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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 24, lines 9–12 · They first revealed the rites
24.9
The Orphic Hymns 24.9 · They first revealed the rites
The prayer to the Nereids: send blessings to the initiates, for they were the first to reveal the mysteries of Dionysus and Persephone.
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κικλήσκω1
kiklḗskō
I call on
ὑμᾶς2
hymâs
you
πέμπειν3
pémpein
to send
πολὺν4
polỳn
great
ὄλβον5
ólbon
blessing
μύσταις6
mýstais
to the initiates
; γὰρ7
gàr
for
ὑμεῖς8
hymeîs
you
πρῶται9
prôtai
first
ἀνεδείξατε10
anedeíxate
revealed
the
σεμνὴν11
semnḕn
solemn
τελετὴν12
teletḕn
rite
of
εὐιέρου13
euiérou
holy
Βάκχοιο14
Bákchoio
Bacchus
καὶ15
kaì
and
ἁγνῆς16
hagnês
pure
Φερσεφονείης17
Phersephoneíēs
Persephone
, σὺν18
sỳn
with
Καλλιόπῃ19
Kalliópēi
Calliope
, the
μητρὶ20
mētrì
mother
, καὶ21
kaì
and
ἄνακτι22
ánakti
lord
Ἀπόλλωνι23
Apóllōni
Apollo
. I call on you to send great blessing to the initiates; for you first revealed the solemn rite of holy Bacchus and pure Persephone, with Calliope, the mother, and lord Apollo.
I call on you to send great blessing to the initiates; for you first revealed the solemn rite of holy Bacchus and pure Persephone, with Calliope, the mother, and lord Apollo.
Interpretation
I call on you to send great blessing to the initiates; for you were the first to reveal the solemn rite of holy Bacchus and of pure Persephone, with Calliope the mother and lord Apollo.
The hymn ends with a story about where the mysteries came from: the Nereids, it says, were the first to show the rite of Dionysus and Persephone, together with "the mother" Calliope and lord Apollo. Calliope is the Muse who in the usual story was the mother of Orpheus, and Apollo was sometimes named as his father, so the singer's own family stands behind the rite. Greek tradition made Orpheus the founder of mysteries: in Aristophanes' Frogs, Aeschylus says that "Orpheus taught us the rites and to keep from killing." The hymn to the Muses (76) says that they too revealed rites to mortals, and it ends its list with the same half-line, "with Calliope the mother."
25.1
The Orphic Hymns 25.1 · Proteus, who changes holy matter into many forms
Proteus, the shape-changing sea god, is called as the first-born, who brought to light the beginnings of nature.
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Of Proteus. Incense: storax. I call Proteus, who holds the keys of the sea, the first-born, who revealed the beginnings of all nature, changing holy matter into many-shaped forms,