Translated by Catherine Proppe, November 15, 2016
74. Λευκοθέας, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To Leukothea, the White Goddess of the Sea
Divine medium: aromatics
Λευκοθέαν καλέω Καδμηίδα, δαίμονα σεμνήν,
Leukothea I call, revered Kadmean Goddess,
εὐδύνατον, θρέπτειραν ἐυστεφάνου Διονύσου.
Kindly power, nurturer of fair-crowned Dionysos,
κλῦθι, θεά, πόντοιο βαθυστέρνου μεδέουσα,
I call the Goddess of the deep-bosomed seas, guardian
κύμασι τερπομένη, θνητῶν σώτειρα μεγίστη·
Of swelling marvelous power, majestic mortal savior,
ἐν σοὶ γὰρ νηῶν πελαγοδρόμος ἄστατος ὁρμή,
To thou, then, seafaring ships on tumultuous high seas cling for
μούνη δὲ θνητῶν οἰκτρὸν μόρον εἰν ἁλὶ λύεις,
Mortals’ sole compassionate fate when the seas let loose--
οἷς ἂν ἐφορμαίνουσα φίλη σωτήριος ἔλθοις.
Carry them above, rule the raging, loving savior--come!
ἀλλά, θεὰ δέσποινα, μόλοις ἐπαρωγὸς ἐοῦσα
Queenly Goddess, kindly come to aid each
νηυσὶν ἐπ’ εὐσέλμοις σωτήριος εὔφρονι βουλῆι,
Ship upon each deck, good-hearted savior and counselor,
μύσταις ἐν πόντωι ναυσίδρομον οὖρον ἄγουσα.
When the seafaring mystae sail a course to dawn’s horizon.
NOTES
Leukothea (Λευκοθέα) literally means “White (Λευκο) + Goddess (θέα).” She is the Goddess of the whitecaps of the sea.
The Beaufort Wind Scale developed in 1805 by Sir Francis Beaufort describes waves in terms ranging from ripples, to wavelets, to whitecaps, to white foam, to breakers and rollers, to hurricane conditions when the air is “filled with foam” and the sea is “completely white with driving spray.”[1]
The stories involving Leukothea usually feature the murder of children by a parent. In the most common tale, the mortal Ino ((Ἰνώ) of Kadmeia (Καδμεία) in Thebes was the nurse of Dionysos, the God of wine and its effects. Ino leapt from a cliff into the sea with her son to escape her husband’s murderous insane rage. Ino then became the Goddess Leukothea and her son became Palaimon (Παλαίμων), the old (Παλαί) + one (μων).” Both are deities who come to the aid of sailors in distress. In works of art Palaimon is represented as a boy carried by marine deities or dolphins.[2]
There was a temple in Corinth with statues of Palaimon, Leukothea, and Poseidon.
Mystae are initiates in the Mysteries.
[1] Beaufort Wind Scale, developed in 1805 CE by Sir Francis Beaufort of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/beaufort.html
[2] Schmitz, L. (1870). PALAEMON (Παλαίμων). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 3, p. 88). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
74. Λευκοθέας, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To Leukothea, the White Goddess of the Sea
Divine medium: aromatics
Λευκοθέαν καλέω Καδμηίδα, δαίμονα σεμνήν,
Leukothea I call, revered Kadmean Goddess,
εὐδύνατον, θρέπτειραν ἐυστεφάνου Διονύσου.
Kindly power, nurturer of fair-crowned Dionysos,
κλῦθι, θεά, πόντοιο βαθυστέρνου μεδέουσα,
I call the Goddess of the deep-bosomed seas, guardian
κύμασι τερπομένη, θνητῶν σώτειρα μεγίστη·
Of swelling marvelous power, majestic mortal savior,
ἐν σοὶ γὰρ νηῶν πελαγοδρόμος ἄστατος ὁρμή,
To thou, then, seafaring ships on tumultuous high seas cling for
μούνη δὲ θνητῶν οἰκτρὸν μόρον εἰν ἁλὶ λύεις,
Mortals’ sole compassionate fate when the seas let loose--
οἷς ἂν ἐφορμαίνουσα φίλη σωτήριος ἔλθοις.
Carry them above, rule the raging, loving savior--come!
ἀλλά, θεὰ δέσποινα, μόλοις ἐπαρωγὸς ἐοῦσα
Queenly Goddess, kindly come to aid each
νηυσὶν ἐπ’ εὐσέλμοις σωτήριος εὔφρονι βουλῆι,
Ship upon each deck, good-hearted savior and counselor,
μύσταις ἐν πόντωι ναυσίδρομον οὖρον ἄγουσα.
When the seafaring mystae sail a course to dawn’s horizon.
NOTES
Leukothea (Λευκοθέα) literally means “White (Λευκο) + Goddess (θέα).” She is the Goddess of the whitecaps of the sea.
The Beaufort Wind Scale developed in 1805 by Sir Francis Beaufort describes waves in terms ranging from ripples, to wavelets, to whitecaps, to white foam, to breakers and rollers, to hurricane conditions when the air is “filled with foam” and the sea is “completely white with driving spray.”[1]
The stories involving Leukothea usually feature the murder of children by a parent. In the most common tale, the mortal Ino ((Ἰνώ) of Kadmeia (Καδμεία) in Thebes was the nurse of Dionysos, the God of wine and its effects. Ino leapt from a cliff into the sea with her son to escape her husband’s murderous insane rage. Ino then became the Goddess Leukothea and her son became Palaimon (Παλαίμων), the old (Παλαί) + one (μων).” Both are deities who come to the aid of sailors in distress. In works of art Palaimon is represented as a boy carried by marine deities or dolphins.[2]
There was a temple in Corinth with statues of Palaimon, Leukothea, and Poseidon.
Mystae are initiates in the Mysteries.
[1] Beaufort Wind Scale, developed in 1805 CE by Sir Francis Beaufort of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/beaufort.html
[2] Schmitz, L. (1870). PALAEMON (Παλαίμων). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 3, p. 88). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
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