The Origin and General Characteristics of the Kourítæs

"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]

Thus Diódohros proposes two origins, that the Kourítæs were either born of Earth or sprung from the race of the Dáktyli (Dactyloi or Dactyls; Gr. Δάκτυλοι). But the Dáktyli are only one of several classes of deities found in mythology which the Kourítæs are associated with, and possibly identical to. We are speaking of divine beings such as the Káveiri (Cabeiri; Gr. Κάβειροι), the Korývandæs (Corybantes; Gr. Κορύβαντες; also spelled Κύρβαντες.), and the Tælkhínæs (Telchines; Gr. Τελχῖνες). It is a hopeless endeavor to uncover the individual characteristics of each of these types of divinities, as there is so much conflicting information; one could only do so by taking sides with one author against another. Perhaps the most useful approach is to consider seriously the opinion of the ancient author Strávohn (Strabo; Gr. Στράβων), who was very familiar with all the many ideas. His conclusion is that these various races of khthonic (earthy) Daimonæs (Daimons; Gr. Δαίμονες), if not identical to the Kourítæs, are at least very close kinsmen, differentiating characteristics being of minor significance. [7]  Taken as a group, it can be surmised that they are greatly beneficial deities of the earth, who have given us such things as metalworking, music, the pastoral crafts of bee-keeping and honey cultivation, as well as the skill of the shepherd and the hunter, and, most importantly, they are guardians of the Mystíria (Mysteries; Gr. Μυστήρια), in which rituals they become divinely inspired and intoxicated with Vakkhic frenzy, drunk from the wine of Diónysos (Dionysus or Bacchus; Gr. Διόνυσος), which is the Aithír (Aether; Gr. Αἰθήρ) of his father, Zefs. In such state, the Kourítæs enact a clamorous war-dance, clad in full armor, accompanied with the clash of drums and cymbals while beating on their armor, thus inspiring awe and fear in those who behold their wondrous, youthful activity. Strávohn says that their name comes from their youthfulness, that young men, as the name implies, are a bit like girls, in that they comb and nurture their hair, and that their clothing, despite the armor, is womanly (observe the photo at the top of this page), as it is common in boys and girls in the bloom of their youth, to take special care for their looks; and he points out that men who are soldiers for life, such as the Spartans, while being the fiercest of warriors, were fastidious about their hair and appearance.

"But thee, O Zeus, the companions of the Cyrbantes took to their arms, even the Dictaean Meliae, and Adrasteia laid thee to rest in a cradle of gold, and thou didst suck the rich teat of the she-goat Amaltheia, and thereto eat the sweet honey-comb. For suddenly on the hills of Ida, which men call Panacra, appeared the works of the Panacrian bee. And lustily round thee danced the Curetes a war-dance, beating their armour, that Cronus might hear with his ears the din of the shield, but not thine infant noise." [8]

The Dictaean Mælíai (Meliae; Gr. Μελίαι) mentioned in the hymn are the same Ash-Nýmphai (Nymphs; Gr. Νύμφαι) born of Earth and the blood of Ouranós from the above passage of Isíodos; and the Giants with their gleaming armor, are likely not the Giants of the Yigantomakhía, but rather are the Kourítæs, grouped together as protectors of the infant Zefs.

The Kourítæs and the Orphic Hymns
As students of Orphismós, we have guidance as to the understanding of the Kourítæs, two great Orphic Hymns dedicated to them. In the first of these, number 31, they are described as leaping, dancing, and bearing arms, and they are presented as mighty protectors of the Mystíria.

31. Kourítæs 1 (Curetes [1]; Gr. Κουρῆτες)

A hymn.

Leaping Curetes, who with dancing feet

And circling measures, armed footsteps beat:

Whose bosom's mad, fanatic transports fire,

Who move in rhythm to the founding lyre:

Who traces deaf when lightly leaping tread,

Arm bearers, strong defenders, rulers dread:

Propitious omens, guards of Proserpine, [10]

Preserving rites, mysterious and divine:

Come, and benevolent my words attend,

(In herds rejoicing), and my life defend. [11]

31. Ὕμνος Κουρήτων Ι.

Σκιρτηταὶ Κουρῆτες, ἐνόπλια βήματα θέντες,
ποσσίκροτοι, ῥομβηταί, ὀρέστεροι, εὐαστῆρες,
κρουσιλύραι, παράρυθμοι, ἐπεμβάται ἴχνεσι κούφοι,
ὁπλοφόροι, φύλακες, κοσμήτορες, ἀγλαόφημοι,
μητρὸς ὀρειομανοῦς συνοπάονες, ὀργιοφάνται·
ἔλθοιτ' εὐμενέοντες ἐπ' εὐφήμοισι λόγοισι,
βουκόλωι εὐάντητοι ἀεὶ κεχαρηότι θυμῶι

38. Kourítæs 2 (Curetes [2]; Gr. Κουρῆτες) 

The Fumigation from Frankincense.

Brass-beating Salians, ministers of Mars,

Who guard his arms the instruments of wars;

Whose blessed frames, heav'n, earth, and sea compose,

And from whose breath all animals arose:

Who dwell in Samothracia's sacred ground,

Defending mortals thro' the sea profound.

Deathless Curetes, by your pow'r alone,

Initial rites to men at first were shewn:

Who shake old Ocean thund'ring to the sky,

And stubborn oaks with branches waving high.

'Tis yours in glittering arms the earth to beat,

With lightly-leaping, rapid, sounding feet;

Then every beast the noise terrific flies,

And the loud tumult wanders thro' the skies:

The dust your feet excites with matchless force,

Flies to the clouds amidst their whirling course;

And ev'ry flower of variegated hue,

Grows in the dancing motion form'd by you.

Immortal dæmons, to your pow'rs consign'd

The talk to nourish, and destroy mankind.

When rushing furious with loud tumult dire,

O'erwhelm'd, they perish in your dreadful ire;

And live replenish'd with the balmy air,

The food of life, committed to your care.

When shook by you, the seas, with wild uproar,

Wide-spreading, and profoundly whirling, roar:

The concave heav'ns, with Echo's voice resound,

When leaves with ruffling noise bestrew the ground.

Curetes, Corybantes, ruling kings,

Whose praise the land of Samothracia sings:

From Jove descended; whose immortal breath

Sustains the soul, and wafts her back from death;

Aerial-form'd, much-fam'd, in heav'n ye shine

Two-fold, in heav'n all-lucid and divine:

Blowing, serene, from whom abundance springs,

Nurses of seasons, fruit-producing kings. [12]

38. Κουρήτων II, θυμίαμα λίβανον.

Χαλκόκροτοι Κουρῆτες, Ἀρήια τεύχε' ἔχοντες,
οὐράνιοι χθόνιοί τε καὶ εἰνάλιοι, πολύολβοι,
ζωιογόνοι πνοιαί, κόσμου σωτῆρες ἀγαυοί,
οἵτε Σαμοθράικην, ἱερὴν χθόνα, ναιετάοντες
κινδύνους θνητῶν ἀπερύκετε ποντοπλανήτων·
ὑμεῖς καὶ τελετὴν πρῶτοι μερόπεσσιν ἔθεσθε,
ἀθάνατοι Κουρῆτες, Ἀρήια τεύχε' ἔχοντες·
νωμᾶτ' Ὠκεανόν, νωμᾶθ' ἅλα δένδρεά θ' αὕτως·
ἐρχόμενοι γαῖαν κοναβίζετε ποσσὶν ἐλαφροῖς,
μαρμαίροντες ὅπλοις· πτήσσουσι δὲ θῆρες ἅπαντες
ὁρμώντων, θόρυβος δὲ βοή τ' εἰς οὐρανὸν ἵκει
εἱλιγμοῖς τε ποδῶν κονίη νεφέλας ἀφικάνει
ἐρχομένων· τότε δή ῥα καὶ ἄνθεα πάντα τέθηλε.
δαίμονες ἀθάνατοι, τροφέες καὶ αὖτ' ὀλετῆρες,
ἡνίκ' ἂν ὁρμαίνητε χολούμενοι ἀνθρώποισιν
ὀλλύντες βίοτον καὶ κτήματα ἠδὲ καὶ αὐτοὺς
πιμπλάντες, στοναχεῖ δὲ μέγας πόντος βαθυδίνης,
δένδρη δ' ὑψικάρην' ἐκ ῥιζῶν ἐς χθόνα πίπτει,
ἠχὼ δ' οὐρανία κελαδεῖ ῥοιζήμασι φύλλων.
Κουρῆτες Κορύβαντες, ἀνάκτορες εὐδύνατοί τε
ἐν Σαμοθράικηι ἄνακτες, ὁμοῦ <δὲ> Διόσκοροι αὐτοί,
πνοιαὶ ἀέναοι, ψυχοτρόφοι, ἀεροειδεῖς,
οἵτε καὶ οὐράνιοι δίδυμοι κλήιζεσθ' ἐν Ὀλύμπωι,
εὔπνοοι, εὔδιοι, σωτήριοι ἠδὲ προσηνεῖς,
ὡροτρόφοι, φερέκαρποι ἐπιπνείοιτε ἄνακτες.

[1] This last etymology, var. of κουρίδιος, comes from the Etymological Dictionary of Greek vol. 1 by Robert Beekes, Brill (Leiden - Boston), 2010, p. 764. Beekes defines κουρίδιος thus: " 'of a young lady, untouched', thence 'matrimonial, lawful' " (see p. 752 giving κουρίδιος as an adjective etymologically related to κόρη). Perhaps the relation is that the Kouritæs are eligible for marriage and are, therefore, young.

[6] Diódohros Sikælióhtis (Diodorus Siculus; Gr. Διόδωρος Σικελιώτης) Vivliothíki Istorikí (Historical Library; Gr. Βιβλιοθήκη ἱστορική) V.65.1-4, trans. C. H. Oldfather, 1939. We are using the 2000 edition entitled Diodorus of Sicily: The Library of History Vol. 3, Harvard Univ. Press (Cambridge, MA USA and London, England UK), LCL 340, where this quotation may be found on page 273.

[10] Taylor uses the words, "guards of Proserpine," her name not mentioned in the text. This is because he accepts the Neoplatonic understanding of the Kouritæs as explained by Próklos (Proclus; Gr. Πρόκλος) in his Theology of Plátohn (Plato; Gr. Πλάτων) Book V, Chapter 8 (p. 433 in the Prometheus Trust edition), and applies it to his translation; indeed, Próklos goes so far as to say that Pærsæphóni (Persephone; Gr. Περσεφόνη) is the first Kourítæs. Taylor takes considerable liberty with this line (5 in the Greek), usurping a literal translation for his more mystical interpretation. A more literal translation of this line refers to the entourage of a "mother" (μητρὸς) who is frenzied in the mountains, a mystic frenzy. In his note to the hymn, Taylor says, "The Corybantes, who in the supermundane are the same as the Curetes in the intellectual order, are said by Proclus, in Plat. Theol. VI, 13, 'to be the guards of Proserpine,' " and substitutes her name for μητρὸς.