Translated by Catherine Proppe, November 9, 2016
39. Κορύβαντος, θυμίαμα λίβανον.
To the Korybantes, Helmeted Dancers
Divine medium: libanon (frankincense)
Κικλήσκω χθονὸς ἀενάου βασιλῆα μέγιστον,
I call Earth’s everlasting majestic Basilea,
Κύρβαντ' ὀλβιόμοιρον, Ἀρήιον, ἀπροσόρατον,
Helmeted dancers, whole life fated, Ares’ warriors, impervious to the grave,
νυκτερινὸν Κουρῆτα, φόβων ἀποπαύστορα δεινῶν,
Night-loving Kouretes, terrifying, paralyzing, powerful,
φαντασιῶν ἐπαρωγόν, ἐρημοπλάνον Κορύβαντα,
Phantasmic companions in battle, lone-roaming Korybantes,
αἰολόμορφον ἄνακτα, θεὸν διφυῆ, πολύμορφον,
Eternally changing form, forever reviving, divinely dual-natured, with many forms,
φοίνιον, αἱμαχθέντα κασιγνήτων ὑπὸ δισσῶν,
Crimson bloodied siblings subdivided under
Δηοῦς ὃς γνώμαισιν ἐνήλλαξας δέμας ἁγνόν,
The Goddess Demeter, who, with wisdom, exchanges pure embodiment,
θηρότυπον θέμενος μορφὴν δνοφεροῖο δράκοντος·
So that beastly creatures lawfully morph into dark-born serpents.
κλῦθι, μάκαρ, φωνῶν, χαλεπὴν δ' ἀποπέμπεο μῆνιν,
I call on these blest, loud, savages to dispatch wrath,
παύων φαντασίας, ψυχῆς ἐκπλήκτου ἀνάγκας.
Pause fantastic illusions of the Soul terrified by Necessity.
NOTES
The Korybantes (Κορύβαντες) are helmeted (κόρῠς) + dancers (βαντες) who danced loudly and enthusiastically to drums and clanging armaments, clashing their spears on their shields.
Smith says that “their mysteries were particularly calculated to protect the lives of the initiated.”[1] This is consistent with the phrase in this hymn ἀπροσόρατον: transcendant (ἀ) + before (προ) + σόρα (coffin, vessel for holding human remains, cinerary urn) + τον.
Because of the sorcery described, this hymn is consistent with Diodorus of Sicily’s description of the Dactyli of Mt. Ida in Phrygia (modern Turkey). They “were wizards, they practised charms and initiatory rites and mysteries, and in the course of a sojourn in Samothrace they amazed the natives of that island not a little by their skill in such matters. And it was at this time…that Orpheus, who was endowed with an exceptional gift of poesy and song, also became a pupil of theirs, and he was subsequently the first to introduce initiatory rites and mysteries to the Greeks."
The mysteries of the Kabeiri were held in honor of the Goddess Demeter and the Goddess Rhea.[2]
Nonnos describes how the Corybantes protected both the infant Zeus and the infant Dionysos by disguising the sounds of their cries with loud dancing and clashing of armor:
The “Corybants…had surrounded Zeus a newborn babe in the cavern which fostered his breeding, and danced about him shield in hand, the deceivers, raising wild songs which echoed among the rocks and maddened the air—the noise of the clanging brass resounded in the ears of Cronos high among the clouds, and concealed the infancy…with drummings.”[3]
The “Corybants would surround Dionysos with their childcherishing dance, and clash their swords, and strike their shields with rebounding steel in alternate movements, to conceal the growing boyhood of Dionysos; and as the boy listened to the fostering noise of the shields he grew up under the care of the Corybants like his father [Zeus]."[4]
Nonnos gives other vivid descriptions of the Corybantes’ performances:
"…the helmeted bands of desert-haunting Corybantes were beating on their shields in the Cnossian dance, and leaping with rhythmic steps, and the oxhides thudded under the blows of the iron as they whirled them about in rivalry, while the double pipe made music, and quickened the dancers with its rollicking tune in time to the bounding steps.”[5]
"The Dictaian Corybants joined battle, shaking the plumes of their highcrested helmets, rushing madly into the fray. Their naked swords rang on their beaten shields in emulation, along with resounding leaps; they imitated the rhythm of the dance-at-arms with quick circling movements of their feet, a revel in the battlefield."[6]
Chthonos (χθονὸς) is the foundational aspect of Earth, personified as the immortal Goddess Chthon (Χθών), literally “foundation (Χ) + divine (θ) + load-bearing (ονὸς).”
Basilea (βασιλῆα) means “ruler” and contains the root word “basis.” Note the feminine ending –a.
Areion (Ἀρήιον) means of the immortal God of war, Ares, that is, warriors.
Kouretes are youthful (κουριος) armed warrior dancers. Note the feminine form ending -a: koureta (Κουρῆτα).
Of two (δι) + natures (φυῆ) may mean androgynous (devotees of Rhea-Kybele were known to self-castrate as a sign of devotion to the Mother Goddess, so may be considered both male and female in nature); or, of two races, i.e. Greek and Phrygian.
Deeos (Δηοῦς) is the immortal Goddess Demeter.
The word dragon (δράκοντος) is usually translated as “serpent” or “snake.”
Psyche (ψυχῆς) is the immortal Goddess of the soul.
Ananke (ἀνάγκας) is the immortal Goddess of that which is necessary.
[1] Schmitz, L. (1870). CABEIRI (Κάβειροι). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 522). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[2] Schmitz, L. (1870). CABEIRI (Κάβειροι). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 522). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[3] Dionysiaca 14.23, p. 475.
[4] Dionysiaca 9. 163, p.315.
[5] Dionysiaca 3. 62, p.105.
[6] Dionysiaca 29. 215, p.385.
39. Κορύβαντος, θυμίαμα λίβανον.
To the Korybantes, Helmeted Dancers
Divine medium: libanon (frankincense)
Κικλήσκω χθονὸς ἀενάου βασιλῆα μέγιστον,
I call Earth’s everlasting majestic Basilea,
Κύρβαντ' ὀλβιόμοιρον, Ἀρήιον, ἀπροσόρατον,
Helmeted dancers, whole life fated, Ares’ warriors, impervious to the grave,
νυκτερινὸν Κουρῆτα, φόβων ἀποπαύστορα δεινῶν,
Night-loving Kouretes, terrifying, paralyzing, powerful,
φαντασιῶν ἐπαρωγόν, ἐρημοπλάνον Κορύβαντα,
Phantasmic companions in battle, lone-roaming Korybantes,
αἰολόμορφον ἄνακτα, θεὸν διφυῆ, πολύμορφον,
Eternally changing form, forever reviving, divinely dual-natured, with many forms,
φοίνιον, αἱμαχθέντα κασιγνήτων ὑπὸ δισσῶν,
Crimson bloodied siblings subdivided under
Δηοῦς ὃς γνώμαισιν ἐνήλλαξας δέμας ἁγνόν,
The Goddess Demeter, who, with wisdom, exchanges pure embodiment,
θηρότυπον θέμενος μορφὴν δνοφεροῖο δράκοντος·
So that beastly creatures lawfully morph into dark-born serpents.
κλῦθι, μάκαρ, φωνῶν, χαλεπὴν δ' ἀποπέμπεο μῆνιν,
I call on these blest, loud, savages to dispatch wrath,
παύων φαντασίας, ψυχῆς ἐκπλήκτου ἀνάγκας.
Pause fantastic illusions of the Soul terrified by Necessity.
NOTES
The Korybantes (Κορύβαντες) are helmeted (κόρῠς) + dancers (βαντες) who danced loudly and enthusiastically to drums and clanging armaments, clashing their spears on their shields.
Smith says that “their mysteries were particularly calculated to protect the lives of the initiated.”[1] This is consistent with the phrase in this hymn ἀπροσόρατον: transcendant (ἀ) + before (προ) + σόρα (coffin, vessel for holding human remains, cinerary urn) + τον.
Because of the sorcery described, this hymn is consistent with Diodorus of Sicily’s description of the Dactyli of Mt. Ida in Phrygia (modern Turkey). They “were wizards, they practised charms and initiatory rites and mysteries, and in the course of a sojourn in Samothrace they amazed the natives of that island not a little by their skill in such matters. And it was at this time…that Orpheus, who was endowed with an exceptional gift of poesy and song, also became a pupil of theirs, and he was subsequently the first to introduce initiatory rites and mysteries to the Greeks."
The mysteries of the Kabeiri were held in honor of the Goddess Demeter and the Goddess Rhea.[2]
Nonnos describes how the Corybantes protected both the infant Zeus and the infant Dionysos by disguising the sounds of their cries with loud dancing and clashing of armor:
The “Corybants…had surrounded Zeus a newborn babe in the cavern which fostered his breeding, and danced about him shield in hand, the deceivers, raising wild songs which echoed among the rocks and maddened the air—the noise of the clanging brass resounded in the ears of Cronos high among the clouds, and concealed the infancy…with drummings.”[3]
The “Corybants would surround Dionysos with their childcherishing dance, and clash their swords, and strike their shields with rebounding steel in alternate movements, to conceal the growing boyhood of Dionysos; and as the boy listened to the fostering noise of the shields he grew up under the care of the Corybants like his father [Zeus]."[4]
Nonnos gives other vivid descriptions of the Corybantes’ performances:
"…the helmeted bands of desert-haunting Corybantes were beating on their shields in the Cnossian dance, and leaping with rhythmic steps, and the oxhides thudded under the blows of the iron as they whirled them about in rivalry, while the double pipe made music, and quickened the dancers with its rollicking tune in time to the bounding steps.”[5]
"The Dictaian Corybants joined battle, shaking the plumes of their highcrested helmets, rushing madly into the fray. Their naked swords rang on their beaten shields in emulation, along with resounding leaps; they imitated the rhythm of the dance-at-arms with quick circling movements of their feet, a revel in the battlefield."[6]
Chthonos (χθονὸς) is the foundational aspect of Earth, personified as the immortal Goddess Chthon (Χθών), literally “foundation (Χ) + divine (θ) + load-bearing (ονὸς).”
Basilea (βασιλῆα) means “ruler” and contains the root word “basis.” Note the feminine ending –a.
Areion (Ἀρήιον) means of the immortal God of war, Ares, that is, warriors.
Kouretes are youthful (κουριος) armed warrior dancers. Note the feminine form ending -a: koureta (Κουρῆτα).
Of two (δι) + natures (φυῆ) may mean androgynous (devotees of Rhea-Kybele were known to self-castrate as a sign of devotion to the Mother Goddess, so may be considered both male and female in nature); or, of two races, i.e. Greek and Phrygian.
Deeos (Δηοῦς) is the immortal Goddess Demeter.
The word dragon (δράκοντος) is usually translated as “serpent” or “snake.”
Psyche (ψυχῆς) is the immortal Goddess of the soul.
Ananke (ἀνάγκας) is the immortal Goddess of that which is necessary.
[1] Schmitz, L. (1870). CABEIRI (Κάβειροι). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 522). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[2] Schmitz, L. (1870). CABEIRI (Κάβειροι). In W. Smith (Ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Vol. 1, p. 522). Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.
[3] Dionysiaca 14.23, p. 475.
[4] Dionysiaca 9. 163, p.315.
[5] Dionysiaca 3. 62, p.105.
[6] Dionysiaca 29. 215, p.385.
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