"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]

"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]

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.