Buphonia
（
τὰ βουφόνια). A festival held in honour of Zeus at
Athens. The legend connected with this festival is a singular one. Among the laws given by
Triptolemus to the Athenians, three more especially remarkable were: “Reverence your
elders—Honour the gods by offerings of the first fruits—Hurt not the
labouring beast,” i. e. the beast employed in agriculture. The first who offended
against this last command was a person named Thaulon, who, at the feast of
Ζεὺς Πολιεύς, observing a steer eating the sacred
πόπανον on the altar, took up an axe and slew the trespasser. The expiation-feast (
βουφόνια), instituted for
the purpose of atoning for this involuntary offence, it was found afterwards expedient to
continue. The ceremonies observed in it are not a little amusing. First was brought water by
women appointed for the office, for the purpose of sharpening the axe and knife with which the
slaughter was to be committed. One of these women having handed the axe to the proper
functionary, the latter felled the beast and then took to flight. To slay the beast outright
was the office of a third person. All present then partook of the flesh. The meal finished,
the hide was stuffed, and the beast, apparently restored to life, was put to the plough. Now
commenced the steer-trial. A judicial assembly was held in the Prytaneum, to which all were
summoned who had been partakers in the above transaction. Each lays the blame upon the other.
The water-bearers throw the guilt upon the sharpener of the axe and knife; the sharpener of
the knife casts it upon the person delivering it to the feller of the beast; the feller of the
beast upon the actual slaughterer, while this last ascribes the whole guilt to the knife
itself. The knife, unable to speak, is found guilty and thrown into the sea.
