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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 52, lines 1–3 · Many-named, raving Bakcheus
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Hymn 52 · Trieterikos
ΤΡΙΕΤΗΡΙΚΟΥ, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα
Of Trieterikos · incense: aromatics
52.1
The Orphic Hymns 52.1 · Many-named, raving Bakcheus
A hymn to Dionysus as Trieterikos, the god of the festival held every other year, made almost entirely of titles, many of them gathered from the hymns just before it.
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ΤΡΙΕΤΗΡΙΚΟΥ1
Trietērikoû
Of Trieterikosof the three-year festival
. θυμίαμα2
thymíama
Incense
ἀρώματα3
arṓmata
aromatics
. Κικλήσκω4
Kiklḗskō
I call
σε5
se
you
μάκαρ6
mákar
blessed one
, πολυώνυμε7
polyṓnyme
many-named
, μαινόλα8
mainóla
raving
Βακχεῦ9
Bakcheû
Bakcheus
, ταυρόκερως10
taurókerōs
bull-horned
, ληναῖε11
lēnaîe
Lenaios
, πυροσπόρε12
pyrospóre
fire-born
, Νύσιε13
Nýsie
Nysian
, λυσεῦ14
lyseû
Releaser
, μηροτρεφές15
mērotrephés
nursed in the thighthigh-bred
, λικνῖτα16
liknîta
Liknites
, πυρίπνοε17
pyrípnoe
fire-breathing
καὶ18
kaì
and
τελετάρχα19
teletárcha
leader of the ritesfounder of mysteries
, Of Trieterikos. Incense: aromatics. I call you, blessed one, many-named, raving Bakcheus, bull-horned, Lenaios, fire-born, Nysian, Releaser, nursed in the thigh, Liknites, fire-breathing and leader of the rites,
Of Trieterikos. Incense: aromatics. I call you, blessed one, many-named, raving Bakcheus, bull-horned, Lenaios, fire-born, Nysian, Releaser, nursed in the thigh, Liknites, fire-breathing and leader of the rites,
Interpretation
Of Trieterikos. Incense: aromatics. I call you, blessed one, many-named, raving Bakcheus, bull-horned, god of the wine-press, born of fire, Nysian, Releaser, nursed in the thigh, Liknites, fire-breathing and leader of the rites,
Many of these titles have appeared in the hymns just before this one: Lenaios (50), Liknites (46), born of fire (45), the Releaser (42, 50), Nysian (46). Mērotrephēs, "nursed in the thigh", sums up the Sabazios hymn (48) in a single word. Taurokerōs, "bull-horned", is an old title: in Euripides' Bacchae the chorus sings that Zeus brought to birth "a bull-horned god". The last title, teletarchēs, makes him the founder and leader of the rites.
52.4
The Orphic Hymns 52.4 · Father of the gods, and son
Dionysus takes the titles of the first god of the Orphic creation story, Protogonos, the First-born (Hymn 6). He is the father of the gods and their son.
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of the night, Eubouleus, wearing the headband, shaker of the thyrsus, secret rite, threefold, hidden offspring of Zeus, First-born, Erikepaios, father of the gods and son too,