Orphic Hymns

[Pythagoras379]

From your experience does chanting the Orphic hymn in Greek make it more potent than chanting it in English?

 

[ZanySpirtist]

I haven't tried, TBH. I'm tempted to try, though, as there are transliterations available online.

In lieu of that, I made my own translations and am using them. Gives me more of a personal connection to the text.

 

[Shayla_Met4lLov3r]

From your experience does chanting the Orphic hymn in Greek make it more potent than chanting it in English?

I’ve been wondering this as well, I imagine that it does if I had to take a guess.

 

[Phillian]

Well, I found a similar topic in the forum regarding using ancient languages / "dead" languages in your practice. Theurgy supports this approach, believes it is important, and empowers your casting, calling, and rituals... You will find a division in opinions and thoughts regarding using ancient/"dead" languages. Personally, I think it is more important the intention and energy you invest, rather than the language. However, I also believe that if you are following a tradition and if the knowledge has been passed down using another language, then you should use it.

If you are not comfortable with that language, but want to preserve the traditional approach of your practice, then I suggest study the text and at least learn to say the key words in that text, or in this case in the Orphic Hymn, learn their meaning and how to pronounce those key words, so those words when you proclaim have power, intention and work as bridges between the past and the present. For example, in my practice, when I connect with my deities, I use a greeting in the Yoruba language; the rest can be in my native language, but the greeting and invocation are always in Yoruba. So let's say you are using the Orphic Hymns to connect with a certain Greek Pantheon deity; I would try at least to know how to say their name and key elements connected to them in that language.

 

[Tanaquil]

I think it can depend on what result is expected : if needing to evoke some ancient energies or entities, I personnaly believe that there is a memory or signature in the original sound, names, languages. So ancient greek would be better. If worried that the translation would lose part of its original meaning, greek may also be better.
But the orphic hymns are not "old" in the antiquity timeline. It has been written rather late in antiquity, around the 2nd or 3rd century. It has not been passed down for centuries before being written, even if of course, some elements mentioned are of course very old. For this reason, I wouldn't perceive ancient greek here as a "sacred language" and for some rituals, it may be more important to understand precisely what you say. Some hymns are short and it is feasible to prepare ahead by studying the meaning and understanding the greek words, but if it is a long hymn, and it is necessary for exemple to visualise something or concentrate on something else than just speaking the words (wether in greek or latin alphabet, concentrating on the proper pronounciation is an effort), then I would chose to speak the hymn in the usual everyday language. Languages have constantly changed and evolved through human history so I assume entities understand in any case.