Umano e vegetale nel mito eziologico degli Ekdysia

The Cretan festival of Ἐκδύσια, as told in the aition of Antonino Liberale, is characterized by its civic nature and a dedication to the goddess Leto Φυτία. Any attempt of reconstructing the ceremony must cope with the complex correspondence between myth and rite, two registers not connected in a specular relation. In particular, the presence of cross-dressing practice is hardly attested in available sources: the epigraphic evidences just show an initiatory language related to undressing and nakedness, while the myth itself attests a pre-nuptial custom and a sacrifice addressed to Leto. In light of this, it seems more worthwhile analyzing the role of Leto Φυτία in Phaistos through the meaning of her onomastic attribute. Indeed, considering the system of botanic epithets, it comes to light a network in which different deities are charged with competences in the field of growth and access to citizenship.