Σκιρο-φόρια

Σκιρο-φόρια, τά, das Fest der Athene Σκιράς

Grammatical information: n.

Meaning: des. of a white parasol or canopy, which was carried at processions from the aropolis to a place called Σκῖρον ( Σκίρον) (later suburb of Athens) on the holy road to Eleusis in honour of Athena (Skiras) and other goddesses and gods (Lysimachid., sch. Ar. Ec. 18); pl. Σκίρα name of a women's feast in honour of Demeter, Core and Athena Polias (Ar., inscr. a. o.).

Compounds: As 1. in Σκιρο-φόρια n. pl. `id.' (H., Phot., Suid.); from this Σκιροφοριών, - ῶνος m. Att. month-name (Juni-Juli; Antipho, inscr. etc.).

Origin: XX [etym. unknown]

Etymology: Not certainly explained. Since long (s. Curtius 168) connected with σκιά, semant. or course unproblematic. It must be then a very old, from σκιά independent formation, which formally agrees with Alb. hir `grace of God' (Jokl Untersuchungen 67 after Bugge) and except for the vowel-length with a Germ. adj. for `clear, gleaming, bright', e.g. Goth. skeirs, OWNo. skīrr, NHG schier (to this further with other suffixes NHG Schemen `silhouette', MHG scheim `gleam, shade', NHG scheinen etc. etc.), basic meaning `(subdued) shine, reflex' (WP. 2, 535f., Pok. 917f.); cf. on σκιά. -- The interpretation of σκίρον as `parasol' is however by Deubner Att. Feste 40ff. rejected as a late learned construction. He sees in the σκίρα (orig. meaning unknown) different objects (pigs, representations of phalluses etc.), which at the relevant feast were thrown as sacrificial gifts in subterranean caverns, the soc. μέγαρα, and later at the Thesmophoria were brought up again (s. also Nilsson Gr. Rel. 1², 119 a. 469); a in several respects doubtful hypothesis.

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