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

SUMMARY: Fragment 53 briefly mentions Baubo as appearing in the Orphica, represented in a rather strange story.

53. (216) Μιχαὴλ Ψελλός ἐν τῷ Λέοντι Αλλάτιῳ De Graecor. hodie quorundam opinat. ad Paull. Zacchiam Colon. Agrippin. 1645, 140 (Sathas Μεσαιωνικὴ βιβλ. V 571):

ὁ μέν τοι Βαβουτζικάριος [1] ἐξ Ἑλληνικῆς φλυαρίας παρεισεφθάρη [2] τῷ βίῳ· ἔνεστι γάρ που τοῖς Ὀρφικοῖς ἔπεσι Βαβώ τις ὀνομαζομένη δαίμων νυκτερινὴ, ἐπιμήκης τὸ σχῆμα καὶ σκιώδης τὴν ὕπαρξιν. ἱστορεῖ δὲ καὶ Πορφύριος ὁ φιλόσοφος περὶ τούτων. (sc. ἐν ταῖς ἀγυρτικαῖς βίβλοις v. Leon. Allat. 1.1. 117; desuat ap. J. Bidez La vie de Porphyrie 1913, 65 ss. in laterculo scriptorum Porphyrianorum).

“Most certainly, the Nightmare (Βαβουτζικάριος [1]) was introduced into the world from Greek nonsense; for it exists somewhere in the Orphic sayings (where) in a fable, Vavóh (Βαβώ), who is called a nocturnal daimôn, is in substance, long and of shadowy form; and the philosopher Porphýrios (inquired) about these things.” (trans. by the author)

(sc. ἐν ταῖς ἀγυρτικαῖς βίβλοις v. Leon. Allat. 1.1. 117; desuat ap. J. Bidez La vie de Porphyrie 1913, 65 ss. in laterculo scriptorum Porphyrianorum).

ἔθνος δὲ οὗτος <λέγει> [3] βόρειόν τε καὶ βάρβαρον πολλοῖς τοιούτοις ἐπ<ιτε>τυχηκέναι [4] νυκτερινοῖς φάσμασιν, ἃ δή φασι νυκτὸς μὲν ἐπικαίειν, ἡμέρας δὲ ἐντυγχάνειν τοῖς ἐπικαυθεῖσι λεπτοῖς τισι καὶ ἀμαυροῖς σώμασι νήμασιν ἀραχνίοις προσεοικόσιν.

“And this says that a northern and barbarous tribe met with (ἐντετυχηκέναι [4]) many nocturnal apparitions such as this. Indeed, they declare, that burning them by night, they encountered by day their burnt bodies, thin and dark, so as to resemble spider webs.” (trans. by the author)

NOTES:

[1] Βαβουτζικάριος: Liddell & Scott does not have an entry for this word. Brill defines it as someone who thinks they are a werewolf. Μιχαὴλ Ψελλός, who wrote this fragment, was a Byzantine monk, dying in 1078 CE or perhaps later. In the Greek Lexicon of the Roman and Byzantine periods (from B. C. 146 to A. D. 1100) of Evangelinus Apostolides Sophocles, it is defined as “nightmare” and the equivalent of ἐφιάλτης (which is also defined as “nightmare”).

[2] προσεφθάρη Lobeck.

[3] λέγει add. Kern; ἔθνος δὲ οὗτοι βόρειόν τε Sathas.

[4] ἐπ<ιτε>τυχηκέναι vel ἐ<ντε>τυχηκέναι Kern.

Ad nomen Βαβώ = Βαυβώ cf. titulum Parium IG XII 5, 227, ubi vs. 3 littera Y verbi Βαυβοῖ postea inserta est; cf. ἑατοῦ = ἑαυτοῦ quod Augusti fere aetate divulgatur.

Lobeck II 823; Rohde Psyche II⁶ 408; Dieterich Philolog. LII 1893, 4 = Kl. Schr. 128; Kern RE² III 150; Herm. LIV 1919, 217.

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.

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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.

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