Orphic Hymns · 92 of 138 · tr. Thomas Taylor

Hymn XLVII. SABASIUS

XLVII. TO SABASIUS. The FUMIGATION from AROMATICS HEAR me, illustrious father, dæmon fam'd. Great Saturn's offspring, and Sabasius nam'd; p. 180 Inserting Bacchus, bearer of the vine, And founding God, within thy thigh divine, That when mature, the Dionysian God 5 Might burst the bands of his conceal'd abode, And come to sacred Tmolus, his delight, Where Ippa dwells, all beautiful and bright. Come blessed Phrygian God, the king of all, And aid thy mystics, when on thee they call. 10

Themes

◆Anthropomorphismtheology

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

The deity is attributed human characteristics such as a 'grasp' and a 'mind'.

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◆Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

The ritual context involves fumigation, which utilizes fire as a medium for divine presence.

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◇Living Godtheology

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

[auto] Bacchus is addressed as an active, responsive deity who hears prayers and blesses suppliants.

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◇Prayerpraxis

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

[auto] The passage is an explicit hymn of invocation ('HEAR me', 'Come... aid') directly addressing the deity.

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◇Sacred Namestheology

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

[auto] The passage centers on invoking a specific divine epithet, 'Bacchus Pericionius,' which carries liturgical power.

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Related passages · 1 parallel

◆neoplatonism|Iamblichus: On the Mysteries|Chapter VIIIv

“Hence some of them preside over men, others over lions or other animals, and others over plants; and still more partially, some are the inspective guardians of the eye, others of the heart, and others of the liver.” He adds, “all things, ho…”

Both passages discuss the concept of dæmons or divine beings that interact with the world and human souls. They share a mystical perspective on the role of these beings in liberation and purification, though they come from different traditions.