COURETES - KOURÍTÆS - ΚΟΥΡΗΤΕΣ
HellenicGods.org
Kourítæs - (Curetes; Gr. Κουρῆτες, ΚΟΥΡΗΤΕΣ. The word is in plural form. Etym. from κόρος and κοῦρος, meaning "boy." Var. of κουρίδιος [1]. Either form, Κουρῆτες or Κούρητες, may be used; see the lexicon entry below.) The literal translation of Kourítæs is "young men." - Lexicon entry: κούρητες, ων, οἱ, (κόρος B, κοῦρος A) young men, esp. young warriors, κούρητες Παναχαιῶν, Ἀχαιῶν, Il.19.193, 248. II. as pr.n., Κουρῆτες (Hdn.Gr.1.63, al.), Dor. Κωρῆτες, divinities coupled with Nymphs and Satyrs, K. θεοὶ φιλοπαίγμονες ὀρχηστῆρες Hes.Fr.198; worshipped in Crete, Κωρῆτας καὶ Νύμφας καὶ Κύρβαντας GDI5039.14 (Hierapytna); Κωρῆσι τοῖς πρὸ καρταιπόδων ib.iv p.1036 (Gortyn); K. Διὸς τροφεῖς λέγονται Str.10.3.19, cf. 11, E.Ba.120 (lyr.), Orph.H.38.1, Fr.151, etc.: prov., Κουρήτων στόμα, of prophecy, Zen.4.61. (Sg. only late, ὁ Κορόνους δηλοῖ νοῦν καὶ τὸν Κουρῆτα τούτου Dam.Pr. 267.) 2. armed dancers who celebrated orgiastic rites, Str.10.3.7: hence used to translate Lat. Salii, D.H.2.70; Κουρήτων Βάκχος ἐκλήθην ὁσιωθείς E.Fr.472.14 (lyr.). 3. at Ephesus, religious college of six members, συνέδριον Κουρήτων Ephes.2 No.83c, cf. SIG353.1 (iv B. C.), Str.14.1.20. III. pr. n. of a people who fought with the Aetolians, Il.9.529, al. (L&S p. 986, right column.) The Origin and General Characteristics of the Kourítæs According to the Orphic Rhapsodic Theogony, the Kourítæs are sons of Rhǽa (Rhea; Gr. Ῥέα).
This, of course, means that they are members of the Younger Titánæs, being sons of a Titanís (Titan; Gr. Τιτανίς, fem. of Τιτάν). They belong to Rǽa but are sons of Earth:
According to the Thæogonía (Theogony; Gr. Θεογονία) of Isíodos (Hesiod; Gr. Ἡσίοδος), the Kourítæs sprung from Yi (Ge or Gaia or Earth; Gr. Γῆ) and the blood of Ouranós (Uranus; Gr. Οὐρανός). "Then the son (ed. Krónos) from his ambush stretched forth his left hand and in his right took the great long sickle with jagged teeth, and swiftly lopped off his own father's members and cast them away to fall behind him. And not vainly did they fall from his hand; for all the bloody drops that gushed forth Earth received, and as the seasons moved round she bare the strong Erinyes and the great Gigantes with gleaming armour and the Nymphs whom they call Meliae all over the boundless earth." [5] The Yígantæs (Gigantes or Giants; Gr. Γίγαντες) are usually associated with the Yigantomakhía (Gr. Γιγαντομαχία), the Battle of the Giants with the Olympian Gods, but there are actually many types of Yígantæs, a word which simply means "offspring of Earth." And, if indeed this text refers to the Kourítæs, there is considerable confirmation of what it says, that they were children of Earth. According to Diódohros Sikælióhtis (Diodorus Siculus; Gr. Διόδωρος Σικελιώτης):
The Kourítæs and the Infancy of Zefs and Diónysos The Kourítæs are rustic Daimonæs who were enlisted by the Goddess Rǽa (Rhea; Gr. Ῥέα) to drown out the voice of the infant Zefs (Zeus; Gr. Ζεύς) from the ears of his father Krónos (Cronus; Gr. Κρόνος) by means of their loud dancing and clamoring. In the Hymn to Zefs by the Alexandrian poet Kallímakhos (Callimachus; Gr. Καλλίμαχος), it is written:
And, according to Nónnos (Gr. Νόννος) like as to his father, the child Diónysos was protected in the same way:
In this quotation, Nónnos uses the name Korývandæs (Corybants), who are performing the exact same function as the Kourítæs in the hymn to Zefs by Kallímakhos, indicating that they are the same, as confirmed in Orphic Hymn 38 below. The Kourítæs and the Orphic Hymns 31. Kourítæs 1 (Curetes [1]; Gr. Κουρῆτες)
31. Ὕμνος Κουρήτων Ι. In the second hymn, number 38, they are said to nurture the earth but also destroy. 38. Kourítæs 2 (Curetes [2]; Gr. Κουρῆτες) 38. Κουρήτων II, θυμίαμα λίβανον. Here the Kourítæs are said to dwell not only on Earth, but in the Sky and the Sea, and they are called saviors of the world and protectors of sailors. They are identified with the Korývandæs (Korybantes; Gr. Κορύβαντες), dwellers of and masters of Samothráki (Samothrace;Gr. Σαμοθράκη), an island in the Aegean Sea. Samothráki was the home of The Sanctuary of the Great Gods, an important temple complex in antiquity visited by many famous personages including King Lýsandros (Lysander; Gr. Λύσανδρος) of Sparta and the Emperor Hadrian. The "Great Gods" are khthonic or "earthy" deities, Káveiri (Kabeiroi; Gr. Κάβειροι), such as The Great Mother (Phrygian Cybele or Dimítir), Ækáti (Hekate; Gr. Ἑκάτη), Kádmos (Cadmus; Gr. Κάδμος) and Armonía (Harmony; Gr. Ἁρμονία). It was from this shrine that great Mystíria (Mysteries; Gr. Μυστήρια) were transmitted, on a par with the Ælefsínia Mystíria (Eleusinian Mysteries; Gr. Ἐλευσίνια Μυστήρια), and in this hymn, the Kourítæs are declared as the origin of sacred ritual, the Mysteries, for mortal beings. The Kouritæs, Immortal Daimonæs (δαίμονες ἀθάνατοι), hold the weapons of Life, for their swords and shields are those of Áris (Ares; Gr. Ἄρης), and they are capable of destroying the vicious and raising the virtuous. They are called true sons of Zefs (Διόσκοροι [13]), kings (ἄνακτες) and saviors (σωτήριοι) who have command over nature. Truly, what a glorious hymn! Epithets of the Kourítæs (under construction) Aglaóphimos - (aglaophimus; Gr. ἀγλαόφημος, ΑΓΛΑΟΦΗΜΟΣ) Lexicon entry: ἀγλαόφημος, ον, of splendid fame, Orph.H.31.4 (ed. of the Κουρῆτες); Dor. ἀγλαόφᾱμος, pr. n. of Thracian mystic (ed. Orphéfs), Iamb.VP28.146, etc. (L&S p. 11, left column) The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Rhapsodic Theogony. We know the various qualities and characteristics of the Gods based on metaphorical stories: Mythology. Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology. Introduction to the Thæí (the Gods): The Nature of the Gods. How do we know there are Gods? Experiencing Gods. NOTES: [2] Orphic fragment 150. Trans. by the author. [4] Orphic Fragments 151, 185, 186. The quotation is Orphic fragment 185: Próklos (Proclus; Gr. Πρόκλος) commentary on the Κρατύλος of Plátohn (Plato; Gr. Πλάτων) 184.14 (406d p. 112, 14 Pasqu.), trans. Brian Duvick, 2007, in the volume entitled Proclus: On Plato’s Cratylus, Cornel Univ. Press (Ithaca, NY), p. 108. [5] (Isíodos [Hesiod; Gr. Ἡσίοδος] Thæogonía 176-188, trans. Hugh G. Evelyn-White, 1914. This quotation was found in the 1936 publication entitled Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica, Harvard Univ. Press [Cambridge, MA USA] and William Heinemann [London, England UK], Loeb Classical Library, where this quotation may be found on p. 93.) [7] Strávohn (Strabo; Gr. Στράβων) Yæohgraphiká (Geography; Gr. Γεωγραφικά) 10.3.7. [8] Kallímakhos (Callimachus; Gr. Καλλίμαχος) Hymn 1 to Zefs, 45-54, trans. by A.W. Mair and G.R. Mair, 1921. This found in the volume entitled Callimachus and Lycophron - Aratus, published in London by William Heinemann and in New York by G. P. Putnam's Sons, pp. 41-43. [9] Nόnnos (Gr. Νόννος) Dionysiaká (Dionysiaca; Gr. Διονυσιακά) 9.160-168, trans. W.H.D. Rouse 1940, we are using the 1962 edition entitled Nonnos Dionysiaca Vol. I, Harvard Univ. Press (Cambridge, MA USA) and William Heinemann (London, England UK), where this quotation may be found on p. 315. [11] Orphic Hymn 31 trans. Thomas Taylor, 1792; we are using a facsimile of the original edition, London, England (printed for the author), where this quotation may be found on p. 156. Taylor numbers the hymn as 30.
[12] Orphic Hymn 38 trans. Thomas Taylor, 1792; we are using a facsimile of the original edition, London, England (printed for the author), where this quotation may be found on p. 156. Taylor numbers the hymn as 37. [13] Taylor translates line 21 as "from Jove descended," i.e. sons of Zefs, simply using the word Διόσκοροι in a literal sense (Διός, "Zefs" + κόρος, "lad" or "son."). Nonetheless the poem goes on to refer to them as twins (δίδυμοι), which would seem to equate them (in some way) with Kástohr (Castor; Gr. Κάστωρ) and Polydéfkis (Polydeuces or Pollux; Gr. Πολυδεύκης). The logo to the left is the principal symbol of this website. It is called the CESS logo, i.e. the Children of the Earth and the Starry Sky. The Pætilía (Petelia, Πετηλία) and other golden tablets having this phrase (Γῆς παῖς εἰμί καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος) are the inspiration for the symbol. The image represents this idea: Earth (divisible substance) and the Sky (continuous substance) are the two kozmogonic substances. The twelve stars represent the Natural Laws, the dominions of the Olympian Gods. In front of these symbols is the seven-stringed kithára (cithara, κιθάρα), the lyre of Apóllohn (Apollo, Ἀπόλλων). It (here) represents the bond between Gods and mortals and is representative that we are the children of Orphéfs (Orpheus, Ὀρφεύς). PLEASE NOTE: Throughout the pages of this website, you will find fascinating stories about our Gods. These narratives are known as , the traditional stories of the Gods and Heroes. While these tales are great mystical vehicles containing transcendent truth, they are symbolic and should not be taken literally. A literal reading will frequently yield an erroneous result. The meaning of the myths is concealed in code. To understand them requires a key. For instance, when a God kills someone, this usually means a transformation of the soul to a higher level. Similarly, sexual union with a God is a transformation. The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Rhapsodic Theogony.
We know the various qualities and characteristics of the Gods based on metaphorical stories: Mythology. Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology. SPELLING: HellenicGods.org uses the Reuchlinian method of pronouncing ancient Greek, the system preferred by scholars from Greece itself. An approach was developed to enable the student to easily approximate the Greek words. Consequently, the way we spell words is unique, as this method of transliteration is exclusive to this website. For more information, visit these three pages: PHOTO COPYRIGHT INFORMATION: The many pages of this website incorporate images, some created by the author, but many obtained from outside sources. To find out more information about these images and why this website can use them, visit this link: Photo Copyright Information DISCLAIMER: The inclusion of images, quotations, and links from outside sources does not in any way imply agreement (or disagreement), approval (or disapproval) with the views of HellenicGods.org by the external sources from which they were obtained. Further, the inclusion of images, quotations, and links from outside sources does not in any way imply agreement (or disagreement), approval (or disapproval) by HellenicGods.org of the contents or views of any external sources from which they were obtained. For more information: Inquire.hellenicgods@gmail.com For answers to many questions: Hellenismos FAQ © 2010 by HellenicGods.org. All Rights Reserved.
|