A Sacred Tradition of Secrecy

The ancient Greek writers were robustly poetic; they greatly enjoyed the use of metaphors, symbols, and allegories. Of course, to use language in this way is very beautiful and delightful, but when the subject of religion is involved...which is almost always the case in one way or another in these texts...the loveliness of the poetry is sometimes not the ultimate object, but rather to conceal something precious. This is true of the mythology in general, but of religious texts concerning the Mysteries, it is the rule. Orphismós (Orphism; Gr. Ορφισμός) and the traditions of the Mystíria (Mystery Religion; Gr. Μυστήρια) are well-known as being secret traditions and their texts are locked and require linguistic keys which are usually not so accessible to those who are unfamiliar with its imagery:

"And the true nature of the words cannot be said even though they are spoken. The poem is an alien one and riddling for human beings. But Orpheus intended by means of it to say not contentious riddles, but rather great things in riddles. Indeed, he is uttering a holy discourse, and from the first all the way to the last word, as he makes clear in the well-chosen verse too: for having bidden them to put doors to their ears he says that he is not legislating for the many (ed. but for ) those who are pure in hearing ..." [1]

"Some say that Orpheus came to his end by being struck by a thunderbolt, hurled at him by the God because he revealed sayings in the Mysteries to men who had not heard them before." [2]

    Aiskhýlos: It is reported that the great tragedian Aiskhýlos (Aeschylus; Gr. Αἰσχύλος) revealed something of the Mysteries in his writing [3] for which he was placed on trial. Although he himself was from Ælefsís (Eleusis or Elefsina; Gr. Ἐλευσίς), Aiskhýlos claimed that he had never been initiated into the rites and that he could not have disclosed something which he actually did not know, and, therefore, he was at last acquitted. Nonetheless, something in his plays reflected secrets of the Mystíria (Mysteries; Gr. Μυστήρια) which were identified as such by those who accused him and Aiskhýlos either revealed these secrets deliberately or somehow discovered them without being initiated and included them in his plays being unaware that the ideas were secret. And it is said that his plays contain many hints and whispers of the Mysteries.

"The initiatory rite which is celebrated by the Athenians in Eleusis, the most famous, one may venture, of them all, and that of Samothrace, and the one practised in Thrace among the Cicones, whence Orpheus came who introduced them---these are all handed down in the form of a mystery (i.e. secretly), whereas at Cnosus in Crete it has been the custom from ancient times that these initiatory rites should be handed down to all openly, and what is handed down among other peoples as not to be divulged, this the Cretans conceal from no one who may wish to inform himself upon such matters." [4]

This is significant also because the island of Kríti (Crete: Gr. Κρήτη) was strongly associated in ancient times with the Mystíria, the birth of Zefs (Zeus; Gr. Ζεύς) and the Kourítæs (Curetes; Gr. Κουρῆτες).

"...I can adduce the Greeks as exceedingly addicted to the use of the method of concealment? Androcydes the Pythagorean says the far-famed so-called Ephesian letters were of the class of symbols. For he said that ἄσκιον (shadowless) meant darkness, for it has no shadow; and κατάσκιον (shadowy) light, since it casts with its rays the shadow; and λίξ if is the earth, according to an ancient appellation; and τετράς is the year, in reference to the seasons; and δαμναμενεύς is the sun, which overpowers (δαμάζων); and τὰ αἴσια is the true voice. And then the symbol intimates that divine things have been arranged in harmonious order--darkness to light, the sun to the year, and the earth to nature's processes of production of every sort. Also Dionysius Thrax, the grammarian, in his book, Respecting the Exposition of the Symbolical Signification in Circles, says expressly, 'Some signified actions not by words only, but also by symbols: by words, as is the case of what are called the Delphic maxims, "Nothing in excess," "Know thyself," and the like; and by symbols, as the wheel that is turned in the temples of the Gods, derived from the Egyptians, and the branches that are given to the worshippers. For the Thracian Orpheus says:

'Whatever works of branches are a care to men on earth,

Not one has one fate in the mind, but all things

Revolve around; and it is not lawful to stand at one point,

But each one keeps an equal part of the race as they began.'

"The branches either stand as the symbol of the first food, or they are that the multitude may know that fruits spring and grow universally, remaining a very longtime; but that the duration of life allotted to themselves is brief. And it is on this account that they will have it that the branches are given; and perhaps also that they may know, that as these, on the other hand, are burned, so also they themselves speedily leave this life, and will become fuel for fire.

"Very useful, then, is the mode of symbolic interpretation for many purposes; and it is helpful to the right theology, and to piety, and to the display of intelligence, and the practice of brevity, and the exhibition of wisdom. For the use of symbolic speech is characteristic of the wise man, appositely remarks the grammarian Didymus, and the explanation of what is signified by it..."

"Does not Epigenes, in his book on the Poetry of Orpheus, in exhibiting the peculiarities found in Orpheus, say that by "the curved rods" (κεραίσι) is meant "ploughs;" and by the warp (στήμοσι), the furrows; and the woof (μίτος) is a figurative expression for the seed; and that the tears of Zeus signify a shower; and that the "parts" (μοῖραι) are, again, the phases of the moon, the thirtieth day, and the fifteenth, and the new moon, and that Orpheus accordingly calls them "white-robed," as being parts of the light? Again, that the Spring is called "flowery," from its nature; and Night "still," on account of rest; and the Moon "Gorgonian," on account of the face in it; and that the time in which it is necessary to sow is called Aphrodite by the "Theologian." In the same way, too, the Pythagoreans figuratively called the planets the "dogs of Persephone;" and to the sea they applied the metaphorical appellation of the "tears of Kronus." Myriads on myriads of enigmatical utterances by both poets and philosophers are to be found; and there are also whole books which present the mind of the writer veiled, as that of Heraclitus On Nature, who on this very account is called "Obscure." Similar to this book is the Theology of Pherecydes of Syrus; for Euphorion the poet, and the Causes of Callimachus, and the Alexandra of Lycophron, and the like, are proposed as an exercise in exposition to all the grammarians." [6]

ἑκας, ἑκας ὅστις ἀλιτρός [7]

Be far! Be far! you who are wicked!

θύρας δʹ ἐπίθεσθε βέβηλοι.

put bars to ears all ye profane together. [8]

ἑκας, ἑκας ὅστις ἀλιτρός

θύρας δʹ ἐπίθεσθε βέβηλοι

Be far! Be far! You who are wicked.

Close your doors, you who are profane. [9]

“…he is not legislating for the many (ed. but for) those who are pure in hearing ..." [1]

φθέγξομαι οἷς θέμις ἐστί·

My words shall reach the pure; [8]

Come! you who enjoy great privilege, you who are good, mystics much blessed!

Greetings! and welcome to holy ritual!

Ritual is communion with Gods. It is based on Ǽrohs (Eros; Gr. Ἔρως), a mighty force that flows back and forth between Gods and mortals. This is an intimate and beautiful labor, a true expression of love, which is not appropriate for all to see. Just as when we make love with our spouses, we do not perform the act in front of glass walls or photograph ourselves to make a YouTube for the Internet. No, we regard ritual as so very sacred that it must be kept from the curiosity of the profane. This is the privacy and secrecy of Orphic ritual.

Reconstructionists believe that it is legitimate to conduct public rituals. They say that their activities emulate the great festivals of antiquity…which were public. They say that these endeavors are beneficial for the participants and society at large. And they say that these rituals are not specifically “Orphic,” of the Mysteries. So should such activities be public or private? It would seem that they should be out of the eyes of non-believers. Why? In ancient times the vast majority of people believed in our religion. The state approved of and financially supported these festivals. This is not the case now. Although the nature of the festivities is not particularly secret, it is deeply sacred and all sacred activity should be separated from the profane. Nonetheless, what other people do is their business and they should not be condemned for their views. In ancient times, only those who received initiation (μύησις) from the mystagohgós (mystagogos; Gr. μυστᾰγωγός), a teacher in the Mysteries, were allowed into the rituals of Orphismós. All of those initiations have been lost. Anyone performing an initiation ceremony in modern times is doing a reconstruction, as far as this author is aware. The contemporary approach in the tradition given to this author by his teacher in Greece is that by accepting the rituals and making a commitment to lead a virtuous life we become suitable and are trusted to become a vessel of the lineage; this learning process and its accompanying responsibilities constitutes a very real initiation which is entirely ample and genuine; we initiate (μυέω) ourselves and become a mýstis (mystes or mustes; Gr. μὐστης), an initiate of the Mysteries. This is what we now possess and we must honor it. The idea of reconstructing an initiation has been discussed and rejected primarily because of the fear that the ego [8] ...the ýdra (hydra; Gr. ὕδρα), the master of self-deception.... will utilize all his energy to ensnare those who receive such an initiation and will create a false and corrupting sense of superiority in the souls of those who receive it. So we take the courageous path of rejecting a false badge of honor in favor of genuine courage and character. What other communities decide to do is their business and we cannot judge them, but this is the direction from our teacher.     The self-secret: Things which are self-secret can sometimes be told because they cannot be understood unless the one who hears them has the necessary background in their meaning; the understanding of such teaching remains hidden while it is in plain sight. The mythology is an example of the self-secret. This refers not only to the specifically Orphic mythology but to mythology in general. It is thought that in great antiquity, Orphéfs (Orpheus; Gr. Ὀρφεύς) revealed the Kozmogonía (Cosmogony; Gr. Κοσμογονία) and thereby gave us the names of the Gods. From this perspective, all the mythology can be seen as an expression of Orphismós (Orphism; Gr. Ορφισμός) and is, generally, self-secret.