Orphic Mystery Cult

[Victoria Mnemosyne]

Kleidouchos: a High Priestess
Boukolos: a High Priest

The Orphics believed in reincarnation. They believed that in order to escape the eternal cycle of rebirth, one must live three blameless lives consecutively as a good person, and thereby would gain entrance to the Eulysian Fields- the afterlife land of Eternal Bliss. Persephone was the judge of souls who would allow those who were worthy to enter.

Orphism was an ascetic tradition, meaning that they believed abstaining from earthly pleasures would be good for the soul, and that one would be rewarded in the afterlife.

Important Dieties:
Chthonian Persephone- Persephone as Dark Queen of the Underworld, Goddess over the Dead
Kore Persephone- Persephone as the Maiden, a springtime Goddess, daughter of Zeus and Demeter
Zagreus Dionysos- Dionysos as the son of Zeus and Persephone, when Zeus impregnated her as a serpent
Dionysos Bacchus- the son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal women

Orphic tradition states that there were sucessive rulers of the universe, beginning with Protogenus ("First Born") or Phanes ("Light"). They believed that this God was reborn to rule the universe, again as Zeus, and finally as Dionysos. They recognized Nyx, Uranos, and Cronos as other rulers of the universe before Zeus, but they were not claimed to be Protogenus reincarnated.

Zeus' daughter by Demeter is Persephone, who began as Kore, "The Maiden"- the all pervading Goddess of nature. Zeus gave her to Hades to be his Queen and consort. Hades carried her off to the Underworld by force, where she ate three pomegranate seeds. Her mother Demeter grieved, and refused to let the Earth bear fruit until her daughter was returned. She had adventures on her travels (too long to include here), but eventually, Zeus saw the suffering caused by famine and agreed to have Persephone returned to her mother. However, ancient laws stated that whoever ate food of the dead was bound to the underworld. A compromise was reached- the three pomegranate seeds represent the three barren months Persephone is kept from her mother, explaining the seasons, and in essence making Persephone a Goddess of Death and Rebirth.

Zeus laid with his daughter Persephone in the form of a great serpent- and so she bore him a son, Dionysos-Zagreus. Zagreus was given the epithet "Therobromon", which can be roughly translated as "Roarer- Thunderer". Thunderer was a common name given to Zeus, and suggests that Zagreus-Dionysos was also a storm-God.

Dionysos-Zagreus was identified at birth as the future ruler of the Universe, and so the Titans kidnapped him as an infant, tore him limb from limb, boiled and ate him. Zeus punished them by smiting them with lightning bolts, so that they were reduced to ashes. These ashes rose from the ground as mankind. In Orphic tradition, this gives man their double nature- the dark savagery of the Titans and the divinity and light of God. However, the heart of Zagreus was salvaged, and sewn into Semele's thigh, and so he was born again as Bacchus-Dionysos, the God of Wine and frenzy who instilled madness upon his followers.

Orphism is named for Orpheus. He was the son of either Apollo or a mortal king and the muse of music, Calliope. Orpheus was known as a great singer and lyre player. In Oprhic tradition, he was the High Priest of Dionysos' cult. According to legend, his young wife Eurydice died of a snake bite early in their marriage. He loved her so much that he travelled to the underworld to reclaim her. His song and plea was so eloquent that he stirred Queen Persephone to tears. She allowed him to bring his wife back to the world of the living, on the condition that he not look back. Of course, he could not trust the Gods so he looked back just in time to see his wife vanish back to the Shades of the Dead. He wandered in grief until the Maenads (frenzied nymph followers of Dionysos) tore him limb from limb.

[Victoria Mnemosyne]

Orphic Hymn to Hekate:
Hekate of the Path, I invoke Thee, Lovely Lady of the Triple Crossroads
Celestial, Chthonian and Marine One (having power in the three realms, sky, underworld and sea), Lady of the Saffron Robe
Sepulchural One, celebrating the Bacchic Mysteries among the Souls of the Dead,
Daughter of Perses, Lover of Solitude, rejoicing in deer (identifier with Artemis)
Nocturnal One (she of the night; Dionysos was Nykterios, He of the Night), Lady of Dogs, invincible Queen
She of the Cry of the Beasts (Roarer- as Zagreus is “roarer”, Thunderer), Ungirt One, having an irresistible form
Bullherder (identifier with Artemis), Keeper of the Keys of All the Universe (Kleidouchos= High Priestess, literally "Keeper of Keys). Hekate is High Priestess of All the Universe), Mistress
Guide, Bride, Nurturer of Youths (identifier with Artemis, and a parallel to the Irish Queen of Tir Scaith- Shadow Land, instructs the hero Cuchullain), Mountain Wanderer
I pray Thee, Maiden (Kouren- identifier with Kore Persephone), to be present at our hallowed rites or initiation
Always bestowing Thy graciousness upon the Boukolos (High Priests, literally Oxherds)

original Greek:
Einodian Hekaten kleizo, Trihoditin Erannen
Ouranian, Chthonian, te kai Einalian, Krokopeplos
Tymbidian, Psychais Nekyon meta bakcheuosan,
Perseian, Phileremon, agaollomenen elaphoisi
Nyketian, Skylakitin, amaimaketon Basileian
Therobromon, Azoston, aprosmachon Eidos echousan
Tauropolon, Pantos Kosmou Kleidouchon, Anassan,
Hegenonen, Nymphen, Kourotrophon, Ouresiphoitin.
Lissomenos, Kouren, teletais hosiasi pareinai,
Boukoloi eumeneousan aei kechareoti thymoi.