thumb|456x456px|The entrance to Corycian Cave in Parnassus National Park, Greece

The Corycian Cave (; ) is located in central Greece on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus, in Parnassus National Park, which is situated north of Delphi. The Corycian Cave has been a sacred space since the Neolithic era, and its name comes from the mythological nature spirits the Corycian nymphs, which were depicted as looking like beautiful maidens and were said to inhabit the cave. More specifically it is named after the nymph Corycia; however, its name etymologically derives from korykos, "knapsack". A modern name for the cave in some references is Sarantavli, meaning "forty rooms" because the cave has many caverns that go deep into Mt. Parnassus. The Corycian Cave was used primarily as a place of worship for Pan, the god of the wild, as well as the Corycian nymphs, Zeus, and is also thought to be the ritual home of Dionysus.

Today, the Corycian Cave is a notable tourist attraction for those who travel to Delphi. Tourists often hike past the Corycian Cave as they travel on ancient trails up Mt. Parnassus to have a much broader view of the landscape of the Livadi Valley below.

In modern times, the cave has been a place of refuge for the surrounding population during foreign invasions e.g. from the Persians (Herodotus, 8.36) in the 5th century BC, the Turks during the Greek War of Independence, and from the Germans in 1943.

Location and geography

thumb|Administrative unit of Phocis.

Exterior geography

According to author Jeremy McInerney, "Delphi and Mt.Parnassus became, through myth and ritual, landscape in which tensions between wilderness and civilizations... could be narrated, enacted, and organized". This could be seen in the ritual and in topography where Mt.Parnassus is split into the zones of harsh wilderness at its peaks in contrast to the plateau below that was used for cultivation, and in the center of this, as McInerney says, "... the deeper movement from chaos to order..." was the Corycian Cave. Due to its topographical location, to ancient Greeks the Corycian Cave was the divider between wilderness and culture. It represents a place outside of the sanctuary of Delphi below but not at the dangerous mountain peaks, a place where for mythological purposes, "... where nymphs are possessed and tamed by the gods..." Some ancient texts describe Corycian Cave as being located in, "…a large oval depression with high rocky walls, where the best saffron grew; it was filled with an agreeable, shady woodland…and at the bottom there opened an underground cavern." It is thought that the cave was formed after the collapse of an older cave system, possibly due to an earthquake. Corycian Cave was used off and on over the course of history rather than continuously. Some of the earliest evidence of worship at Corycian Cave is from hunters and shepherds during the later Neolithic period. During the Greek-Persian Wars (499–448 BCE), the inhabitants of ancient Delphi used Corycian Cave as a place to hide from Persian invaders.|253x253px]]

Worshiper demographics

Archeological evidence from Corycian Cave suggests that the majority of worshipers were humble, ordinary people rather than wealthy or powerful people. Many of the worshipers at Corycian Cave are thought to have been shepherds or hunters who lived and worked around Mount Parnassus. There is also evidence of women and children worshipping at Corycian Cave. Corycian Cave was also popular among worshipers belonging to the cult of Pan due to the cave's mythological associations with the god. Most votives left inside Corycian Cave by worshipers were made of clay or bone. Ancient worshipers also believed that an inner cavern of Corycian Cave was the home of the mythological monster Typhon. A shrine to Poseidon was located near the entrance to Typhon's lair, and worshipers felt that this would prevent the monster from escaping and wreaking havoc. In ancient times there was a tradition of worshiping nymphs in caves that housed natural springs, and the Corycian nymphs were also worshiped as part of this tradition. Additionally, the Corycian nymphs are often associated with Apollo. When Apollo killed Delphyne (a monster) near Mount Parnassus, it was said that the Corycian nymphs shouted to support the god and give him strength. Pan is also involved in an ancient ritual in which a shepherd will dress up as Pan and hunt for fish, and the fish will later be sacrificed to Pan after they are caught. This ritual is associated with Pan's involvement in the mythic battle between Zeus and Typhon—which culminated in Typhon being banished to Corycian Cave. thumb|300px|Depiction of Typhon by [[Wenceslas Hollar]]

Dionysus

thumb|220px|A [[mosaic from Antioch of Dionysos, 2nd century AD]]

While the connection to the Corycian nymphs and Pan are well established as they are mentioned in the nine inscriptions found at the cave as well in Pausanias, the connection to Dionysus is not as clear-cut. One of the inscriptions, which has been severely eroded by weathering, seems to say that Thyiades participated in ceremonies at the Corycian Cave. Also, when looking at Aeschylus’ work, the Eumenides, there seems to be a clear connection set up between Dionysus and the Corycian Cave. Despite the wild raves taking place on top of the mountain as opposed to the cave, a clear connection between the surrounding area of the Corycian Cave and the Cult of Dionysus can still be seen. Further evidence for the connection between Dionysus and the Corycian Cave stems from Pan being often depicted in scenes with Dionysus, hinting at a connection between the two gods.

Finally, it is thought that the Corycian Cave is the place of residence of Dionysus, just as Apollo's residence is Delphi. In the wintertime, when Apollo leaves Delphi, Dionysus comes down from the cave and occupies Apollo's place in Delphi. This transition process involved the maidens of Delphi (assumed to be Thyiades) being sent to the cave and then help escort the god into the sanctuary and honor Dionysus in Apollo's Temple.

References

  • Κωρύκιο Άντρο Korykio Antro or Pan's Cave
  • Korykian Cave in the Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites
  • Corycian Cave Path to Corycian Cave