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For links to many more fragments: The Orphic Fragments of Otto Kern.

SUMMARY: In fragment 62, Orpheus claimed that he did not invent his stories, but, rather, that he learned these things by petitioning Apollo himself.

62. Χρονογραφία Ἰωάννου Μαλάλα IV 88-92 p. 72, 16 Dind. (test. nr. 21) ~ Georg. Cedren. Histor. compend. I 101, 11 Bekk. vs. 1-3 etiam ap. Tzetz. Exeges. in Iliad. 53, 17 Herm.:

μετὰ δὲ βραχὺ ἡγήσατο τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ Γεδεών. ἐν αὐτῷ δὲ τῷ χρόνῳ ἦν

Ὀρφεὺς ὁ Θρᾴξ, ὁ λυρικὸς Ὀδρυσαῖος (v. test. nr. 233 e), ὁ σοφώτατος καὶ περιβόητος ποιητής· ὅστις ἐξέθετο θεογονίαν καὶ κόσμου κτίσιν καὶ ἀνθρώπων πλαστουργίαν, εἰρηκὼς ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τοῦ συντάγματος αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας αὐτοῦ ἐνθυμήσεως οὐκ ἐξέθετό τί ποτε περὶ θεοῦ ἢ τῆς κοσμικῆς κτίσεως, ἀλλ᾽ εἶπεν ὅτι | ^{73 Dind.} αἰτησαμένου διὰ ἰδίας αὐτοῦ εὐχῆς μαθεῖν παρὰ τοῦ Φοίβου Τιτᾶνος Ἡλίου τὴν θεογονίαν καὶ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου κτίσιν καὶ τίς ἐποίησεν αὐτήν. ἐμφέρεται γὰρ ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ ἐκθέσει διὰ ποιητικῶν στίχων οὕτως·

Ὦναξ, Λητοῦς υἱέ, ἑκατηβόλε, Φοῖβε κραταιέ,

ὦ δέσποτα, ἡμέρας υἱέ, ὁ τὰ πάντα πόρρωθεν ταῖς ἀκτῖσί σου τοξεύων, ἀμίαντε

καὶ δυνατέ,

πανδερκές, θνητοῖσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀνάσσων,

ὁ τὰ πάντα ἐπιβλέπων, θνητῶν καὶ ἀθανάτων βασιλεύων,

Ἥλιε χρυσέαισιν ἀειρόμενε πτερύγεσσιν,

Ἥλιε τιμίαις εἰς τὸν ἀέρα ὑψούμενε πτέρυξι,

δωδεκάτην δὴ τήνδε παραί σεο ἔκλυον ὀμφήν,

δωδεκάτην δὴ ταύτην παρά σου ἤκουσα θείαν φωνήν,

σεῦ φαμένου· σὲ δέ γ' αὐτόν, ἑκηβόλε, μάρτυρα θείην. σοῦ εἰρηκότος μοι, σὲ δ᾽ αὐτὸν τὸν ἀπὸ μακρόθεν λάμποντα τίθημι.

καὶ ἄλλους δὲ πολλοὺς περὶ τούτου εἶπε στίχους ὁ αὐτὸς Ὀρφεύς· ἔφρασε δὲ ὡς ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων στίχων ποιητικῶν ἐξέθετο· καὶ οὐκ ἐνεδέχετο ἐντάξαι τὸ πλῆθος τῶν στίχων | ^{74 Dind.} ἐν τῇ συγγραφῇ ταύτῃ.

“But shortly after, Gideôn (Γεδεών) became the leader of Israel. Whereas (living) at that time was Thrakian Orphéfs (Ὀρφεὺς), the Odryssian (Thrakian) lyrist, a wise and famous poet. He expounded the origin of the Gods and the creation of the kózmos and the generation of mankind, proclaiming at the beginning of his treatise, that from his own personal conception he assuredly did not invent anything concerning God or the creation of the world, but that he learned by petitioning through his own prayer from the Titan Phívos (Φοῖβος, i.e. Apollo), the Sun, the origin of the Gods and the creation of the world and who of his own accord produced it. For he gave an account of his own exposition through lines of verse in this manner:

Oh Lord, son of Lîtóh (Lêtô, Λητώ), far-shooter, mighty Phívos (Φοῖβος),

Oh Master, son of day, shooting from afar, you, in every way release rays, undefiled and powerful.

All-seeing, ruling over mortals and immortals,

Looking over everything attentively, king of mortals and immortals,

Oh Sun, risen above on golden wings,

Oh Sun, you fly high with wings through the air,

I heard your oracle nigh unto the twelfth time,

I heard your divine voice nigh unto the twelfth time.

σεῦ φαμένου· σὲ δέ γ’ αὐτόν, ἑκηβόλε, μάρτυρα θείην. σοῦ εἰρηκότος μοι, σὲ δ᾽ αὐτὸν τὸν ἀπὸ μακρόθεν λάμποντα τίθημι.

Having thus spoken, and indeed from you, oh far-shooting one, my divine witness! From your words, and you, the very one shining from afar, I consider!

And Orphéfs himself uttered yet many other verses; whereas he spoke (in like manner) as set forth in those lines of verse above; and it is not possible to cite here such a great number of verses.’ | ^{74 Dind.} in the book in this way.” (trans. by the author)

Vs. 1-3 praebet etiam ex eodem fonte Μαρτύρ. τῆς Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης III 11 p. 51 Viteau:

ἔπειτα Ὀρφεύς ὁ περίβλεπτος ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ Φεογονίαι οὕτω πως ἀπευχαριστῶν τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι· Ὦ ἄνα ... πτερύγεσσιν.

Vs. 1-3 provides even from the same source Μαρτύρ. Ἀγρυπνία Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης (a book) 3.11 p. 51 Viteau:

“Thereupon much-admired Orphéfs, in the theogonies attributed to him, in this manner showed gratitude to Apóllôn; O lord ... with wings.” (trans. by the author)

Ad vs. 1 v. Πρός Αυτόλυκον τοῦ Θεοφίλου Ἀντιοχείας III 17 p. 128 b (230 Otto):

οὐχὶ καὶ οἱ ποιηταὶ Ὅμηρος καὶ Ἡσίοδος καὶ Ὀρφεὺς ἔφασαν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ θείας προνοίας μεμαθηκέναι;

“And did not the poets Homer and Hesiod and Orpheus profess that they themselves had been instructed by Divine Providence?” (trans. Marcus Dods, 1885)

et fr. 49 init.; ad vs. 3 cf. cod. Monac. 70 Hermeticum ab Heegio Catal. codic. astrol. graec. VIII 2, 156, 6 editum:

ὁρκίζω σε Ἥλιε ἄψαυστε, ἀκατέργαστε, ἡμεροφεγγής, εἰς τὸν χρονικόν σου κύκλον καὶ εἰς τοὺς τέσσαράς σου καιροὺς καὶ εἰς τὴν ὁδόν σου καὶ εἰς τὰς ἀκτῖνάς σου καὶ εἰς τὰς πτέρυγάς σου καὶ εἰς τὰς ἐνεργείας σου καὶ εἰς τὰ ὀνόματά σου ταῦτα·

“I beseech you oh sacred Ílios (Ἥλιος), untarnished, shining through the day, to your circle of time, your four seasons, your (celestial) road, your beams, your wings, your activities, and to your (many) names: etc.” (trans. by the author)

The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic 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.