⸻ · ⸻
The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 74, lines 1–2 · Nurse of Dionysus
⸻ · ⸻
Hymn 74 · Leukothea
ΛΕΥΚΟΘΕΑΣ, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα
Of Leukothea · incense: aromatics
74.1
The Orphic Hymns 74.1 · Nurse of Dionysus
Leukothea, the White Goddess of the sea, was once a mortal woman, Ino, who nursed the infant Dionysus.
· · ·
ΛΕΥΚΟΘΕΑΣ1
Leukothéas
Of Leukotheathe White Goddess
. θυμίαμα2
thymíama
Incense
ἀρώματα3
arṓmata
aromatics
. καλέω4
kaléō
I call
Λευκοθέην5
Leukothéēn
Leukothea
, Καδμηίδα6
Kadmēída
daughter of Cadmus
, σεμνήν7
semnḗn
revered
δαίμονα8
daímona
goddess
, εὐδύνατον9
eudýnaton
mighty
, θρέπτειραν10
thrépteiran
nurse
ἐυστεφάνου11
eustephánou
of well-crownedfair-garlanded
Διονύσου12
Dionýsou
Dionysus
. Of Leukothea. Incense: aromatics. I call Leukothea, daughter of Cadmus, revered goddess, mighty, nurse of well-crowned Dionysus.
Of Leukothea. Incense: aromatics. I call Leukothea, daughter of Cadmus, revered goddess, mighty, nurse of well-crowned Dionysus.
Interpretation
Of Leukothea. Incense: aromatics. I call Leukothea, daughter of Cadmus, revered goddess, mighty, nurse of Dionysus with his fair crown.
Before she was a goddess, Leukothea was Ino, a daughter of Cadmus, king of Thebes, and a sister of Semele, the mother of Dionysus. When Semele died, Ino nursed her sister's child. Hera in her anger drove the family mad, and Ino leapt into the sea with her young son; the gods made her the sea goddess Leukothea, "the White Goddess," perhaps for the white foam of the waves. In the Odyssey she rises from the sea to save the shipwrecked Odysseus and gives him her veil to keep him afloat.
74.3
The Orphic Hymns 74.3 · Ruler of the deep-chested sea
Leukothea now rules the sea and delights in its waves; she is the great savior of those at sea.
· · ·
Hear, goddess, ruling over the deep-chested sea, delighting in the waves, greatest savior of mortals;