Translated by Catherine Proppe, November 20, 2017 from the Hymns of Orpheus in ancient Greek.
3 (AA=26, TT=25). To Ge, Goddess of Generative Earth
Divine medium: all seeds except beans, and aromatics
Goddess Gaia, Blessed Mother of human mortals,
All-nurturer, all-bestower, fulfiller of all miracles,
Cultivator of blooms, bearer of fruits and grains
In seasonal abundance throughout the ripening plains,
Divine seat of the cosmos’ many offsprings’ varieties,
As fruits take countless forms from the travail of pregnancies,
Eternal, much-revered, deep-bosomed Lady of whole life fates,
Tender sprouts’ many blooms sweet breezes divinely grace,
Rain blessed, surrounded by the cosmos’ countless fiery stars,
Cycling Nature’s everlasting, everflowing powers,
Blessed Goddess, Ge divine, grow fruit in abundance,
Kind power, heart’s foundation, grant whole life blessings in Season.
26. Γῆς,
θυμίαμα πᾶν σπέρμα πλὴν κυάμων καὶ ἀρωμάτων.
Γαῖα θεά, μῆτερ μακάρων θνητῶν τ' ἀνθρώπων,
πάντροφε, πανδώτειρα, τελεσφόρε, παντολέτειρα,
αὐξιθαλής, φερέκαρπε, καλαῖς ὥραισι βρύουσα,
ἕδρανον ἀθανάτου κόσμου, πολυποίκιλε κούρη,
ἣ λοχίαις ὠδῖσι κύεις καρπὸν πολυειδῆ,
ἀιδία, πολύσεπτε, βαθύστερν', ὀλβιόμοιρε,
ἡδυπνόοις χαίρουσα χλόαις πολυάνθεσι δαῖμον,
ὀμβροχαρής, περὶ ἣν κόσμος πολυδαίδαλος ἄστρων
εἱλεῖται φύσει ἀενάωι καὶ ῥεύμασι δεινοῖς.
ἀλλά, μάκαιρα θεά, καρποὺς αὔξοις πολυγηθεῖς
εὐμενὲς ἦτορ ἔχουσα, σὺν ὀλβίοισιν ἐν ὥραις.
Ge, also known as Gaia, is the Goddess of the force and power of generative earth.
At the conclusion of the Eleusinian Mysteries--the greatest, most honored, and most ancient religious rite of ancient Greece—the initiates would look up at the sky and cry aloud “υε Rain!” and then look down at the earth and shout “κύε Conceive!” in a direct appeal to the God Zeus and the Goddess Gaia.
Ἐλευσνίους είς μἑν τὸν οὐρανὁν ἁναβλέποντες έβὀων 'ὒε,' καταβλἐψαντες δὲ εις τὴν γἦν 'κύε.'
(υε κύε, a cry at the Eleusinia, Hippolytus.Haer.5.7, Proclus.in Timaeus .3.176 D., cf. Inscriptiones Gracae 2.4876 (Athens, ?i a.d.))
In ancient literature, Gaia is called the Mother of all. She preceded and gave birth to all other Goddesses and Gods, and ultimately, she is the mother of all immortal and mortal beings.
Around 500 BCE, three young princes asked the oracle at Delphi which of them would reign in Rome after Tarquin. She replied, “He who first kisses his mother.” Brutus, understanding the true meaning of the oracle “stumbled upon the ground as they quitted the temple, and kissed the earth, mother of them all.” (“Brutus,” A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Mythology, William Smith.)
According to Hesiod’s Theogony (116-117) (an account of the origin of the universe written around 700 BCE), Gaia (Γαῖα), Earth, is the “ever-sure foundations” that first emerged from primordial Chaos (Χάος):
“Verily at the first Chaos came to be, but next wide-bosomed Earth, the ever-sure foundations of all . . .”12
“ Ἦ τοι μὲν πρώτιστα Χάος γένετ ̓, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα Γαῖ ̓ εὐρύστερνος, πάντων ἕδος ἀσφαλὲς αἰεὶ . . .”13
Along similar lines, Homeric Hymn 30. “To Earth Mother of All (Εϊς Γῆν Μητέρα Πάντων),” circa 600 BCE, begins:
“I will sing of well-founded Earth, mother of all, eldest of all beings.”14
“γαῖαν παμμήτειραν ἀείσομαι, ἠυθέμεθλον, πρεσβίστην”15
3 (AA=26, TT=25). To Ge, Goddess of Generative Earth
Divine medium: all seeds except beans, and aromatics
Goddess Gaia, Blessed Mother of human mortals,
All-nurturer, all-bestower, fulfiller of all miracles,
Cultivator of blooms, bearer of fruits and grains
In seasonal abundance throughout the ripening plains,
Divine seat of the cosmos’ many offsprings’ varieties,
As fruits take countless forms from the travail of pregnancies,
Eternal, much-revered, deep-bosomed Lady of whole life fates,
Tender sprouts’ many blooms sweet breezes divinely grace,
Rain blessed, surrounded by the cosmos’ countless fiery stars,
Cycling Nature’s everlasting, everflowing powers,
Blessed Goddess, Ge divine, grow fruit in abundance,
Kind power, heart’s foundation, grant whole life blessings in Season.
26. Γῆς,
θυμίαμα πᾶν σπέρμα πλὴν κυάμων καὶ ἀρωμάτων.
Γαῖα θεά, μῆτερ μακάρων θνητῶν τ' ἀνθρώπων,
πάντροφε, πανδώτειρα, τελεσφόρε, παντολέτειρα,
αὐξιθαλής, φερέκαρπε, καλαῖς ὥραισι βρύουσα,
ἕδρανον ἀθανάτου κόσμου, πολυποίκιλε κούρη,
ἣ λοχίαις ὠδῖσι κύεις καρπὸν πολυειδῆ,
ἀιδία, πολύσεπτε, βαθύστερν', ὀλβιόμοιρε,
ἡδυπνόοις χαίρουσα χλόαις πολυάνθεσι δαῖμον,
ὀμβροχαρής, περὶ ἣν κόσμος πολυδαίδαλος ἄστρων
εἱλεῖται φύσει ἀενάωι καὶ ῥεύμασι δεινοῖς.
ἀλλά, μάκαιρα θεά, καρποὺς αὔξοις πολυγηθεῖς
εὐμενὲς ἦτορ ἔχουσα, σὺν ὀλβίοισιν ἐν ὥραις.
Ge, also known as Gaia, is the Goddess of the force and power of generative earth.
At the conclusion of the Eleusinian Mysteries--the greatest, most honored, and most ancient religious rite of ancient Greece—the initiates would look up at the sky and cry aloud “υε Rain!” and then look down at the earth and shout “κύε Conceive!” in a direct appeal to the God Zeus and the Goddess Gaia.
Ἐλευσνίους είς μἑν τὸν οὐρανὁν ἁναβλέποντες έβὀων 'ὒε,' καταβλἐψαντες δὲ εις τὴν γἦν 'κύε.'
(υε κύε, a cry at the Eleusinia, Hippolytus.Haer.5.7, Proclus.in Timaeus .3.176 D., cf. Inscriptiones Gracae 2.4876 (Athens, ?i a.d.))
In ancient literature, Gaia is called the Mother of all. She preceded and gave birth to all other Goddesses and Gods, and ultimately, she is the mother of all immortal and mortal beings.
Around 500 BCE, three young princes asked the oracle at Delphi which of them would reign in Rome after Tarquin. She replied, “He who first kisses his mother.” Brutus, understanding the true meaning of the oracle “stumbled upon the ground as they quitted the temple, and kissed the earth, mother of them all.” (“Brutus,” A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Mythology, William Smith.)
According to Hesiod’s Theogony (116-117) (an account of the origin of the universe written around 700 BCE), Gaia (Γαῖα), Earth, is the “ever-sure foundations” that first emerged from primordial Chaos (Χάος):
“Verily at the first Chaos came to be, but next wide-bosomed Earth, the ever-sure foundations of all . . .”12
“ Ἦ τοι μὲν πρώτιστα Χάος γένετ ̓, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα Γαῖ ̓ εὐρύστερνος, πάντων ἕδος ἀσφαλὲς αἰεὶ . . .”13
Along similar lines, Homeric Hymn 30. “To Earth Mother of All (Εϊς Γῆν Μητέρα Πάντων),” circa 600 BCE, begins:
“I will sing of well-founded Earth, mother of all, eldest of all beings.”14
“γαῖαν παμμήτειραν ἀείσομαι, ἠυθέμεθλον, πρεσβίστην”15
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