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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 15, lines 3–5 · Through your head all these appeared
15.3
The Orphic Hymns 15.3 · Through your head all these appeared
Everything in the world came to light through Zeus, from the earth and the mountains to all that the sky holds.
· · ·
ὦ1
ô
O
βασιλεῦ2
basileû
king
, διὰ3
dià
through
σὴν4
sḕn
your
κεφαλὴν5
kephalḕn
head
τάδε6
táde
these things
ἐφάνη7
ephánē
appeared
ῥεῖα8
rheîa
with ease
: γαῖα9
gaîa
Earth
θεὰ10
theà
the goddess
μήτηρ11
mḗtēr
the mother
, θʼ12
th’
and
the
ὑψηχέες13
hypsēchées
echoingloud-ringing
ὄχθοι14
óchthoi
heights
ὀρέων15
oréōn
of the mountains
, καὶ16
kaì
and
πόντος17
póntos
the sea
, καὶ18
kaì
and
πάνθʼ19
pánth’
all things
ὁπόσʼ20
hopós’
that
οὐρανὸς21
ouranòs
the sky
ἐέργει22
eérgei
enclosesshuts in
ἐντὸς23
entòs
within
. O king, through your head these things appeared with ease: Earth, the goddess, the mother, and the echoing heights of the mountains, and the sea, and all things that the sky encloses within.
O king, through your head these things appeared with ease: Earth, the goddess, the mother, and the echoing heights of the mountains, and the sea, and all things that the sky encloses within.
Interpretation
O king, through your head all these things came easily to light: Earth, the goddess and mother, the echoing heights of the mountains, the sea, and everything that the sky encloses within it.
In the Orphic poems, as later writers report them, Zeus swallows the First-born and with him everything that was, and then brings the whole world out again from himself, so that he becomes its new beginning. An Orphic verse quoted by several ancient authors puts it briefly: "Zeus the head, Zeus the middle, and from Zeus all things are made." The hymn's "through your head" belongs to that way of speaking, and every Greek also knew the story of Athena, born from the head of Zeus.
15.6
The Orphic Hymns 15.6 · Beginning and end of all things
A long list of the titles of Zeus: father of all, the beginning and the end, the shaker and the purifier, the god of thunder and lightning.
· · ·
Zeus, son of Kronos, sceptered, you who come down, strong of spirit, father of all, beginning of all things and end of all things, earth-shaker, giver of increase, purifier, shaker of all, god of the lightning, of the thunder, of the thunderbolt, Zeus the nourisher;