Soul Bites Hellenics

"Long for wisdom. Consult the wise. Honor a benefaction. Test the character. Know what you have learned. Act when you know. Do what you mean to do. Finish the race without shrinking back. Teach a youngster. Struggle with glory. Respect yourself." -from the Delphic Maxims

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 24: The God of the Triennial Feast, The God of the Annual Feast, Silenos, Satyros and the Bacchia

Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (52, 53, 54)

To the God of the Triennial Feast

I call upon you, blessed, many-named and frenzied Bacchos, Bull-horned Nysian redeemer, god of the wine-press, conceived in fire. Nourished in the thigh, O Lord of the Cradle,  You marshal torch-lit processions in the night, O filleted and thyrsus-shaking Eubouleus. Threefold is your nature and ineffable your rites, O secret offspring of Zeus. Primeval, Erikepaios, father and son of gods, You take raw flesh, and, sceptered, you lead into the madness of revel and dance In the frenzy of triennial feasts that bestow calm on us. You burst forth from the earth in a blaze O son of two mothers, And, horned and clad in fawnskin, you roam the mountains, O lord worshiped in annual feasts. Paian of the golden spear, nursling, decked with grapes, Bassaros, exulting in ivy, followed by many maidens Joyous and all-abounding, come, O blessed one to the initiates.

To the God of the Annual Feast

I call upon the Bacchos we worship annually, chthonic Dionysos,  Who, together with the fair-tressed nymphs, is roused. In the sacred halls of Persephone he slumbers, And puts to sleep pure, Bacchic time every third year. When he himself stirs up the triennial revel again he sings a hymn, Accompanied by his fair-girdled nurses, And, as the seasons revolve he puts to sleep and wakes up the years. But, O blessed and fruit-giving Bacchos, O horned spirit of the unripe fruit, Come to this most sacred rite with the glow of joy on your face, Come all-abounding in fruit that is holy and perfect.

To Silenos, Satyros, and the Bacchia

Hear me Bacchos’ foster father and nurturer, by far the best of the Silenoi, Honored by all the gods and by mortal men in the same triennial feasts. Pure and honored marshal of pastoral band, Wakeful reveler and companion of the fair-girt nurses, Leader of the ivy-crowned Naiads and Bacchantes, Take all the Satyrs- half men, half beasts- and come howling to the Bacchic lord. With the Bacchantes escort the holy Lenean procession, In sacred litanies revealing torch-lit rites, Shouting, thyrsus-loving, finding calm in the revels.

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 14: Kronos, Rhea, Titans

Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (13, 14, 37)

To Kronos

Everlasting father of blessed gods and men, Resourceful, pure, mighty and powerful Titan, You consume all things and replenish them too. Unbreakable is the hold you have on the boundless cosmos, O Kronos, begetter of time, Kronos of contrasting discourse, Child of earth and starry sky. In you there is birth and decline, august and prudent lord of Rhea, Who, as progenitor, dwell in every part of the world. Hear my supplicant voice, O wily and brave one, And bring an ever blameless end to a good life. 

To Rhea

Mighty Rhea, daughter of many-faced Protogonos, Your sacred chariot is drawn by bull-slaying lions. The sound of drums and cymbals, O frenzy-loving maiden, is yours, And you are the mother of  the aegis-bearing Olympian lord. Illustrious and honored, you are Kronos' blessed consort, And you delight in the mountains and in the horrid shrieks of mortals. Strong-spirited Rhea, queen of queens, lover of the battle din, Liar, savior, redeemer, first by birth, you are mother of gods and mortal men. From you come the earth, the wide sky above, the sea and the winds. Ethereal and restless, come, O blessed goddess, as a gentle-minded savior. Bring peace and a wealth of possessions, And send death and mire to the ends of the earth.

To the Titans

Titans, glorious children of Ouranos and Gaia, forebears of our fathers, Who dwell down below in Tartarean homes in the earth's bowels. From you stem all toiling mortals, the creatures of the sea and of the land, The birds, and all generations of this world come from you, And upon you I call to banish harsh anger, If some earthly ancestor of mine stormed your homes.

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 13: Athena, Nike

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Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (32, 33)

To Athena

Revered Pallas, you alone great Zeus bore by himself,  Noble and blessed goddess, brave in the din of war. Renowned and cave-haunting, you may and may not be spoken of. Your domain is the wind-swept hilltops and shaded mountains,  and dells charm your heart. Arms please you, and you strike the human soul with frenzy, O maiden vigorous and tempered. Slayer of Gorgo, blessed mother of the arts, you shun the bed of love, And, O impetuos one, you bring madness to the wicked and prudence to the virtuous. Male and female, begetter of war, counselor, she-dragon of many shapes, Frenzy-loving, illustrious, destroyer of the Phlegraian Giants, driver of horses, Tritogeneia, you free us from suffering, O victorious goddess. Day and night, ever into the small hours, hear my prayer, And give a full measure of peace, of riches, and health accompanied by happy seasons, O gray-eyed and inventive queen to whom many pray.

To Nike

I call upon mighty Nike, beloved of mortals, For she alone frees men from the eagerness of contest, And from dissent when men face each other in battle. In war you are the judge of deeds deserving prizes And sweet is the boast you grant after the onslaught. Nike, mistress of all, on you and your good name depends noble glory, Glory that comes from strife and teams with feativities. But, O blessed  and beloved one, come with joy in your eyes, Come for works of renown and bring me a noble end.

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 12: Eleusinian Demeter, Mother Antaia, Mother of the Gods

Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (40, 41, 27)

To Eleusinian Demeter

Deo, divine mother of all, goddess of many names, august Demeter, Nurturer of youths, and giver of prosperity and wealth. You nourish the ears of corn, O giver of all, and you delight in peace and in toilsome labor. Present at sowing, reaping and threshing, O spirit of unripe fruit, You dwell in the sacred valley of Eleusis. Charming and lovely, you give sustenance to all mortals, And you were the first to yoke the plowing ox and to send up from below A rich and lovely harvest for mortals. Through you there is growth and blooming, O illustrious companion of Bromios, And, torch-bearing and pure one, you delight in the summer's yield. From beneath the earth you appear and to all you are gentle, O holy and youth-nurturing lover of children and of fair offspring. You yoke your chariot to bridled dragons, And round your throne you whirl and howl in ecstasy. Only daughter with many children and many powers over mortals, You manifest your myriad faces in the variety of flowers and sacred blossoms. Come, blessed and pure one, and, laden with the fruits of summer, Bring peace, together with the welcome rule of law, riches too, And prosperity, and health that governs all.

  To Mother Antaia

Queen Antaia, goddess and many-named mother of immortal gods and mortal men, Weary from searching and wandering far and wide, Once you ended your fast in the valley of Eleusis and came to Hades for noble Persephone. Your guide was the guileless child of Dysaules, Who brought the news of pure chthonic Zeus' holy union. Yielding to human need you bore divine Euboulos. But, O goddess and queen to whom many pray, I beseech you, Come graciously to your pious initiates. 

To the Mother of the Gods

Divine are your honors, O mother of the gods and nurturer of all. Yoke your swift chariot drawn by bull-slaying lions, And, O mighty goddess who brings things to pass, join our prayers. Many-named and reverend, you are the queen of the sky, For in the cosmos yours is the throne in the middle because the earth is yours, And you give gentle nourishment to mortals. Gods and men were born of you, and you hold sway over the rivers and all the sea. Hestia is one of your names, and they call you giver of prosperity, Because you bestow on men all manner of gifts. Come to this rite, queen whom the drum delights, All-taming, savior, honored and frenzy-loving nurturer of life. Joyously and graciously visit our deeds of piety. 

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 11: Ouranos, Aether, Physis, Clouds

Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (4, 5, 10, 21)

To Ouranos

Ouranos, father of all, eternal cosmic element, Primeval, beginning of all and end of all, Lord of the universe, moving about the earth like a sphere, home of the blessed gods. Your motion is roaring whirl, and you envelop all as their celestial and terrestrial guard. In you breast lies nature's invincible drive; Dark-blue, indomitable, shimmering, veriform, All-seeing father of Kronos, blessed and most sublime divinity, Hearken and bring a life of holiness to the newly initiated. 

To Ether

Yours are Zeus' lofty dwellings and endless power, And of the stars, the sun, and the moon you claim a share. O tamer of all, fire-breather, life's spark for every creature, Sublime Ether, best cosmic element, radiant luminous, starlit offspring, I call upon you and beseech you to be temperate and clear. 

To Physis

O Physis, resourceful mother of all, celestial and rich divinity, oldest of all, Queen, all-taming and indomitable, lustrous ruler, Ever honored mistress of all, highest goddess, imperishable, first-born, Fabled glorifier of men, nocturnal, knowing, light-bringing, irrepressible, Swift is the motion of your feet and your steps noiseless, O pure marshal of the gods, end that has no end. All partake of you but you alone partake of one; Self-fathered and hence fatherless, lovely, joyous, great and accessible, You nurse flowers, you  lovingly commingle and twine, And you lead, rule and bring life and nourishment to all. Self-sufficient, many-named persuasion of the Graces, Dike herself, Queen of heaven and earth and sea, You are bitter to the vulgar and sweet to those who obey you. Wise in all, giver of all, nurturing queen of all, Abundant nourishment is yours as you dissolve whatever ripens. Father and Mother of all, nurturer and nurse, you bring swift birth, O blessed one, And a wealth of seeds and the fever of seasons are yours. An opulent and mighty divinity, you give shape and form to all things; Eternal, setting all in motion, skilled and discreet, You are ever-turning the swift stream into an unceasing eddy. Flowing in all things, circular, ever changing form, Fair-throned, precious, you alone accomplish your designs And, loud-roaring, you rule mightily over sceptered kings. Fearless, all-taming, destined fate, fire-breathing, You are life everlasting and immortal providence. Since you fashion these things, you are everything. You are the all, for you alone do these things to bring peace, health and growth to all.

To the Clouds

Airy clouds that nourish fruits and rove the sky, You give rain as you are driven everywhere by the wind. Filled with blazing thunder and water, you resound with awesome crashes In the air-filled vault of heaven when you are repelled by the onrush of raging winds. To you I pray, you whose dewy cloaks are blown by fair breezes, Send fruit-nourishing rains to mother earth. 

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 10, Holy: Earth, Pan, Nymphs, Horai

Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (26, 11, 51, 43)

To Earth

Divine Earth, mother of men and of the blessed gods, you nourish all, you give all, You bring all to fruition and you destroy all. When the season is fair you are heavy with fruit and growing blossoms, And, O multi-formed maiden, you are the seat of the immortal cosmos, And in the pains of labor you bring forth fruits of all kinds. Eternal, reverend, deep-bosomed, and blessed, You delight in the sweet breath of grass, O goddess bedecked with flowers. Yours is the joy of the rain, and round you the intricate realm of stars revolves in endless, and awesome flow. But, O blessed goddess, may you multiply the gladsome fruits, And together with the beautiful seasons, grant me favor.

  To Pan

I call upon Pan, the pastoral god, and upon the universe, That is, upon sky and sea and land, queen of all, And the immortal fires; all these are Pan's realm. Come, O blessed, frolicsome and restless companion of the seasons! Goat-limbed, reveling, lover of frenzy, star-haunting, You weave your playful song into cosmic harmony, And you induce the phantasies of dread into the mind or mortals. Your delight is at Springs, among goatherds and oxherds, And you dance with the nymphs, you keen-eyed hunter and lover of Echo. Present in all growth, begetter of all, many-named divinity, Lord of the cosmos, light-bringing and fructifying Paian, Cave-loving and wrathful, a veritable Zeus with horns! The earth's endless plain is supported by you, And to you yield the deep-flowing water of the untiring sea, And Okeanos who girds the earth with his eddying stream, And the air we breathe, which kindles all life, And, above us, the sublime eye of weightless fire. At your behest, all these things are kept wide apart. Your providence alters the natures of all, And on the boundless earth you offer nourishment to mankind. Come, frenzy-loving and gamboling god; Come to these sacred libations, bring my life to a good conclusion, And send Pan's madness to the ends of the earth. 

To the Nymphs

Nymphs, daughters of great-hearted Okeanos, you dwell inside the earth's damp caves, And your paths are secret, O joyous and chthonic ones, nurses of Bacchos. You nourish fruits and haunt meadows, O sprightly and pure travelers of winding roads who delight in caves and grottoes. Swift, light-footed, and clothed in dew, you frequent springs. Visible and invisible, in the ravines and among flowers, You shout and frisk with Pan upon mountain sides. Gliding down on rocks, you hum with clear voice, O mountain-haunting, sylvan maidens of fields and streams. O sweet-smelling virgins, clad in white, fresh as the breezes, With goat-herds, pastures and splendid fruits in your domain. You are loved by creatures of the wild. Tender though you are, you rejoice in cold and you give sustenance and growth to many, O playful  and water-loving Hamadryad maidens. Dwellers of Nysa, frenzied and healing goddesses who joy in spring, Together with Bacchos and Deo you bring grace to mortals. With joyful hearts come to this hallowed sacrifice, And in the seasons of growth pour streams of salubrious rain. 

To the Horai

Horai, daughters of Themis and lord Zeus, Eumonie and Dike and thrice-blessed Eirene, Pure spirits of spring and of the blossoming meadow, You are found in every color and in all the scents wafted by the breezes. Ever-blooming, revolving and sweet-faced, O Horia, You cloak yourselves with the dew of luxuriant flowers. You are holy Persephone's companions at play, when the Fates and the Graces, In circling dances come forth to light, pleasing Zeus and their fruit-giving mother. Come to the new initiates and their reverent and holy rites, And bring seasons perfect for growth of goodly fruit. 

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 9, Holy: Dionysos, Mise, Semele

Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (30, 42, 44)

To Dionysos

I call upon loud-roaring and reveling Dionysos, primeval, two-natured, Thrice-born, Bacchic lord, savage, ineffable, two-horned and two-shaped. Ivy-covered, bull-faced, warlike, howling, pure, you take raw flesh, You have triennial feasts, wrapt in foliage, decked with grape clusters. Resourceful Eubouleus, immortal god sired by Zeus, When he mated with Persephone in unspeakable union. Hearken to my voice, O blessed one, and with your fair-girdled nurses, Breathe on me in spirit of perfect kindness. 

To Mise

I call upon law-giving Dionysos who carries the fennel stalk, Unforgettable and many-named seed of Eubouleus, And upon holy, sacred and ineffable queen Mise, whose two-fold nature is male and female. As redeeming Iacchos, I summon you lord, whether you delight in your fragrant temple At Eleusis, or with the Mother you partake of mystic rites in Phrygia, Or you rejoice in Cyprus with fair-wreathed Kythereia, Or yet you exult in hallowed wheat-bearing fields along Egypt's river, With your divine mother, the august black-robed Isis, and your triad of nurses. Lady, kindheartedly come to those contesting for noble prizes.

  To Semele

I call upon the daughter of Kadmos, queen of all, Fair Semele of the lovely tresses and the full bosom, Mother of thyrsus-bearing and joyous Dionysos. She was driven to great pain by the blazing thunderbolt, Which, through the counsels of immortal Kronian Zeus, burned her, And by noble Persephone she was granted honors among mortal men, Honors given every third year. Then they reenact the travail for your son Bacchos, The sacred ritual of the table, and the holy mysteries. Now you, goddess, do I beseech, daughter of Kadmos, queen, Always to be gentle-minded towards the initiates. 

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‎"My landlocked Poseidon, beloved of the dry brine, crowned with changeable glory ... I fear I can only love you underwater."  -from "Tidal Pull" by Michelle Ashley

Regarding the photograph: I can't even begin to tell you how hard I had to hunt for a decent work of art for Poseidon. Getting one where he wasn't green, angry, Hulk-smashing some ship, possessing of a mermaid tail and/or steroid abs was tough tough tough. Apparently, from ancient times, humanity has had some rather ambivalent feelings about the power/meaning of the sea--even when these philosophical abstractions were anthropomorphized into deity, no softness came with the newly attributed sentience. Strange. Of course, here I have chosen a strong but deeply melancholy photograph which I'm sure reveals much more than I'd like to admit of my own strange ambivalence on this topic and how it has reverberated in my life through real, heart-rending human interactions.

-M.

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 8, Holy: Poseidon, Okeanos, Asklepios, Hygeia

Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (17, 83, 67, 68)

To Poseidon

Hearken, dark-maned Poseidon, holder of the earth, equestrian; Carved in bronze is the trident in your hand, And you dwell in the foundations of the full-bosomed sea. Deep-roaring ruler of the sea and shaker of the earth, Your blossoms are waves, O gracious one, as you urge horses and chariot on, Rushing on the sea and splashing through the rippling brine. To your lot fell the third portion, the unfathomable sea, And you delight in waves and in their wild dwellers, O spirit of the deep. Save the foundations of the earth and ships moving at full tilt, And bring peace, health and blameless prosperity. 

  To Okeanos

I summon Okeanos, ageless and eternal father, Begetter of immortal gods and mortal men, Okeanos who with his waves encircles the earth. From him come every sea, every river, And so do the pure and flowing waters of earth's springs. Hear me, O blessed god and highest divine purifier, the earth's own end, The pole's beginning, where the ships glide on, And come, kind and ever gracious to the initiates.

  To Asklepios

Asklepios, lord Paian, healer of all, you charm away the suffering of men in pain. Come, mighty and soothing, bring health, And put an end to sickness and the harsh fate of death. Helper, blessed spirit of growth and blossoming, you ward off evil, Honored and mighty scion of Phoibos Apollon. Enemy of disease, whose blameless consort is Hygeia, Come, O blessed one, as savior and bring life to a good end. 

  To Hygeia

Queen of all, charming and lovely and blooming, blessed Hygeia, Mother of all, bringer of prosperity, hear me. Through you vanish the diseases that afflict men, And through you every house blossoms to fullness of joy, and the arts thrive. The world desires you, O queen, and only soul-destroying Hades ever loathes you. Ever youthful, ever beloved, you are a haven for mortals. Apart from you all is without avail for men: Wealth, sweet to those feast, and giver of abundance, fails, And man never reaches the many pains of old age, For you are sole mistress and queen of all. But, goddess, come, ever helpful to the initiates, And keep away the accursed distress of harsh disease. 

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How, then, shall I sing of you?

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The title of this post is a line from the Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo. Reading this morning, this simple line caught me. I wrote a poem last night about a man on a boat who I saw for maybe ten seconds. I have kept this image with me since I was seventeen, knowing that one day I would write about it. The time came. It was pressing on my mind but, at first, I had no idea how to approach and the feeling was exactly this—this intimate line from Homer whispered to the memory of the man on the boat who has been with me for over half my life, “How, then, shall I sing of you?”

-M.

Read the poem, “Landlocked Poseidon” here.

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 7: Apollon, Mousaios

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Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (34, 76)

To Apollon

Come, O blessed Paian, O slayer of Tityos, O Phoibos, O Lykoreus. 
A giver of riches are you and an illustrious dweller in Memphis,
 O god to whom one cries “ie”. 
To you, O Titan and Pythian god belong the lyre and seeds and plows.
Grynean, Sminthian, slayer of Pytho, Delphic diviner, 
You are a wild, light-bringing and lovable god, O glorious youth.
 You shoot your arrows from afar, you lead the Muses into dance, 
And, O holy one, you are Bacchos, Didymeus, and Loxias too.
 Lord of Delos, eye that sees all and brings light to mortals,
 Golden is your hair and clear your oracular utterances. 
Hear me with kindly heart as I pray for people.
 You gaze upon all the ethereal vastness, 
And upon the rich earth you look through the twilight. 
In the quiet darkness of night lit with stars you see earth’s roots below, 
And you hold the bounds of the whole world.
 Yours too are the beginning and the end to come.
 You make everything bloom, and with your versatile lyre you harmonize the poles,
 Now reaching the highest pitch, now the lowest and now again with the Doric mode,
 Balancing the poles harmoniously, as you keep the living races distinct.
You have infused harmony into all men’s lot,
 Giving them equal measure of summer and winter. 
The lowest notes you strike in the winter, the highest in summer,
 And your mode is Doric for spring’s lovely and blooming season.
Wherefore mortals call you lord, and Pan, the two-horned god, 
Who sends the whistling winds. 
For this too, you have the master seal of the entire cosmos. 
O, blessed one, hear the supplicant voice of the initiates and save them.


To Mousaios

Daughters of Mnemosyne and thundering Zeus,
 Pierian Muses, renowned, illustrious, many-shaped,
 And beloved of the mortals you visit.
 You give birth to unblemished virtue in every discipline,
 You nourish the soul and set thought aright,
As you become leaders and mistresses of the mind’s power. 
Sacred and mystic rites you taught to mortals,
 Kleio, Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, 
Erato, Polymnia, Ourania, mother Kalliope, and mighty goddess Agne. 
Do come to the initiates, O goddesses, in your manifold holiness,
 And bring glory and emulation that is lovely and sung by many. 

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 6: Artemis, Prothyraia, Leto, Tyche

Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (36, 2, 35, 72)

To Artemis

Hear me, O queen, Zeus's daughter of many names, Titanic and Bacchic, Reverend, renowned archer, torch-bearing goddess bringing light to all, Diktynna, helper at childbirth. You aid women in labor, though you know not what labor is. O frenzy-loving huntress, you loosen girdles and drive cares away. Swift, arrow-pouring, you love the outdoors and you roam in the night. Fame-bringing, affable, redeeming, nurturer of mortal youths. Immortal and yet of this earth, you slay wild beasts, O blessed one, And your realm is in mountain forests. You hunt deer, O august and mighty queen of all, fair blossom, Eternal, sylvan, dog-loving, many-shaped lady of Kydonia. Come, dear goddess, as savior, accessible to all the initiates, And bring earth's fair fruits and lovely Peace and well-tressed Health, And do banish disease and pain to the mountain peaks. 

To Prothyraia

Hear me, revered goddess, many-named divinity. You aid in travail, O sight sweet to women in labor; You save women and you alone love children, O kindly goddess of swift birth, ever helpful to young women, O Prothyraia. Accessible to all, O mistress, you are gracious and fond of nurture, Yours is the power in every house and you delight in festivities; You loosen girdles and, though invisible, you are seen in every deed. You share pain, and rejoice in every birth, O Eileithyia, Freeing from pain those in terrible distress. Upon you alone pregnant women call, O comforter of souls, And in you alone there is relief from pains of labor. Artemis, Eileithyia, Prothyraia! Hearken, O blessed one, succor me, grant offspring, And save me, for it is your nature to be a savior of all.

To Leto

Dark-veiled Leto, revered goddess and mother of twins, Great-souled daughter of Koios, queen to whom many pray, To your lot fell the birth pains for Zeus' fair child. You bore Phoibos and arrow-pouring Artemis, her on Ortygia, and him on rocky Delos. Hear, lady goddess, and with favor in your heart, Come to this all-holy rite and bring sweet end. 

To Tyche

With prayer in mind, I summon you here, Tyche, noble ruler, Gentle goddess of the roads, for wealth and possessions, As Artemis who guides, renowned, sprung from the loins of Eubouleus. Your wish is irresistible. Funereal and delusive, you are the theme of men's songs. In you lies the great variety of men's livelihood. To some you grant a wealth of blessings and possessions, While to others, against whom you harbor anger, you give evil poverty. But, O goddess, I beseech you to come in kindness to my life, And with abundance grant me happiness and riches. 

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Works and Days Devotion: Day 5 Horkos: Fates, Nemesis, Dike, Erinyes, Eumenides

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Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (59, 61, 62, 69, 70)

To Nemesis

Nemesis, I call upon you, goddess and greatest queen, Whose all-seeing eye looks upon the lives of man's many races. Eternal and revered, you alone rejoice in the just, And you change and vary and shift your word. All who bear the yoke of mortality fear you, for you care about the thoughts of all, And the soul that vaunts foolishly and without discretion, does not escape you. You see all, you hear all, and you arbitrate, O sublime deity in whom resides justice for men. Come, blessed and pure one, ever helpful to initiates, and grant nobility of mind, Putting an end to loathsome, unholy thoughts, such as are fickle and haughty.

To Dike

I sing of the all-seeing eye of comely and radiant Dike, Who sits upon the sacred throne of lord Zeus. From heaven you look down on the lives of the many human races, And crush the unjust with just retribution, Matching things disparate with fairness and truth. For whenever base men consider matters that cannot be put to trial easily, Unjustly wishing more than is fair, you intervene and rouse justice against the unjust. An enemy to the unjust, you are a gentle companion to the just. But, goddess come in justice for thoughts that are noble, Until that fated day on my life descends. 

To the Fates

Boundless Fates, dear children of dark Night, Hear my prayer, O many-named dwellers on the lake of heaven, Where the frozen water by night’s warmth is broken inside a sleek cave’s shady hollow; From there you fly to the boundless earth, home of mortals, And, thence, cloaked in purple you march towards men whose aims are as noble, As their hopes are vain, in the vale of doom, where glory drives her chariot on, All over the earth, beyond the goal of justice, of anxious hope, of primeval law, And of the immeasurable principle of order. In life Fate alone watches. The other immortals who dwell on the peaks of snowy Olympos do not, Except for Zeus’ perfect eye. But Fate and Zeus’ mind know all things for all time. I pray to you to come, gently and kindly, Atropos, Lachesis, and Klotho, scions of noble stock. Airy, invisible, inexorable and ever indestructible, You give and take all, being to men the same as necessity. Fates, hear my prayers and receive my libations. Gently come to the initiates to free them from pain.

To the Erinyes

Hear, Tisiphone, Allekto, and noble Megaira, August goddesses whose Bacchic cries resound. Nocturnal and clandestine, you have your house deep down in a dark cave, By the sacred waters of the Styx. Men’s unholy designs incur your anger. Rabid and arrogant, you howl over Necessity’s dictates, and, clad in animal skins, By your power you bring the deep pains of retribution. Your realm is in Hades, O dreaded maidens with the thousand faces, Phantoms airy, invisible and swift as thought. Neither the speedy flames of the sun or the moon, Nor the radiance of wisdom and virtue, Nor even the joy in bold enterprise as in the sleekness of fair youth, Can rouse life’s delights without your aid. Upon the countless races of all men you gaze with Dike’s eye, ever occupied with justice. O snake-haired, many-shaped goddesses of Fate, Change my thoughts of life into gentle and soft ones.

To the Eumenides

Hear me, renowned Eumenides, and be gracious. Pure daughters of the great, chthonic Zeus, And of lovely, fair-tressed maiden, Persephone. You keep a watch over the lives of impious mortals, And, in charge of Necessity, you punish the unjust. Black-skinned queens, your eyes flash forth awesome and flesh-eating darts of light. Everlasting, of visage repugnant and frightful, sovereign, Paralyzing the limbs with madness, hideous, nocturnal, fateful, Snake-haired and terrible maidens of the night, It is you I summon to bring me holiness of mind. 

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 4: Mother of the Gods, Aphrodite, Adonis, Graces, Eros

Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis

(27, 55, 56, 60, 58)

To the Mother of the Gods

Divine are your honors, O mother of the gods and nurturer of all. Yoke your swift chariot drawn by bull-slaying lions, And, O mighty goddess who brings things to pass, join our prayers. Many-named and reverend, you are the queen of the sky, For in the cosmos yours is the throne in the middle because the earth is yours, And you give gentle nourishment to mortals. Gods and men were born of you, and you hold sway over the rivers and all the sea. Hestia is one of your names, and they call you giver of prosperity, Because you bestow on  men all manner of gifts. Come to this rite, queen whom the drum delights, All-taming, savior, honored and frenzy-loving nurturer of life. Joyously and graciously visit our deeds of piety.

To Aphrodite

Heavenly, smiling Aphrodite, praised in many hymns, Sea-born, revered goddess of generation, you like the night-long revel, And you couple lovers at night, O scheming mother of Necessity. Everything comes from you; you have yoked the world and you control all three realms. You give birth to all, to everything in heaven, upon fruitful earth, And in the depths of the sea, O venerable companion of Bacchos. You delight in festivities, O bride-like mother of the Erotes, O persuasion whose joy is in the bed of love, secretive giver of grace, Visible and invisible, lovely-tressed daughter of a noble father. Bridal feast companion of the gods, sceptered she-wolf, Beloved and man-loving giver of birth and of life, With your maddening love-charms you yoke mortals, And the many races of beasts to unbridled passion. Come, O goddess born in Cyprus, whether you are on Olympos, O queen, Exulting in the beauty of your face, or you wander in Syria, country of fine frankincense, Or, yet, driving your golden chariot in the plain, You lord it over Egypt's fertile river bed. Come, whether you ride your swan-drawn chariot over the sea's billows, Joying in the creatures of the deep as they dance in circles, Or you delight in the company of the dark-faced nymphs on land, As light-footed, they frisk over the sandy beaches. Come, lady, even if you are in Cyprus that cherishes you, Where fair maidens and chaste nymphs throughout the year sing of you, O blessed one, and of immortal, pure Adonis. Come O beautiful and comely goddess. I summon you with holy words and pious soul.

To Adonis

Hear my prayer, O best and many-named god. Fine-haired, solitary and full of lovely song. Eubouleus, many-shaped and noble nurturer of all, Maiden and youth in one... withering bloom, O Adonis, You vanish and shine again in the fair seasons' turn. Two-horned spirit of growth and blooming, much loved and wept for are you, O fair and joyful hunter of the luxurious mane. Desire is in your mind, O sweet blossom and off-shoot of Aphrodite and Eros, Child born on the bed of lovely-tressed Persephone. Now you dwell beneath murky Tartaros, And now again toward Olympos you bring your fruitful grown body. Come, O blessed one, and bring earth's fruits to the initiates 

To the Graces

Hear me, O illustrious and renowned Graces, Daughters of Zeus and full-bosomed Eunomia, Aglaia, Thalia and blessed Euphrosyne. Lovely, wise and pure mothers of joy, many-shaped, ever-blooming, beloved of mortals, We pray that each in her turn, spell-binding and with petal-soft face, Come, ever accessible to the initiates, to confer prosperity.

To Eros

I call upon great, pure, lovely and sweet Eros, Winged archer who runs swiftly on a path of fire And plays together with gods and mortal men. Inventive and two-natured, he is master of all, of heavenly ether, Of the sea, of the land of the all-begetting winds which for mortals Are nurtured by the goddess of the green fruit, And of all that lies in Tartaros and in the roaring sea. You alone govern the course of all these. But, blessed one, come to the initiates with pure thought, And banish from them vile impulses.

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 3: Athena, Nike

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Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (32, 33)

To Athena

Revered Pallas, you alone great Zeus bore by himself,  Noble and blessed goddess, brave in the din of war. Renowned and cave-haunting, you may and may not be spoken of. Your domain is the wind-swept hilltops and shaded mountains,  and dells charm your heart. Arms please you, and you strike the human soul with frenzy, O maiden vigorous and tempered. Slayer of Gorgo, blessed mother of the arts, you shun the bed of love, And, O impetuos one, you bring madness to the wicked and prudence to the virtuous. Male and female, begetter of war, counselor, she-dragon of many shapes, Frenzy-loving, illustrious, destroyer of the Phlegraian Giants, driver of horses, Tritogeneia, you free us from suffering, O victorious goddess. Day and night, ever into the small hours, hear my prayer, And give a full measure of peace, of riches, and health accompanied by happy seasons, O gray-eyed and inventive queen to whom many pray.

To Nike

I call upon mighty Nike, beloved of mortals, For she alone frees men from the eagerness of contest, And from dissent when men face each other in battle. In war you are the judge of deeds deserving prizes And sweet is the boast you grant after the onslaught. Nike, mistress of all, on you and your good name depends noble glory, Glory that comes from strife and teams with feativities. But, O blessed  and beloved one, come with joy in your eyes, Come for works of renown and bring me a noble end.

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Works and Days Devotion, Day 2: Agathos Daimon, Astrapaios Zeus

Orphic Hymns translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis (73, 20)

To the Daimon

I call upon Daimon, the grand and dreaded chieftain, gentle Zeus,
Who gives birth and livelihood to mortals.
Great Zeus, delusive and vengeful king of all,
Who is giver of wealth when he enters the house, laden with goods,
And who in turn ruins the livelihood of toiling mortals.
You possess the keys to joy and sorrow as well.
So, O pure and blessed one, drive painful cares away,
Cares that are life-destroying throughout the earth,
And bring a glorious, sweet and noble end to life. 

To Astrapaios Zeus

I call upon great, pure, resounding, illustrious, ethereal and blazing Zeus,
Whose racing fire shines though the air.
With an ear-splitting clap your light flashes through the clouds,
O horrid, wrathful, pure, and invincible god.
Upon you I call, lord of lightening, begetter of all and great king,
To be kind and bring a sweet end to my life. 

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So sorry I've been derelict posting the works and days devotions. I will be catching up on 2-6 today. -M.