The Homeric Hymns Part 9

Of fairest Athene, renowned G.o.ddess, I begin to sing, of the Grey-eyed, the wise; her of the relentless heart, the maiden revered, the succour of cities, the strong Tritogeneia. Her did Zeus the counsellor himself beget from his holy head, all armed for war in shining golden mail, while in awe did the other G.o.ds behold it. Quickly did the G.o.ddess leap from the immortal head, and stood before Zeus, shaking her sharp spear, and high Olympus trembled in dread beneath the strength of the grey-eyed Maiden, while earth rang terribly around, and the sea was boiling with dark waves, and suddenly brake forth the foam. Yea, and the glorious son of Hyperion checked for long his swift steeds, till the maiden took from her immortal shoulders her divine armour, even Pallas Athene: and Zeus the counsellor rejoiced. Hail to thee, thou child of aegis-bearing Zeus, anon shall I be mindful of thee and of another lay.

XXVIII. TO HESTIA

Hestia, thou that in the lofty halls of all immortal G.o.ds, and of all men that go on earth, hast obtained an eternal place and the foremost honour, splendid is thy glory and thy gift, for there is no banquet of mortals without thee, none where, Hestia, they be not wont first and last to make to thee oblation of sweet wine. And do thou, O slayer of Argus, son of Zeus and Maia, messenger of the blessed G.o.ds, G.o.d of the golden wand, Giver of all things good, do thou with Hestia dwell in the fair mansions, dear each to other; with kindly heart befriend us in company with dear and honoured Hestia. [For both the twain, well skilled in all fair works of earthly men, consort with wisdom and youth.] Hail daughter of Cronos, thou and Hermes of the golden wand, anon will I be mindful of you and of another lay.

XXIX. TO EARTH, THE MOTHER OF ALL

Concerning Earth, the mother of all, shall I sing, firm Earth, eldest of G.o.ds, that nourishes all things in the world; all things that fare on the sacred land, all things in the sea, all flying things, all are fed out of her store. Through thee, revered G.o.ddess, are men happy in their children and fortunate in their harvest. Thine it is to give or to take life from mortal men. Happy is he whom thou honourest with favouring heart; to him all good things are present innumerable: his fertile field is laden, his meadows are rich in cattle, his house filled with all good things. Such men rule righteously in cities of fair women, great wealth and riches are theirs, their children grow glorious in fresh delights: their maidens joyfully dance and sport through the soft meadow flowers in floral revelry. Such are those that thou honourest, holy G.o.ddess, kindly spirit. Hail, Mother of the G.o.ds, thou wife of starry Ouranos, and freely in return for my ode give me sufficient livelihood. Anon will I be mindful of thee and of another lay.

x.x.x. TO HELIOS

Begin, O Muse Calliope, to sing of Helios the child of Zeus, the splendid Helios whom dark-eyed Euryphaessa bore to the son of Earth and starry Heaven. For Hyperion wedded Euryphaessa, his own sister, who bore him goodly children, the rosy-armed Dawn, and fair-tressed Selene, and the tireless Helios, like unto the Immortals, who from his chariot shines on mortals and on deathless G.o.ds, and dread is the glance of his eyes from his golden helm, and bright rays shine forth from him splendidly, and round his temples the shining locks flowing down from his head frame round his far-seen face, and a goodly garment wrought delicately shines about his body in the breath of the winds, and stallions speed beneath him when he, charioting his horses and golden-yoked car, drives down through heaven to ocean. Hail, Prince, and of thy grace grant me livelihood enough; beginning from thee I shall sing the race of heroes half divine, whose deeds the G.o.ddesses have revealed to mortals.

x.x.xI. TO THE MOON

Ye Muses, sing of the fair-faced, wide-winged Moon; ye sweet-voiced daughters of Zeus son of Cronos, accomplished in song! The heavenly gleam from her immortal head circles the earth, and all beauty arises under her glowing light, and the lampless air beams from her golden crown, and the rays dwell lingering when she has bathed her fair body in the ocean stream, and clad her in shining raiment, divine Selene, yoking her strong-necked glittering steeds. Then forward with speed she drives her deep-maned horses in the evening of the mid-month when her mighty orb is full; then her beams are brightest in the sky as she waxes, a token and a signal to mortal men. With her once was Cronion wedded in love, and she conceived, and brought forth Pandia the maiden, pre-eminent in beauty among the immortal G.o.ds. Hail, Queen, white-armed G.o.ddess, divine Selene, gentle of heart and fair of tress. Beginning from thee shall I sing the renown of heroes half divine whose deeds do minstrels chant from their charmed lips; these ministers of the Muses.

x.x.xII. TO THE DIOSCOURI

Sing, fair-glancing Muses, of the sons of Zeus, the Tyndaridae, glorious children of fair-ankled Leda, Castor the tamer of steeds and faultless Polydeuces. These, after wedlock with Cronion of the dark clouds, she bore beneath the crests of Taygetus, that mighty hill, to be the saviours of earthly men, and of swift ships when the wintry breezes rush along the pitiless sea. Then men from their ships call in prayer with sacrifice of white lambs when they mount the vessel's deck. But the strong wind and the wave of the sea drive down their ship beneath the water; when suddenly appear the sons of Zeus rushing through the air with tawny wings, and straightway have they stilled the tempests of evil winds, and have lulled the waves in the gulfs of the white salt sea: glad signs are they to mariners, an ending of their labour: and men see it and are glad, and cease from weary toil. Hail ye, Tyndaridae, ye knights of swift steeds, anon will I be mindful of you and of another lay.

[The Dioscuri coming to the feast of the Theoxenia. From a Vase in the British Museum (Sixth Century B.C.): lang252.jpg]

x.x.xIII. TO DIONYSUS

Some say that Semele bare thee to Zeus the lord of thunder in Dracanon, and some in windy Icarus, and some in Naxos, thou seed of Zeus, Eiraphiotes; and others by the deep-swelling river Alpheius, and others, O Prince, say that thou wert born in Thebes. Falsely speak they all: for the Father of G.o.ds and men begat thee far away from men, while white-armed Hera knew it not. There is a hill called Nyse, a lofty hill, flowering into woodland, far away from Phoenicia, near the streams of AEgyptus. . . .

"And to thee will they raise many statues in the temples: as these thy deeds are three, so men will sacrifice to thee hecatombs every three years." {254}

So spake Zeus the counsellor, and nodded with his head. Be gracious, Eiraphiotes, thou wild lover, from thee, beginning and ending with thee, we minstrels sing: in nowise is it possible for him who forgets thee to be mindful of sacred song. Hail to thee, Dionysus Eiraphiotes, with thy mother Semele, whom men call Thyone.

FOOTNOTES

{4} Baumeister, p. 94, and note on Hymn to Hermes, 51, citing Antigonus Carystius. See, too, Gemoll, _Die Homerischen Hymnen_, p. 105.

{13} _Journal of h.e.l.lenic Society_, vol. xiv. pp. 1-29. Mr. Verrall's whole paper ought to be read, as a summary cannot be adequate.

{16a} Henderson, "The Casket Letters," p. 67.

{16b} Baumeister, "Hymni Homerici," 1860, p. 108 _et seq_.

{18} _Die Homerischen Hymnen_, p. 116 (1886).

{23a} _Journal Anthrop. Inst_., Feb. 1892, p. 290.

{23b} (_Op. cit_., p. 296.) See "Are Savage G.o.ds Borrowed from Missionaries?" (_Nineteenth Century_, January 1899).

{24} Hartland, "Folk-Lore," ix. 4, 312; x. I, p. 51.

{30} Winslow, 1622.

{34} For authorities, see Mr Howitt in the _Journal of the Anthropological Inst.i.tute_, and my "Making of Religion." Also _Folk Lore_, December-March, 1898-99.

{37a} Manning, "Notes on the Aborigines of New Holland." Read before Royal Society of New South Wales, 1882. Notes taken down in 1845.

Compare Mrs. Langloh Parker, _More Australian Legendary Tales_, "The Legend of the Flowers."

{37b} Spencer and Gillen, "Natives of Central Australia," p. 651, _s.v_.

{39} For the use of Hermes's tortoise-sh.e.l.l as a musical instrument _without strings_, in early Anahuac, see Prof. Morse, in Appleton's _Popular Science Monthly_, March 1899.

{41} Gemoll.

{44} "Golden Bough," i. 279. Mannhardt, _Antike-Wald-und Feldkulte_, p.

274.

{45} Howitt, _Journal Anthtop. Inst_., xvi. p. 54.

{46a} The Kurnai hold this belief.

{46b} Brough Smyth, vol. i. p. 426

{46c} _Journal Anthrop. Inst_., xvi. pp. 330-331.

{59} The most minute study of Lobeck's _Aglaophamus_ can tell us no more than this; the curious may consult a useful short manual, _Eleusis, Ses Mysteres, Ses Ruines, et son Musee_, by M. Demetrios Philios. Athens, 1896. M. Philios is the Director of the Eleusinian Excavations.