Ambrosia: The Food of the Gods
No… I’m not referring to your meemaw’s salad.
You’ve probably heard the word “ambrosia” before — most likely as a reference to a popular Southern dish consisting of a creamy fruit salad full of pineapple, mandarins, coconut, and, bizarrely, miniature marshmallows.
But that’s not what we’re talking about today.
Nope. We’re exploring the mythical Greek food (or drink, depending on who you’re asking) that granted the gods (and sometimes mere mortals) immortality and divine power.
Theories on what ambrosia might have been range from psychedelic mushrooms to simple honey. Let’s explore…
Ambrosia in Greek Mythology
Ambrosia, AKA the “food of the gods,” was the sustenance the Greek gods used to maintain their immortality.
Ambrosia and nectar are often associated together and it's entirely possible they were one and the same. However, the Greek poet Homer made a clear distinction between the two — ambrosia is considered food, while nectar is identified as a drink.
Ancient texts can't always be taken as fact — both Sappho and Anaxandrides name ambrosia as a drink rather than a food object. Similarly, Odysseus refers to ambrosia as a “divine drink,”
In Homer’s poems, ambrosia also appears as an ointment, “used as a cosmetic to clean and care for the bodies of gods and mortals," and as an embalmment tool used to prevent the decomposition of corpses.
Ambrosia was typically only consumed by divine beings and gods. In Ancient Greek mythology, gods did not have blood, but ichor, a mystical, ethereal fluid, running in their veins; regular consumption of ambrosia was believed to cause this and grant them immortality.
Because of this, some myths suggest the gods needed to consume a constant supply of ambrosia to maintain their life force.
Mere mortals were not permitted to partake in ambrosia — it was a treat reserved for the gods alone.
However, some of the gods were rebellious by nature — they would occasionally share their sacred stock with humans to grant them immortality and divine favor.
A few example stories of humans being given ambrosia:
Achilles — One version of Achilles’ story suggested that he was anointed with ambrosia and then placed in a fire to burn away his mortal parts.
Tantalus — The mortal son of Zeus, Tantalus, was invited to dine with the gods on Olympus. He stole ambrosia and nectar and brought them back to Earth to share with his people, which angered the gods and led to his eternal banishment to the underworld.
Heracles (Hercules) — This mortal man was granted ambrosia to consume after earning great achievements in his life. After earning immortality he was accepted among the gods.
Still, even the tumultuous Greek gods had their boundaries — Tydeus, a Greek hero, was to be given some ambrosia by the goddess Athena. However, after discovering he had eaten the human brains of an enemy he defeated in battle, she decided he wasn’t worthy of immortality.
Ambrosia was never free — it had to be earned.
Other mentions suggest ambrosia as a cure-all or panacea. Several Greek stories suggest ambrosia as a way to treat injuries and cleanse the body, including the dead. It functioned as a sort of preservative — among other things.
In the Iliad, Aphrodite becomes wounded, so ambrosia is used to treat the wound. In another section of the Iliad, “Hera cleanses herself with ambrosia,” and Athena “cleanse[s] her [Penelope’s] cheeks, her brow and fine eyes with ambrosia smooth as the oils.”
Aphrodite was even said to have used ambrosia in the Iliad after becoming severely injured by Diomedes.
Moreover, ambrosia was used as a perfume by some of the Greek goddesses: "First with ambrosia cleansed all the dirt from her [Hera's] lovely skin, and anointed herself well with oil."
Where Did Ambrosia Come From?
According to Greek mythology, ambrosia is believed to have been, at first, a wood nymph.
As the legend goes, Lycurgus of Thrace had a disagreement with Dionysus, the god of wine (and fertility, ecstasy, and general hedonistic partying). Ambrosia, the nymph, was unfortunately caught in the middle of the feud and was killed in the process. Shortly afterward, she was transformed into a walking vine.
The “vine food” was carried by doves to Mount Olympus (where the Greek gods live). Supposedly, it was quite delicious and considered to be intensely sweet.
Ambrosia Theories
Stories, poems, and myths describe ambrosia in different ways, making it a bit confusing and complicated for those looking to figure out what it really was.
Here are a few theories:
Honey — Ambrosia could have simply been honey, which was highly valued in ancient times for its sweet taste and preservative qualities. Honey's long shelf life and its role in preserving food might have contributed to its association with immortality.
Psychoactive Plants — Ambrosia could have referred to a psychoactive plant or combination of plants. These substances might have been considered divine due to their powerful mind-altering effects.
Psychedelic Mushrooms — Danny Staples, a Classical mythologist and an ethnomycologist, believed that ambrosia could have actually been the Amanita muscaria mushroom, claiming that “it was the food of the gods, their ambrosia, and nectar was the pressed sap of its juices.”
Robert Graves, a historical mycologist, writes:
"On an Etruscan mirror, the amanita muscaria is engraved at Ixion's feet; he was a Thessalian hero who feasted on ambrosia among the gods [...] I now believe that `ambrosia' and `nectar' were intoxicant mushrooms: certainly the amanita muscaria, but perhaps others, too, especially a small, slender dung mushroom named Panaeolus papilionaceus, which induces harmless and most enjoyable hallucinations."
In an article for The Atlantic, Graves elaborates a bit more:
"I have tried writing down in Greek characters the ingredients of ambrosia, nectar, and Demetcrs cyceon, and my impression is that the mythologists have presented us with a riddling answer to our questions. What did Olympian gods eat? The initials of the ingredients spell myceta — accusative of myces, a mushroom. What did they drink? The ingredients of nectar and cyceon spell out, respectively, myc and myca. Myca is the nominative of a secondary word for "mushroom." The very words "mystery and "mystic may well be named for the fly amnnite; and so may "myth," meaning an authoritative or poetic utterance."
In The End…
Food of the gods? Or just plain honey? Porridge? Or maybe a mushroom? Perhaps we’ll never know — myths often tend to stay just that, but speculation always proves to be a promising pastime.
Despite the pages of text describing ambrosia and its references in Greek mythology, it's likely that conclusive evidence of what it was — and whether it really was in the first place — is beyond our reach, and we mere mortals can only try to imagine.
Further Reading:
The Iliad (Book by Homer)
Ambrosia Salad Recipe (Delish)
Greek Gods & Goddesses Pantheon (British Museum)
Xenon Gas: The Breath of God (Tripsitter)
Morning Glory: The Aztec Vine of Vision (Tripsitter)
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