious in nature and I propose that round dances, like other widespread yet similar ritual motifs found scattered across the world, had their beginnings in one of the first sacred rites of this world given to and practiced by our first parents, namely the ancient prayer circle.

The paper on this subject has been split up into the following parts:

Part 1 – Introduction

Part 2 – Round dances from the Neolithic time period, Native American, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian cultures.

Part 3 – Round dances from the Greek, Hebrew, and Christian cultures.

Part 4 – Round dances from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and present-day traditions. Common pattern throughout all practices.

Part 5 – Round dances show connections with religions, and with ritual creation dramas throughout history, including the early Christian prayer circle.

Part 6 – Round dances show connections with worship since the beginning of time, indicating a common source. These practices are familiar to the Latter-day Saints. Conclusion.

The Genesis of the Round Dance

Byzantine Dance

(Continued from Part 5)

Dancing in Worship

If this round dancing in the prayer circle seems peculiar, recall Lehi’s vision at the beginning of The Book of Mormon, where he sees God on his throne “surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God”. Nibley comments:

Surrounding concourses are concentric circles, and the singing and praising are never static: it is a dynamic picture with everything in motion, as Lehi sees it, and as the cosmic pattern of the thing requires. The prayer circle is often called the chorus of the apostles, and it is the meaning of chorus which can be a choir, but is originally a ring dance.

The temple is a university of learning, where our whole person is instructed and taught, body, mind and spirit. A disembodied spirit has never been able to perform these sacred ordinances alone because it requires a physical body. The ceremonies are both physical and intellectual activities that have changed little since the foundation of this world. However, as Nibley points out, they may at some point have involved more physical activity in the form of a type of dance. Evidence shows that dance may anciently have been part of the temple environment, and that it may again be in the future.

Hugh Nibley has provided a wealth of information on the history and context of the temple in antiquity. He reminds us:

Latter-day Saints believe that their temple ordinances are as old as the human race and represent a primordial revealed religion that has passed through alternate phases of apostasy and restoration which have left the world littered with the scattered fragments of the original structure, some more and some less recognizable, but all badly damaged and out of proper context.

I believe that the round dance, which has been entrenched in cultures throughout the world, and as seen in the dances of people ancient and modern, is a prime example of a scattered fragment of the temple ordinance given to our first parents, Adam and Eve. It has been corrupted and passed down through all ages of time. It is for this reason that so many cultures, no matter how diverse their beliefs or locations, still exhibit some of the same patterns in their round dances. Furthermore, dance itself, as an art form, may have originally come from the temple, or at least from the great ritualistic dance dramas performed by ancient societies enacting their fragmented versions of the temple ceremonies. We are blessed to know the true origin of these practices, and to have the true presently revealed and restored form available to us in the vast numbers of temples being constructed around the globe. The temple is the true center of our civilization and society, as it has always been, and we must work to help it be the center of our lives.

Dance they in a ring in heaven
All the blessed in that garden
Where the love divine abideth
Which is all aglow with love.

In that ring dance all the blessed
In that ring dance all the angels
Go they before the Bridegroom Dance
All of them for love.

In that court is joyfulness
Of a love that’s fathomless.
All of them go to the dancing
For the Savior whom they love.

Conclusion

It can be plainly seen from the preceding posts that this type of ritual practice is not out of place in the milieu of worship. In fact, it sits squarely in middle of the history of early Christian worship, and prior to that, it has gone back to the beginning of time. If Joseph Smith made up the LDS temple ordinances, or even pilfered them from fraternal organizations, then our learned critics have the task of explaining why these things are a recognized pattern of religious worship in literature, art, and practice since the world began. Surely Joseph Smith did not have enough formal education, or even access to sufficient scholarly materials, to have compiled such rites from comparative historical studies. The temple ordinances were revealed from God to the prophet Joseph Smith, just as they have been revealed to every prophet of every dispensation since the world began.

The Genesis of the Round Dance – Part 6

Left - Prearchaic dance circle, 9th c. BC. Olympia. Right - 5th-3rd c. BC circle of dancers, with avlos player inside.

(Continued from Part 4)

Religion and Dance

Many scholars have described dance in terms of religion. Kraus describes it among the ancients as being used “as a means of communication with the forces of nature – for becoming one with the gods,” and as “a major form of religious ritual . . . a means of worship”. Curt Sachs tells us that dance was a way to “bridge the chasm between this and the other world” of the Gods. Ellfeldt states that there is no primitive group in the world that does not have a strong ceremonial culture, and very few of these ceremonies that do not have dances associated with them. Why do we not know more about these ritual dances? With the Egyptians, Ellfeldt tells us that it is because of the extreme secrecy “with which the priests guarded their dances . . . transmitting their rules by word of mouth”. These dances were sacred, deeply symbolic rituals which were purposefully kept esoteric, only revealed to those “initiates” which participated in them.

Creation Dance Dramas

Most of these ancient dances have a general theme of the creation of the world. The histories of many prehistoric people display a rich assortment of myths dealing with life and death, but the myths of creation are definitely the most abundant and the most similar between cultures. After studying the rituals of the world, Lord Raglan theorized that the original act from which the others evolved is the dramatization of the creation of the world. The Aborigines tell us that their dances “were established in the beginning and handed down from father to son”. They also make mention that they believe their tribal dances were received from the spirit world at the time of creation.

Ellfeldt describes cuneiform tablets that have been found from the ninth century BC in Mesopotamia with “The Poem of Creation” inscribed on them, referencing solemn dance rituals. The Egyptians had dances which displayed creation motifs and were the

“chief medium of religious expression. The secret doctrines and mysteries of Egyptian mythology . . . were portrayed through symbolic dance dramas . . . and all this 'was re-enacted constantly within the temples in dramatic dance form‘”.

Kraus notes that in many ancient cultures the myths were acted out, often with the theme of a battle between good and evil, life and death.

Nibley felt that the temple ceremonies of ancient civilizations were often portrayed in ritual dance dramas. He taught that the creation story as told in the Book of Abraham was like a ballet of ancient dance forms:

So we should not be shocked when we find Abraham composing a ballet on the creation. The Greek name for it was chorus . . . It was the chorus that sang and danced the creation song . . . In the Book of Abraham we also have both the descriptive recitation and the spectacular choral dance themes . . . We now get to the ballets . . . This script was made to order for a ballet.

Nibley goes on to cite how the different parts of the temple creation account as told by Abraham were reenacted anciently as different dances. Concluding the creation story he notes:

But now comes the serious business of our temple. The antique temple drama ends in nothing. The stage lights go out and the house lights go up. Now we must be introduced to the rites and principles that will carry us far beyond this world. We are introduced to special messengers, teachers, and guides and told to pay heed to their counsel, which will continue to lead us on the path of life and salvation.

The Early Christian Prayer Circle

The most noteworthy connection between the round dance and temple ceremonies are the many references of the dance in connection with the Christian practice of the prayer circle. Indeed, Nibley again explains that “the round dance of the creation drama takes the form of the prayer circle in the temple”. References to the early Christian prayer circle can be found in many ancient texts including those of Clement of Rome, Clement of Alexandria, Bishop Cyril of Jerusalem, the Gospel of Bartholomew, the books of 1st and 2nd Jeu, and the Kasr al-Wazz fragment. The most instructive text linking the prayer circle to the round dance is from the apocryphal work entitled the Acts of John. This text describes a prayer circle that Jesus had with his apostles at the time of the Last Supper:

. . . he commanded us to form a circle, taking hold of each other’s hand; And he himself taking up a position in the middle uttered the Amen (formula) and 'pay attention to me’. . . Then he began a hymn, saying, 'Praise to thee Father,’ and we standing in the circle, followed him with the Amen . . . Charis (grace) (leads) dances in the chorus: I wish to pipe (play the flute) dance all of you! Amen . . . I would pipe: Dance all of you, I would mourn: mourn all of you! . . . The number twelve dances on high. Amen.

Nibley notes that the Acts of John says that the circle was in motion, a sort of dance. Again he states that, “Were it not for a violent prejudice against dancing, the long debates of the scholars as to whether the participants in the prayer circle really danced or not would be pointless, since the earliest texts clearly say they did dance”. What kind of dance? Nibley paraphrases Philo’s writing that, “men and women in the circle, following the lead of an exarchos or choral instructor, would chant hymns with antiphonal responses in a manner resembling both the 'rapt enthusiasm’ and the circular motion of ancient choric dances, 'hands and feet keeping time in accompaniment’”. Augustine describes it as “hand in hand, with chant and responses, stamping of feet with occasional interruptions for hand-clapping – probably on the occasion of the Amen responses”. In Stromata, Clement informs us that the initiates raised their hands in prayer during the dance: “So also we raise the head and lift the hands to heaven, and set the feet in motion at the closing utterance of the prayer”.

(Continued in Part 6)

The Genesis of the Round Dance – Part 5

(Continuation from Part 3)

Middle Ages

The ring dance was also present throughout the Middle Ages in the Reigen, or round dance of the peasants, and in the entertainment of the troubadours in the courts. At this time, there was still a cosmic element associated with the round dance pattern as Honorius states, “In their ring dances they thought of the rotation of the firmament; in the clasping of their hands the union of the elements”. Maypole dancing or May Day feasts with their ring dancing around a festooned pole or tree is said to have come from this age.

Renaissance

During the Renaissance, the Catholic theologian Bonaventura wrote on the sacred ring dance, stating that in the celestial spheres it is Christ himself who leads the ring dance with the angels, also implying that there will be a future dance of the same type. Evidence of the round dance is also found in paintings of The Renaissance by many different artists:

In the beautiful paintings of the Renaissance there are glimpses of movement as the angels represent adoration. The flow of the costumes, the positions held for the moment, and the circular formations, all imply that the artists conceived of movement rather than static positions . . . Fra Angelico painted 'the Dance of the Redeemed’ as part of 'The Last Judgment,’ portraying a circular dance of saints and angels entering paradise.

Present Day

Even into the present age, the same pattern of the round dance persists. The Shakers believe that the circle is an emblem of their perfect union and use dances with movements in concentric circles around a central chorus to show the all-inclusiveness of their gospel. Indeed, their square-order shuffle dance is patterned after a vision of angels dancing around the throne of God. A German dancer named Bernhard Wosien created what he called the Sacred Dance in 1976, and enthusiasts continue to expand on his theme, calling it the Circle Dance, or Sacred Circle Dance, and including a small altar of flowers or other sacred object in the center of the circle.

The Greek and Russian Orthodox churches still practice a ring dance around the altar as part of their sacred wedding ceremony:

It is a ring dance about the altar at the conclusion of the ceremony. Usually the six participants are the priest, the best man, the bridegroom, the bride, the bridesmaid, and the deacon. They join hands in this order to perform their sacred wedding dance.

Nibley notes that H. Leisegang connects this current marriage practice with ancient prayer circles. Even modern-day ballroom dancing and social round dancing (often called sequence dancing) owes some recognition to its heritage of ring dancing in the courts of the nobility during the Middle Ages. In some of this social round dancing there is a leader or cuer who calls the steps to be danced in the ring.

Similarities

More examples illustrate this dance pattern exhibited in other areas of the world; however, the preceding is sufficient to show that it has penetrated almost every clime and in every time. More significant is the fact that these round dances all follow the same general prototype of a circular formation of dancers in a circular or rotating motion, often around a central sacred object, person(s) or altar. Generally they are religious in nature, with the participants joining hands with their neighbors, and usually following a central leader in singing, praising, chanting, reciting a text, or following some physical motions or gestures.

So where did the round dance come from? Where did the tradition of the round dance, present in all of these civilizations, have its origin? Some scholars have said that it is through borrowings from other civilizations, but this cannot be the ultimate answer since many of the civilizations, even some of those mentioned earlier, were contemporaries and occupied different corners of the globe. How did they all come to have the same pattern in their dance rituals? I believe that it all links back to religion, the gospel of salvation that was taught to Adam and Eve in the beginning, and the rituals and ordinances associated with that gospel. These rituals were slowly corrupted and changed into apostate imitations which have spread across the world. As Ellfeldt notes, the original meaning of the ritual dances and ceremonies were mostly lost, and what we are left with are patterns, gestures, sounds or symbols. However, these tokens still assure the participants propitiation and salvation. The ritual transforms into art as the faith and symbolism behind it is lost. This can easily be seen in the metamorphosis of dance as a religious gesture into an act of entertainment in the Greek society. Interestingly, the resurgence of many references to the ring dance shortly after the crucifixion and during early Christianity, as noted previously, is a strong indicator that Christ may have restored the original form and meaning of these rituals during his earthly ministry. Today, we find the true, restored and presently revealed form of the sacred ordinances of the gospel in the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

(Continued in Part 5)

The Genesis of the Round Dance – Part 4

Ring Dance performed in legend by Apollo and the Muses

(Continuation from Part 2)

Greece

The ancient choruses, dances, and songs of the dithyramb of Greece displayed the familiar pattern of a dignified, circular dance around the altar of Dionysus in the theater’s orchestra. In fact, the term orchestra originally meant the circular dancing place of the theater. In addition, the terms carole and chorus, also originally Greek, meant a sacred ring dance, men and women holding each others hands. LDS scholar, Dr. Hugh Nibley reminds us that the creation was often acted out in these Greek dance dramas:

The Greek play has a chorus. Well what does chorus mean? It’s a ring dance; it’s a circle. Same as our word curve; Latin: curvus; going around. The chorus sings, and the chorus of the muses sings the poiema, the creation song . . . When they sing together, it’s the poiema, the song of the creation. It’s a glorious thing. It’s a round dance like the Egyptian maypole.

Nibley takes it one step further to explain that all the arts originated from the ancient temple dramas. “So poetry, music, and dance,” he tells us, “go out to the world from the temple-called by the Greeks the Mouseion, the shrine of the Muses”. Again he states that, “All the arts and sciences began at the temple. Dance, music, architecture, sculpture, drama, and so forth-they all go back to the temple”. Kraus supports this claim of a ritualistic connection between the arts when he informs us that Native American ceremonies and sacred dances are “part of an elaborate drama which embraces all the arts”.

Hebrews

Round dances can be seen in the history of the Hebrews. The dance by the Israelites around the Golden Calf has been described as a circular, or ring dance. Philo states that the festivities after the Israelites miraculously passed safely through the Red Sea included “both men and women, together . . . forming one chorós [ring dance]” who “sang of joyful thanks to God”. In fact, the Hebrew word for festival, or chag, originally meant a ring dance around a sacred altar.

Christians

Early Christian texts are full of references to sacred rituals including round or ring dances. G.R.S. Mead informs us that “The idea of a sacred dance – a heavenly carol or chorus – of utmost holiness goes back to the earliest times of Christianity”. Certain early Christian sects called the Therapeutae often fled into the wilderness to avoid persecution and assembled on the Sabbath to perform ring dances and sing hymns. In their writings, a number of early Christian bishops mentioned the ring dance as part of the worship and doctrine of the Church.

Today, very meaning and etymology of the word church in English is said to have been derived from the ancient Greek work circe (by the Middle English chirche or kirke, and the Old English cirice) because of the practice of the earliest worshipers gathering in a circle to “dance the Davidic dance” or when “priests and priestesses gathered in a ‘circle’ to worship” the sun-goddess Circe. The assemblage of Roman worshipers under Constantine became known as “the circle” because of this practice, and such a group of worshipers thus came to be rendered as church in our modern English Bible. One commenter even believes the origin of the word church refers to the “‘inner circle’ of the Babylonian Mystery Religion”, or in other words, that select group that was initiated into the mysteries or sacred rites.

The practice of worshiping in a ring dance continued. Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis on Cyprus in A.D. 367, described Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem – “For behold, once again the King approaches . . . once again perform the choral dances . . . leap wildly, ye Heavens; sing Hymns, ye Angels; ye who dwell in Zion, dance ring dances”. And Basilius, Bishop of Caesarea, once said, “We remember those who now, together with the Angels, dance the dance of the Angels around God, just as in the flesh they performed a spiritual dance of life and, here on earth, a heavenly dance”.

Clement of Alexandria even declared that those who were not initiated in the temple “mysteries” were those who could not sing or dance. These worshipers were forced to refrain from joining in the ring dance; only once you were inducted into the “mysteries” could you perform a ring dance around the altar. Lucian adds that you cannot find a single ancient teleten, or “mystery,” that does not include a dance. An insightful reference comes from Gregory Thaumaturgus, another early Christian bishop, who said that “The ring dance of the angels encircles him [Jesus Christ], singing his glory in heaven and proclaiming peace on earth… Today Adam is resurrected and performs a ring dance with the angels, raised up to heaven”.

One of the most interesting references to the ring dance is contained in one of the earliest of the apocryphal texts called the Acts of John presumably written around 120 AD, which describes a ring dance or prayer circle that Jesus Christ performed with his apostles during the Last Supper. This text has been expounded on extensively by Hugh Nibley in “The Early Christian Prayer Circle,” and Max Pulver in “Jesus’ Round Dance and Crucifixion.” We will explore this ancient text more in the pages to come.

(Continued in Part 4)

The Genesis of the Round Dance – Part 3

Aztec round dance for Quetzalcóatl and Xolotl

(Continuation from Part 1)

The Genesis of the Round Dance

Bryce Haymond

“Then shalt thou dance in a ring together with the angels, around Him
who is without beginning or end, the only true God . . .”
--Clement of Alexandria

Introduction

Round dances, through all ages of time and all locations of the world, display striking similarities in structure and theme. This is strong evidence that they share a common origin. These dances are usually quite religious in nature and I propose that round dances, like other widespread yet similar ritual motifs found scattered across the world, had their beginnings in one of the first sacred rites of this world given to and practiced by our first parents, namely the ancient prayer circle.

So as not to confuse the term, when I say “round dances”, “ring dances”, or “circle dances”, I mean those acts in which the participants form circles and revolve or rotate in a circular motion. Many writers consider the circle to be the oldest known dance formation in the history of the world. Sachs and Langer note that the circle has been an important symbol in dance since primitive man, representing “the sacred realm, the magic circle,” where “great powers are loosed” and the “ordinary world is locked out”. Lucian adds in his classic essay “The Dance” that the earliest model for dance was the universe. Dance was performed in a circle around the altar to reflect the motions of the cosmos, particularly the zodiac or the planets around the sun. One thing is certain: the ring dance has been used in almost every culture, every people, and every religion that this world has known. It is universal. Such broad use of the same repeated “archetypal gesture” displayed in such “diverse cultural contexts” surely indicates a common source in the beginning of time.

Since it is so widespread, it is difficult to provide a comprehensive background of this dance form. The histories of many regions, including those of ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Mesopotamia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Ireland, Spain, South America and North America, contain evidence of the presence of the ring dance. Several examples should suffice to illustrate that it has reached every corner of our planet.

Neolithic

Among the oldest lineage-based societies of the world, such as those from the Neolithic time period, the round dance provided a place where

groups could physically sculpt a 'magic circle’ delineating sacred space wherein the supra-mundane powers might be invoked. The round might simply invoke a particular spirit or deity, or sacralize and protect an encircled cult object whose beneficent powers celebrants sought to absorb.

Native American

Circle dancing has also had a profound place in the practices of the Native American Indians of the North American continent, practiced in indoor dancing, women’s society outdoor dances, spring dances for crops, borrowed tribal dances, and in the dances by both sexes around the scalp pole at Zuni, Isleta, and Taos. Kraus informs us that in certain Native American rituals, after numerous secret rites were completed to purify and prepare the initiates, there was a ceremonial search for the center pole that they would then dance around in a circle. The chants and dances that are performed in circles around fires have even become, for many, the stereotypical prototype of the rituals of Native American culture.

Mesopotamia

Similarly, anthropologists and scholars have found that the round dance was used extensively in ancient Mesopotamia. In the musical culture of ancient Sumer, liturgical flute songs accompanied a procession of singers dancing around an altar in a sacred ritual. In Babylonia, evidence of temple dancing has also been discovered. In the text of Assurbanipal, it reads that “at a religious festival the performers danced a ring-dance to musical accompaniment around the idol of the god who was being worshipped”. This dance was cued in some way by the signs of the zodiac, with each sign stemming from the center and the dancers in the ring surrounding the signs and facing outward.

Egyptian

Ancient Egypt’s history also shows an abundance of ritual circle dancing. Ellfeldt describes it as similar to the Babylonian version: “Ranging around a fixed altar, which represented the sun, priests clad in brilliant costumes made signs for the zodiac with their hands, while turning rhythmically from east to west, following the course of the planets”. Plato also points out that the Egyptians did this to represent the dance of the planets and stars around the altar of the sun. Again there is a connection between the ring dance and the cosmos.

(Continued in Part 3)

The Genesis of the Round Dance – Part 2