Entrance of the Tree

On This Day in Ancient History, March 22:

The ancient Roman festival of the Magna Mater (Great Mother Cybele) included the Arbor intrat (entrance of the tree) on March 22, according to Fishwick. An imported goddess from Phrygia, Magna Mater was installed in Rome in 204 (at the time of Hannibal) where she grew in importance. A pine tree was made to represent the dead Attis for the day of the entrance of the tree. The Dies sanguinis "Day of Blood" followed on the 24th of March and the "Cleansing" on the 27th.

See

"The Cannophori and the March Festival of Magna Mater," by Duncan Fishwick. Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 97. (1966), pp. 193-202.

_{Cybele Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.}

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