The Orphic Hymns

by Unknown

  3 Eiraphiotes: Dionysos is also called this name in the Homeric Hymn to Dionysos 1.17 and in some Orphic accounts of his birth from Zeus’ thigh; see Orphic fragment 328. Of the etymological explanations for this name given in antiquity, most relevant is the one that derives it from the verb meaning “sew” and it thus might be rendered as “the one sewn up”; see OH 44i and OH 50.3n.

  49. To Hipta

  Hipta was an Asiatic mother goddess of whom very little is known. Proclus mentions her in connection with the Orphic version of Dionysos’ birth from Zeus’ thigh: she receives the child in a winnowing-basket wreathed with a snake and takes him to Kybele at Mount Ida (see OH 46i). This myth—or a similar one—might be behind Strabo’s notice that Sabazios-Dionysos is “in some way the child of Mother” (10.3.15): the qualification “in some way” suggests something along the lines of a nurse or adopted mother. The only other certain instances of Hipta’s name come from four inscriptions found in an area not too distant from Mount Tmolos in Lydia; see Morand 2001, pp. 177–181. On three of these inscriptions Sabazios-Zeus is also mentioned (see OH 48i). This pairing is mirrored in the placement of this hymn after the one to Sabazios. Hipta is addressed as “Mother” in all four, which strongly suggests an identification with Kybele; compare the vase painting mentioned in OH 46i. Such an identification might be intended in our hymn, since she is called “chthonic mother” (line 4) and connected with Mount Ida in Phrygia and Mount Tmolos (see OH 27i). That Proclus distinguishes between Hipta and Mother does not entail their separation in our collection; he might have had a different version of the story in mind, or tried to rationally reconcile two slightly different ones. Indeed, Strabo might have called Hipta by the more familiar “Mother” in his report.

  2 Sabos: An alternate name to Sabazios. The mysteries mentioned here are coordinated with the “dances of Iacchos” in line 3. Since Iacchos can be another name for Dionysos (see OH 42.4n), it would seem that Sabos is being identified with Dionysos, contrary to OH 48.1–3. It is possible, of course, that our poet is distinguishing each name to refer to a different entity or at least taking advantage of the different names to intentionally blur lines. Mise is described as taking part in Phrygian mysteries with Mother; see OH 42.6.

  50. To Lysios Lenaios

  This hymn is dedicated to Dionysos under two epithets. The first one, “Lysios,” means “he that frees, he that sets loose, the redeemer.” The notion of freedom from restraint, whether this restraint be physical, social, or spiritual, was an essential part of the religious conception of Dionysos. Insofar as he is a god of transitions, he “loosens” the moorings that tie an individual to any particular fixity; see OH 30i. Myth reflects this particular trait: Dionysos cannot be bound (e.g., Homeric Hymn to Dionysos 7.13–15), and he can free others from their bonds (e.g., Euripides Bacchae 443–450); see also OH 47.5+n. Lysios was a cult title of Dionysos (see Pausanias 2.2.6–7, 2.7.5–6, and 9.16.6), found also at OH 52.2. It is used as an epithet at OH 42.4 (“redeeming”) as well as in lines 2 and 8 of this hymn. In Orphic contexts, Dionysos is said to be able to release one from madness and other suffering (see OH 53i) and even free an initiate from the guilt inherited from his murder at the hands of the Titans (Bacchic gold tablets no. 26a and b; see also Graf/Johnston 2007, pp. 132 and 147). Dionysos, more so than any of the other divinities in the collection, is the god that saves. Our poet, however, has evidently opted for a more limited view of Lysios, the one joined with the idea of the freedom of restraint as induced by intoxication. The second epithet, Lenaios, makes this clear, as it functions to limit the preceding Lysios. The word means “of the wine-press” (Greek “lēnos”; see Diodorus Siculus 3.63.4). It was a cult title of Dionysos at Athens and connected with the Lenaia festival, which was a celebration that took place every January. The Lenaia became an official venue for the performance of comedy and then eventually tragedy in the second half of the fifth century, although it was not as prestigious as the Greater Dionysia. We know very little about this festival. Of particular relevance is that officials from the Eleusinian Mysteries were involved in the procession and that part of the ritual involved the worshippers calling on the god as “son of Semele, Iacchos, giver of wealth” (for Iacchos, see OH 42.4n). While the name itself would seem to suggest this festival revolved around wine, modern scholars have favored a different interpretation that sees the name Lenaia as being derived from “lēnai,” another word for maenads (see OH 52i). And this etymology might very well have been on the mind of our initiates, for the name of the festival occurs at OH 54.9 in a clearly maenadic context (cf. line 8 of this hymn, which contains maenadic imagery). For more on the Lenaia, see Pickard-Cambridge 1988, pp. 25–42, and Larson 2007, pp. 134–135. Our hymn, however, focuses on Dionysos as the god of wine and its effects: the release from cares, the happiness it brings, and the ever-present danger of disorderly conduct. This ambiguity of the power of wine is seen in the story of Ikarios. When Dionysos comes to Attika, he is received hospitably by this man. In gratitude, Dionysos teaches him the secrets of making wine. Ikarios shares the fruits of his labor with some shepherds one night, who, later believing to have been poisoned, kill him (see Apollodoros 3.14.7). Normally, though, wine was seen as a beneficial gift the god gives to human beings as a temporary respite from their daily existence (e.g., Hesiod Works and Days 614 and Euripides Bacchae 280–282; see also OH 30i). Dionysos is often depicted in the iconography himself in the act of drinking or carrying the necessary accoutrements, usually accompanied by satyrs and/or maenads (e.g., Boardman 1975, pll. 6, 110, 256, and 343). He is intimately connected with the symposium and revelry. Wine can be thought of as the god himself (see Euripides Bacchae 284–285), who, when ingested, possesses the worshipper (enthousiasmos) and effects a state of ekstasis (see OH 30i).

  This hymn continues the theme of Dionysos’ birth (lines 1 and 3), and, as with previous hymns in this grouping (see OH 44i), contains a reference to a specific Dionysian cult. The connection with vegetation, introduced with OH 46.2, is understandably strong here (lines 2, 4, 6, 10), and Dionysos seems to be imagined as the grape-vine itself in line 5 (see also OH 30.4–5 and cf. OH 56i). There is much overlap with OH 52, both in linguistic and iconographic terms.

  1 two mothers: For the convoluted references to Dionysos’ births in the collection, see OH 30.2n.

  2 unforgettable seed, many-named: Comparably invoked are Protogonos (OH 6.4), an Orphic figure that was sometimes identified with Dionysos (see OH 6.3n+i), and Mise (OH 42.2), who appears to be a female form of Dionysos and who also receives the epithet “many-named” alongside “unforgettable seed” in the same metrical position. Dionysos is again called “many-named” at OH 45.2 and OH 52.1 (and see note), and it is particularly apt in this grouping where he is invoked as Bacchos (OH 44–54 passim, i.e., the entire group), Bassareus/Bassaros (OH 45.2 and OH 52.2), Liknites (OH 46.1 and OH 52.3), Perikionios (OH 47.1), Eiraphiotes (OH 48.3), Iacchos (OH 49.3), Lysios and Lenaios (OH 50 and OH 52.2), the God of Trienneial Feasts (OH 45 and OH 52), Eubouleus (OH 52.4), Erikepaios (OH 52.6), the God of Annual Feasts (OH 53), and perhaps Sabos (see OH 49.2+n).

  3 born of secrecy: This refers to Dionysos’ birth from the thigh of Zeus (cf. Homeric Hymn to Dionysos 1.7); see OH 44i. He is the “secret offspring of Zeus” at OH 52.5; see also Supplementum Hellenisticum 276.9 (Kallimakhos). For secrecy in mystery cults, see OH 30.3n.

  5 many-shaped god, you burst forth from the earth: Although many entities in the collection are described as having many shapes or forms, it is particularly apt of Dionysos, a god whose fluid nature resists any form of permanence (see OH 30i). In addition to adopting various mortal disguises (e.g., as his own priest in Euripides Bacchae), he can also appear as an animal, such as a bull (see OH 30.3–4+n), goat, and lion (Homeric Hymn to Dionysos 7.44). In this line he even seems to be identified with the grape-vine itself. Compare lines 4 and 10, where he is the one who yields the sweet fruit, and see further OH 30.5+n, OH 51.3n, and OH 53.8–10+i. The sa
me effect of blending god and object is found in the hymn to Persephone (see OH 29.12–14+n); see further OH 56i and OH 67.5+n. For the many forms of Protogonos, see OH 6i.

  8: For the thyrsos, see OH 45.5+n; for madness and the revel, see OH 52.7–8n.

  51. To the Nymphs

  The Greek word “numphē” generally refers to a young woman, either of marriageable age or newly-wed (see OH 71.1n), but it also signifies any of a variety of minor female deities of nature. Nymphs were connected with a number of geographical features: forests, trees, mountains, springs, and meadows (Odyssey 6.122–124, Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 5.97–99). Groups often are called by specific names that reflect their topographical associations. Thus Dryads are nymphs of the trees (Greek “drus”), Oreads are nymphs of the mountains (Greek “oros”), Naiads are nymphs of the springs (from the Greek verb “naō,” “I flow”), and so forth; see also notes to lines 12 and 14. Nymphs are referred to as the daughters of Zeus by early poets (e.g., Iliad 6.420, Hesiod fragment 304, Alkaios fragment 343). The Ash Tree Nymphs, on the other hand, are born from the blood that drips from the severed genitals of Sky (Hesiod Theogony 183–187). Hesiod also gives the mountain nymphs a different genealogy, making them the sisters of the Kouretes and satyrs (see OH 31i and OH 54i). The Nereids and Okeanids (see line 1 and note), both pluralities of young women connected with natural features, could also be construed as nymphs. Our hymn identifies them specifically with the Okeanids at first but subtly widens the scope to include their traditional venues of woods, mountains, and meadows while stressing their connection with water (see note to lines 15–16). Rustic and pastoral settings away from civilization are their domain. Caves and grottos are favorite haunts. They are found running with Artemis, frolicking with Hermes and Pan (see note to line 8), or sporting with Eros, Aphrodite, and Dionysos (see OH 58.3n). They also are part of the Dionysian thiasos (see OH 54.6), and in some accounts they are the ones who raise the infant Dionysos after the death of Semele, as here (see line 3 and note). This last detail integrates the hymn in the series that focuses on Dionysos’ birth (see OH 44i). We capitalize “Nymphs” when they refer to this particular grouping.

  Nymphs were widely worshipped in antiquity, almost always tied to a particular locale. Odysseus kisses the ground on his return to Ithaka and prays to the Naiads whose sacred cave is nearby (Odyssey 13.345–360). A famous cave to the nymphs and Pan on Mount Parnassos, the Korykian Cave, gained Panhellenic importance due to its proximity to Delphi. Any feature of the land could become a place to worship a nymph or group of nymphs. For more details on their cults, see Larson 2007, pp. 153–155. Nymphs were known to kidnap men that caught their fancy from time to time, such as Herakles’ friend Hylas (Apollonios of Rhodes Argonautika 1.1207–1239) and Hermaphroditos (Ovid Metamorphoses 4.285–388), a belief that survives in modern-day Greek folklore.

  1: The Okeanids are the daughters of Okeanos and Tethys; see OH 83i and OH 22i, respectively. They may have been identified with the Nereids with whom they are sometimes confused; see OH 24.9–11n.

  3 nurses of Bacchos: See OH 30.8n and OH 46.2–3n. Nymphs often were viewed as nurturers of the young, similar to their mistress Artemis, and Dionysos is not the only baby they rear. Aphrodite announces that they will raise her child Aineias until he reaches adolescence (Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite 5.256–275); the chorus in Sophokles Oedipus Tyrannus fancifully speculate whether Oedipus was born from a nymph and either Pan, Apollon, Hermes, or Dionysos (1099–1109); and Zeus was nursed by nymphs (Kallimakhos Hymn to Zeus 32–48), as was Hermaphroditos (see the introduction to this hymn). That they are both the nurses of Dionysos and the ones who “nurture” the fruits (line 4) might indicate an identification between Dionysos and vegetation, as apparently at OH 50.5 (see note there and OH 53i).

  4 you haunt meadows: When Persephone was abducted by Hades, she was picking flowers in a meadow with the Okeanids; see Homeric Hymn to Demeter 2.1–8 and 2.414–425. This meadow is sometimes located in Nysa (see OH 46.2–3n). For chthonic associations of meadows, see OH 18.2n.

  8 Pan: The nymphs are often found in connection with Pan (e.g., Homeric Hymn to Pan 19.19–27). They are mentioned together at OH O.15. See also OH 11.9+n.

  12 herds of goats: Compare Odyssey 9.154–155, where Odysseus believes that the nymphs have sent him and his men goats. Like Hermes, nymphs were believed capable of increasing the fertility of herds. This is presumably the reason why the faithful swineherd Eumaios offers a portion of pork to the nymphs and Hermes (Odyssey 14.435–436). The nymphs known as the Epimeliads (from Greek “mēlon,” “sheep”) probably were thought to increase flocks of sheep (Pausanias 8.4.2).

  14 Hamadryad: A tree nymph (Dryad) whose life is coextensive with that of the tree in which she dwells (Greek “hama,” “together with”). Their appearance in myth is particularly tied to stories of an impious woodsman cutting down the tree, thus killing the nymph as well. See Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite (cited in the note to line 3), Pindar fragment 165, Kallimakhos Hymn to Delos 79–85, Apollonios of Rhodes Argonautika 2.475–483, and Ovid Metamorphoses 8.738–878.

  15–16: For Nysa, see note to line 4 above. By “frenzied,” it is suggested that the Nymphs are maenads (see OH 52i), as at OH 53.2; cf. Iliad 6.130–137, Pindar fragment 70b.12–14, and the chorus to Euripides’ Bacchae. Deo is another name for Demeter (see OH 40.1n). She and Dionysos are joined together here in their capacities as divinities of grain and vegetation respectively, both of which require water for growth. This involves the Nymphs, since they are explicitly and repeatedly connected with water in this hymn. They are Okeanids (line 1), “clothed in dew” (line 6), and “water-loving” (line 14), they “frequent springs” (line 6), and they are asked to “pour streams of pure rain” (line 18). They are chthonic (line 3) not only because of their fertility associations but also because the sources of rivers, springs, and lakes are underground (compare line 2). Their description in line 9 equally applies to mountain streams, and that they find pleasure in cold (line 13) probably refers to their love of fresh, cold bodies of water. In the Lesser Krater, attributed to Orpheus, nymphs are actually equated with water (Orphic fragment 413.2). Their liquid nature makes them fit companions of Dionysos (see OH 30i).

  52. To the God of Triennial Feasts

  This hymn is the first of a group of three that bring to a close the Dionysian, cultic section of the Hymns. The previous three hymns dedicated to Dionysos (OH 46, 47, 50) call on the god under specific cult titles. The titles of this hymn and the following two, in contrast, refer to general characteristics of cult rather than any specific one. “Triennial” refers to a celebration every two years (the ancient Greeks counted inclusively). While there were a number of festivals that occurred biennially (e.g., the Isthmian Games and Nemean Games), it appears that a large number of such celebrations were devoted to Dionysos, particularly maenadic ones, e.g., that of the Thyiads (Pausanias 10.4.3; see also Euripides Bacchae 133, Diodorus Siculus 4.3.2–3, Larson 2007, pp. 127–128, and further OH 46i). This hymn also follows the trend, as it primarily depicts the kind of processions that are typically performed by maenads (sometimes with satyrs; see OH 54i). While many of the traditional trappings of maenadic processions appear intermittently in the other Dionysian hymns of the collection, nearly all of them are mentioned here. The worshippers proceed at night, guided by torchlight (see OH 9.3n). They brandish thyrsi (see OH 45.5n) and wear fawn-skins. Madness seeps into them along with the god. Vigorous movement leading to wild dancing and singing creates a raucous revel (see note to lines 7–8). The ivy-wreathed group, the thiasos, heads to the mountains, where animals are ripped apart (sparagmos; see OH 11.9n, OH 30.5n, and OH 45.5n) and the raw flesh devoured (ōmophagia; see line 7 and note); other wondrous works, such as causing milk and wine to spring from the ground and the handling of snakes, are performed by the frenzied. To what extent this ideal reflects real practice and to what extent it is the result of the powerful images Euripides evokes in his Bacchae is something that is d
ebated by scholars (see Larson 2007, pp. 136–137, with further references). Whatever the case may be, by the time our collection had been composed, such elements had become standard indications of ecstatic Dionysian worship and iconography, so much so that their appearance in the Hymns does not imply that the initiates were female, any more than the hymn to Eleusinian Demeter entails the group was located at Eleusis (and note that Kadmos and Teiresias dress up as maenads in Euripides Bacchae 169–214; cf. further Herodotos 4.79 and OH 54i). It is a routine rhetorical strategy in hymns to remind the gods of their favorite haunts and activities. This particular one focuses on Dionysos as the leader of processions. The god is often depicted in literature and art as participating in his own rituals among his worshippers (e.g., Euripides Bacchae 135–167; see also OH 53.6). In the Hymns, a number of female divinities are portrayed as maenads or described with maenadic imagery (see OH 1.3n), and Themis in her hymn founds maenadic rites (see OH 79.7–10+n). Such participation on the part of the gods helps blur the line between worshipped and worshipper, bringing the initiates into a more intimate contact with the powers they invoke (see OH 30i). There may have been a(nother) torch-lit procession at this point of the ritual (albeit probably not to a mountain), and Dionysos and his thiasos, upon finding such kindred spirits engaged in mimetic performances, would be more disposed to join the initiates in the ceremony. Triennial celebrations are mentioned at OH 30.5, OH 44.7, OH 53.4–5, and OH 54.3; see also Homeric Hymn to Dionysos 1.11.

  1 many-named: See OH 50.2n; as in that hymn, so, too, here Dionysos is addressed by many names.

  2 bull-horned, … Lysios, Lenaios: For Dionysos and bulls, see OH 30.3–4n. The cult titles Lysios and Lenaios, the titles under which OH 50 is dedicated to Dionysos, are repeated here, as well as that of Liknites in line 3, to whom OH 46 is addressed.