I promise to be better at visually documenting my experiences soon.

Until then, more words!

We went on a field trip of sorts to some archaeological sites today. It was kind of rushed and reminded me of the last time I was in Greece (actually, it was even more rushed than that). Also I was tired, but I think I've finally developed the ability to sleep at the drop of a hat and on vehicles. After the sites we went to a beach, which was pretty amazing. Nicest beach I've ever been to. The water was very salty, though, and as a result, I am now very salty.

Anyway, that's not what was interesting. The last site we went to is what I wanted to mention.

It's called the Temple of Artemis Vrauonia (when I figure out how to do the Greek letters on this keyboard, I'll spell it out the real way). The site itself was neat, because there's a good bit of it still intact. Apparently the sea used to come right up to it, and it was this beautiful oasis and sanctuary. There's also a sacred spring and pool where women would dedicate things to Artemis on the day before their weddings.
The story of this place is that Orestes built it in honor of Artemis and his sister Iphigenia (who was sacrificed/nearly sacrificed by his father, Agamemnon), while he was searching for Iphigenia. And so young Athenian girls around nine to eleven years old would be brought there to make the transition from "wild" little girls to "domesticated" women. They would serve there as sort of attendants I guess (I forget the exact word she used) for some amount of time, and they would be prepared for marriage.
According to the archaeologist showing us around (who is also one of the professors in the program), part of the ceremony, I guess, of the transition between childhood and adulthood was something called a "bear dance," in which a girl would be dressed like a bear--symbolizing her wildness-- and would take off the bear clothes and put on adult women's clothing. I thought that was weird and fantastic. I guess the girls there were called "little bears" (arktoi).
I just love this idea of little girls being wild bears. I also love the image of this sanctuary by the sea where ten-year-old girls would run races and eat on couches and give Artemis their childhood toys and locks of hair. And at certain times of year, it's covered in butterflies.
I wonder if Nabokov knew about this place.