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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 0, lines 20–22 · The armed Kouretes and the great Saviors
0.20
The Orphic Hymns 0.20 · The armed Kouretes and the great Saviors
The list turns to the gods of the mystery cults, from the armed dancers to the Saviors who are sons of Zeus.
· · ·
τʼ1
t’
and
ἐνόπλους2
enóplous
the armed
Κουρῆτάς3
Kourêtás
Kouretes
, τʼ4
t’
and
Κορύβαντάς5
Korýbantás
the Korybantes
ἠδὲ6
ēdè
and
Καβείρους7
Kabeírous
the Kabeiroi
, καὶ8
kaì
and
μεγάλους9
megálous
the great
Σωτῆρας10
Sōtêras
Saviors
ὁμοῦ11
homoû
together
, ἄφθιτα12
áphthita
the immortalunwithering
τέκνα13
tékna
children
Διὸς14
Diòs
of Zeus
, τε15
te
and
θεοὺς16
theoùs
the gods
Ἰδαίους17
Idaíous
of Mount Ida
, ἠδʼ18
ēd’
and
ἄγγελον19
ángelon
the messenger
οὐρανιώνων20
ouraniṓnōn
of the heavenly ones
, and the armed Kouretes, and the Korybantes and the Kabeiroi, and the great Saviors together, the immortal children of Zeus, and the gods of Mount Ida, and the messenger of the heavenly ones,
and the armed Kouretes, and the Korybantes and the Kabeiroi, and the great Saviors together, the immortal children of Zeus, and the gods of Mount Ida, and the messenger of the heavenly ones,
Interpretation
and the armed Kouretes, and the Korybantes and the Kabeiroi, and the great Saviors together, the immortal children of Zeus, and the gods of Mount Ida, and the messenger of the heavenly ones,
These are gods of the mysteries, the private initiations that ran alongside the public cults. The Kouretes were armed dancers who clashed their weapons around the infant Zeus in Crete so that his father Kronos would not hear him cry, and the Korybantes danced in the same way for the Phrygian Mother of the Gods. The Kabeiroi had a famous sanctuary of initiation on Samothrace. "The great Saviors, children of Zeus" are most likely the Dioskouroi, Castor and Polydeuces, whom sailors called on in storms. The messenger who closes the line is named in the next one: Hermes.
0.23
The Orphic Hymns 0.23 · Night the eldest, and Day who brings the light
Hermes the herald, then some of the oldest powers: Themis, Night and Day, Faith and Justice.
· · ·
Hermes the herald, and Themis, the seer of men; and I call Night, the eldest, and light-bringing Day, Faith and Justice and the blameless Lawgiver,