ORPHISM
ORPHISMÓS - ΟΡΦΙΣΜΟΣ
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ORPHEUS is a personage of great importance from the ancient world. Orpheus is the famous poet, musician, and theologian who is called the father of all Mysteries. His influence permeates everything on this website generally, but the links below will take you to pages specifically related to teachings of this great theologian, teachings referred to as Orphism, which is the religion of Diónysos and his Mysteries.
PLEASE NOTE: The links are arranged in alphabetical order by topic.
ARGONAUTICA: The story of Jason and the Argonauts is familiar from the epic poem of Apollonios Rodios, but there is another version of this story which is specifically Orphic, symbolic of the journey of the soul to deification:
FRAGMENTS: Here is a link to the Orphic fragments, both in their original language as well as in English translations:
The Orphic Fragments of Otto Kern
HYMNS: The Orphic Hymns provide liturgy for this religion:
Hymns of Orpheus in English and in ancient Greek
The Orphic Hymns in Ancient Greek Online.
MATERIALISM: The Orphic viewpoint is based on the material nature of the universe:
Glossary of Orphic Materialism and Sensation.
MONOTHEISM AND POLYTHEISM: Monotheism in Hellenismos
MYSTERIES: Orpheus is said to be the founder of all Mysteries. What are the Mysteries and why is there controversy concerning them?
Glossary of Hellenic Mystery Religion
Glossary of the Eleusinian Mysteries
ORPHEUS:
Orpheus - basic biography and why he is important
REINCARNATION:
Deification of the Soul: Sources
SECRECY: Why is the Orphic tradition said to be secret?
Glossary of Secrecy in Ancient Greek Mystery Religion.
THEOGONY: Theogony is a story of the birth of the Gods. The Orphic theogony shares many things in common with the theogony of Hesiod, but it also different in important ways:
VIRTUE - Orphism is said to be an aretaic tradition, i. e. based on virtue. What is virtue in our religion?
Compassion in Ancient Greek Religion
MISCELLANEOUS ORPHIC TOPICS:
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.
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 (Γῆς παῖς εἰμί καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος) 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 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 .
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.
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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