Orphefs (Orpheus) and Related Subjects
HellenicGods.org
HOME GLOSSARY RESOURCE AND ESSAYS ART LOGOS CONTACT
Orpheus, or as his name is pronounced in Greek, Orphefs (Gr. Ὀρφεύς, ὈΡΦΕΎΣ) is one of the very most important figures in all of Hellenismos. His influence permeates everything that you find on this website in a general way, but the below pages deal specifically with teachings related to him:
Orphefs (Orpheus) - The famous musician and great mystic who is called the father of all Mystery Religion, read about his mythology and get an idea of what he taught:
Dionysos - The son of Zeus and a major deity in the Orphic religion:
The Orphic cosmogony is based on the material nature of the Kosmos, that all things have two basic cosmogonic substances at the root of their nature. This way of perceiving reality has terminology. The concepts presented on this page are fundamental to grasp an understanding of every other page of this website:
Each Olympian God or Goddess has particular influence over Natural and Divine Laws:
The Twelve Natural Laws of the Olympian Gods
The Orphic Theogony is similar to the Theogonia of Isiothos (Hesiod), but differs in important ways:
The Orphic Rhapsodies, the Sacred Logos in Twenty-Four Rhapsodies, is the primary cosmogony believed to have been taught by Orphefs (Orpheus) himself. The text is a Theogony similar to the Theogonia of Isiothos (Hesiod) but has a different emphasis:
ORPHIC RHAPSODIES - ΙΕΡΌΣ ΛΌΓΟΣ ΣΕ 24 ΡΑΨΩΔΊΕΣ
The Orphic Hymns are essential for ritual in our tradition. Visit this page for information about them and to download the hymns in English and in ancient Greek:
Orphic Hymn Index - Neither of the two available English translations of the Orphic hymns has a usable contents page or index, making it very difficult to find individual hymns. Here is the solution:
Protogonos, the Firstborn God, the first of the Six Vasilefs (Vasileus = Kings):
Mnemosyne - The Goddess of Remembrance:
The Hellenic Zodiacal Calendar: Here we present an essay with clues as to the meaning of the zodiacal calendar, how it is different from the ordinary view of the zodiac, its significance in relationship to the rulerships of the Olympic Gods, and its importance as a religious tool and in daily worship:
In the Hellenic tradition the Gods are worshipped in pairs (Gr.: ΤΑ ΖΕΥΓΗ ΤΩΝ ΘΕΩΝ):
The doctrine of the deification of the soul (ÆKTHÆOSIS or EKTHEOSIS, Gr. ΕΚΘΕΩΣΙΣ) has detractors. This link will take you to a page with a citations from both contemporary and ancient sources supporting the teaching:
Deification of the Soul: Sources
Orphefs (Orpheus) is said to be the originator of all the Mysteries. What are the Mysteries and why is there controversy concerning them in the contemporary Hellenic community outside of Greece?
The Golden Tablets are thin sheets of gold found in the graves of initiates of the Orphic religion. They have been discovered in parts of Italy and in areas of Greece. Perhaps the most famous of these is the Petelia Tablet, presented here in the original Greek and in an English translation, with some commentary:
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.
