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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 27, lines 11–14 · Come, lover of drums
27.11
The Orphic Hymns 27.11 · Come, lover of drums
The prayer: come to the rite. The titles name her as Rhea, the wife of Kronos and daughter of Ouranos.
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ἔρχεο1
ércheo
Come
πρὸς2
pròs
to
τελετήν3
teletḗn
the riteinitiation
, ὦ4
ô
O
πότνια5
pótnia
lady
, τυμπανοτερπές6
tympanoterpés
delighting in drums
, πανδαμάτορ7
pandamátor
all-taming
, σώτειρα8
sṓteira
savior
Φρυγίης9
Phrygíēs
of Phrygia
, συνόμευνε10
synómeune
bedfellow
Κρόνου11
Krónou
of Kronos
, Οὐρανόπαι12
Ouranópai
child of Ouranoschild of the Sky
, πρέσβειρα13
présbeira
venerable one
, βιοθρέπτειρα14
biothrépteira
nourisher of life
, φίλοιστρε15
phíloistre
lover of frenzyfond of the gadfly
; ἔρχεο16
ércheo
come
γηθόσυνος17
gēthósynos
gladly
, κεχαρισμένη18
kecharisménē
pleased
εὐσεβίῃσιν19
eusebíēisin
by acts of piety
. Come to the rite, O lady, delighting in drums, all-taming, savior of Phrygia, bedfellow of Kronos, child of Ouranos, venerable one, nourisher of life, lover of frenzy; come gladly, pleased by acts of piety.
Come to the rite, O lady, delighting in drums, all-taming, savior of Phrygia, bedfellow of Kronos, child of Ouranos, venerable one, nourisher of life, lover of frenzy; come gladly, pleased by acts of piety.
Interpretation
Come to the rite, lady, you who delight in drums, all-taming savior of Phrygia, bedfellow of Kronos, child of Ouranos, venerable one, nourisher of life, lover of frenzy; come gladly, pleased by our acts of piety.
The tympanon, a hand drum of skin stretched over a wooden frame, was the sound of her cult, together with cymbals and pipes. The title philoistros, "lover of frenzy," comes from oistros, the gadfly whose sting sends cattle running mad, and the Greeks used the same word for any madness sent by a god. The bedfellow of Kronos and child of Ouranos is Rhea, the name the Greeks gave the Mother when they placed her in their own family of gods.
28.1
The Orphic Hymns 28.1 · Hear me, Hermes, messenger of Zeus
The hymn to Hermes, sung over frankincense, begins with his old titles from Homer: messenger of Zeus, son of Maia, slayer of Argus.
· · ·
Of Hermes. Incense: frankincense. Hear me, Hermes, messenger of Zeus, son of Maia, with an all-powerful heart, lord of contests, ruler of mortals, cheerful, wily, messenger, slayer of Argus, with winged sandals, friend of men, prophet of speech to mortals,