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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 41, lines 1–2 · Mother of gods and of mortals
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Hymn 41 · Mother Antaia
ΜΗΤΡΟΣ ΑΝΤΑΙΑΣ, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα
Of Mother Antaia · incense: aromatics
41.1
The Orphic Hymns 41.1 · Mother of gods and of mortals
A hymn to a mother goddess called Antaia, "she who is approached with prayers". The hymn tells her story as the story of Demeter.
· · ·
ΜΗΤΡΟΣ1
Mētrós
Of Mother
ΑΝΤΑΙΑΣ2
Antaías
Antaiabesought with prayers
. θυμίαμα3
thymíama
Incense
ἀρώματα4
arṓmata
aromatics
. Ἀνταίη5
Antaíē
Antaia
βασίλεια6
basíleia
queen
, θεά7
theá
goddess
, πολυώνυμε8
polyṓnyme
many-named
μῆτερ9
mêter
mother
ἀθανάτων10
athanátōn
of immortal
τε11
te
—
θεῶν12
theôn
gods
ἠδὲ13
ēdè
and
θνητῶν14
thnētôn
of mortal
ἀνθρώπων15
anthrṓpōn
men
, Of Mother Antaia. Incense: aromatics. Antaia, queen, goddess, many-named mother of immortal gods and of mortal men,
Of Mother Antaia. Incense: aromatics. Antaia, queen, goddess, many-named mother of immortal gods and of mortal men,
Interpretation
Of Mother Antaia. Incense: aromatics. Antaia, queen, goddess, many-named mother of immortal gods and of mortal men,
Antaios means "facing" or "opposite", and from that "approached with prayers"; the standard Greek dictionary cites this very line for that sense. "Mother of immortal gods and of mortal men" borrows a Homeric formula, for in Homer Zeus is "father of men and gods", and Hymn 3 gave Night a title of the same kind. Who this Mother is becomes clear in the next lines, which tell the story of Demeter.
41.3
The Orphic Hymns 41.3 · She ended her fast at Eleusis
Demeter's search for her daughter in brief: the fast she kept, its end at Eleusis, and her journey down to the dead.
· · ·
you who once, searching in wandering grief, ended your fast in the vales of Eleusis, and went into Hades to noble Persephone,