HellenicGods.org - ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 66

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 66

OTTO KERN

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

SUMMARY: This testimony, from the third Vatican mythographer, is an impious and ever-so-Christian interpretation of the fable of Orpheus and Euridice.

ORPHIC CRITICAL TESTIMONY 66.

Albericus Londoniensis mytholog. = Vatican Mythographer III 8, 21 (Raschke De Alberico myth. 87):

Remigio (a comm. in Martian. Capell.?) tamen de hoc figmento aliter videtur. Ait enim, Eurydicen ideo Orphei dictam esse coniugem, quia facundiae comes debet esse discretio. Ipsa vero serpente laesa ad infernum descendit, cum terrenis inhiando commodis veneno iniquitatis ad sinistram partem inflectitur. Sed si respicit, retrahitur ad terrena, nec oranti Orpheo redditur. Nam cum terrenus animus saecularia nimis concupiscit, uix eum aliqua oratio ad statum rectitudinis erigit, quia a Proserpina, id est maxima vitiorum tenetur illecebra.

“In Remigius (a commentator on Martianus Capella?), however, it is seen differently regarding this fable. For instance, he agrees that Euridice was said to be the wife of Orpheus, because discernment ought to be the companion of eloquence. She, in truth, wounded by the serpent, descends to the Underworld; while eagerly longing for earthly opportunities, she is bent by the poison of iniquity to the side of perversion. But if Orpheus looks back, he is drawn back to earthly things, and Euridice is not restored to him by his praying. For when a soul longs too much earthly things, a prayer scarcely ever raises it to the stature of uprightness, because it is held back by Proserpina, that is, by the greatest enticement of vices.”

(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.

This logo is the principal symbol of this website. It is called the CESS logo, i.e. the Children of the Earth and the Starry Sky. The Pætilía (Petelia, Πετηλία) and other golden tablets having this phrase are the inspiration for the symbol. The image represents this idea: Earth (divisible substance) and the Sky (continuous substance) are the two kozmogonic substances. The twelve stars represent the Natural Laws, the dominions of the Olympian Gods. In front of these symbols is the seven-stringed kithára (cithara, κιθάρα), the the lyre of Apóllôn (Apollo, Ἀπόλλων). It (here) represents the bond between Gods and mortals and is representative that we are the children of Orphéfs (Orpheus, Ὀρφεύς).

PLEASE NOTE: Throughout the pages of this website, you will find fascinating stories about our Gods. These narratives are known as mythology, the traditional stories of the Gods and Heroes. While these tales are great mystical vehicles containing transcendent truth, they are symbolic and should not be taken literally. A literal reading will frequently yield an erroneous result. The meaning of the myths is concealed in code. To understand them requires a key. For instance, when a God kills someone, this usually means a transformation of the soul to a higher level. Similarly, sexual union with a God is a transformation.

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.

SPELLING: HellenicGods.org uses the Reuchlinian method of pronouncing ancient Greek, the system preferred by scholars from Greece itself. An approach was developed to enable the student to easily approximate the Greek words. Consequently, the way we spell words is unique, as this method of transliteration is exclusive to this website. For more information, visit these three pages:

Pronunciation of Ancient Greek

Transliteration of Ancient Greek

Pronouncing the Names of the Gods in Hellenismos

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