Foto taken by the author of this essay who releases it to the Public Domain. Three African Seistrons.

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Seistron (sistrum; σεῖστρον, ΣΕΙΣΤΡΟΝ) The seistron is a rattle used in sacred ritual, for the worship of Isis or any God.

"The sistrum also shows that existent things must be shaken up and never have cessation from impulse, but as it were be wakened up and agitated when they fall asleep and die away.

"For they say they turn aside and beat off Typhon with sistra - signifying that when corruption binds nature fast and brings her to a stand, [then] generation frees her and raises her from death by means of motion.

"Now the sistrum has a curved top, and its arch contains the four [things] that are shaken. For the part of the cosmos which is subject to generation and corruption, is circumscribed by the sphere of the moon, and all [things] in it are moved and changed by the four elements - fire and earth and water and air.

"And on the arch of the sistrum, at the top, they put the metal figure of a cat with a human face, and at the bottom, below the shaken things, the face sometimes of Isis and sometimes of Nephthys - symbolising by the faces generation and consummation (for these are the changes and motions of the elements), and by the cat the moon, on account of the variable nature, night habits, and fecundity of the beast.

"For it is fabled to bring forth one, then two, and [then] three, and four, and five [at birth], and then adds one by one until seven; so that in all she brings forth eight-and-twenty, the number of lights of the moon.

"This, however, is probably somewhat too mythical; anyway, the pupils of its eyes seem to become full and dilate at the full-moon, and to contract and shut out the light during the wanings of that luminary.

"And by the human face of the cat is signified the intellectual and reasonable nature of the changes that take place in connection with the moon."

(Ἠθικὰ Πλουτάρχου· 26. Περὶ Ἴσιδος καὶ Ὀσίριδος Section 63 [376c-d]. Trans. G. R. S. Mead, 1906)

The use of the seistron for this author is a reconstruction, or not even that, it is simply just a way to bring music into ritual, for I was never taught its use, but, being a musician myself, I am attracted to anything musical. So, as a suggestion only, the seistron may be used just before ritual, when the traditional Orphic phrase casting out those who are inappropriate is sounded off. This is meant to frighten away those who are inappropriate for ritual, but, since most of us are alone or in small numbers, it is more of a reminder to oneself to let go of profane thoughts and to prepare oneself to communicate with the holy Gods. Hold the left hand in a posture forbidding entry, and shake the seistron in the right hand, while reciting the verse.

Of course the seistron may be used in music for ritual as well. It originally came from ancient Egyptian religion and found its way into the Græco-Roman world through the worship of Isis and Osiris, thus entering into Ællinismόs, the ancient Greek religion. We have the above quotation of Ploutarkhos, some references in Apuleius (The Golden Ass/Metamorphoses), and scant else.

Suitable seistrons of various designs are available on Ebay at a very reasonable price, often handcrafted in Africa, with the rattles made of flattened bottle-caps. Egyptian-style seistrons can be obtained through Amazon and elsewhere. They seem to be used also by the Coptic Egyptian churches and these versions also find their way onto Ebay.

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.

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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