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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 47, lines 1–3 · Bacchus of the pillar
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Hymn 47 · Perikionios
ΠΕΡΙΚΙΟΝΙΟΥ, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα
Of Perikionios · incense: aromatics
47.1
The Orphic Hymns 47.1 · Bacchus of the pillar
"Perikionios", "he around the pillar", was a name of Dionysus at Thebes. When lightning struck the house of Cadmus and the earth shook, the god wound himself around it and held it firm.
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ΠΕΡΙΚΙΟΝΙΟΥ1
Perikioníou
Of Perikioniosaround the pillar
. θυμίαμα2
thymíama
Incense
ἀρώματα3
arṓmata
aromatics
. Κικλήσκω4
Kiklḗskō
I call
Βάκχον5
Bákchon
Bacchus
περικιόνιον6
perikiónion
of the pillar
, μεθυδώτην7
methydṓtēn
giver of wine
, ὃς8
hòs
who
ἑλισσόμενος9
helissómenos
winding
πάντη10
pántē
on every side
πέρι11
péri
around
δόμοις12
dómois
the house
Καδμείοισι13
Kadmeíoisi
of Cadmus
, ἔστησε14
éstēse
stoppedmade to stand
κρατεροὺς15
krateroùs
the mighty
βρασμοὺς16
brasmoùs
tremors
γαίης17
gaíēs
of the earth
, ἀποπέμψας18
apopémpsas
driving them away
, Of Perikionios. Incense: aromatics. I call Bacchus of the pillar, giver of wine, who, winding on every side around the house of Cadmus, stopped the mighty tremors of the earth, driving them away,
Of Perikionios. Incense: aromatics. I call Bacchus of the pillar, giver of wine, who, winding on every side around the house of Cadmus, stopped the mighty tremors of the earth, driving them away,
Interpretation
Of Perikionios. Incense: aromatics. I call Bacchus of the pillar, giver of wine, who wound himself all around the house of Cadmus and held back the mighty tremors of the earth, driving them away,
Perikionios was a title of Dionysus at Thebes, and it most likely refers to a Theban story that, when Zeus's lightning struck the house of Cadmus at Semele's death, ivy wound round a pillar and sheltered the newborn god. The hymn's verb fits that picture: helissomenos, "winding round", comes from the same root as helix, a Greek word for a tendril of the vine or the ivy. Euripides' Bacchae remembers an earthquake in the same palace: the god makes it shake, and the stone beams on its pillars split apart.
47.4
The Orphic Hymns 47.4 · The bond of all things
The lightning that struck Semele shook the whole earth. The god shot up and held all things together.
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when the fire-bearing flash shook the whole earth with the roar of the lightning storm; and he shot up, the bond of all things. Come, blessed reveler, with rejoicing heart.