In large cauldrons, hard winter wheat, washed in seven unbegun waters, had been boiling for hours, until it turned soft and chewy, and shed its hard shell. During all this time it was stirred, and whispered incantations and blessings, so that its aromatic steam would rise to the sky and feed the spirits. They were making koliva, the traditional food of the dead.
When it cooled down, the women kneaded it into a homogenous paste and mixed it with honey, raisins, almonds, walnuts, and delicious spices.
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Chapter 5.1 — Thesmophoria (I)
“Have you prepared yourself, daughter? You have to set an example for all the married women: fast for nine days, refrain from the pleasures…
Francis Rosenfeld
