“Thy various names and attributes I sing,
O, first-born, thrice begotten, Bacchic king:
Rural, ineffable, two-formed, obscure,
two-horned, with ivy crowned, howling, pure.
Bull-faced, and martial, bearer of the vine,
endued with counsel prudent and divine:
Triennial, whom the leaves of vines adorn,
of Zeus and Persephonean, occultly born.
Immortal daemon, hear my suppliant voice,
give me in blameless plenty to rejoice;
And listen gracious to my mystic prayer,
surrounded with thy choir of nurses fair.”
You are invited to ecstasy at the KOMOS, our yearly ritual dance for our patron Deity, Dionysus. Come with us; adorn costume, dance, drink in the magic, and find release in ecstatic Ritual.
What’s a KOMOS?
The Komos (Ancient Greek, κῶμος) was “a ritualistic drunken procession performed by revelers in ancient Greece” (according to Wikipedia). KOMOS, as it is practiced at Between the Worlds, is an ecstatic and sensual nighttime revel dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy, a patron of the gathering.
It’s also a lot of fun…
Where did the BTW KOMOS come from?
Prior to 2006, this celebration was called the Tea Dance.The founders of BTW brought the concept of the Tea Dance to the first BTW from Pagan Spirit Gathering (PSG), where it had been modeled on the Saturday afternoon tea dances that the gay community held in places like Fire Island. The Tea Dance had developed it to be a rite in honor of Dionysos, where inhibitions were loosened and everyone was able to mingle near the end of the festival and celebrate the community we had all formed together.
When the rite carried forward to BTW, we focused it more specifically on strengthening the gay spiritual community we had formed by encouraging celebrants to break down the barriers that they erect against one another in the outer world. In 2006, we decided to make a break with the Tea Dance name and give the rite a name more closely associated with the worship of Dionysos. On the evening of the first day of the City Dionysia in ancient Athens, a “komos” or revel was held. It is from this that we get the modern-day word “comedy” (from komodia). Bands of wine-drinking revelers in animal masks roamed the city celebrating the return of the God with torches, flutes, and harps. Dancing, drinking, music, and lewd merriment ran rampant. KOMOS! thus became BTW’s annual dance and costume party, presided over by an aspect of Dionysos. Iakkhos!
What happens at the BTW KOMOS?
In brief: the community coordinator and volunteers decorate for the festivities. At the appointed time, everyone gathers, and there’s a brief introduction. We invoke and thank Dionysos, and bless the wine. Then, we move into a bit of an ice-breaker. After that, the music transitions to upbeat dance music, and people can chat, dance, cut loose, and trance, until the event ends.. Afterwards, there’s some cleanup, and some people continue to revel at the drum circle around the communal fire.
To learn more or Register visit: https://betweentheworlds.org/registration-and-info/