Na Chen
Department of Foreign Languages, Huaihua University, Huaihua 418008, China
Qiong Liu
Department of Fine Arts and Design, Huaihua University, Huaihua 418008, China
The Eleusinian Mysteries, a central Greek ritual centers around the myth of Demeter and Persephone’s abduction and reconciliation, symbolizing cycles of agriculture, spiritual renewal, and the afterlife. Parallel yet distinct, China’s Dong ethnic group worships Sa, an ancestral mother goddess embodying nature’s fertility and communal protection. This cross-cultural study explores how both traditions bridge humanity and the sacred through structured ritual practices. Theologically, they all use motherhood as a universal metaphor for creation and cyclical renewal: the Eleusis ritual achieves spiritual rebirth through purification rituals and symbolic journeys, while Sa Worship harmonizes cosmic forces through temple rituals and collective ancestral ceremonies. Ecologically, both systems reflect ancient stewardship ethics－Eleusis links human life to earth’s fecundity, and Sa Worship reinforces communal responsibility for natural resources and ancestral lands. Methodologically, the analysis employs Burkert’s ritual theory alongside ethnographic studies of Dong oral traditions, revealing shared responses to universal human anxieties－death, ecological uncertainty, and the need for transcendence. Despite differing epistemologies (elitist initiation vs. communal participation), both traditions construct sacred narratives that transform existential fears into frameworks for resilience. Their ritual grammars offer models for sustainable spirituality in the modern era, demonstrating how agrarian societies developed parallel theologies to navigate life-death cycles and human dependence on nature. This comparison emphasizes the adaptability of specific cultures to archetypal themes while highlighting the eternal ecological wisdom embedded in sacred practices.
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