THE most important literary document extant on Orphic ceremonial is a fragment of the Cretans of Euripides, preserved for us by Porphyry in his treatise on ‘Abstinence from Animal Food’ a passage Porphyry says he had ‘almost forgotten to mention.’<\/p>\n
From an allusion in Aristophanes to ‘Cretan monodies and unhallowed marriages’ it seems probable that the Cretans dealt with the hapless wedlock of Pasiphae, The fragment, Porphyry tells us, was spoken by the chorus of Cretan mystics who have come to the palace of Minos. It is possible they may have come to purify it from the recent pollution.<\/p>\n
The mystics by the mouth of their leader make full and definite confession of the faith, or rather acknowledgement of the ritual acts, by which a man became a ‘Bacchos,’ and they add a statement of the nature of the life he was thereafter bound to lead.<\/p>\n
Though our source is a poetical one, we learn from it, perhaps to our surprise, that to become a ‘Bacchos’ it was necessary to do a good deal more than dance enthusiastically upon the mountains. The confession runs as follows:<\/p>\n
‘Lord of Europa’s Tyrian line,
\nZeus-born, who boldest at thy feet
\nThe hundred citadels of Crete,
\nI seek to thee from that dim shrine,<\/p>\n
Hoofed by the Quick and Carven Beam,
\nBy Chalyb steel and wild bull’s blood
\nIn flawless joints of cypress wood
\nMade steadfast. There in one pure stream<\/p>\n
My days have run, the servant I,
\nInitiate, of Idaean Jove;
\nWhere midnight Zagreus roves, I rove;
\nI have endured his thunder-cry:<\/p>\n
Fulfilled his red and bleeding feasts;
\nHeld the Great Mother’s mountain flame;
\nI am Set Free and named by name
\nA Bacchos of the Mailed Priests.<\/p>\n
Robed in pure white I have borne me clean
\nFrom man’s vile birth and coffined clay,
\nAnd exiled from my lips alway
\nTouch of all meat where Life hath been.’<\/p>\n
[Ellopos’ note – the text above in the Greek original, ed. Austin, fr. 79: \u03a6\u03bf\u03b9\u03bd\u03b9\u03ba\u03bf\u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f73\u03ba\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd \u0395\u1f50\u03c1\u1f7d\u03c0\u03b7\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03bc\u03b5\u03b3\u1f71\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5 \u0396\u03b7\u03bd\u1f79\u03c2\u0375 \u1f00\u03bd\u1f71\u03c3\u03c3\u03c9\u03bd \u039a\u03c1\u1f75\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u1f11\u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03bf\u03bc\u03c0\u03c4\u03bf\u03bb\u03b9\u1f73\u03b8\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5\u0387 \u1f25\u03ba\u03c9 \u03b6\u03b1\u03b8\u1f73\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03bd\u03b1\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03bb\u03b9\u03c0\u1f7d\u03bd\u0375 \u03bf\u1f53\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f50\u03b8\u03b9\u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u1f74\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c4\u03b5\u03b3\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u1f73\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9 \u03c4\u03bc\u03b7\u03b8\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c3\u03b1 \u03b4\u03bf\u03ba\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03a7\u03b1\u03bb\u1f7b\u03b2\u03c9\u03b9 \u03c0\u03b5\u03bb\u1f73\u03ba\u03b5\u03b9 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03b4\u1f73\u03c4\u03c9\u03b9 \u03ba\u1f79\u03bb\u03bb\u03b7\u03b9 \u03ba\u03c1\u03b1\u03b8\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c3\u0384 \u1f00\u03c4\u03c1\u03b5\u03ba\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u1f01\u03c1\u03bc\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03ba\u03c5\u03c0\u1f71\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c3\u03bf\u03c2. \u1f01\u03b3\u03bd\u1f78\u03bd \u03b4\u1f72 \u03b2\u1f77\u03bf\u03bd \u03c4\u03b5\u1f77\u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u03bf\u1f57 \u0394\u03b9\u1f78\u03c2 \u1f38\u03b4\u03b1\u1f77\u03bf\u03c5 \u03bc\u1f7b\u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u1f79\u03bc\u03b7\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bd\u03c5\u03ba\u03c4\u03b9\u03c0\u1f79\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5 \u0396\u03b1\u03b3\u03c1\u1f73\u03c9\u03c2 \u03b2\u03bf\u1f7b\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f70\u03c2 \u1f60\u03bc\u03bf\u03c6\u1f71\u03b3\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03b4\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c4\u03b1\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b5\u03bb\u1f73\u03c3\u03b1\u03c2 \u03bc\u03b7\u03c4\u03c1\u1f77 \u03c4\u0384 \u1f40\u03c1\u03b5\u1f77\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b4\u1fb6\u03b9\u03b4\u03b1\u03c2 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b1\u03c3\u03c7\u1f7c\u03bd \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1f70 \u039a\u03bf\u03c5\u03c1\u1f75\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u03b2\u1f71\u03ba\u03c7\u03bf\u03c2 \u1f10\u03ba\u03bb\u1f75\u03b8\u03b7\u03bd \u1f41\u03c3\u03b9\u03c9\u03b8\u03b5\u1f77\u03c2. \u03c0\u1f71\u03bb\u03bb\u03b5\u03c5\u03ba\u03b1 \u03b4\u0384 \u1f14\u03c7\u03c9\u03bd \u03b5\u1f35\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03c6\u03b5\u1f7b\u03b3\u03c9 \u03b3\u1f73\u03bd\u03b5\u03c3\u1f77\u03bd \u03c4\u03b5 \u03b2\u03c1\u03bf\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bd\u03b5\u03ba\u03c1\u03bf\u03b8\u1f75\u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03c2 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03c7\u03c1\u03b9\u03bc\u03c0\u03c4\u1f79\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u1f10\u03bc\u03c8\u1f7b\u03c7\u03c9\u03bd \u03b2\u03c1\u1ff6\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u1f10\u03b4\u03b5\u03c3\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c0\u03b5\u03c6\u1f7b\u03bb\u03b1\u03b3\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9.]<\/p>\n
It is remarkable that the mystic, though he becomes a ‘Bacchos’ avows himself as initiated to Idaean Zeus. But this Idaean Zeus is clearly the same as Zagreus, the mystery form of Dionysos. …<\/p>\n
A very curious account of a sacrifice to Dionysos in Tenedos helps us to realize how the shift from human to animal sacrifice, from child to bull or calf, may have come about. Aelian in his book on the Nature of Animals makes the following statement: ‘The people of Tenedos in ancient days used to keep a cow with calf, the best they had, for Dionysos, and when she calved, why, they tended her like a woman in child-birth. But they sacrificed the new born calf, having put cothurni on its feet. Yes, and the man who struck it with the axe is pelted with stones in the holy rite and escapes to the sea.’The conclusion can scarcely be avoided that here we have a ritual remembrance of the time when a child was really sacrificed. A calf is substituted but it is humanized as far as possible, and the sacrificer, though he is bound to sacrifice, is guilty of an outrage Anyhow, that the calf was regarded as a child is clear; the line between human and merely animal is to primitive man a shifting shadow.<\/p>\n
The mystic in his ritual confession clearly connects his feast of raw flesh with his service of Zagreus:<\/p>\n
Where midnight Zagreus roves, I rove;
\nI have endured his thunder-cry;
\nFulfilled his red and bleeding feasts.’
\n…<\/p>\n
That the legend as well as the rite was Cretan and was connected with Orpheus is expressly stated by Diodorus. In his account of the various forms taken by the god Dionysos, he says ‘they allege that the god (i.e. Zagreus) was born of Zeus and Persephone in Crete, and Orpheus in the mysteries represents him as torn in pieces by the Titans. …<\/p>\n
The story as told by Clement and others is briefly this: the infant god variously called Dionysos and Zagreus was protected by the Kouretes or Korybantes who danced around him their armed dance. The Titans desiring to destroy him lured away the child by offering him toys, a cone, a rhombos, and the golden apples of the Hesperides, a mirror, a knuckle bone, a tuft of wool. The toys are variously enumerated. Having lured him away they set on him, slew him and tore him limb from limb. Some authorities add that they cooked his limbs and ate them. Zeus hurled his thunderbolts upon them and sent them down to Tartaros. According to some authorities, Athene saved the child’s heart, hiding it in a cista. A mock figure of gypsum was set up, the rescued heart placed in it and the child brought thereby to life again. The story was completed under the influence of Delphi by the further statement that the limbs of the dismembered god were collected and buried at Delphi in the sanctuary of Apollo. …<\/p>\n
The Kouretes, the armed Cretan priests, had a local war or mystery dance: they were explained as the protectors of the sacred child. Sacred objects were carried about in cistae; they were of a magical sanctity, fertility-charms and the like. Some ingenious person saw in them a new significance, and added thereby not a little to their prestige; they became the toys by which the Titans ensnared the sacred baby. It may naturally be asked why were the Titans fixed on as the aggressors? They were of course known to have fought against the Olympians in general, but in the story of the child Dionysos they appear somewhat as bolts from the blue. Their name even, it would seem, is aetiological, and behind it lies a curious ritual practice. …<\/p>\n
From the time that the neophyte enters the first stage of initiation, i.e. becomes a ‘mystic’, he leads a life of abstinence. But abstinence is not the end. Abstinence, the sacramental feast of raw flesh, the holding aloft of the Mother’s torches, all these are but preliminary stages to the final climax, the full fruition when, cleansed and consecrated, he is made one with the god and the Kouretes name him ‘Bacchos.’<\/p>\n
The word ‘pure,’ in the negative sense, ‘free from evil,’ marks, I think, the initial stage a stage akin to the old service of ‘aversion’. The word ‘set free’, ‘consecrated’, marks the final accomplishment and is a term of positive content. It is characteristic of orgiastic, ‘enthusiastic’ rites, those of the Mother and the Son, and requires some further elucidation. …<\/p>\n
It was Euripides, and perhaps only Euripides, who made the goddess Hosia in the image of his own high desire, and, though the Orphic word and Orphic rites constantly pointed to a purity that was also freedom, to a sanctity that was by union with rather than submission to the divine, yet Orphism constantly renounced its birth-right, reverted as it were to the old savage notion of abstinence. After the ecstasy of<\/p>\n
‘I am Set Free and named by name
\nA Bacchos of the Mailed Priests,’<\/p>\n
the end of the mystic’s confession falls dull and sad and formal:<\/p>\n
‘Kobed in pure white I have borne me clean
\nFrom man’s vile birth and coffined clay,
\nAnd exiled from my lips alway
\nTouch of all meat where Life hath been.’<\/p>\n
He that is free and holy and divine, marks his divinity by a dreary formalism. He wears white garments, he flies from death and birth, from all physical contagion, his lips are pure from flesh-food, he fasts after as before the Divine Sacrament. He follows in fact all the rules of asceticism familiar to us as ‘Pythagorean’. …<\/p>\n
Diogenes Laertius in his life of Pythagoras gives a summary of these prescriptions, which show but too sadly and clearly the reversion to the negative purity of abstinence . ‘Purification, they say, is by means of cleansings and baths and aspersions, and because of this a man must keep himself from funerals and marriages and every kind of physical pollution, and abstain from all food that is dead or has been killed, and from mullet and from the fish melanurus, and from eggs, and from animals that lay eggs, and from beans, and from the other things that are forbidden by those who accomplish holy rites of initiation.’ The savage origin of these fastings and taboos on certain foods has been discussed; they are deep-rooted in the ritual of aTrorpoTrrf, of aversion, which fears and seeks to evade the physical contamination of the Keres inherent in all things. Plato, in his inverted fashion, realizes that the Orphic life was a revival of things primitive. In speaking of the golden days before the altars of the gods were stained with blood, when men offered honey cakes and fruits of the earth, he says then it was not holy to eat or offer flesh-food, but men lived a sort of ‘Orphic’ life, as it is called.<\/p>\n
Poets and philosophers, then as now, sated and hampered by the complexities and ugliness of luxury, looked back with longing eyes to the old beautiful gentle simplicity, the picture of which was still before their eyes in antique ritual, in the ocna, the rites of the underworld gods those gods who in their beautiful conservatism kept their service cleaner and simpler than the lives of their worshippers. Sophocles’ in the lost Polyidos tells of the sacrifice ‘dear to these gods’:<\/p>\n
‘Wool of the sheep was there, fruit of the vine,
\nLibations and the treasured store of grapes.
\nAnd manifold fruits were there, mingled with grain
\nAnd oil of olive, and fair curious combs
\nOf wax compacted by the yellow bee.’<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
From Bulfinch’s Mythology, 10, Orphic Mysteries – Omophagia; excerpts edited by Ellopos Blog<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE most important literary document extant on Orphic ceremonial is a fragment of the Cretans of Euripides, preserved for us by Porphyry in his treatise on ‘Abstinence from Animal Food’ a passage Porphyry says he had ‘almost forgotten to mention.’ From an allusion in Aristophanes to ‘Cretan monodies and unhallowed marriages’ it seems probable that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_disable_autopaging":false},"categories":[5,13,11],"tags":[3721,86,3709,3706,3716,3717,3708,3720,3722,1245,1679,3719,1093],"class_list":["post-1569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-greek-history","category-elpenor-greek-library","tag-abstinence","tag-aristophanes","tag-cretans","tag-cypress-wood","tag-great-mother","tag-jove","tag-monodies","tag-mystics","tag-orphics","tag-palace-of-minos","tag-porphyry","tag-wedlock","tag-zeus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ellopos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ellopos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ellopos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ellopos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ellopos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ellopos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ellopos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ellopos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ellopos.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}