6. Πρωτογόνου, θυμίαμα σμύρναν.
To Protogonos, the First-Born
Divine medium: myrrh
Πρωτόγονον καλέω διφυῆ, μέγαν, αἰθερόπλαγκτον,
First-born Protogonos I call, dual-natured, great, aether-roaming,
ὠιογενῆ, χρυσέαισιν ἀγαλλόμενον πτερύγεσσι,
Eggborn, golden, gloriously-powered winged essence,
ταυρωβόαν, γένεσιν μακάρων θνητῶν τ' ἀνθρώπων,
Bull of bulls, blessed genetive origin of mortal humanity,
σπέρμα πολύμνηστον, πολυόργιον, Ἠρικεπαῖον,
Seed of many courtships and sacred rites, healing the shattered,
ἄρρητον, κρύφιον ῥοιζήτορα, παμφαὲς ἔρνος,
Not to be spoken of, secret root of inquiry, all-illuminator, tender sprout,
ὄσσων ὃς σκοτόεσσαν ἀπημαύρωσας ὁμίχλην
Foretelling shadow’s essence, removing the dimness of mist,
πάντῃ δινηθεὶς πτερύγων ῥιπαῖς κατὰ κόσμον
All-extending power divine, winged onrush, pure, cosmic,
λαμπρὸν ἄγων φάος ἁγνόν, ἀφ' οὗ σε Φάνητα κικλήσκω
Brightening contests, pure enlightener, miraculous Phanes, I call,
ἠδὲ Πρίηπον ἄνακτα καὶ Ἀνταύγην ἑλίκωπον.
And Priapos’ restoring and opposing circling gaze,
ἀλλά, μάκαρ, πολύμητι, πολύσπορε, βαῖνε γεγηθὼς
Yet, blessed, plentiful, wise, prolific sower, dance with Ge rejoicing,
ἐς τελετὴν ἁγνίαν πολυποίκιλον ὀργιοφάνταις.
Complete the pure, plentiful, various, celebrated, illuminating mysteries.
NOTES
Protogonos (Πρωτόγονος) means “first (Πρωτό) + born (γονον).” According to Pausanias I.31.4, Protogonos is an epithet of the Goddess Persephone, “Kore Protogona.”
Protogonos, also known as Phanes (Φάνης), is “dual-natured” because this deity is both female and male.
Phanos (φᾱνός) means light, bright, torch. Phanes is the immortal deity of the first principle of life. The Derveni Papyrus describes Phanes as a bi-sexual entity who emerged from an egg:
“First, there was Chronos or Time (Chronology). From Chronos, Aither and Chasma or Chaos were born. Chronos places an egg in Aither. The egg is also called white tunic (argeeta chitona (άργῆτα χιτῶνα)) or cloud (nepheleen (νεφελήν)). The [G]od[/dess] Phanes breaks out from the egg . . . Phanes is a marvellous (sp. sic) creature. He/she is of both sexes . . .”[1]
Phanes is depicted in illustrations as encircled by the zodiac. Phanes has wings and is enwrapped by a serpent, suggesting both heavenly (wings) and earthly (serpent) qualities.[2]
Priapos (Πρῐάπος, Ion. Πρίηπος) is the immortal God of fertility, depicted with an enomous, erect penis.[3]
Diodorus of Sicily reports that “certain writers say that when the ancients wished to speak in their myths of the sexual organ of males they called it Priapus.[4]
Aether is the heavens, upper air, sky.
It is of interest that the letter Ω (omega), which resembles an egg hatching, is the first letter in the very short Greek word for “egg (ὠιο).
The bull is the designated stud animal for breeding the herd.
[1] (Gabor Betegh, The Derveni Papyrus: Cosmology, Theology and Interpretation (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004) 141-142.) http://books.google.com/books?id=5HaKQFeYSBEC&q=egg#v=snippet&q=egg&f=false
[2] Greco-Roman bas relief circa 150 CE. Image located in Galeriea e Museo Eustense, Modena, Italy. http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Phanes.html
[3] http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Priapos.html
[4] Diodorus of Sicily (circa 50 BCE). Library of History (4 .6.1), translated by C. H. Oldfather, Loeb Classical Library Volume 303. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1935) 357-358.
To Protogonos, the First-Born
Divine medium: myrrh
Πρωτόγονον καλέω διφυῆ, μέγαν, αἰθερόπλαγκτον,
First-born Protogonos I call, dual-natured, great, aether-roaming,
ὠιογενῆ, χρυσέαισιν ἀγαλλόμενον πτερύγεσσι,
Eggborn, golden, gloriously-powered winged essence,
ταυρωβόαν, γένεσιν μακάρων θνητῶν τ' ἀνθρώπων,
Bull of bulls, blessed genetive origin of mortal humanity,
σπέρμα πολύμνηστον, πολυόργιον, Ἠρικεπαῖον,
Seed of many courtships and sacred rites, healing the shattered,
ἄρρητον, κρύφιον ῥοιζήτορα, παμφαὲς ἔρνος,
Not to be spoken of, secret root of inquiry, all-illuminator, tender sprout,
ὄσσων ὃς σκοτόεσσαν ἀπημαύρωσας ὁμίχλην
Foretelling shadow’s essence, removing the dimness of mist,
πάντῃ δινηθεὶς πτερύγων ῥιπαῖς κατὰ κόσμον
All-extending power divine, winged onrush, pure, cosmic,
λαμπρὸν ἄγων φάος ἁγνόν, ἀφ' οὗ σε Φάνητα κικλήσκω
Brightening contests, pure enlightener, miraculous Phanes, I call,
ἠδὲ Πρίηπον ἄνακτα καὶ Ἀνταύγην ἑλίκωπον.
And Priapos’ restoring and opposing circling gaze,
ἀλλά, μάκαρ, πολύμητι, πολύσπορε, βαῖνε γεγηθὼς
Yet, blessed, plentiful, wise, prolific sower, dance with Ge rejoicing,
ἐς τελετὴν ἁγνίαν πολυποίκιλον ὀργιοφάνταις.
Complete the pure, plentiful, various, celebrated, illuminating mysteries.
NOTES
Protogonos (Πρωτόγονος) means “first (Πρωτό) + born (γονον).” According to Pausanias I.31.4, Protogonos is an epithet of the Goddess Persephone, “Kore Protogona.”
Protogonos, also known as Phanes (Φάνης), is “dual-natured” because this deity is both female and male.
Phanos (φᾱνός) means light, bright, torch. Phanes is the immortal deity of the first principle of life. The Derveni Papyrus describes Phanes as a bi-sexual entity who emerged from an egg:
“First, there was Chronos or Time (Chronology). From Chronos, Aither and Chasma or Chaos were born. Chronos places an egg in Aither. The egg is also called white tunic (argeeta chitona (άργῆτα χιτῶνα)) or cloud (nepheleen (νεφελήν)). The [G]od[/dess] Phanes breaks out from the egg . . . Phanes is a marvellous (sp. sic) creature. He/she is of both sexes . . .”[1]
Phanes is depicted in illustrations as encircled by the zodiac. Phanes has wings and is enwrapped by a serpent, suggesting both heavenly (wings) and earthly (serpent) qualities.[2]
Priapos (Πρῐάπος, Ion. Πρίηπος) is the immortal God of fertility, depicted with an enomous, erect penis.[3]
Diodorus of Sicily reports that “certain writers say that when the ancients wished to speak in their myths of the sexual organ of males they called it Priapus.[4]
Aether is the heavens, upper air, sky.
It is of interest that the letter Ω (omega), which resembles an egg hatching, is the first letter in the very short Greek word for “egg (ὠιο).
The bull is the designated stud animal for breeding the herd.
[1] (Gabor Betegh, The Derveni Papyrus: Cosmology, Theology and Interpretation (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004) 141-142.) http://books.google.com/books?id=5HaKQFeYSBEC&q=egg#v=snippet&q=egg&f=false
[2] Greco-Roman bas relief circa 150 CE. Image located in Galeriea e Museo Eustense, Modena, Italy. http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Phanes.html
[3] http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Priapos.html
[4] Diodorus of Sicily (circa 50 BCE). Library of History (4 .6.1), translated by C. H. Oldfather, Loeb Classical Library Volume 303. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1935) 357-358.
RSS Feed