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Orphic Hymns · 22 of 86 · tr. Thomas Taylor

Hymn XXII. NEREUS

XXII. TO NEREUS. The FUMIGATION from MYRRH. O Thou, who doff the roots of Ocean keep In seats cærulean, dæmon of the deep, With fifty nymphs (attending in thy train, Fair virgin artists) glorying thro' the main: The dark foundation of the rolling sea 5 And Earth's wide bounds, belong much-fam'd to thee; Great dæmon, source of all, whose pow'r can make The Earth's unmeasur'd, holy basis shake, When blust'ring winds in secret caverns pent, By thee excited, struggle hard for vent: 10 Come, blessed Nereus, listen to my pray'r, And cease to shake the earth with wrath severe; p. 148 Send on our sacred rites abundant health, With peace divine and necessary wealth.
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Themes
Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

[auto] The goddess is described with human features such as eyes, motherhood, and queenship.

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Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

[auto] The text explicitly states the deity is hidden in a veil obscure from human sight.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

[auto] The passage depicts Tethys as a responsive deity who hears prayers and actively cares for human life and safety.

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Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

[auto] The passage is explicitly structured as a direct invocation and petition to the deity ('listen to my pray'r', 'Come, blessed Nereus').

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Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

Fumigation implies the use of fire to burn incense as a medium for the offering.

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Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

[auto] The hymn specifies fumigation with frankincense and manna as part of the ritual practice.

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

The invocation begins by calling upon the specific name Tethys to summon the deity.

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