Orphic Hymns: The Initiations of Orpheus

The Orphic Hymns are a rich set of pre-classical poems which are attributed to the culture hero and mythological character known as Orpheus. These poetic compositions were likely composed by a number of various poets and have been engrained in prehistoric European mythology, making there way to the world of the occult as popularized by the Order of the Golden Dawn, and writers such as Manly P. Hall and Aleister Crowley.

Orphic Hymns can be used in daily meditations, magic ritual, and prayer, and have even been utilized in the making and consecration of planetary talismans, such as those popularized by renaissance astrology.

The Orphic Hymns are a set of pre-classical poetic compositions, attributed to the culture hero Orpheus, himself the subject of a renowned myth. In reality, these poems were probably composed by several different poets. Reminiscent of the Rig-Veda, the Orphic Hymns contain a rich set of clues about prehistoric European mythology.

This translation is by Thomas Taylor, a British neo-Platonist classicist, and was first published in 1792, thus, is in the public domain.

Each hymn is accompanied by corresponding artwork, and the hymns are as follows:

To Musæus
I. To the Goddess Prothyræa
II. To Night
III: To Heaven
IV: To Fire
V. To Protogonus, Or the First-Born
VI: To The Stars
VII: To The Sun
VIII: To The Moon
IX: To Nature
X: To Pan
XI: To Hercules
XII: To Saturn
XIII: To Rhea
XIV: To Jupiter
XV: To Juno
XVI: To Neptune
XVII: To Pluto
XVIII: To Thundring Jove
XIX: To Jove, as the Author of Lightning
XX: To the Clouds
XXI: To the Sea, or Tethys
XXII: To Nereus
XXIII: To the Nereids
XXIV: To Proteus
XXV: To the Earth
XXVI: To The Mother of the Gods
XXVII: To Mercury
XXVIII: To Proserpine
XXIX: To Bacchus
XXX: To the Curetes
XXXI. To Pallas
XXXII: To Victory
XXXIII: To Apollo
XXXIV: To Latona
XXXV: To Diana
XXXVI: To The Titans
XXXVII: To the Curetes
XXXVIII: To Corybas
XXXIX: To Ceres
XL. To The Ceralian Mother
XLI: To Mises
XLII: To the Seasons
XLIII: To Semele
XLIV: To Dionysius Bassareus Triennalis
XLV: To Liknitus Bacchus
XLVI: To Bacchus Pericionius
XVLII: To Sabasius
XLVIII: To Ippa
XLIX: To Lysius Lenæus
L: To the Nymphs
LI: To Trietericus
LII: To Amphietus Bacchus
LIII: To Silenus, Satyrus, and the Priestesses of Bacchus
LIV: To Venus
LV: To Adonis
LVI: To the Terrestrial Hermes
LVII: To Cupid, or Love
LVIII: To The Fates
LIX: To the Graces
LX: To Nemesis
LXI: To Justice
LXII: To Equity
LXIII: To Law
LXIV: To Mars
LXV: To Vulcan
LXVI: To Esculapius
LXVII: To Health
LXVIII: To The Furies
LXIX: To The Furies
LXX: To Melinoe
LXXI. To Fortune
LXXII: To the Dæmon, or Genius
LXXIII: To Leucothea
LXXIV: To Palæmon
LXXV: To the Muses
LXXVI: To Mnemosyne, or the Goddess of Memory
LXXVII: To Aurora
LXXVIII: To Themis
LXXIX: To the North Wind
LXXX: To The West Wind
LXXXI: To the South Wind
LXXXII: To Ocean
LXXXIII: To Vesta
LXXXIV: To Sleep
LXXXV: To the Divinity of Dreams
LXXXVI: To Death