Every year in May, the GBRSS fifth graders take part in our annual Greek pentathlon. Fifth graders from Hartsbrook Waldorf School (Hadley, MA), Greenmeadow Waldorf School (Chestnut Ridge, NY), Hawthorne Valley (Harlemville, NY), Housatonic Valley (Newton, CT) and Montreal Waldorf School (Montreal, Canada) join them for the day.
In ancient Greece the Olympiad was a time for the athletes to pay tribute to the gods. An athlete practiced long and hard to try and attain the qualities, gestures and disciplines that each event inherently carried. In this way the athlete could feel at one with the gods even if for a small moment during which the exercise was done. These five movements were seen as archetypes for the human being to carry for all of life. They were javelin, discus, wrestling, long jump and running.
In running the runner must come to a balance. The head is free, the chest leads and the legs move effortlessly through the air. The runner is neither too heavy on his feet nor unconnected to the earth. Hermes, the messenger god, is the god connected to running.
We connect the discus with Apollo, the sun-god. The discus is released or flung rather than thrown. The flight of the discus carrying messages to the gods is of utmost importance. Beauty and timing of the release are the qualities looked for.
If one can throw the javelin with clear precision, and the arc of the throw is graceful yet strong, then one can give honor to Zeus, the father god.
In the running long jump, a balance between levity and gravity is desired. In wrestling, muscle strength guided by the heart are qualities practiced over and over.
In addition poetry, song and dance are part of the festivities. We always look forward to our ancient Greek Olympiad and the students’ hard work as they bring ancient Greece alive.
