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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 26, lines 1–3 · Mother of gods and of men
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Hymn 26 · Earth
ΓΗΣ, θυμίαμα πᾶν σπέρμα πλὴν κυάμων καὶ ἀρωμάτων
Of Earth · incense: every seed except beans and aromatics
26.1
The Orphic Hymns 26.1 · Mother of gods and of men
The hymn to Earth. Every kind of seed is burned for her, except beans. She is called the mother of gods and of mortals, the giver of all things and their destroyer.
· · ·
ΓΗΣ1
Gês
Of Earth
. θυμίαμα2
thymíama
Incense
πᾶν3
pân
every
σπέρμα4
spérma
seed
πλὴν5
plḕn
except
κυάμων6
kyámōn
beans
καὶ7
kaì
and
ἀρωμάτων8
arōmátōn
aromaticsspices
. Γαῖα9
Gaîa
Earth
θεά10
theá
goddess
, μῆτερ11
mêter
mother
μακάρων12
makárōn
of the blessed
τʼ13
t’
and
θνητῶν14
thnētôn
of mortal
ἀνθρώπων15
anthrṓpōn
men
, πάντροφε16
pántrophe
all-nourishing
, πανδώτειρα17
pandṓteira
giver of all
, τελεσφόρε18
telesphóre
bringer of fulfillment
, παντολέτειρα19
pantoléteira
destroyer of all
, αὐξιθαλές20
auxithalés
who make things growincreasing the bloom
, φερέκαρπε21
pherékarpe
fruit-bearing
, βρύουσα22
brýousa
teemingswelling
with
καλαῖς23
kalaîs
lovely
ὥρῃσι24
hṓrēisi
seasons
, Of Earth. Incense: every seed except beans and aromatics. Earth, goddess, mother of the blessed and of mortal men, all-nourishing, giver of all, bringer of fulfillment, destroyer of all, who make things grow, fruit-bearing, teeming with lovely seasons,
Of Earth. Incense: every seed except beans and aromatics. Earth, goddess, mother of the blessed and of mortal men, all-nourishing, giver of all, bringer of fulfillment, destroyer of all, who make things grow, fruit-bearing, teeming with lovely seasons,
Interpretation
Of Earth. Incense: every kind of seed, except beans and aromatics. Earth, goddess, mother of the blessed gods and of mortal men, all-nourishing, giver of all, bringer of fulfillment, destroyer of all, you who make things grow, fruit-bearing, teeming with the lovely seasons,
The heading asks for every kind of seed to be burned for Earth, except beans and aromatics. Beans were a famous forbidden food in the ancient world. The Pythagoreans would not touch them, and a line of Empedocles warns, "wretches, utter wretches, keep your hands off beans." The aromatics, the spices that several other hymns ask for, are left out as well, and the offering is made of seed alone.
Her titles point in two directions. She is pantrophos, "all-nourishing," and pandōteira, "giver of all," and in the same line pantoleteira, "destroyer of all," because what grows out of the earth goes back into it.
26.4
The Orphic Hymns 26.4 · Seat of the immortal world
Earth is the seat on which the world rests, a maiden and a mother who bears every kind of fruit.
· · ·
seat of the immortal world, many-colored maiden, you who bear fruit of many forms in the pangs of birth, eternal, most revered, deep-bosomed, blessed, delighting in sweet-scented green shoots, flowery power,