#orphic religion

[mask131]

The myth of Dionysos (3)

For the previous posts, see here and here.

V) The cult of Dionysos : Outside the city, inside the city

Such a god apparently does not have his place in the Ancient Greek city. Séchan-Lévêque reminds us that his religion, at the same time joyful and wild, is centered around the “thiasus”, that is to say a gathering of male and female beings joining outside of any civic or familial setting. According to Euripides’ description and to the various visual depictions of Ancient Greece, all the cultural elements surrounding Dionysos are the very opposite of the rational organization of a State. His cult takes place on the countryside, in woods and mountains. It takes place at night. The participants wear an animal skins over their clothes (or replacing their chiton), their hair is wild or crowned by ivy or laurel, their belt is made of a snake or a baby leopard hangs from it ; in one hand they hold the thyrsus and in the other a small animal (hare or young fawn). The music played for Dionysos is strange: flutes, tympanum and castanets. His ceremonies are chaotic: wild dances, convulsions, exhausting races. His sacrifice is performed by ripping apart animals before eating their raw flesh. The thiasus could be made of men, but the most famous of all the thiasus is the female one, and its members are called the Menads, the Bacchants, the Thyads, the Bassarides… Ordinarily, women of Ancient Greece were locked up inside the gynaeceum, so to have them becoming wild and savage makes the cult of Dionysos a unique one, set apart by the official religious events of the city, since he breaks all urban religious rules. Similarly, the mysteries of Dionysos unite together men and women, citizens and slaves, which meant breaking apart the Ancient Greek social hierarchy.

And yet, this Dionysos that destroys the order of the city is greatly honored at Delphi, the domain of the Greekest of all gods, Apollo. The Pythia reminds the audience, in Aeschylus’ Eumenids, that she honors the nymphs over which rules Bromios and his Bacchants, with explicit references to the story of Pentheus. Every year, during the three months of winter, while Apollo leaves for Hyperborea, Dionysos replaces him. And every two years, the Thyads of Delphi and the Bacchants of Athens, holding torches, celebrate on mount Parnassus the son of Semele. In the adyton of Apollo’s temple, legends claimed Dionysos’ tomb could be found. The poets frequently exchanged the names and nicknames of the two deities: Aeschylus wrote in Bassarids of “Apollo with ivy, a bacchant and a seer”, while Euripides in Likymnion wrote of “Lord Bakchos, friend of the laurel, Pean-Apollon with the beautiful lyre”. As such, despite Nietzsche’s strict opposition between the god of harmonious restraint and the deity of savage drunkenness, the two gods are actually far from being polar opposites.

Dionysos also finds a home at Athens. We already saw several of the festivals in his honor there: Apaturia, Anthesteria, Oschophoria… But to those can be added the agrarian Dionysia, the the Lenaia, and especially the great Dionysia: during those, contests of dithyrambic, of tragedies and of comedies were held, gathering an audience coming from all four corners of Greece. Traditionally, the tragedy, the “tragodia”, is read as meaning “the song of the goat”, tragou-ôdè, since the goat was the animal traditionally sacrificed to the god. During the first day of the Great Dionysia, the statue of Dionysos was carried inside the “orchestra”, at the very heart of the city. And during the contests, a place of honor was kept for the priest of Dionysos. The marginal god clearly earned his place among men and Olympians.

Because, according to the Bacchants, inside the Dionysian chaos, there si a superior order, an “eukosmia” that unfortunately Pentheus fails to see, since he is a young tyrant filled with hubris. However the wise rulers of Athens did perceive and honor this superior order – unlike the Roman Senators that, in 186 BCE, harshly repressed any participations to the Bacchanals.

VI) Dionysos in service of political and religious doctrines: various uses

Multiple, complex, contradictory and shapeshifting: the god offered to the political and religious domains a very malleable material. For example, there are obvious links and mutual influences between the eastward journey of Dionysos and the eastward journey of Alexander. Alexander, just like his soldiers, and just like his historians, know of the story of the god’s travel to the East – the Dionysos of Euripides, in the Bacchants, said himself: “I left Lydia with his gold-fertile fields, I left the plains of Phrygia for the sun-burned plateaus of Persia, the walled cities of Bactrian, and the land of the Medes, frozen by winter ; and happy Arabia ; and finally all of Asia, laying by the salted waters…” Alexander took his army on the very steps of Dionysos. Of course, the Great was going to make the god the patron of his expedition, and as such Alexander was celebrated as the “new Dionysos” (a title that future rulers of Alexandria will also bear). The parallel grows stronger with the encounter by Alexander’s army of a town named Nysa, located near the mount Meros (a word that sounds similar to the Greek word for “thigh”) – the prince claimed the people of Nysa were descendants of the Greek people that Dionysos took with his on his own journey. However, in a complete circle, the adventure of Alexander the Great influenced greatly Dionysos’ own travels. India, for example, was never named in the tale of the Bacchants. But after the exploits of Alexander, Dionysos became the conqueror of India. Poets, painters and sculptors all depicted him taking part in this “war of India” that Euripides had never heard about. In the 5th century CE, this tale grew to enormous proportions thanks to Nonnus’ Dionysiaca, an epic in 48 chants, and where the Indian travel is described from chant 13 to 40.

Despite the recent doubts of some scholars, there is a possibility that Cesar and Augustus used for their political agenda the glory of this god celebrated everywhere in the oriental part of the Roman empire, and even in Rome itself – by both the Greco-Oriental population and the administrative elite of the Hellenism. Indeed, the assimilation between Dionysos and the Latium god Liber Pater had been done for a long time by now, and that despite some strong oppositions (such as the stern repression of the cult of Dionysos in 186). And the success of this religion was noticed by the political authorities. Servius commented what Virgil wrote in his Bucolics, about how Daphnis, on a “chariot pulled by Armenian tigers”, was the first to introduce the “thiasos of Bacchus”. Servius reminds his reader that in truth, it was Cesar that first brought the “mysteries of Liber Pater” to Rome – and as such behind the triumph of Daphnis, one reads as much the travels of Alexander as the exploits of Cesar… Two men that Augustus claims to be the heir of.

This “politic of Dionysos” knew its climax between the second and third century CE, through Hadrian the philhellenic, who demanded to be called the “new Dionysos”. In the same tradition as Alexander the Great, and as the many Hellenistic rulers, from Gallian (who, while leading a double fight against the Barbarians and the Christians, wanted to return to the Greek tradition) to Elagabalus (who had the habit of driving a chariot pulled by lions and tigers).

Dionysos was also used for philosophical and religious agendas. As such, the Orphics, reused in their beliefs the myth of the god’s murder by the Titans. Marcel Detienne wrote about how the myth of Dionysos was the perfect illustration for the main teaching of Orpheus: refrain from murder. In its double sense of 1) do not kill your fellow human being ; but also as 2) do not eat meat. On top of that, Dionysos’ resurrection echoed the belief in palingenesis of the disciples of Orpheus.

With this context, it makes sense that Christian writers, such as Clement of Alexandria or Firmicus Maternus, focused their attacks onto a myth that, for them, was a caricature of their beliefs and a parody of the sacraments of their own religion. Passion and Resurrection (Gregory of Nazianzus even used three hundred verses of the Bacchants in his Christus Patiem), Eucharist, and even the concept of Original Sin – because Dion Chrysostom wrote that mankind was born from the ashes of the Titans mixed with the earth. As such, humanity was part at the same time of the crime of the Titans, and of the divinity of Dionysos (who had been eaten by the Titans). The Christian attacks were also very strong because Orphism, through this myth, had brought to the cult of Dionysos the theology that it lacked (since in the Mysteries of Dionysos, the ritual had a larger and stronger place than the theory).

VII) A diversity of interpretations

In front of such a complex and elusive personality, it is impossible to give just one interpretation of the character of Dionysos. From the third millennium BCE to the fall of the Roman Empire, the god constantly played a role – his figure was constantly shaped by societies, governments and people. As such, the interpretations offered by mythologists allow us to better understand Dionysos, but they will never be complete or exhaustive. As much, all they can do is bring to light some key elements of his being.

While the mythologists of the early 20th century were prone to excesses, the interpretations of names such as Frazer, Farnell or Miss Harrison are still very interesting. Dionysos is first and foremost a vegetation god, a fecundity god, a chthonian god. Many of his ceremonies are rituals celebrating renewal. He is a god of plants; his emblem if the thyrsus, a branch or a reed stalk crowned by leaves of ivy/vine, or by a pine cone. All these plants play a important role in both the rites and the myth of Dionysos, even though from the 7th century BCE onward he specializes himself as the god of the grapevine and of wine. Dionysos is the lord of the tree. As we saw before, he is related to the Oriental mother-goddesses and to the Aegean world. His wife is Ariadne – who might have been during the Classical era a human, but that was once an Aegean goddess of vegetation. Dionysos is the master of both animal and human fecundity – his favorite companions, the satyrs, the donkeys, the goats, the bulls, are all depicted with a very large phallus. He went down into the Underworld to bring back his mother Semele, and he presides over the Anthesteria, which was a celebration of the dead. Zagreus was believed to have for a mother Persephone, and for a father either Zeus or Hades – and in fact, Zagreus was sometimes identified as being an alternate identity of Hades. This chthonian side of Dionysos was developed in his mysteries: the initiation, the purifications, the teaches of sacred formulas have for a main purpose to allow the dead to escape all the dangers that threaten their travel to the afterlife ; and ultimately, to allow them to find happiness in the Hades.

The Bacchic drunkenness and the possessios/trances of the Menads have also brought forward numerous psychological, psychoanalytical and ethnological commentaries. The dances of the Bacchants were compared to those of the whirling dervishes, of the Jewish Hasidim, of the Siberian shamans and of the American Shakers. This phenomenon was proven to have been widespread throughout all of the Antique Mediterranean world – and to still be existing today in a part of Africa. Séchan-Lévêque noted that the “delirium of the Bacchants” was in many ways similar to neuropathic manifestations. Convulsive and spasmodic movements, the body bending backwards, the neck being thrown around… Both also involve a feeling of depersonalization, the feeling of the self being invaded by an outside persona or entity. Psychanalysts saw a parallel between the mechanisms of the Dionysian possession and various concepts of child-psychanalysis: they claimed that the ritual of the god had a therapeutic effect. The Dionysos-Hades becomes a Dionsyso-Asclepios.

Another theory that should not be ignored is the theory of the “pharmakos”, or the theory of the “scape-goat”, that was popularized by Frazer and then by René Girard in his interpretation of Euripides’ play. The tragedy of the Bacchants presents itself at first like a ritual bacchanal. All differences are erased: all take part in the celebration, be them old or young, male or female, citizens or slaves. But the party goes wrong, violence arrives. The difference becomes an inversion: women perform martial activities, men disguise themselves into women. Human and animal worlds are confused for one another: the Bacchants rip apart of a herd of cow they mistake for men, Pentheus ties up a bull he thought was Dionysos, Agave murders Pentheus while seeing before her a lion. Pentheus, in his transvestite outfit, is a Carnival prince, a temporary king – as Jeanne Roux notes, he is at the same time the scape-goat carrying with him all the soiling and vices of the past year, and the sacrificial victim to open a new and clean year. The symbolism becomes even more obvious due to the fact that Pentheus, in his female disguise, climbs on top of a pine and falls from it. A. G. Bather, in The Problem of the Bacchae (Journal of Hellenic Studies, 1894), noted that in Russia, during Pentecost Thursday, there was a very similar ritual. Villagers had to cut down a young pine-tree and disguise it as a woman before bringing “her” to the village in great joy. Three days later, on Trinity Sunday, the wooden figure was taken out of the village and thrown in a body of water. In Euripides’ play, at the end of the party, the pine-tree is ripped away, the king is killed and torn apart: Pentheus is inflicted a diasparagmos (a dismemberment) by the hands of his own mother and of his aunts. Which in turn will become new scapegoats, as they will be banished from the city afterwar. A new order will rule over Thebes: as René Girard notes in La Violence et le sacré (Violence and the sacred), Dionysos is the god “of the successful lynching”. However we saw previously that Pentheus is the double of Dionysos. Just like his adversary/reflection, the god, in the myth of the Titans, also suffers a diasparagmos. As such there is an identification between the pine-tree that is uprooted, and Dionysos Dendritès, god of the trees. While in Euripides’ play the god appears as the organizer and the force behind the scapegoat ceremony, it is possible that in ancient times he used to be the victim of said ceremony.

Finally, numerous analogies bring Dionysos close to the “kouroi”, the novices that undergo initiation-trials. Pausanias describes how Cadmos placed Semele and young Dionysos in a chest that was thrown in the water and ended in Brasiai/Prasiai (a port of Laconia). This type of trial was also known by other great heroes – Perseus, Moises, Romulus. Just like the initiated ones of the three first classes of Ancient India (the dvija), Dionysos is “twice-born”. Just like Achilles, Herakles and Jason, who were all raised by the horse-man Chiron, Dionysos knew animal-men during his childhood: the goat-men that were the satyrs and the silenes ; but also wolf-men, such as Lycurgus (whose name means “He who acts as a wolf, from lukos “wolf” and “ergon”, action), or Athamas (that Apollodorus compares to a wolf). Just like Achilles that was disguised as a girl, just like Theseus that was mocked for his dress and braided hair, just like Herakles that had put on a dress before queen Omphalus, Dionysos knew the experience of the feminine cross-dressing. Just like Achilles, Melicertes, Herakles, Pelops and Jason, there is the trial of the cauldron – killed, dismembered and boiled, he was resurrected. (Jeanmaire wrote that it is a legend with a strong initiation symbolism, and that seems to answer to very archaic practices explaining or interpreting the dangers that threaten children and teenagers). Just like in African initiation rituals, the rhombus played a key part in his death-resurrection. Just like Pelops, whose homosexual loves for Poseidon have analogies with the initiation of young Cretans, Dionysos, with the mysterious Prosumnos, acts as the hero of an initiation-adventure. Just like Odysseus, Herakles, Orpheus, Theseus, Aeneas or Jason (the latter only through symbolism), he went into the Underworld. Finally, just like Theseus and Gilgamesh, he plunged in the water (and even twice) to escape Lycurgus and to find his mother in the Hades. All those trials are so many shapes of initiation rituals, of obligatory rites of passages allowing the teenager to leave the world of childhood and to join the world of adults.

As such, despite all the critical efforts to understand Dionysos’ personality, to bring an exhaustive interpretation including both his complexity and diversity, the god keeps escaping our minds, breaking our settings, removing the chains with which we would try to bind him. All the way until the end, he will stay elusive. So let us remember how, in both the Homeric hymn to Dionysos, and the Bacchants, Dionysos is always presented as the “un-binder”, as the “Eleuthereus”, the “Luaios”, the “Lusios”, the one that detaches, that sets free ; the god on who all ropes and all binds fall to the ground, the god who can escape any net without effort, the entity that can never be trapped because all those that think they caught him are in fact not even touching him.

#dionysos #dionysus #greek god #greek gods #mythology #ancient greece #ancient rome #roman religion #greek religion #roman gods #roman mythology #alexander the great #bacchants #pentheus #orphic cult #orphic religion

[butchoftheoldgods]

«Άκουσον με, ώ βασίλισσα, του Διός πολυώνυμη Κόρη,

Τιτανίδα, βροντερή, μεγαλώνυμη, τοξότρια, σεμνή,

πασιφανής, δαδούχε, Θεά Δίκτυννα, λοχεία,

‘σύ η αρωγός στις ωδίνες, χωρίς η ίδια σ’ωδίνες να μετέχεις·

λυσίζωνη, εκστατική, κυνηγήτρια, λυσιμέριμνη,

εύδρομη, βελεσιχαρής, φιλαγρότη, νυκτερόφοιτη,

κλειδούχα, ευαπάντητη, λυτρωτική, αρρενόμορφη,

Ορθία, ταχυγέννα, παιδοτρόφα θεότητα των θνητών,

Αγροτέρα, χθόνια, θηροκτόνα, δότειρα της όλβιας μοίρας,

‘σύ που κατέχεις τους δρυμούς των ορέων, ελάφους βάλλοντας, σεμνή,

σεβαστή, παμβασίλεια, που έχεις ωραίο θάλος εσαεί,

δρυμονία, σκυλακίτιδα, Κυδωνιάς, ποικιλόμορφη·

Έλα, θεά σώτειρα, αγαπητή σε όλους τους μύστες,

ευαπάντητη, φέρνοντας καλούς καρπούς από την γαία,

αλλά και την ποθητήν ειρήνη και την καλλιπλόκαμην υγεία·

κι είθε να στέλνεις στις κεφαλές των ορέων τις νόσους και τα άλγη.- »

Orphic Hymn to Artemis ~ Translated to Modern Greek

#hellenic pagan #hellenic polytheism #hellenic religion #hellenic polytheistic #hellenic reconstructionism #hellenic revivalism #hellenism #hellenismos #paganism #artemis #Artemis worship #Artemis devotee #artemis devotion #Artemis deity #lady artemis #Orphic hymns

[hellenistic-prince]

Hymn to Hestia

Hestia, in the high dwellings of all, both deathless gods and men who walk on earth, you have gained an everlasting abode and highest honor: glorious is your portion and your right. For without you mortals hold no banquet, —where one does not duly pour sweet wine in offering to Hestia both first and last.

#Hestia #hestia devotion #hestia devotee #hestia deity #Gods #greek gods #greek mythology #greek pantheon #Hymns #Orphic #orphic hymns #hellenic polytheism #hellenism #hellenic religion #Pagan #hellenic pagan #hellenic worship #hellenic pantheon #pagan witch #pagan prayer

[blood-orange-juice]

*eyeing yet another "Childe is a Christ figure" theory*

The human urge to sacrifice someone to solve their problems.

(I really hope that's what turns out to be the Fontainian 'sin' or maybe the original Enkanomiya sin even.

sacrificing a divine being so that they could keep their petty lives and not solve the problems they were responsible for. pretending that nothing happened

or maybe even that's what was wrong with Teyvat's creation)

#childe #tartaglia #fontaine #killing a god to become a god seems noble in comparison #it requires at least some measure of personal responsibility #you can see I have beef with a certain religion #but also I have faith in our boy and I hope he breaks that trope too #very tired of christian references #especially when they don't have depth #and also #in the‚ ahem‚ original it was not the sacrifice that did the trick #it was the god's forgiveness #transcending the unforgivable and making it unimportant #(ok. maybe I could tolerate a christian reference like that) #(since this guy does tend to make horrible things unimportant) #(but I would still very much prefer him to be a different kind of orphic story) #(no forgiveness‚ just cosmic indifference and some new knowledge about the universe) #(you have to die to learn certain things) #(that's how it has always been)

[priestessofcreation]

Quick read of the Orphic Mysteries and I’m not too impressed

1. Origin story of the world is different from mainstream Greek Mythology - no issue here, just interesting stuff

2. Near-monotheistic worship of Dionysus, also known as Zagreus. Child of Zeus and Persephone, and the chosen heir of Zeus’s throne - LEAVE PERSEPHONE ALONE, SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH. However, there is something here because not only was Dionysus really, widely, WEIRDLY liked in Greece, but Hades was considered the house of Dionysus. Sometimes he was even synonymous with Hades himself.

3. Dionysus was ripped apart by his own kind - While definitely something that would happen (consider the lot we are dealing with), Dionysus was a major god in the mainstream mythology. One of the twelve. I got to be honest, though… I’m not a huge fan of Dionysus. “God of wine and revelry” isn’t something that has ever really interested me personally.

4. Belief in reincarnation, as a prison - This is a thing in Buddhism too. It’s also a thing that spiritual predators use to squeeze money out of you. I am of the belief that reincarnation is a natural and conscious thing, spiritually speaking. If we are all the universe, all one, then reincarnation is a way for the universe to experience itself. It is a way for us to eternally grow and experience and explore.

5. Belief in the soul, formed of pieces of Dionysus in bodies made of the pieces of Titans. Humans are made of purity (Dionysus) but also corruption (titans). Meaning, original sin - Bro, I hate the concept of original sin. I HATE the idea that we are inherently awful and that we have to redeem ourselves before we’ve even taken our first breath. Why is this such a common thing? Where did this concept come from? I believe we are the universe, we are all one. So we are all love. We are ALL divine, leading me to believe that beliefs like this came from the idea that we are less than, but we all (gods and men) eventually come from the same place.

6. They went door-to-door with their sacred texts, asking people if they wanted their souls to be saved - 😒

7. Though Orpheus may have existed long before the establishment of this cult, they say that their teachings are based off of the truths he learned while making his way through the underworld - This sounds like a Dionysian cult. I’m not really impressed? And I gotta be honest - Orpheus was powerful poet and musician, born from the gods, who used art to do everything from silence sirens to save his wife. And yet somehow some sect of the Pagan Greek Religion managed to tie his name to a whole thing revering Dionysus as the source of human divinity. I just… either there is legitimacy to this and I just gotta eat my words, or this cult took Orpheus’s name to give legitimacy to their claims.

This whole thing is because I thought I was being called to study the Orphic mysteries, but I’m not impressed. I could believe, maybe, that Dionysus was the son of Persephone and Zeus. Weirder things in this mythology have happened.

But… if I were going to create a whole cult around the teachings of Orpheus… it would look like Hadestown. Love, idealism, art, healing, redemption, blind belief that something is going to happen despite all odds and how losing that belief will have the same direct effect that having that belief had (manifestation, anyone?). Just how much the human spirit can make things happen and how that directly links us to the power of gods. Creation. Hope. Believe, and you can make it happen.

Magic, I guess.

#mythology #Orphic mysteries #folklore #history #religion #Orpheus #Dionysus

[violetmoondaughter]

Persephone

Φερσεφόνη, θύγατερ μεγάλου Διός, ἐλθέ, μάκαιρα, μουνογένεια θεά, κεχαρισμένα δ᾽ ἱερὰ δέξαι, Πλούτωνος πολύτιμε δάμαρ, κεδνή, βιοδῶτι, ἣ κατέχεις Ἀίδαο πύλας ὑπὸ κεύθεα γαίης, Πραξιδίκη, ἐρατοπλόκαμε, Δηοῦς θάλος ἁγνόν, Εὐμενίδων γενέτειρα, ὑποχθονίων βασίλεια, ἣν Ζεὺς ἀρρήτοισι γοναῖς τεκνώσατο κούρη��, μῆτερ ἐριβρεμέτου πολυμόρφου Εὐβουλῆος, Ὡρῶν συμπαίκτειρα, φαεσφόρε, ἀγλαόμορφε, σεμνή, παντοκράτειρα, κόρη καρποῖσι βρύουσα, εὐφεγγής, κερόεσσα, μόνη θνητοῖσι ποθεινή, εἰαρινή, λειμωνιάσιν χαίρουσα πνοῆισιν, ἱερὸν ἐκφαίνουσα δέμας βλαστοῖς χλοοκάρποις, ἁρπαγιμαῖα λέχη μετοπωρινὰ νυμφευθεῖσα, ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος μούνη θνητοῖς πολυμόχθοις, Φερσεφόνη·φέρβεις γὰρ ἀεὶ καὶ πάντα φονεύεις. κλῦθι, μάκαιρα θεά, καρποὺς δ᾽ ἀνάπεμπ᾽ ἀπὸ γαίης εἰρήνηι θάλλουσα καὶ ἠπιοχείρωι ὑγείαι καὶ βίωι εὐόλβωι λιπαρὸν γῆρας κατάγοντι πρὸς σὸν χῶρον, ἄνασσα, καὶ εὐδύνατον Πλούτων.

Persephone, blessed daughter of great Zeus, sole offspring of Demeter, come and accept this gracious sacrifice. Much honored spouse of Plouton, great and life-giving, you guard the gates of Hades in the bowels of the earth, lovely-tressed Praxidike, pure bloom of Deo, mother of the Erinyes, queen of the nether world, secretly sired by Zeus in clandestine union. Mother of loud-roaring, many-shaped Eobouleus, radiant and luminous playmate of the Seasons, revered and almighty, maiden rich in fruits, brilliant and horned, only-beloved of mortals, vernal,you rejoice in the breezes on the meadows, you show your holy figure in branches teeming with grass-green fruits, in autumn you were made a kidnapper’s bride. You alone are life and death to toiling mortals, O Persephone, as you always nourish and kill everything Hearken, O blessed Goddess, send forth the fruits of the earth as you blossom in peace, and in gentle-handed health bring a blessed life and a splendid old age to those who are sailing to your realm, O queen, and to mighty Plouton’s kingdom.

#persephone #witchcraft #witchblr #paganism #italianwitch #hellenic polytheism #hellenic devotion #hellenic pagan #hellenic witch #orphic hymns #queen of the underworld #hades and kore #demeter and kore #autumn #spring #great godess #ancient religions #chtonic

[greenieflor]

Physically restraining myself from checking out all the books on orphic and mystery cults

#lav rambles #seeking kleos #i cant wait to study orphic religion holy SHIT #i am getting one book on it #but it also talks about immortality #which i can use for my paper #well its hero cults #but cultic religion is so cool

[juniswan]

Hades is really Orphism: The Game

I'm serious btw look up Orphism and their beliefs about the Triple Soul and then examine alllllll the details the devs put in the game like Chao's Egg and why Zagreus bleeds red like mortals and Orpheus' Hymn to Zagreus and all the Orphic hymns to the gods ever preserved and and and omg they really know their stuff. Like most ppl think they have a passive understanding of Greek mythology and then when they're prompted to look up who exactly Zagreus/Dionysus was to the Orphics and what that meant for the Divine and Chthonic makeup of humanity (not to mention their later influences on Jesus in early Christianity but that's a convo for a later date) all of a sudden youve fallen down an Orphic wikipedia pit and you know more about ancient Greek religion(s) and philosophies than you ever have in your entire life. Trippy stuff.

Just went on a date with Dusa btw don't be jealous

#AND HOW MUCH OF ORPHIC RELIGION AND PHILISOPHY IS REPRESENTED IN THE GAMES VISUAL DETAILS WHICH MAKES WAY FOR THE SEQUAL #TEHYRE REALLY DOUBLING DOWN ON IT WITH MELLINOË

[agreatcircle]

Orphic hymn to Hermes. The Hymns of Orpheus. Translated by Taylor, Thomas (1792).

#hermes orphic hymn #orphic hymn #hermes #the hymns of orpheus #thomas taylor #ancient greece #ancient greek religion

[brightgnosis]

The Divine Androgyne from Orphic Inscendence

#HaShem / Divine Androgyne / Divine Hermaphrodite #The Divine Androgyne #Orphic Inscendence #Religion & Magic #Bookshelf #Tumblr Staff Has Ruined Links Now And I Hate Them For It

[cryptotheism]

purely out of curiosity: to clarify about the Orphic text, is that some syncretic thing with the capital-g-God of Abrahamic cosmology, or is it just a less specific God Of All Things from Hellenic culture

Its the Orphics so it's some shit like "Hellenic-naturalized yet ethnically distinct Syrian Jews two generations after the diaspora putting a monotheistic twist on a thing from Hellenic culture that itself was already in dialogue with Judaism for the last 200 years and also the indigenous Egyptian religion is in there too and there's some weird proto-christian math sex cult shit going on."

Fun period for religion!

[hellenicrisis]

Does Hellenism have a Holy Book? Or like a Bool with Rules,Customs,Offerings etc?? Kinda like a Bible :>

Hey there, sunshine! ☀️

Hellenic paganism doesn't have one single piece of holy scripture like Abrahamic religions do. Our texts are a little more scattered. We have the Homeric Hymns and the Orphic Hymns, each are a collection of hymns and prayers to the gods. There is also Hesiod's Theogony, an epic 1000+ line poem that details the genealogies of the gods, and also Hesiod's Works and Days, which is more on the subject of morality and farming, but includes good lessons on how to interact with the gods.

You can buy these online in the forms of physical books, but there should also be free pdf versions of them out there, as well as websites that have the entire collection of hymns written out.

As for a text that gives instructions regarding customs and offerings, there isn't one set, singular text that I know of. We learn from historical and archaeological research, from writings like those listed above, and from each other. There are modern books on Hellenic paganism and its practices written by scholars that you could look for. Some are expensive though, and if you do enough digging on the internet yourself, you should be able to come up with some information.

I could teach you a couple basics right now.

1. Be clean when praying

There is a line in Hesiod's Works and Days that reads, "Never pour a libation of sparkling wine to Zeus after dawn with unwashen hands, nor to others of the deathless gods."

This line refers to the custom of washing our hands before giving offerings or libations to the gods. There is a water we make, I think with burnt herbs in it, called khernips that is used to clean our hands. You don't have to use it though (I don't) and simply washing your hands normally works just as well. I believe it also symbolises being generally clean. Being ready for your day and in a good state when presenting yourself to the gods is important, I think.

2. How to pray

Here is a post I found about how to pray in Hellenic paganism. I found it very helpful and I've been pagan for years now, so I think it could help you. (Link)

Also a note, we have a version of "amen" that can be said at the end of prayers, if that sense of closing off makes prayer easier for you. I know it did for me. The word is "khaire", and as I understand it, it means "blessings" or "good wishes". You can say it to someone or to close a prayer.

EDIT: "Khaire" or "khairete" can be used. They both mean "hail" or "farewell" or "blessings". "Khaire" is to address one, and "khairete" is to address a group.

3. Ouranic and chthonic

Quick run down on ouranic and chthonic. Ouranic means celestial, and it is how we refer to gods who live on the surface and in Olympus. These include Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Aphrodite, etc. Chthonic means underground, and it is used to refer to gods who live in the Underworld. These are Hades, Persephone (half the year at least), and Thanatos.

In Ancient times, offerings to ouranic deities were either libations poured to them in a bowl or cup or the smoke of burning food. It is believed that the essence of the food would be carried up to the gods through the smoke. Looking at this in modern day, incense smoke is an excellent offering and we can leave food offerings and libations out on the altar along with a lit candle.

Offerings to chthonic deities usually went in the ground, so that it may be absorbed through the earth and reach the gods in the Underworld that way. Usually libations were poured out on the ground and food offerings buried in a dug hole. If you have a garden or pot plants and your offerings are safe for them then the practice can be replicated that way. I've also seen people use boxes on the altar, putting offerings inside and closing it, symbolising burying it.

Or you can simply treat chthonic deities the same as ouranic deities when giving offerings. Whatever works best for you, but this is what was done traditionally.

4. Read the myths

Read the myths of the gods you wish to worship. You learn a lot and can come to your own conclusions about your worship by learning about their stories and roles in society.

This may all seem like a lot now, and not having one singular piece of decisive scripture can be challenging if you're used to having one, but it does get easier. You'll settle and find your feet. Knowing these things will become second nature, and you will build your own practice based on them. No one's worship looks the same, especially with paganism, and that's as it should be.

Thank you so much for asking, sunshine! So sorry for the long response, but I figured I'd rather leave you with some starting points and things to investigate. Please feel free to send another ask or dm me in future if you have any more questions.

Khaire! ☀️

#answered asks #asks #pagan #hellenic pagan #paganism #hellenic paganism #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenic polythiest #polytheism #polytheist

[whencyclopedia]

Zagreus

In ancient Greek mythology, Zagreus is a god closely associated with the wine god Dionysus, the underworld, and hunting. A son of Zeus and Persephone, he is known in the Orphic tradition as the first incarnation of Dionysus, whilst other stories identify him as the son of Hades or even as Hades himself.

The earliest mention of Zagreus comes from a quoted line from the lost Greek epic Alcmeonis, a poem dating back to at least the 6th century BCE, where he is described alongside Gaia, the Greek personification of the earth, as "highest of all the gods" (West, 61). Yet some scholars believe this line was only in reference to him being the highest of all the gods of the underworld, as surviving fragments of works written by the Greek tragedy playwright Aeschylus (c. 525 to c. 456 BCE) identify him closely with Hades.

Zagreus is also the name often given to Orphic Dionysus, whose story was central to the beliefs of the followers of Orphism. In the story, Zagreus, a child of Zeus and Persephone, was killed and eaten by the Titans, except for his heart which was found by Athena and brought to Zeus. Because his heart was saved, Zagreus was able to be reincarnated as the god Dionysus. Zeus punished the Titans for their treachery by destroying them with a thunderbolt, and it was from their ashes that humanity was born.

Followers of Orphism, therefore, believed that humanity had a dual nature, one of the body, inherited from the Titans, and one of the soul, or the divine spark inherited from the parts of Zagreus ingested by the Titans. It was the central focus of Orphism for one to achieve salvation through acts of atonement during their lifetime or else be cursed with endless reincarnation. Aspects of Orphism, including the suffering, death, and resurrection of Dionysus Zagreus, and the idea of redemption for an original sin call to mind aspects of later religions, such as Christianity.

Origins & Interpretations

What little is known of Zagreus outside his association with Dionysus comes from fragments of lost works of Greek literature. He was certainly renowned, as a surviving quote from the lost Greek epic Alcmeonis offers a prayer to "Mistress Earth, and Zagreus highest of all the gods" (West, 61). The invocation of his name alongside Mother Earth seems to suggest that Zagreus was held in high esteem and was thought to be very powerful. Some scholars believe that the reference to him as "highest of all the gods" does not claim that he was the greatest god on Mount Olympus, but rather that he was the greatest god of the underworld.

This can be gathered from the context of the prayer, in which the hero of the Alcmeonis, Alcmaon, calls upon the powers of the earth to see the soul of his father safely transferred to heaven. Zagreus' status as a god of the underworld can further be attested to by two works written by Aeschylus. One of these references, found in a fragmented line of one of Aeschylus' lost Sisyphus plays dating back to around the 5th century BCE, identifies Zagreus as the son of Hades. Another reference, from Aeschylus' Egyptians names Zagreus as Hades himself.

Either way, Zagreus seems to have been a powerful underworld god, earning the epithet "Chthonios," or "the subterranean." As for the associations of him to Dionysus, scholars such as Timothy Gantz have postulated that the separate myths of Zagreus, a son of Hades and Persephone, had over time become merged with the myth of Orphic Dionysus, the son of Zeus and Persephone, so that the name Zagreus came to be associated with both myths.

Continue reading...

#History #Dionysos #GreekMythology #Hades #WHE #[ #]

[overthinkingpolytheist]

Monthly Cycle of praise

Each day, depending on the number of the month, you may praise a god, goddess, or minor theoi associated with the number. This cycle allows for the learning of Greek myths daily and a deep connection with all of the pantheon. The cycle is based on Hesiod's works.

Notes:

Days which are associated with Horkos may be difficult

Hekate is praised at the end of the month. In short months, simply praise her on a new moon

Praising the gods listed in this list is not necessary, but as these days are sacred, it builds bonds. It's great to praise every God in this religion. It is polytheism, after all!

The cycle

Noumenia, Apollon

Dæmon, Zeus

Athena

Hermes, Aphrodite, Eros

Horkos

Artemis

Apollon

Poseidon, Asklepios, Hephaistos, Hygeia

Dionysus, Misa, Semele

Gaia, Pan, the Nymphs, Horae

Uranus, Aether, Phusis, Nephelae

Demeter, Antaea, Meter Theon

Athena

Kronos, Rhea, Titans

Horkos

Artemis

Dionysus Bassaraeus, Dionysus Licnitus, Dionysus Pericionius

Hera, Zeus of Thunder, Hephaestus

Heracles, Ares, Curetes

Apollon

Zabazius, Ippa, Lysius Lenaeus

Curetes, Corybas

Athena

Trietericus, Amphietus Bacchus, Silenus, Satyr, Bacchae

Horkos

Leucothea, Palaemon

Thalassa, Nereus, Nereids, Proteus

Mnemosyne, Themis

Boreas, Zephyrus, Notus

Hekate and the dead

With this, Orphic hymns are used. However, any hymns, personal prayers, or offerings can also be used.

#hellenic pagan #hellenic polytheism #polytheism #paganblr #hellenic polythiest #hellenic deities #hellenic polytheistic #hellenic reconstructionism #deity devotion #apollo #apollon devotee #poseidon #Aphrodite #dionysus #hellenic devotion #dionysian #zeus worship #hades and persephone #hekate #hestia

[khaire-traveler]

Hey. Do you maybe have some books you'd recommend? And how did you learn?

Hey, Nonny!

For books, most modern ones I am in the process of reading or I have in my "to read" list. Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship by Labrys is one that I've mentioned a few times now. I'm still in the process of getting through it, but it's interesting so far! For another modern book, I've been told Greek Religion by Walter Burkert is good, but it's still on my "to read" list. I've also been told Hellenismos by Tony Mierzwicki is good for beginners, but apparently isn't the best if you're already pretty acquainted with Greek polytheism. It's something that is also on my "to read" list, though I'm not too interested in it after hearing it's not as good to read as an experienced practitioner. A modern book I'm really excited to start reading is Worshipping Olympus by Hester Butler! I haven't seen many people talk about it, but it's a book with various modern hymns to the Greek pantheon. I hope I can check it out soon!

Regarding ancient sources (which I love reading the most), here's what I've got. If you're interested in magic, I suggest reading the Greek Magical Papyri which has a ton of useful knowledge regarding ancient Greek magic. The ancient books I've enjoyed the most so far have been The Iliad (Homer), The Odyssey (Homer), Theogony (Hesiod), The Library of Greek Mythology (Apollodorus), and The Bacchae (Euripedes). I tend to enjoy reading ancient plays, too, although I suppose they don't technically count as books, I guess. Also, I haven't read it, but I've been told Works And Days (Hesiod) has some good devotional pieces included in it; I'm not entirely sure how accurate that is, however. Not books, but I also really enjoyed reading the Homeric and Orphic hymns to the gods! The Orphic hymns are my favorite due to their poetic phrasing.

As for how I got my education, it's mostly from four years of experience and research. I do quite a lot of research (lots done in the beginning of my practice but still doing so today) and have read many historically educational articles. I'm friends with quite a few classics and history majors as well which definitely helped lol. I mostly focused on the historical side of things (ancient resources) first and foremost when gathering information, as I find it to be more trustworthy. I've learned that the best way to avoid misinformation tends to be looking into the original sources yourself, to the best of your ability. Doing so has saved me a lot of time and headaches. I'd recommend anyone to do the same.

I'm not sure if this is what you were looking for or interested in, but I hope this helps! I know more about historical books and sources than modern ones, so I'd recommend asking @teawiththegods , who has read and discussed many modern books, if that's more your style. Hope you enjoy my recommendations anyway. c: Have a good day/night! 🧡

#anon asks #answered asks

[venusiancharisma]

Traditional Orphic Hymns: Mythology

Have you ever heard of an Orphic Hymn? If you haven't, here is a little background...

An Orphic Hymn is a type of devotional poetry that was used in the religious practices of ancient Greece, particularly in the mystery cults associated with the mythical poet and prophet Orpheus. These hymns were believed to have been composed by Orpheus himself, although the actual authorship is unknown and they were likely written by various poets over time.

Orphic Hymns are characterized by their invocations to specific deities, as well as their use of mystical language and symbolism. Each hymn is dedicated to a particular god, goddess, or abstract concept, and they often include epithets, attributes, and mythological references associated with the subject of the hymn.

In ancient Greek religion, Orphic Hymns were used as part of ritual practices, such as:

Invocation: The hymns were recited or sung to call upon the presence of a deity and to request their blessings, guidance, or protection.

Worship: They were used as a means of honoring and praising the gods, expressing devotion, and strengthening the connection between the worshippers and the divine.

Initiation: In mystery cults, such as the Orphic or Eleusinian Mysteries, the hymns may have been used as part of the initiation process, helping to guide initiates through the symbolic journey and impart sacred knowledge.

Contemplation: The rich symbolism and enigmatic language of the hymns could serve as a tool for spiritual contemplation, allowing practitioners to delve deeper into the mysteries of the divine and the nature of the universe.

In modern times, Orphic Hymns continue to be studied by scholars of ancient religion and literature. They are also used by some contemporary spiritual practitioners, particularly those involved in Hellenic polytheism or other forms of paganism, as a means of connecting with the Greek gods and goddesses and as a tool for personal spiritual growth and ritual practice.

How is it used?...

Here is a traditional Orphic Hymn to Hecate, translated from the ancient Greek text:

"Hecate, bearer of light, who holds the keys, Goddess of the crossroads, revered and mighty, In the sky, on earth, and in the sea, You dwell in the souls of the dead. Chthonic and Celestial, you are the beginning and the end, Alone you wield the scepter of command. You favor the brave in battle, And in the contests, you grant the prize. You nurture the young, you give abundance in good measure, And when life ends, to you we go. Hail, Goddess, and attend your supplicants with favor, With joyful heart and gracious to our prayers."

This hymn is used to invoke and honor Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic, witchcraft, ghosts, and crossroads. The hymn highlights her various roles and attributes:

It addresses Hecate as a "bearer of light," referring to her association with torches and illumination, both literal and metaphorical.

The hymn emphasizes Hecate's liminality, as she presides over crossroads and thresholds, and is connected to the realms of the living and the dead.

It acknowledges her power and influence in all spheres - the sky, earth, and sea - and her role as a psychopomp, guiding souls in the afterlife.

The hymn also recognizes Hecate as a goddess of abundance, bravery, and nurturing, reflecting her complex and multifaceted nature.

In ritual practice, this hymn would be recited as a means of calling upon Hecate's presence, seeking her blessings, and honoring her power. It might be used in magical workings, especially those related to transition, transformation, or communication with the dead. The hymn could also be recited as part of a devotional practice, as a way of expressing reverence for Hecate and strengthening the practitioner's connection to her energy and mysteries.

Other Orphic Hymn God's & Goddesses you can invoke:

Here are 38 traditional Orphic Hymns, each dedicated to a different Greek deity or concept:

To Hecate

To Prothyraia

To Night

To Heaven

To Aether

To Protogonos

To the Stars

To the Sun

To the Moon

To Nature

To Pan

To Hercules

To Dionysus

To the Curetes

To Athena

To Victory

To Asclepius

To Health

To the Seasons

To the Fates

To the Graces

To Themis

To Nemesis

To Justice

To Equity

To Law

To Mars

To Vulcan

To Esculapius

To Hygeia

To the Furies

To the Fates

To the Graces

To Prosperine

To Bacchus

To Mercury

To the Muses

To Memory

Please note that these are the titles of the Orphic Hymns, and each hymn has its own unique text in ancient Greek. The exact content and length of each hymn vary, with some being more extensive than others. These hymns were used in ancient Greek ritual worship and are attributed to the legendary poet Orpheus, though their actual authorship is unknown.

#mythology #greek mythology #greek gods #greek goddesses #hecate #deities #deity work